President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has underscored the importance of developing a targeted and sustainable plan to tackle the recurring floods across the country. He pointed out that frequent flooding necessitates long-term solutions for effective management, according to a statement from the President's Media Division (PMD).
During a meeting held today (October 14) with officials from the Ministries of Disaster Management and Finance at the Presidential Secretariat, the President instructed authorities to focus on providing immediate relief to those affected by recent severe weather in Colombo, Gampaha, Puttalam, and Kalutara. Once relief operations are underway, the next priority should be repairing damaged infrastructure.
Additionally, President Dissanayake directed the Secretary of the Ministry of Finance to ensure additional funds are made available for flood relief if required. Already, Rs. 50 million has been added to the flood relief budget to assist those impacted by the disaster, as per the President’s instructions.
The meeting was attended by relevant Government officials, including, The Secretary to the President, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Mahinda Siriwardena, Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuiyakontha (Retired), Disaster Management Division Director General (Planning) W.W.S. Mangala, Disaster Management Ministry Additional Secretary K.G. Dharmathilaka, Meteorological Department Director General A.K. Karunanayake, Acting Director General of the Disaster Management Center W.G.A.K. Tillakaratne and Senior Assistant Secretary of the National Disaster Relief Service Center Namal Indika Liyanage, National Building Research Organization Director General Dr. Asiri Karunawardena.
