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Home » NewsRescuers continue search ops
Though it has been days since Cyclone Ditwah left the shores and the weather stabilised, efforts continue to retrieve the bodies of victims buried under mounds of earth following the many landslides that devastated the country. Here, a member of the Indian rescue team, with the support of a sniffer dog, is looking for victims [...]
New body to manage disaster recovery funds and rebuilding
Draft law proposes task force; Rs 500bn set to be passed in Parliament next month By Damith Wickremasekara The government is to set up a statutory body to handle a special fund, starting with a Rs 500 billion supplementary estimate to be passed in Parliament next month to undertake a rebuilding plan after cyclone ‘Ditwah’ [...]
Govt. ends no-pay leave to work elsewhere for state employees
From January 1 next year, public sector employees will no longer be granted no-pay leave to work elsewhere, as was allowed under a 2022 Cabinet decision, according to a new circular. Public Administration Ministry Secretary S. Aloka Bandara said the Cabinet has approved a proposal to cancel the five-year leave option, which was used by [...]
National Archives appeals for freezers to protect flood-hit records
The Department of National Archives has issued an urgent appeal for freezers in which to deposit documents damaged in recent floods so as to stop mould from growing on and destroying them. “Hundreds of cubic metres of irreplaceable public records are now water-damaged,” National Archives Director General Nadeera Rupesinghe said in a statement. “We have [...]
Auditor General post still vacant; No quorum for President’s nominee
By Ranjith Padmasiri The appointment of a new Auditor General has been further delayed after the candidate President Anura Kumara Dissanayake put forward to fill the vacancy in an acting capacity failed to muster the minimum number of votes required for Constitutional Council (CC) approval. President Dissanayake had recommended that the CC approve the name [...]
Countries rush relief aid; global response positive
The government’s call for international assistance received a positive response from the international community, with its closest South Asian neighbours, including rivals India and Pakistan, putting aside differences and working together to provide much needed assistance to the country. Both Indian and Pakistani helicopters rescued people trapped by rising water levels and landslides. India also [...]
Temple, church launch joint flood relief effort
A Buddhist temple and a church in Mabima near Sapugaskanda launched a joint effort to help flood victims of the area this week. Supported by the Kelaniya Rotaract Club and patrons of the temple, the Sri Shalitharama Purana Viharaya at Walahena in Mabima and the nearby St Joachim’s Church distributed essential items, dry rations and [...]
No return to landslide -prone areas; victims to get new land
The government will not allow those who were displaced by landslides to return to their damaged dwellings or lands if the areas are found to be vulnerable, Essential Services Commissioner Prabath Chandrakeerthi told the Sunday Times. He said the landslide-prone lands would be acquired by the government, and alternative lands would be given to those [...]
Kotte MC budget passed after opposition walkout
The Kotte municipal council budget proposal was passed without the presence of opposition members on Wednesday, December 04, 2025 The budget proposals were presented by NPP Mayor Arosha Attapattu, but the opposition alleged that the budget was not legitimate and left the council meeting. The budget was passed without opposition.
Monsoon sets in; rains forecast for several provinces
The Northeast monsoon condition is gradually establishing over the island, the Meteorological Department said. Several spells of showers will occur in the Northern, North-Central, Eastern, and Uva provinces and in the Matale and Nuwara-Eliya districts. Showers or thundershowers will occur in the other areas of the island after 1.00 p.m. Fairly heavy falls above 50 [...]
Justice Kulatunga to join SC bench
By Ranjith Padmasiri The Constitutional Council (CC) has unanimously approved President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s recommendation to appoint Court of Appeal Justice Gihan Kulatunga to fill one of two existing vacancies in the Supreme Court. Justice Kulatunga joined the Attorney General’s Department in 1994 as a State Counsel and joined the judicial service in 2012 as [...]
Man shot dead in Dehiwala
A man was shot dead near a playground in Dehiwala last night, police said. A suspect has been arrested over the shooting incident.
Justice Yasantha Kodagoda appointed Acting Chief Justice
By Ranjith Padmasiri Supreme Court Justice Yasantha Kodagoda has been appointed as Acting Chief Justice by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. The appointment has been made with effect from today (7) as a group of 9 judges led by Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena are leaving for India on a week-long official study tour. Justice Kodagoda [...]
Military operations round the clock to rescue and restore lives
By Dilushi Wijesinghe As the deadly cyclone Ditwah continued to batter large swathes of the country last week, the tri-forces and police mounted one of the most extensive disaster responses in recent years, with air, naval, and ground teams operating around the clock to reach civilians trapped in rubble and marooned in rising water. A [...]
Clearance of donated items to be expedited
As an interim measure to expedite the clearance of donated goods from overseas to communities affected by Cyclone Ditwah, Imports and Exports (Control) Regulations are relaxed for some 76 items including milk powder packets. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in his capacity as Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, issued a gazette notification on Monday [...]
Justice Kulatunga to join SC bench
By Ranjith Padmasiri The Constitutional Council (CC) has unanimously approved President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s recommendation to appoint Court of Appeal Justice Gihan Kulatunga to fill one of two existing vacancies in the Supreme Court. Justice Kulatunga joined the Attorney General’s Department in 1994 as a State Counsel and joined the judicial service in 2012 as [...]
IMF weighs cyclone disaster financing for rebuilding
By Kapila Bandara Sri Lanka has sought financial assistance of about US$200 million from the IMF, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake told Parliament Friday, to recover and rebuild from the unprecedented cyclone devastation. President Dissanayake said he expects a disbursement this month. As Finance Minister, he also detailed substantial increases in spending on immediate financial support [...]
A beep in time… Was the disaster avoidable?
