Thousands of families in the Kandy District, affected by the recent Ditwah disaster, are facing hardships as a severe shortage of National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) officers has brought payment of compensation and relocation efforts to a standstill.

Residents in several hard-hit Divisional Secretariat divisions, including Ududumbara, Gampola, Doluwa, Gangawata Korale, Yatinuwara, Akurana and Pathahewaheta, complain that despite government assurances of compensation and alternative housing, the mandatory geological clearance reports, issued by the NBRO, are pending, delaying all assistance.

Victims allege that the absence of these reports has effectively blocked access to state funds and relocation schemes, leaving them stranded, months after the disaster. Grama Niladhari and Divisional Secretariat officials have reportedly informed affected families that the NBRO has not yet been provided a schedule for conducting field inspections.

An inquiry into the situation has revealed that only six active NBRO officers are currently assigned to cover the entire Kandy District. A senior official at the Kandy District Secretariat, confirming the situation, acknowledged that the existing staff strength is grossly insufficient to cope with the volume of inspection requests following the disaster. According to official sources, nearly 5,000 applications for disaster-related inspections are pending in the Doluwa and Gangawata Korale Divisional Secretariat areas alone. Without the required geological assessments, affected families are unable to proceed with compensation claims or reconstruction efforts.

By SK Samaranayake

Thirty-two drivers had been arrested for driving under the influence of narcotics, DIG for Kandy and Matale Districts, Sudath Masinghe, said yesterday. They included trishaw and private bus drivers.

The disclosure was made at the Kandy District Coordinating Committee meeting held on Monday (23) at the Kandy District Secretariat.

The meeting was co-chaired by Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock K.D. Lalkantha, Central Province Governor Prof. Sarath Abeykoon, and Kandy District Secretary Indika Udawatta.

Addressing the committee, DIG Masinghe described the increasing number of three-wheeler drivers, operating under the influence of drugs, as a “very serious situation,” warning that it posed a significant threat to public safety. He said legal action had already been instituted against the 32 arrested drivers.

Detailing recent enforcement operations, the DIG said that in the Theldeniya Police Division alone, seven trishaw drivers were arrested during raids for driving while being impaired by narcotics.

In the Gampola Division, police had carried out 232 raids on the illicit liquor trade (kasippu), as part of a broader crackdown on drug- and alcohol-related offences, he added.

By S.K. Samaranayake

Drivers using the country’s expressways are facing severe inconvenience due to the unavailability of Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) payment cards, with many forced to endure long queues at cash payment lanes.

According to motorists the shortage has persisted for nearly a month, disrupting smooth travel on the expressway network. As a result, drivers, who normally use ETC lanes, have been compelled to switch to manual payment counters, leading to congestion and delays, particularly during peak hours.

Responding to queries, Road Development Authority (RDA) Director R. A. D. Kahatapitiya said the ETC cards had been procured through a tender process. Although the cards performed satisfactorily at the sample stage defects were detected in the bulk consignment supplied under the tender, prompting authorities to cancel the stock.

He assured that the cancellation would not result in any financial loss to the government, noting that the supplier had been informed to provide a fresh batch. The company has indicated that new cards will be delivered within two weeks.

Kahatapitiya expressed confidence that the arrival of the new stock would help ease the difficulties currently experienced by expressway users.

ETC cards are issued at Peliyagoda, Ja-Ela and Seeduwa.

By Chaminda Silva