The Hon. Sajith Premadasa - Leader of the Opposition

¶ 01 Hon. Chairman, today we should have been debating the grave disaster the country has faced. Unfortunately, without allocating time for that, we must raise our concerns within the Budget debate. This neglect of millions affected by the disaster is regrettable.

¶ 02 This is the fourth tragedy in seven years: the Easter Sunday attacks, the COVID pandemic, the sovereign bankruptcy, and now the “Ditva” cyclone. According to the Disaster Management Centre’s 6.00 a.m. update, 437,507 families and 1,558,919 persons have been affected; 465 deaths, 366 missing; 783 houses fully damaged, 31,417 partially damaged; 1,433 camps sheltering 61,875 families, 232,752 persons. We extend deepest condolences to all who have lost lives, property, livelihoods, been displaced or orphaned. Even if the Government denies a debate, I propose that at minimum a National Day of Mourning be declared for those affected.

¶ 03 Our duty is to protect all those in distress. The Armed Forces, Navy, Air Force, Police, Civil Security and STF personnel are not merely soldiers; they are war heroes in this relief effort. We salute them. I especially recall five naval personnel who died while widening the Moyà Oya mouth, Wing Commander Nirmal Siyambalapitiya—my friend—who had flown me during the presidential campaign and perished in a helicopter crash in Lunuwila, and the late IP Herath of the Kotahena Police. We honour all these heroes and all public officials—from field level to Secretaries—who have gone above and beyond amid many constraints.

¶ 04 As an Opposition, we will fulfill our responsibilities beyond party, ethnicity, religion, class or caste—putting politics aside to serve our people. I have met the Ambassadors of Japan, South Korea, the EU, India, Italy and Germany, and leaders of the World Bank, conveying a single message: provide maximum assistance to Sri Lanka, and ensure that aid reaches all affected people transparently and efficiently.

¶ 05 What is needed now are the “6 Rs”: Respond, Relief, Rehabilitation, Recover, Reconstruct, Rebuild. We must deliver maximum support to bereaved families, the displaced, those whose livelihoods are destroyed—paddy, vegetable, fruit, tea, coconut, rubber and other agricultural producers. Tanks, anicuts, fields and roads are damaged; electricity is limited in some areas; there are public health challenges, especially for women, elders and children. We must also protect the tourism season and prevent cancellations.

¶ 06 Support MSMEs with moratoria on loan and leasing repayments; do not allow parate executions and auctions in this period. Let our people live. Do not use circulars to deny relief—relax them to empower officials to help.

¶ 07 We see a black-market mafia exploiting 22 million consumers. Implement immediate price controls to prevent exploitation. Offer solutions through action, not just words.

¶ 08 We should not politicize this disaster—no “cyclone politics.” The greatest duty to victims is honest introspection: could we have minimized this damage; why didn’t we; why did disaster management become disaster promotion; where did we fail? Many deaths occurred due to landslides and mudflows. Our obligation is not to parade death for popularity, but to ensure such a situation does not recur. When the Met Department repeatedly warned of looming danger, why did those responsible sleep? Why were warnings not communicated effectively to the ground? With mechanisms at provincial, district, divisional and GN levels, why did information not flow? Why was preparedness weak? Why were Doppler radar systems not installed? Why was an emergency not declared earlier, despite awareness of the gravity?

¶ 09 Since 2014, I have repeatedly proposed a Doppler radar at Gongala via the Advisory Committee and this House; no one heeded. Even today we lack a proper Doppler network. Installation in Puttalam began only recently; Pottuvil also needs one; we need multiple Doppler sites. I table those earlier proposals as well.

¶ 10 We must strengthen preparedness at national, provincial, district, divisional, village and hamlet levels; fix last-mile warning communications; improve evacuation planning and shelter readiness; enhance coordination; designate mandatory evacuation zones; ensure energy and transport continuity; provide mobile bridges for severed links; enable real-time response with strong logistics. Our alliances are already working with academics and experts to present a new disaster management plan.

¶ 11 We need rapid deployment of relief; stronger dam and reservoir management. We thank India for “Operation Sagar Bandhu” assistance, but we must build our own robust relief capability, with transparent causal analysis and a reconstruction plan spanning short-, medium- and long-term.

¶ 12 India’s response included Met red/orange alerts, proactive evacuations, deployment of the National Disaster Response Force, inter-ministerial coordination, digital surveillance tech and rapid response teams, with cross-border coordination aiding Sri Lanka. We should establish a National Disaster Response Force and not limit ourselves to coordination only.

¶ 13 We must swiftly introduce a National Climate Resilience and Disaster Mitigation Act to transform the current framework—empowering agencies with operational independence, strengthening communications, creating emergency response teams, real-time digital risk mapping, and nationwide interoperable systems linking the Met Department and related agencies down to districts and divisions.

¶ 14 From discussions with the German Ambassador, their “Krisenstab” model shows how federal and political actors unite across party lines for national response. In our case, I was invited to a disaster management meeting months ago, but the time was changed at the last minute, preventing my attendance; when I proposed sending Hon. Ranjith Madduma Bandara, that too was refused. Why such narrowness? Why deny a debate here?

¶ 15 We need an NDRF and climate-informed budgeting. Let us learn quickly from “Ditva”, correct our failures and act with unity for our people.