The recent flooding at the University of Peradeniya caused by Cyclone Ditwah has exposed what the Sri Lanka Veterinary Association (SLVA) describes as a deep-seated national crisis, highlighting the vulnerability of the country’s veterinary education system and raising concerns over food security, public health and economic resilience.
While several faculties at the university were affected by the unprecedented rise of the adjacent Mahaweli River, the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science sustained the severest damage. As Sri Lanka’s only fully-fledged veterinary faculty, the disruption has implications that extend far beyond the campus, with nationwide consequences for animal health services and disease control.
According to the SLVA, academic buildings, laboratories, animal housing units, diagnostic facilities, libraries, teaching hospitals and specialised equipment were either submerged or destroyed. Decades of research data were also lost. Senior academics have described the incident as the worst flooding experienced by the Faculty since its establishment more than 50 years ago.
Preliminary estimates place the financial losses at several billion rupees. More critically, the disaster has disrupted teaching schedules, halted essential research programmes, compromised clinical training and displaced both students and staff. The association warns that these setbacks threaten the continuity and quality of veterinary education at a time when national demand for trained professionals is already acute.
Concerns over the Faculty’s location within the flood plains of the Mahaweli River are not new. Professionals have long cautioned about the risks, but the recent floods exceeded all historical records at Peradeniya, marking the first event of this magnitude since the Faculty’s inception. With climate change increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, the SLVA says the likelihood of recurrence can no longer be dismissed.
Sri Lanka currently relies on a single institution to train veterinary surgeons, a dependency that has resulted in a significant workforce shortfall. The country requires an estimated 200 veterinarians annually, but the current output is around 100, leaving a deficit of nearly 50 per cent. This shortage affects livestock productivity, disease surveillance, food safety and public health, as well as the growth of key sectors such as dairy, poultry, meat, aquaculture and companion animal services.
In light of the proven vulnerability of the Peradeniya site and growing national needs, the SLVA has renewed calls for the strategic relocation of the Faculty to a safer, climate-resilient location. A modern, integrated veterinary faculty, the association argues, would strengthen Sri Lanka’s capacity to protect food security, enhance public health preparedness and build resilience against future climate-related disruptions.
The SLVA has urged policymakers to treat veterinary education as a matter of national strategic importance, warning that delayed action could undermine the country’s health systems and economic stability.
The event was organized by the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, and the Department of Hindu Religious and Cultural Affairs.
During the ceremony, ThaiPongal rituals were performed under the patronage of the Prime Minister and the Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs. The celebration was enriched with a range of vibrant cultural performances of Hindu culture and traditions.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
Environment Minister Dammika Patabedi said yesterday he had ordered an inquiry into the withdrawal of China-based Amber Adventures (Private) Ltd., from the Ambuluwawa Cable Car Project.Addressing the media, the Minister said the Environment Ministry had no direct agreement with the company, as the project was under the purview of the Board of Investment (BOI).
He said construction activities within the Ambuluwawa Environmental Zone had been suspended following complaints from environmental organisations in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah. All constructions in high-risk areas, he said, had been halted pending clearance by the National Building Research Organisation (NBRO).
According to the Minister, complaints had been received that construction at Ambuluwawa was continuing without NBRO clearance.
In response, the Ministry instructed the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) to conduct an investigation and thereafter construction activities were suspended pending a technical assessment by experts.
The Ministry of Environment subsequently ordered the immediate suspension of all construction activities within the Ambuluwawa Environmental Zone until the assessment was completed, he said, adding that work could resume if expert evaluations cleared the project.
Following the suspension, Amber Adventures (Private) Ltd,, described as the country’s first cable car venture, formally withdrew from the project, citing what it termed “regulatory obstruction and arbitrary state action.”
The company, a major Chinese investor in the project, proposed as Sri Lanka’s first cable car initiative with both Chinese and American investment, officially informed the BOI of its decision on Wednesday (14). In a letter to the BOI, the company said it had obtained all required permits and approvals in line with BOI procedures but faced repeated disruptions that resulted in significant financial losses.
Company Director Yuan Yuping warned that legal action would be pursued at the International Court of Arbitration to recover losses incurred due to the suspension of the project, citing continuous interruptions and government decisions as the cause.
Meanwhile, the Ambuluwawa Trust Board said the withdrawal of investors from the project was a major loss to the country, noting that it was regrettable that decisions had been taken without proper investigation, based on allegations by parties lacking a clear understanding of the facts.
It warned that halting a large-scale project of that nature would result in the loss of direct and indirect employment opportunities, as well as income sources for communities in the surrounding areas.
By Chaminda Silva and SK Samaranayake ✍️
Balangoda Kassapa Thero, held in Trincomalee remand prison over alleged violations of the Coastal Conservation Act, reportedly refused meals yesterday (15).
Prison authorities, however, said it could not be confirmed whether the monk’s action amounted to a hunger strike. Prison Media Spokesperson A. C. Gajanayake added that an official statement on the matter would be issued today (16).
The monk and eight others were remanded until 19 Jan by the Trincomalee Magistrate’s Court over allegations of unauthorised construction of a shelter to place a Buddha statue at the Sri Sambuddha Jayanthi Bodhiraj Viharaya. Prison sources said Thero had also declined food brought from outside.
The case follows reports to the court by the Trincomalee Harbour Police that unauthorised constructions had been carried out, despite instructions from the Court of Appeal to resolve the dispute peacefully.
by Chaminda Silva ✍️
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