Topic
Environment
980 speeches · 242 speakers
Party share
By the speaker's party · counts only, no scoring. "Unattributed" = speeches not resolved to an MP.
Most active on this topic
| # | Member | Speeches |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hon. (Dr.) Dammika Patabendi, M.P. JJB | 78 |
| 2 | Hon. Kumara Jayakody, M.P. JJB | 48 |
| 3 | Hon. Sajith Premadasa, M.P. SJB | 41 |
| 4 | Hon. Ravi Karunanayake, M.P. NDF | 28 |
| 5 | Hon. Anton Jayakody, M.P. JJB | 28 |
| 6 | Hon. Ajith P. Perera, M.P. SJB | 22 |
| 7 | Hon. Hector Appuhamy, M.P. SJB | 19 |
| 8 | Hon. Thurairasa Ravikaran, M.P. ITAK | 15 |
| 9 | Hon. Bimal Rathnayake, M.P. JJB | 14 |
| 10 | Hon. (Dr.) Susil Ranasinghe, M.P. JJB | 13 |
Speeches
980 on this topic- 3 December 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) M.L.A.M. Hizbullah SLMC AI summary Hon. (Dr.) M.L.A.M. Hizbullah expressed condolences over the floods and landslides and acknowledged Government, security forces, police, and rescue efforts, while noting that relief funding had reached Batticaloa. He urged the Government to strengthen disaster management by establishing Provincial Disaster Management Centres under the Disaster Management Act, appointing dedicated officers at Divisional Secretariats, restoring early warning towers and radio communications, and supplying districts with boats, engines, and life jackets. He called for expediting the Mundeni Aru flood mitigation project, constructing multi-storey flood safety centres in Batticaloa, and reviving plans to extend the Kelani River bund to protect Malwana and surrounding areas. He also proposed seeking tariff relief from the United States and discussing debt relief or urgent financing with the IMF in response to the disaster. Debate: Continued Committee Stage of Appropriation Bill 2026 (Ministry Expenditure Heads - Multiple Speakers) Read →
- 3 December 2025 The Hon. Sivagnanam Shritharan ITAK AI summary Sivagnanam Shritharan expressed support for government measures to assist people affected by Cyclone Tithwa, stating that Tamil people would not oppose humanitarian relief efforts. He referred to the tsunami period to underline a tradition of compassion and solidarity in responding to disasters. Debate: Continued Committee Stage of Appropriation Bill 2026 (Ministry Expenditure Heads - Multiple Speakers) Read →
- 3 December 2025 The Hon. Kaveenthiran Kodeeswaran ITAK AI summary Hon. Kaveenthiran Kodeeswaran called for national unity and coordinated relief in response to the ongoing disaster, noting deaths, displacement, damage to homes, livestock, and especially flooded paddy lands in Ampara, as well as landslides in the hill country. He urged the Government to support affected livelihoods, suspend microfinance and debt collections during the crisis, and re-establish the closed Sathosa outlet in Aalayadivembu. He also raised concern that all 104 recruits selected for Grade II of the Sri Lanka Inland Revenue Service in 2024/2025 were Sinhala, calling for inclusion of Tamil- and Muslim-speaking officers. He proposed irrigation improvements, including canals to divert surplus water through identified tanks, to reduce flooding and enable double-cropping on about 5,000 acres. Debate: Continued Committee Stage of Appropriation Bill 2026 (Ministry Expenditure Heads - Multiple Speakers) Read →
- 3 December 2025 The Hon. J.C. Alawathuwala SJB AI summary Hon. J.C. Alawathuwala expressed condolences to victims of recent floods and landslides and thanked security forces, officials, health workers and local communities involved in rescue and relief. He questioned the adequacy of early preparedness, warning dissemination and reservoir management, citing advance rainfall forecasts and the opening of Deduru Oya and Kotmale reservoirs as factors that may have worsened downstream damage. He urged the Government to clarify what pre-disaster actions were taken, improve communications and access to affected villages, avoid using emergency regulations to restrict criticism, increase compensation for deaths, and amend procedures if necessary to address cases of persons buried in landslides who remain classified as missing. Debate: Continued Committee Stage of Appropriation Bill 2026 (Ministry Expenditure Heads - Multiple Speakers) Read →
