Nearly six months after the devastating Ditwah cyclone struck the Kandy District, more than 1,600 affected families still remain without permanent housing and continue to live under difficult conditions, Parliament was told on Tuesday.

Raising a question in the House, Kandy District NDF MP Anuradha Jayaratne said that six months since the disaster would be marked on May 24, yet a large number of victims were still living with relatives, parents, friends or in rented accommodation due to the destruction of their homes.

“Some of the victims have received compensation, but 1,630 families have still not been provided solutions for the loss of their homes. This may amount to around 5,000 people. They continue to live in hardship,” the MP said.

He urged the government to inform Parliament of a specific time frame within which the displaced families would be resettled and their suffering brought to an end.

Responding on behalf of the government, Deputy Defence Minister retired Major General Aruna Jayasekera said the authorities were unable to provide an exact date for the completion of the resettlement process, but assured the House that efforts were continuing to assist the affected families.

The Deputy Minister said all 20 Divisional Secretariat divisions in the Kandy District had been affected by Cyclone Ditwah.

According to official figures presented in Parliament, 6,119 families were affected by the disaster, while 1,660 houses were completely destroyed and another 11,352 houses partially damaged. In addition, 4,179 business establishments and 203 religious places had also suffered damage.

Jayasekera said that compensation amounting to Rs. 625.9 million had so far been distributed among affected persons.

He further stated that 14 new housing projects had been proposed for families whose homes were destroyed, and construction work on five of those projects had already commenced in Kandy Four Gravets and Gangawata Korale, Kundasale, Pahatha Hewaheta, Harispattuwa and Thumpane.

The Deputy Minister said lands had so far been allocated to 302 affected families and added that government officials were working continuously to complete the resettlement programme as soon as possible.

By Saman Indrajith

Coast Guard personnel in coordination with the officers of the Kotawila Divisional Crime Detective Bureau arrested a person in possession of 07.540g of Crystal Methamphetamine (ICE) while transporting the drug for sale during a search operation carried out in Kuruduwatte Road, Hikkaduwa on 18th May 2026.

The suspect along with the Crystal Methamphetamine were handed over to the Kotawila DCDB for legal action.

A 58-year-old man died and his wife sustained injuries when they fell off an earth embankment while returning home after a wedding. The tragic accident occurred on the night of May 18 in the Panithudumulla area, in the Nawalapitiya police division.

According to preliminary police investigations, the deceased and his wife, residents of Panithudumulla, were walking back home after attending a wedding. While traveling along their usual route in the dark, the couple had suddenly lost their footing and plunged down a steep embankment by the roadside.

The injured woman was rushed to the Nawalapitiya Base Hospital, where she is currently undergoing treatment for her injuries. Following the incident, the local authorities conducted an initial on-site examination, and the body of the deceased was moved for a post-mortem examination.

Further investigations are being conducted by a team of officers, under the direct guidance and supervision of the Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of the Nawalapitiya Police Station.

By S.K. Samaranayake