The Hon. Anton Jayakody - Deputy Minister of Environment

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Speaker, thank you for the time to comment while the whole country is in distress.

¶ 02 Major disasters in our country arise mainly from water excess or scarcity. This time it is excess water—floods and landslides. During the second inter-monsoon—October to November—the country receives about 30 percent of annual rainfall within just two months, based on data from 1990–2024. Our national average annual rainfall is around 1,734 mm. High winds and low-pressure systems are most frequent in the first and second inter-monsoons, especially the second.

¶ 03 Global warming has doubled evaporation over the last 30 years, increasing atmospheric moisture and intensifying short-duration rainfall events—where we now receive 400–600 mm in one or two days, amounts that used to fall over 3–4 months. That is climate change.

¶ 04 Our designs—culverts, bridges, roads—were based on 100–200 mm design storms. They are not withstanding 400–600 mm events. For slopes, both natural and engineered, stability calculations were also based on lower rainfall; now they are failing under higher intensities. In Hasalaka, for example, we observed a landslide mass moving about 7 km along the slope. Soil mechanics teaches that with high moisture content, soils transition from plastic to near-fluid states, explaining the massive flows under 400–500 mm downpours.

¶ 05 Fatalities in major landslide years underscore the scale: 2003 (218 deaths), 2014 (100), 2016 (151), 2017 (262), and 2025 (over 700)—primarily due to extreme rainfall.

¶ 06 On floods, in my Puttalam District, the Ma Oya, Deduru Oya, and Malwathu Oya basins were badly hit. Ma Oya’s basin is about 1,510 km²; annual discharge is around 4,100 million m³, with 1,700–1,800 million m³ outflow. When a quarter of annual rainfall falls in a day or two, massive floods arise within hours—similarly in Deduru Oya, Malwathu Oya, Mahaweli, and Kelani.

¶ 07 A misconception arose regarding Kotmale Reservoir—that spill gates were not opened on time. Before rains began, Kotmale was only 40–45 percent full. With rainfall, levels rose within hours; engineers decide gate operations for dam and reservoir safety—not politicians. Decisions were technical and appropriate.

¶ 08 In Puttalam, about 95,000 families and 330,000 people were affected. From the outset we acted promptly. The President convened Parliament; that evening we met the District Disaster Coordinating Committee. Before inundation, we resolved at two Divisional Secretariats that not a single life should be lost, and prepared rescues and supplies. Two deaths occurred due to unforeseen incidents, but awareness helped us manage better. Police (ASP and teams) deployed many boats; the Navy also assisted; and the Defence Minister provided two helicopters to rescue people stranded on rooftops.

¶ 09 I also thank NWSDB, GSMB, the Navy and Army, public servants, businesses, and citizens who contributed. Our political authority and local bodies worked together; Puttalam and Chilaw electorates have significantly recovered. We did not do politics by handing out water bottles; we provided what people needed. Thank you; I conclude.