- 3 December 2025 The Hon. (Mrs.) Samanmalee Gunasinghe JJB AI summary Hon. (Mrs.) Samanmalee Gunasinghe outlined Government relief measures for those affected by severe weather, including Rs. 25,000 per affected schoolchild for books and supplies and an increased Rs. 25,000 grant for cleaning flood-damaged homes. She said women MPs were assisting affected communities, particularly on women’s and children’s safety and sanitation, and stressed that decisions on floodgates and river mouths should be made by relevant officials using scientific and meteorological assessments. She stated that all 25 districts and many public officials were affected, urged support for officials restoring services, and said District and Divisional Secretaries had been instructed to spend available emergency funds according to local needs while assessments continue for compensation for agriculture, homes, and businesses. Debate: Continued Committee Stage of Appropriation Bill 2026 (Ministry Expenditure Heads - Multiple Speakers) Read →
- 3 December 2025 The Hon. Kins Nelson SJB AI summary Hon. Kins Nelson urged that disaster-response funds be made readily usable by Divisional Secretariats, with clear authority for officers to procure urgent necessities without fear, and called for rapid restoration of electricity because it is needed to supply drinking water. He said the flood-affected Somawathiya Raja Maha Viharaya remained under severe inundation and criticized the lack of official contact with its Chief Incumbent. Referring to recurring floods in Polonnaruwa that have blocked both the Polonnaruwa–Colombo–Batticaloa road and the railway, he proposed constructing an elevated viaduct from Kaduruwela to Manampitiya to keep the route passable while allowing floodwater to flow underneath. Debate: Continued Committee Stage of Appropriation Bill 2026 (Ministry Expenditure Heads - Multiple Speakers) Read →
- 3 December 2025 Hon. Kins Nelson SJB AI summary Hon. Kins Nelson raised concerns about the impact of the disaster nationally and in Polonnaruwa, citing deaths, missing persons, widespread displacement, and damage to farmers and dairy farmers. He questioned whether the Government had acted on prior meteorological warnings and criticized the refusal to allocate parliamentary time for discussion. He said the announced Rs. 50 million per Divisional Secretariat should amount to Rs. 350 million for Polonnaruwa’s seven divisions, but only about Rs. 8 million had reportedly arrived, and demanded immediate release of the full allocation and a clear distribution plan for affected families. Debate: Continued Committee Stage of Appropriation Bill 2026 (Ministry Expenditure Heads - Multiple Speakers) Read →
- 3 December 2025 Hon. Nishantha Jayaweera - Deputy Minister of Economic Development JJB AI summary Hon. Nishantha Jayaweera addressed the Budget Committee debate on the Finance, Trade, and Irrigation-related Heads, beginning with condolences for victims of the “Ditscha” cyclone and outlining relief measures, including the “Rebuilding Sri Lanka” Fund, increased dry-ration support, and Rs. 25,000 per affected household for cleaning and restoring homes. He said the Fund would support reconstruction through the Disaster Management Centre and other agencies, with resources sought from foreign governments, NGOs and donors, and assured transparency and accountability. He defended Finance Ministry allocations, noting that most of the Rs. 5,102 billion total is for debt service, and said Rs. 500 billion in savings would be used in 2026 to retire maturing Treasury Bills. He also explained proposed revenue and tax administration reforms, including VAT and SSCL changes on imports, lower registration thresholds to broaden the tax base, e-invoicing, RAMIS improvements, Customs single-window reforms, and Excise Department modernization. Debate: Continued Committee Stage of Appropriation Bill 2026 (Ministry Expenditure Heads - Multiple Speakers) Read →
- 3 December 2025 Hon. Anuradha Jayaratne, Attorney-at-Law NDF AI summary Hon. Anuradha Jayaratne criticized the Government for prioritizing the Budget debate over a parliamentary discussion on the ongoing disaster, particularly its impact on Gampola and the Kandy District. He alleged failures in early warning and coordination regarding reservoir releases, rainfall and river-gauge data, and rumours about the Kotmale Dam, arguing that timely communication could have prevented many deaths. He also raised concerns about inadequate rescue and recovery support, including the absence of machinery to recover bodies, clear blocked roads, assist dialysis patients, and respond to people trapped by floods. Debate: Continued Committee Stage of Appropriation Bill 2026 (Ministry Expenditure Heads - Multiple Speakers) Read →
