The Hon. Nalin Bandara Jayamaha

¶ 01 [3.46 p.m.]

¶ 02 Hon. Presiding Member, I must respond briefly. I saw earlier that State Minister Wasantha Piyatissa claimed the Mahaweli project caused this disaster. Do Government Ministers agree with this foolish talk? Some still cite a 1970s slogan about dams above 5,000 feet. There isn’t a single reservoir above 5,000 feet in Sri Lanka; that terrain is narrow and mostly mountains, with Nuwara Eliya the only town up there. Our highest power project, Upper Kotmale, has a full supply level around 3,817 feet. The Mahaweli scheme generated 739 MW in the 1980s and another 175 MW later—total 914 MW—while providing water management and flood control. Without Kotmale, Gampola would flood periodically. Victoria and Randenigala control flows to protect lower Mahiyanganaya and beyond. Stop peddling nonsense.

¶ 03 Some impacts couldn’t be prevented, like landslides; but people could have been evacuated, and water managed better—e.g., in the Deduru Oya basin. The Health Minister isn’t here; the Puttalam hospital is complete but lacks equipment, ICU beds, and needed management across Ulapane to Kandy to save lives. On compensation: in Polgahawela, 11 families whose hillside collapsed have not received the Rs. 25,000 due to “lack of documents,” though they’ve lived there 40–45 years, are on electoral rolls, and known to the Grama Niladhari and Divisional Secretary. Circulars now require multiple clearances—even to cut rubble for roads—from Archaeology, Environment, etc. This is no time for such permits. Authorize Pradeshiya Sabha Chairmen and Divisional Secretaries to act. Farmers in Weligangiriya along Deduru Oya still can’t access fields; canals and pump houses are broken; no rubble to fix roads. Delegate power immediately to village-level officers; let people clear their own land and wells without red tape.

¶ 04 To the Ministers of Agriculture and Irrigation: allow people to repair access, remove deposited sand, and clear fields. Don’t begrudge them if they sell surplus sand from their own inundated lands; they are not asking for money—just permission to do the work with their own tractors.

¶ 05 Officials lack support; ministers can’t run things by grabbing and shouting. Provide legal frameworks, mechanisms, and bridges; empower officials to act without fear. You had 48 hours’ warning after the 25th; did the Disaster Management Committee even meet? If not, dissolve the Disaster Management Centre. Thank you.