By Tharushi Weerasinghe and Dilushi Wijesinghe As the country grapples with the aftermath of floods and landslides caused by Cyclone Ditwah, allegations of negligence and preparedness mismanagement are being levelled against the government agencies tasked with monitoring and managing disaster situations. Contradicting reports and statements have been made by the Meteorology Department, Disaster Management Centre [...]
Japan-funded Doppler to be installed by 2027
A Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)-funded project to install a Doppler radar – a vital weather forecasting instrument – is expected to be finished by 2027 after years of delays. A Doppler radar uses waves to detect precipitation, while also measuring its movement and speed, revealing wind direction and intensity, etc, giving meteorologists vital information [...]
Development puts Sri Lanka’s fragile central hills at risk
Scant attention to National Physical Plan, Sri Lanka’s highest level spatial framework, which sets out how land, resources, settlements, transport networks, economic hubs and environmental assets should be organised around the country over the long term. By Namini Wijedasa In early 2017, the government department tasked with formulating Sri Lanka’s spatial development framework voiced strong [...]
Ditwah batters Sri Lanka: Central Province bears the brunt
By Jayani Madawala Central Province bore the brunt of Cyclone Ditwah, with its three districts—Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, and Matale—suffering the highest toll in lives lost and property destroyed. The Kandy district topped the death toll list, with 232 people being killed, with 89 still missing. As many as 350 people of a total of 611 [...]
Possessions and livelihoods lost in Wellampitiya devastation
By Sajeniya Sathanandan Flood victims in Colombo and suburbs are grappling with a multitude of issues as they return to their homes, with some of them not only losing their belongings but also their livelihoods. The lack of an effective distribution mechanism to distribute relief was visible when the Sunday Times visited some of the [...]
New tourist bookings, few cancellations for high season
By Wasantha Ramanayake Sri Lanka is ready to welcome tourists from Europe this winter, despite Cyclone Ditwah, one of the worst natural disasters in the country’s history. There were no deaths of tourists among the more than 600 lives lost. According to the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, nearly 269 affected tourists were rescued. Sri [...]
Abandoned animals saved from drowning
By Kasun Warakapitiya The caring nature of Sri Lankans was on display again during the floods which affected domestic pets and urban wildlife. While some people fled to safety with their pets, others abandoned them. Welfare organisations and some residents, using makeshift boats, tyre tubes, and boats, rescued the abandoned pets, risking nervous reactions from [...]
Nuwara Eliya ponies and horses are casualties of flooding
Equestrian enthusiasts expressed concern over the horses and ponies in Nuwara Eliya town, as around 20 ponies perished from the cyclone destruction. Some died immediately, while others perished from floods and extreme cold. Owners of ponies and horses said there is not enough animal feed. Flooding destroyed most of the feed supplies. Many animals had [...]
Ditwah’s destruction
The Sunday Times photographers captured some of the destruction caused by Cyclone Ditwah around the island. Pix by M A Pushpa Kumara, Jayarathna Wikramaarachchi and Pix by Shehan Gunasekera
Displaced people asked to stay put until landslide threats are assessed
By Nidarshani Wickramasinghe The National Building Research Organisation has stressed that no one in disaster relief centres should go back to their homes, or areas surrounding those homes, until warnings and red alerts for landslides issued for those areas are lifted. People from the identified regions should not go back until necessary inspections are carried [...]
Kandy courts, others damaged by flooding
By L B Senaratne The Kandy courts complex suffered severe damage when at least four of its record rooms were submerged by flood waters, a Justice Ministry official said. A number of court records, some of them stored in the record rooms in the basement, were inundated with water for 3-4 days before they were [...]
How to keep infections in wake of calamity at bay
By Kumudini Hettiarachchi Cyclone Ditwah has abated, leaving in its destructive trail floodwaters, landslides, homes and factories that have collapsed or been damaged and thousands of men, women and children displaced. Now will come the huge health dangers, both physical and mental, warn doctors. Among the numerous doctors that the Sunday Times spoke to [...]
Kalpitiya, Badulla farmers utterly devastated by the floods
By Hiran Priyankara Jayasinghe and K.R. Rajamanthri Fruits and vegetables cultivated by farmers of Kalpitiya have been destroyed due to the heavy downpours and the devastating floods. According to the farmers, 15000 acres of cultivated land have been destroyed, causing millions of Rupees’ worth of damages. The farmers pointed out that though they experienced several [...]
For mental well-being after the Ditwah calamity
By Kumudini Hettiarachchi As important as ensuring physical health is maintaining mental equilibrium in times of crisis and calamity. Thousands are in dire straits in their own affected homes, living with relatives or friends or in centres for the displaced. Many of them have faced the deaths of loved ones, been in danger themselves and [...]
Bell 212 helicopter lost lift and control; crash not due to civilian obstruction
By Tharushi Weerasinghe and Dilushi Wijesinghe The Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Bell 212 helicopter that made an emergency landing in the Gin Oya last Sunday did not crash due to obstruction by civilians; authorities confirmed this week, refuting widespread claims. The helicopter was delivering flood relief when it encountered a mechanical fault and was [...]
Mother, widow take pride in service
Group Captain Nirmal Siyambalapitiya, 41, the pilot of the ill-fated Bell 212, paid the ultimate price while delivering humanitarian aid to flood-affected communities in his own home district. He leaves behind his parents, widow and young son. He had last spoken to his family on Thursday before going for relief operations in the Pallaviya area. [...]
Railways in ruins after Ditwah
By Rekha Fonseka Sri Lanka’s railway system has been damaged due to rains and landslides triggered by Cyclone Ditwah. Signaling systems have been damaged, erosion and landslides have destroyed portions of railway tracks, railway bridges have collapsed, and railway stations subjected to landslides. Tunnels on the upcountry railway line too have been damaged. Railway tracks [...]