The Hon. Eranga Gunasekara - Deputy Minister of Urban Development

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, with your leave.

¶ 02 Our country has just faced the worst disaster in living memory. Today’s debate is to discuss how, as a nation, our people and institutions rose afterward. As a democratic government, we are ready to listen to people, experts, and practitioners. However, since the start of the disaster, a section of the opposition has focused on warnings and criticisms rather than collaboration.

¶ 03 Disaster relief and aid distribution have always been debated in this House. Some in the opposition ran to cameras the next morning asking whether Rs. 25,000 had been paid, engaging in petty politics. But disasters have happened before. For instance, the Salawa army camp explosion occurred nine years ago—compensation is still pending for some. In Meethotamulla, people died under a collapsing garbage mound; many families still live there without houses. The very people responsible for such failures now question us when only days have passed.

¶ 04 We came prepared for a constructive, bipartisan dialogue. Some opposition Members work sincerely; others only hope for chaos, even turning funerals into political stages. We reject these attempts. In Kolonnawa, officials faced political pressure to open bunds during the flood. We are not engineers; there are institutions to make such technical decisions. Unauthorized constructions abound—who permitted them? When councils try to remove unsafe structures, rumors and agitation follow.

¶ 05 Kolonnawa, at the edge of the Kelani River, currently holds 15,000–20,000 tons of garbage piled up. While we temporarily dump at designated points during clearance, people stir up trouble. Despite this, we focus on solutions, not responding to every falsehood.

¶ 06 Colombo District was among 22 affected districts; Kolonnawa, Kaduwela, and Seethawaka were worst-hit. Over 86,000 families and more than 300,000 individuals were affected, two-thirds in Kolonnawa. Over 55,000 houses were damaged in Kolonnawa alone. Many parties joined relief. About 70 boats were deployed; over 30 came from government sources, others from citizens and businesses. Claims that only three boats were provided by government are false. Likewise, reports of only 3,000 partially damaged houses are false; current data show 17,052 partially damaged and 130 fully damaged.

¶ 07 Garbage clearance is progressing: over 82% has been removed; by Sunday we expect completion in affected areas. More than 100 vehicles are still operating, not just from local councils but also from Colombo Municipal Council and surrounding bodies, with even opposition-aligned councillors helping.

¶ 08 We are not seeking credit for the government; we acknowledge officials and workers. Disbursal of the Rs. 25,000 cleaning grant must be rule-based: assessments by officials are necessary. In Kolonnawa, reaching 55,000 homes is hard; thus, the Hon. Prime Minister arranged additional staff. We expect to complete disbursement by Friday.

¶ 09 A plan is underway: under the Hon. Prime Minister’s leadership, committees on flood control for Kolonnawa and the Kelani basin have already taken decisions. A structured plan for Kolonnawa includes over 5,000 resettlements proposed by experts. We will remove unauthorized structures and resettle people humanely, to give them safer lives. We have confidence this can be done, working hand in hand with sincere opposition Members. Thank you.