- 3 December 2025 Hon. Sajith Premadasa - Leader of the Opposition SJB AI summary Hon. Sajith Premadasa called for a new disaster-management institutional mechanism and legislation, supported by climate hazard and vulnerability assessments, needs assessments, transparent planning and performance indicators. In light of the reported impact on over 1.5 million people, he urged the Government to postpone passing the Budget and instead present a revised short-term Budget focused on disaster relief, reconstruction, agricultural and industrial recovery, subsistence support and use of additional fiscal savings and revenues. He also proposed convening an international donor conference, renegotiating IMF conditions in view of the disaster, seeking relief from reciprocal tariffs, and adopting a depoliticized national development programme with Opposition support. Debate: Continued Committee Stage of Appropriation Bill 2026 (Ministry Expenditure Heads - Multiple Speakers) Read →
- 3 December 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Upali Pannilage — Minister of Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment AI summary The Minister expressed condolences over the recent severe weather disaster and said the Government is prioritizing relief, repairs and reconstruction with support from the Tri-Forces, public officials, volunteers, foreign partners, business leaders and civil society. He noted increased assistance for affected people, including higher allocations for cooked meals and dry rations and an increase in the resettlement grant from Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 25,000. Marking the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, he reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to inclusion for Sri Lanka’s approximately 1.6 million persons with disabilities. He also outlined measures to strengthen paddy, tea and coconut production, including fertilizer, seed, technology, wage and cultivation-support programmes, while noting disaster damage to plantation areas and plans for rehabilitation. Debate: Committee Stage of Appropriation Bill 2026 (Ministry Heads) Read →
- 1 December 2025 Hon. Members AI summary Parliament agreed to an amendment increasing the capital provision for Head 160, Programme 01 of the Environment allocation by Rs. 10 million, incorporating Budget Proposal No. 62, while approving Rs. 1.093 billion in recurrent expenditure and Rs. 107 million in amended capital expenditure. It then approved the allocations for Head 160, Programme 02, including Rs. 1.944 billion in recurrent expenditure and Rs. 1.165 billion in capital expenditure. The House also approved provisions for the Department of Forest Conservation under Head 283, comprising Rs. 3.020 billion recurrent and Rs. 1.365 billion capital expenditure, and proceeded to the Department of Wildlife Conservation allocations under Head 284. Committee Stage - Appropriation Bill 2026: Ministries of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs and Environment Read →
- 28 November 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) M.L.A.M. Hizbullah SLMC AI summary Hon. (Dr.) M.L.A.M. Hizbullah raised the impact of recent heavy rains, winds, and a cyclone across the Eastern Province, particularly Batticaloa, Trincomalee and Ampara. He acknowledged the President’s immediate action and requested urgent assistance and shelter facilities for thousands of affected residents whose roofs had been destroyed and who were displaced. Motions at Commencement of Public Business - Emergency Response Coordination Read →
- 27 November 2025 The Hon. Aravinda Senarath - Deputy Minister of Land and Irrigation JJB AI summary Deputy Minister Aravinda Senarath said the Government was addressing the current cyclone and flood threat through district-level disaster preparedness, prior instructions, and allocated funds, while urging continued support for affected people. Responding to Opposition allegations, he rejected claims of ethnic bias or neglect of the North, stating that steps were being taken on land issues in Vavuniya and Mullaitivu and that Mahaweli waters would be taken to the North. He said the Ministry had been reorganized to better integrate land, irrigation, agriculture and livestock functions, with about Rs. 267 billion allocated in the 2026 Budget, including major allocations for irrigation, lands and agrarian development, to support a planned transition from subsistence agriculture to a production economy. Appropriation Bill 2026 - Committee Stage - Eleventh Allotted Day (Heads 118, 281, 282, 285-289, 292, 327, 337) Read →
- 27 November 2025 The Hon. Wasantha Piyathissa - Deputy Minister of Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment JJB AI summary Deputy Minister Wasantha Piyathissa addressed the ongoing flood situation linked to heavy rainfall, expressing condolences for deaths including three in Sainthamaruthu, and said the President had met Government and Opposition Members to discuss further parliamentary and relief measures. He reported rising water levels at Senanayake Samudraya in Ampara, noted prior concerns over the reservoir bund, and said the Irrigation Department and disaster authorities were taking action, with District Disaster Management Committees to meet nationwide from the next day. Responding to Opposition points, he said travel allowances for Agricultural Research and Production Assistants were being addressed, Rs. 352 million of the Rs. 500 million allocated for Young Agri-Entrepreneurs had already been disbursed, and reiterated the Government’s position that past development projects were associated with corruption. Appropriation Bill 2026 - Committee Stage - Eleventh Allotted Day (Heads 118, 281, 282, 285-289, 292, 327, 337) Read →
