Sumanthiran flags claim that early warning on Cyclone Ditwah went unheeded

Wednesday, 10 December 2025 03:20 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) MP M.A. Sumanthiran yesterday highlighted a claim by a senior academic that Cyclone Ditwah’s destructive impact could have been anticipated earlier if warnings issued a week in advance had been acted upon.

Posting on ‘X,’ Sumanthiran said University of Jaffna Department of Geography Head Professor Nagamuthu Piratheeparajah had publicly stated that he warned of the likelihood of a severe cyclone roughly seven days before it reached Sri Lanka.

According to Piratheeparajah, his assessments were circulated through social media and regional publications, though he says they failed to prompt a wider national response.

Sumanthiran’s remarks come amid intensifying scrutiny of the Government’s preparedness and the effectiveness of its early-warning systems. The scale of destruction caused by Cyclone Ditwah has intensified calls for accountability from Opposition parties and civil society groups.

This follows heavy lobbying by Opposition lawmakers for a Parliament Select Committee to probe increasing allegations that the Government failed to act on early warnings about the cyclone.