Leader of the House Minister Bimal Rathnayake commended Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa in Parliament yesterday (10) for his early warnings regarding the severe impacts of the El Niño and La Niña climate phenomena on Sri Lanka.
Rathnayake acknowledged that Premadasa had raised critical concerns regarding potential water, food, and energy crises nearly six months before the United Nations Climate Organisation issued its official global confirmation on June 2.
The government expressed its respect for the opposition leader's proactive stance, noting that continuous legislative debate on impending climate threats remains essential for national preparedness.
Demanding full government transparency under Standing Order 27(2), Premadasa called for the immediate public release of official forecasts produced by the Meteorology Department and submitted to the cabinet.
He noted that while internal estimates point to a 63 percent likelihood of severe impact, global data from the World Meteorological Organization indicates the probability could reach 80 percent.
Highlighting the creation of a special ministerial subcommittee and an officials committee on June 22, 2026, Premadasa urged the government to publish district-wise data from the Disaster Management Centre detailing drought-affected populations.
He raised specific concerns over whether the approaching October and November monsoon would trigger compound disasters including floods and landslides, demanding early warning systems for high-risk zones such as the Northern, Eastern, Badulla, Monaragala, Ampara, Hambantota, and Batticaloa districts.
The opposition leader also questioned the economic fallout on public utilities and agriculture.
Premadasa requested detailed disclosures regarding Mahaweli reservoir levels, the financial burden of generating expensive thermal power to cover depleted hydropower reserves, and the resulting pressure on monthly household electricity bills.
Turning to the agricultural sector, he pressed the government to reveal the exact extent of crop damage across paddy fields, demanding confirmation on whether affected farmers had received adequate compensation, insurance payouts, seed paddy, and fertilizer subsidies ahead of the upcoming Maha cultivation season.
Leave your comments
Login to post a comment
Post comment as a guest