- 27 November 2025 The Hon. (Prof.) L.M. Abeywickrama JJB AI summary Hon. (Prof.) L.M. Abeywickrama expressed condolences over weather-related losses and argued that flooding in Matara was worsened by an improperly located salinity barrier across the Nilwala Ganga, noting that the 2026 Budget provides compensation for affected farmers and funds remedial work. He criticized the previous chemical fertilizer ban for damaging agriculture and said the current Budget prioritizes restoring agricultural infrastructure and bringing fallow land back into cultivation. He stated that the Government is implementing a long-term expert-led agricultural plan focused on using all cultivable land, applying technology to reduce unit costs, and increasing farmer margins rather than raising prices. Appropriation Bill 2026 - Committee Stage - Eleventh Allotted Day (Heads 118, 281, 282, 285-289, 292, 327, 337) Read →
- 27 November 2025 The Hon. Nalin Bandara Jayamaha SJB AI summary Nalin Bandara Jayamaha reported severe flooding in the Kurunegala area, including inundation from Wariyapola and overflow of the Deduru Oya. He urged the Government to treat the situation as a disaster and act quickly to restore damaged fields, reissue seed and fertilizer where necessary, and provide urgent assistance to highland vegetable farmers, citing losses of up to 90 percent in some areas. Appropriation Bill 2026 - Committee Stage - Eleventh Allotted Day (Heads 118, 281, 282, 285-289, 292, 327, 337) Read →
- 27 November 2025 The Hon. M.S. Abthul Wazeeth SLMC AI summary Hon. M.S. Abthul Wazeeth expressed condolences for deaths caused by severe flooding and outlined damage to roads, bunds, anicuts and irrigation infrastructure in the Ampara District, urging immediate rehabilitation and support for affected farmers. He requested expedited review and release of lands in Pottuvil, Lagugal and related areas that had been gazetted as forest or scrub forest after wartime non-cultivation, including specific lands recommended by district committees and cultivated paddy lands at Palliadi Vattai. He also called for expansion of Radella tank, repairs to irrigation schemes and roads, additional staff and machinery for the Pottuvil Central Irrigation Office, consideration of converting some sugarcane lands in Irakkamam to paddy cultivation, and land arrangements to enable development of Pottuvil Base Hospital. Appropriation Bill 2026 - Committee Stage - Eleventh Allotted Day (Heads 118, 281, 282, 285-289, 292, 327, 337) Read →
- 27 November 2025 The Hon. Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam ITAK AI summary Hon. Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam criticized the Government’s preparedness for flood-related disasters, citing delays in reimbursing local relief efforts such as food distribution. He warned that farmers in Batticaloa District could face serious losses from flooding and said past crop insurance assessments were inconsistent and often based on blanket judgments rather than proper field inspections. He urged the Government to be prepared at least to provide fair compensation to farmers affected by floods. Appropriation Bill 2026 - Committee Stage - Eleventh Allotted Day (Heads 118, 281, 282, 285-289, 292, 327, 337) Read →
- 27 November 2025 The Hon. (Mrs.) Deepthi Wasalage JJB AI summary During the debate on the 2026 Expenditure Head of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation, Deepthi Wasalage raised unresolved land-title and housing issues in the Rattota electorate, including uncertainty over land ownership, unremitted housing loan deductions by estates, and an abandoned housing project in Matale with beneficiaries living in incomplete houses. She highlighted Rattota’s vulnerability to natural disasters and argued that livelihood support must be linked to climate resilience and ecosystem protection. She outlined the “Dumbara Green Empowerment Project” funded through the Green Climate Fund and Government allocations, noting activities in Matale such as invasive-plant-based paper production, home-garden support, and assistance to tea smallholders and farmers in sloping areas. Appropriation Bill 2026 - Committee Stage - Eleventh Allotted Day (Heads 118, 281, 282, 285-289, 292, 327, 337) Read →