Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that the Government stands ready to support the University of Peradeniya in rebuilding stronger, safer, and more resilient than before. She made these remarks while visiting the University of Peradeniya on Sunday  (07), where she met with student representatives and Heads of Departments affected by the sudden floods that swept through the campus on 27 November.

The visit aimed to personally inspect the damage, which caused extensive harm to academic buildings, student facilities, and key infrastructure. University officials briefed the Prime Minister on the severity of the impact, highlighting significant losses to the Faculties of Management, Agriculture, and Veterinary Medicine, as well as the IT Centre, CDCE, gymnasium, swimming pool, and playgrounds.

The Prime Minister was also briefed on how the disaster disrupted both academic activities and the wellbeing of students and staff, including the loss of more than 110 computers, vital laboratory equipment, examination documents, and four central IT servers, with preliminary damage estimates exceeding Rs. 6 billion. She commended the swift evacuation of nearly 750 students from hostels located along the Mahaweli River and acknowledged the resilience shown by nearly 11,000 students who remained on campus during the crisis.

She expressed her appreciation to the Sri Lanka Army, the Disaster Management Centre, and local donors for providing food, water, and essential supplies at a time when access and communication were severely disrupted.

A joint engineering team has confirmed that university buildings remain structurally stable, although several require urgent repairs. With academic activities suspended until 15 December.

The Prime Minister discussed with the Vice Chancellor and emergency response teams the immediate steps required to restore normalcy and provide necessary support to students whose studies and daily routines have been significantly affected.

During these discussions, the Prime Minister issued a series of directives focusing on both immediate relief and long-term safety. These include restoring essential services such as water, electricity, and safe access pathways for students; accelerating the rehabilitation of heavily damaged faculties and laboratories; strengthening early warning systems for flood-prone areas; and implementing long-term mitigation measures such as riverbank protection, improved drainage, and the relocation of vulnerable facilities. She also directed the relevant agencies to fast-track government assistance, assuring the university community that the Government stands ready to help Peradeniya rebuild stronger, safer, and more resilient than before.

The meeting was attended by  Nalaka Kaluwewa, Secretary to the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education; Kandy District Parliamentarian Thanura Dissanayake, Professor Terrence Madhujith, Vice Chancellor of the University of Peradeniya; and Professor R. W. Pallegama, Deputy Vice Chancellor of the University of Peradeniya, along with Heads of Departments, officials, and student representatives of the University of Peradeniya.

[Prime minister’s media division]