President orders urgent resettlement of Ditwah victims in Nuwara Eliya

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake 

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday directed officials to urgently accelerate the resettlement of families displaced by Cyclone Ditwah in the Nuwara Eliya District, with special focus on estate workers still living in temporary shelters amid worsening weather conditions.

The directive was issued during a special District Coordination Committee meeting held at the Nuwara Eliya District Secretariat to review the progress of the Government’s post-disaster recovery and resettlement program.

During the meeting, the President conducted a detailed review of compensation payments related to loss of life, property destruction, business losses, and the restoration of housing and livelihoods, while also separately assessing the progress of land identification and resettlement at divisional level.

Officials informed the meeting that Cyclone Ditwah affected 61,833 people from 18,266 families across all 10 Divisional Secretariat divisions in the district, including Ambagamuwa, Nuwara Eliya, Norwood, Nildandahinna, Kotmale, Talawakelle West, Walapane, Mathurata, Hanguranketha and Kotmale East.

The disaster caused widespread destruction to housing, with 675 estate houses and 1,565 village houses completely destroyed. A further 612 estate houses and 153 village houses suffered partial damage. Authorities also confirmed 93 deaths in the district as a result of the cyclone.

The President said estate residents who lost their homes and continue to live in tents are facing severe hardship due to the ongoing rainy season, and instructed officials to prioritise their immediate relocation.

He also directed relevant agencies to expedite the allocation of suitable land for affected families and to begin constructing temporary shelters on those same sites until permanent housing can be completed.

Describing Cyclone Ditwah as one of the largest disasters in the country’s recent history, Disanayake acknowledged that the initial relief response had faced operational challenges, but said improved planning and the commitment of public officials had enabled much of the urgent first-phase recovery work to be completed.

He stressed that the next phase, particularly resettlement, must now be completed efficiently so that affected communities can fully rebuild their lives.

The President also reminded officials that while relief and reconstruction remain a national priority, the Government must continue to maintain fiscal discipline to avoid repeating the economic crisis experienced in recent years.

He expressed confidence that public officials would ensure that funds allocated for cyclone recovery are properly managed and that assistance reaches affected families without further delay.

Among those who attended the event were Essential Services Commissioner General and Presidential Chief of Staff, Prabath Chandrakeerthi, Nuwara Eliya District MP and District Coordination Committee Chairman Manjula Suraweera Arachchi, Nuwara Eliya District Coordination Committee Co-Chairman and Central Province Governor Prof. Sarath Abeykoon, Central Province Chief Secretary Ajith Premasinghe, Defence Ministry Secretary Air Vice Marshal (Retd.) Sampath Thuyacontha, Nuwara Eliya District Secretary, R.A.D.T.N. Thennakoon, MPs R.G. Wijerathna and V.S. Radhakrishnan, Mayor, Pradeshiya Sabhas Chairpersons, Ministry Secretaries, Department Heads, Representatives of the Tri Forces and other key officials.