President responds to criticisms of govt’s handling of Ditwah
– Acknowledging shortcomings in Sri Lanka’s disaster preparedness and response mechanisms, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake stated that Cyclone Ditwah exposed long-standing weaknesses that the government is now moving to correct.
In an interview with Newsweek, Editorial Director and Senior Vice President (Asia) Danish Manzoor Bhat questioned the President on criticisms surrounding the government’s handling of the disaster.“Cyclone Ditwah was catastrophic—lives lost, villages submerged, infrastructure torn apart,” President Dissanayake said, stressing that despite the devastation, the state response was immediate.
“Our forces and local authorities mobilized. Our partners stepped in as well. Although the priority at the moment is to work together and ensure Sri Lanka gets back on its feet, we need meaningful criticism to guide us.”He acknowledged that the cyclone had exposed persistent weaknesses in local preparedness, land-use enforcement, and the speed of relief delivery.
The President noted that the government has already launched a comprehensive review of the country’s disaster-management systems. Among the key reforms is the creation of a National Disaster Management Authority with enhanced resources and decision-making power.“Sri Lanka’s pre-monitoring and early-warning systems must improve—especially real-time weather tracking and community alert mechanisms,” he said.Dissanayake highlighted several immediate measures taken, including the establishment of emergency operations centres in every affected district, deployment of the full military and police apparatus for rescue and relief operations, and close coordination with international partners who “responded rapidly.”
Looking ahead, he outlined a series of structural reforms: improved radar coverage for forecasting, pre-positioning of rescue equipment and essential supplies in high-risk zones, and updated mapping of landslide-prone areas in the central highlands.He also acknowledged that the scale of damage—particularly from landslides—was not entirely unforeseeable. “With climate change, destruction of this scale should have been expected in time. But for years and years Sri Lanka has failed to prepare adequately.”
Emphasizing the administration’s commitment to long-term resilience, the President said: “At least now, our government will work with all partners to put effective, efficient and accountable systems in place. We will rebuild Sri Lanka, better than it was before.”
