It's about two weeks, since Cyclone "Ditwah" almost flattened Sri Lanka, from end to end. President Anura Kumara Disanayake who complained lack of proper data for planning reconstruction work in post cyclone "Ditwah", was going from district to district with cameras meeting the bureaucracy, capturing him discussing damages. He went on record saying, there were people who said Sri Lanka would take years to get back on its feet, but his government has already laid the ground for normalcy.
Day before (December 09), the Education Ministry announced all Montessories and Pre-schools would begin from Tuesday 16 December. Obviously a crude attempt to tell the people, the government is far more efficient than what the Opposition is saying. Meeting with Principals of "national" schools and with provincial educational administrators, Secretary Ministry of Education announced on 09 December, out of over 10,096 schools, all schools in Western (1,344), South (1,101), Sabaragamuwa (1,101), East (1,124) and North-Central (1,243) provinces will begin on Tuesday 16 December. That would be roughly 50 percent of the schools. He had also said, 26 schools in Uva, 06 in North-West and 115 in Central province would remain closed. What that means, is not quite clear, as these provinces are not listed as provinces that would open schools from 16 December.
What's funny here is, these schools that is to re-open on 16 December, would close for the term on 23 December. Just 06 days of tidying and cleaning-up the school, not teaching. Thereafter, all 10,000 plus schools will begin the first term on 01 January 2026. What purpose would it serve to have half the schools open for just 06 days and not for teaching?
Meanwhile warnings on turbulent weather keep coming. To date (11 December) highest number of affected people were reported on 30 November evening, 03rd day since Cyclone "Ditwah" moved into Sri Lanka on 27 November. On 30 November, the highest number of affected families was 5,524 from Badulla district, while Colombo was next with 5,303 families. Highest number of safety centres were also in Badulla with 180 and Kandy district next with 176 safety centres.
It was not only deaths, that shocked the whole society. It was "affected" numbers with debris all round. Families whose houses were simply flattened to the ground. Families that were thrown out from their houses. Those who lost their entire life's savings and investments. Those who lost their means of livelihood. And the elderly and the children who are cyclone-shocked and need professional counselling. Whose numbers are yet not known. It's that "human tragedy" this society would be compelled to shoulder.
Again on 01 December, there were a total of 57,790 affected families, an increase of over 2,000 affected families from previous day, though with a reduced number of safety centres totalling 1,368. Affected number of families in Puttlam had increased by over a 1,000 to 4,104, Badulla had increased to 6,685 with over a 100 more and Kegalle increased from 3,225 on 30 November to 4,647 on 01 December.
From December 06 to 09th, fluctuation of numbers show a significant decrease with Cyclone Ditwah moving out of the country. The physical and human tragedy had not come to an end though. Every day, there were reports of landslides; small, large and massive. To this continuing devastation, we were told our North-East monsoon was setting in and would have high rainfall on already devastated areas. As said, there were increased rain in North-East of the Central hills, with reports of more landslides. DMC numbers on 10 December, thus show an increase of 6,441 affected families and 21,705 individuals over numbers of the previous day.
Once again there were "Red notices" issued on "possible landslides" in Matale, Kandy, Kurunegala and Kegalle, with a total of over 45 threatened areas earmarked as these districts have had over 150 mm of uninterrupted rain during the past 24 hours. There were also Level-2 "Amber" warnings for nearly 40 other areas in Kuruegala, Kegalle and in Badulla districts.
What then was the urgency to reopen half the number of schools for just 05 days? The AKD presidency and the JVP/NPP government are being increasingly condemned for amateurish work and lack of "common sense" planning. AKD presenting the 2026 Budget wanted to prove they are more efficient than what any previous government was by saying, they have disproved all who claimed it would take a decade to get back to pre-economic bankruptcy, by achieving near normalcy in just 01 year. Here too, his claim that the government has already laid the ground for normalcy though people said it would take years to get back on its feet, is to be proved by reopening schools. It is a fact, people do feel "normal" when schools are open and see children going to school. It is that social psyche he is attempting to create, sadly in a society that still struggles to get out of the debris they are caught in.
It would have therefore been more decent, acceptable and promising had he said, he would have both the Colombo-Badulla rail track and the Colombo-Kandy A-1 road done for normal traffic before year end, a six-month living allowance of Rs.50,000 per mensem for those who are displaced and have lost their livelihood and also free counselling for the needy. Main road and rail road repairs he knows is not possible for many months to come. Though incoming foreign assistance is heavily hyped, the government seems scared to talk of a living allowance of Rs. 50,000 per mensem with massive infrastructure repairs at hand and yet with no estimates done. Cyclone Ditwah I believe, left Sri Lanka with a screaming and weeping human tragedy never heard of before on this land and with proof, the government is no match to the challenge it left.
Kusal Perera
Leave your comments
Login to post a comment
Post comment as a guest