President prioritises immediate relief for districts affected by inclement weather

• Calls for long-term sustainable program to effectively address recurring flood situation in country
• Directs officials to arrange immediate relief for Colombo, Gampaha, Puttalam, Kalutara districts
• Allocates additional Rs. 50 m; advises to allocate more funds if required 

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday emphasised the need for a specific and sustainable program to address the recurring flood situation in the country. He noted that frequent flooding requires long-term solutions for effective control.

During a meeting with officials from the Disaster Management Ministry and the Finance Ministry at the Presidential Secretariat, the President directed officials to prioritise immediate relief for the most affected four districts – Colombo, Gampaha, Puttalam, and Kalutara by the inclement weather in Colombo. Following the relief efforts, attention should then shift to repairing damaged properties.

President Dissanayake also instructed the Finance Ministry Secretary to allocate additional funds if necessary for flood relief measures. Rs. 50 million had already been added to the flood relief budget to support relief efforts for those impacted by the disaster under President Dissanayake’s instructions.

The meeting was attended by the Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Mahinda Siriwardena, Defence Secretary Air Vice Marshal (Retd.) Sampath Thuiyakontha, Disaster Management Ministry Additional Secretary K.G. Dharmathilaka, Disaster Management Division Director General – Planning W.W.S. Mangala, National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) Director General Dr. Asiri Karunawardena, Meteorological Department Director General A.K. Karunanayake, National Disaster Relief Service Centre Senior Assistant Secretary Namal Indika Liyanage, and Disaster Management Centre Acting Director General W.G.A.K. Tillakaratne.