The Hon. Thurairasa Ravikaran

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, Hon. President, my greetings.

¶ 02 After the 2004 tsunami, Cyclone Ditwah has caused the greatest impact in Sri Lanka. In Mullaitivu District, normal life collapsed. Road transport ceased, communities were cut off, electricity and telecommunications failed for days. Over 45,000 acres of paddy were submerged for around five days. Fishing was halted completely for more than five days.

¶ 03 In Mullaitivu, 67,340 persons of 22,918 families were affected. 3,591 persons of 1,191 families were sheltered in relief centres. Thirty-two houses were fully damaged and 1,379 partially damaged. 193 roads with a total length over 250 km were damaged. Five culverts and 30 bridges were affected. The Naayaa’ru bridge route has still not returned to normal. Nine large and medium tanks and 32 minor tanks were damaged. Thirty fishing boats and 147 freshwater boats were lost. Over 8,800 livestock—goats, cattle, poultry—were lost. No deaths occurred in Mullaitivu; one person was injured. As of yesterday, 4,604 houses remain at risk. These are the district statistics to date.

¶ 04 As at 13.12.2025, in Mannar 77,451 persons of 23,641 families were affected; four deaths occurred. 18,088 persons of 5,580 families were in 88 shelters. Seventy houses were fully damaged and 1,517 partially; over 22,000 acres of paddy were affected; more than 45,000 livestock lost; 151 boats were damaged.

¶ 05 As at 09.12.2025, in Vavuniya 19,868 persons of 6,076 families were affected; 15 houses fully and 864 partially damaged. People were sheltered in 58 centres. 349 roads, 34 culverts and bridges, 24 drains and four water supply units were damaged. Over 10,000 livestock were lost; 124 tanks were affected.

¶ 06 This is the island’s greatest natural disaster in 20 years, affecting most districts. We have lost many of our hill country brethren. We must stand with families who have lost lives, property and livelihoods, and ensure a sustainable recovery that prevents repetition.

¶ 07 As after the tsunami, when coastal dwellers moved inland, now the Government must relocate people away from landslide-prone and low-lying areas and ensure safe living.

¶ 08 Mullaitivu is among the worst hit—by tsunami then, and now by cyclone and floods—yet it remains one of the most underdeveloped districts. Water management remains inadequate. To ensure this never recurs, I place immediate needs of Mullaitivu before this House:

¶ 09 - Permanent solutions for damaged tanks; alternate housing for those in unsafe dwellings; maintenance of abandoned tanks; demarcation of riverbeds; vesting tanks in proper departments; permanent solutions for villages isolated by floods; rehabilitation of agricultural roads; flood and salinity control bunds; and permanent urban drainage systems. Please accommodate these in the 2026 allocations.

¶ 10 On tanks: 32 minor tanks in Mullaitivu are damaged. Major tanks like Muththayankattu and Thannimuruppu must be repaired urgently. Vavunikulam needs development to prevent future impacts.

¶ 11 On abandoned tanks, riverbed demarcation and vesting: Mullaitivu has about 20 medium/major tanks, hundreds of minor tanks and 19 riverbeds. Overflow, surplus spills, and breaches cause heavy damage. Unmaintained drains are the main flood cause; most are under the Forest Department. Immediate cleaning, demarcation, clearing obstacles and widening are required to let water flow quickly and prevent flooding along riverbanks and downstream.

¶ 12 Records show 483 minor tanks; 181 are abandoned. When these minor tanks breach, their floodwaters further damage medium and major tanks. If we vest minor tanks with the proper departments for maintenance, we can mitigate drought and reduce future floods.

¶ 13 Why are tanks and riverbeds under the Forest Department and the Army? In Mullaitivu alone, 21 tanks lie abandoned under the Forest Department. The Government must demarcate and hand them to relevant departments for maintenance. Livelihood lands of 438 beneficiaries over 1,483 acres have become unusable due to Forest Department acquisition.

¶ 14 Sir, give me one more minute.

¶ 15 I thank the Hon. President and Ministers for the ongoing works, including constructing the Vattuvagal bridge. Please also stop illegal fishing methods and curb Indian trawler intrusions. As I said, protect people and secure farmers’ livelihoods. Thank you.