Nearly a year after Cyclone Ditwah devastated Sri Lanka’s central highlands, a parliamentary select committee investigating the disaster response is summoning local government authorities to account for critical coordination breakdowns during the emergency.
Key Highlights
- Parliamentary Select Committee summons Pradeshiya Sabhas and Municipal Councils over communication breakdowns during Cyclone Ditwah.
- Inquiry reveals a complete absence of standard written emergency protocols and routine preparedness drills prior to the storm.
- Committee chaired by Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa centers its probe on severe landslides and flooding across Kandy and Matale districts.
According to a release from the Parliament Secretariat, the committee has decided to call representatives from Pradeshiya Sabhas and Municipal Councils to clarify how local administrative bodies were integrated—or failed to be integrated—into official emergency communication networks when the storm hit.
The move follows a hearing chaired by Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, where lawmakers interrogated officials from the National Council for Disaster Management alongside District Secretaries from Kandy and Matale. The inquiry focused specifically on the handling of intense rainfall, flooding, and severe landslides that battered the two districts between November 23 and 27, 2025.
The committee’s investigation has spotlighted longstanding shortcomings in early warning systems, inter-agency communication, and emergency response protocols—areas that drew severe public backlash following the disaster. Crucially, committee members highlighted that no formal written disaster protocols or routine training drills were operational when the cyclone made landfall, underscoring systemic unpreparedness.
Key officials attending the session included Deputy Ministers Major General (Retd) Aruna Jayasekara and Anton Jayakody, as well as Members of Parliament Anuradha Jayaratne, Rohini Kumari Wijerathne, Kanthasamy Prabu, Ruwan Mapalagama, and Dr. Pathmanathan Sathiyalingam.