Several groups to sue Govt. for failing to issue advance warnings on Ditwah

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake

A coalition of political parties, civil society groups, environmental organisations and public movements is preparing to initiate legal action against the Government over allegations that authorities failed to provide adequate advance warnings on Cyclone Ditwah and disregarded established safety protocols.

Representatives met in Colombo on 5 December to outline the legal strategy. 

Free Lawyers Organisation Convener Attorney-at-Law Dinesh Vidana Pathirana said the applications will be based on the Public Trust Doctrine, arguing that the Government failed to issue essential warnings from 12 November until the cyclone made landfall. He said data gathering is underway, with senior legal experts advising the process. Political leaders, community members and affected families are expected to provide testimony.

Vidana Pathirana also noted that consultations are in progress with lawyers linked to the United Nations, adding that if domestic avenues prove inadequate, they may seek intervention from the UN Human Rights Commission.

Environmental Justice Centre Chairman Attorney-at-Law Ravindra Dabare said a writ petition is being prepared over the failure to evacuate residents living in areas known to be at high risk of landslides and rock falls. 

He said legal provisions already empower authorities to remove people from danger zones, but agencies did not act when they should have.

Api Sri Lanka Convener Priyantha Herath said a fundamental rights petition will also be filed against the Department of Meteorology, alleging that the agency did not communicate risk alerts effectively. 

He said the absence of timely information contributed to severe loss of life, property and livestock, and insisted that the Government and its institutions must face accountability for the failures.

The organisations argue that multiple state institutions did not issue appropriate alerts despite early indications of the cyclone’s trajectory and intensity. They contend that this lapse contributed to the scale of fatalities, property destruction and displacement recorded across several districts.

According to organisers, the planned litigation will take the form of writ applications and will rely on earlier Supreme Court rulings that established state accountability for preventable harm. 

These include the judgment assigning responsibility to former President Maithripala Sirisena and senior officials for failures preceding the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks, and the ruling that found former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and others liable for decisions that aggravated the recent economic crisis. 

The groups say these precedents reinforce the constitutional obligation of the State to safeguard the public.

President thanks US for emergency support following Cyclone Ditwah

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday expressed his appreciation to US President Donald Trump for the emergency assistance extended to Sri Lanka in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah.

In a post on X, the President conveyed his thanks for Washington’s response to the disaster, noting the speed at which support was mobilised. “My deepest gratitude to the US and President @realDonaldTrump for standing with us yet again at a time of need,” he said.

He added that the rapid deployment of C-130 aircraft and the immediate provision of $ 2 million in emergency funding underscored the strength of the partnership between the two countries, describing it as grounded in shared democratic values and longstanding ties between their peoples.