The Hon. Sivagnanam Shritharan

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, thank you for this opportunity at a time when the souls of those who perished in this great calamity still linger among us.

¶ 02 I convey my condolences in this august House to the families of every individual who lost their life due to Cyclone “Titva” and the resulting floods. In Chundikkulam, Kilinochchi District, five Navy personnel who were cutting the road to ensure public safety were swept away and died. We remember them today. Even if they were our adversaries—even if the Navy and Air Force were used in the genocide against our people—these men died while performing their duty amidst the cyclone and catastrophic floods. As Tamils, we view this with humanity and extend our sympathies to their families.

¶ 03 Also, Mr. Thanikasalam—a respected former Chairman of the Vavuniya North Pradeshiya Sabha and a Grama Niladhari—his son, Mr. Pathmanikethan, a bank employee, was in a bus trapped by floodwaters in Anuradhapura. He helped save 60 passengers in that bus, yet ultimately lost his own life. If the rescue had been undertaken in a timely manner, he too could have been saved. I extend condolences to his family in this House.

¶ 04 This cyclone and flood have in a way turned Sri Lanka upside down—the largest disaster in 50 years, they say. In 1958, there was a great flood; I heard from elders that the Iranamadu Tank’s bund broke then. In 1983, too, there was a great flood—starting in late 1982 and lasting until around March 1983. In that season, not a handful of paddy could be harvested in some areas. In Vattakachchi, Ramanathapuram, and across the North and East, fields were completely destroyed. I was a 15-year-old school student then; I saw it directly. I see the same now.

¶ 05 In 1983, the middle section of the Iranamadu bund had fallen aside towards the north. The late Mr. Bhuvaneswaran, then Sri Lanka’s Chief Commissioner of Scouts and formerly a teacher at Vattakachchi Central College, and my friend Mr. Maniyazhagan, now in Switzerland, informed the then engineer of the Iranamadu scheme, Mr. Kumarasamy. People of Murusumoddai, Vattakachchi, and Ramanathapuram took part in repairing the tank and protecting it from breaching. As a 15-year-old student, I too contributed what I could. I recall the late Principal of Vattakachchi Central College, Mr. Ponn. Sabapathy, who, together with Mr. Kumarasamy, played a major role in the Iranamadu repairs—our guides in those days.

¶ 06 Why do I recall this? Because this time too, a massive flood arose. Despite Iranamadu’s bund now being 36 feet (up from 34), water exceeded capacity, raising fears of a breach. To avert catastrophe, about 15 cuts were made in the tail bund area to release water. I commend Engineer Kailayapillai Prakash for his decisiveness and courage; also Deputy Irrigation Director Rajagopu, senior officer Sudhaharan, and Akkarayan Tank Engineer Dushyanthan—I met and spoke with them on site and saw their tireless work and clear decisions. When it was proposed to cut the Vattakachchi–Iranamadu road, Engineer Prakash decided to wait and observe; that decision protected the area significantly. I commend every engineer who worked to save the Iranamadu system, its connected regions, and the people of Kilinochchi.