The President emphasised that no room will be given in the future for unauthorised constructions and that the laws relating to them will be strengthened. The President further pointed out that failure to do so would lead the country to face an even greater disaster.

President Dissanayake stated that a separate unit will be established under the Reconstruction Presidential Task Force, which is to be set up shortly, to formulate legal policies and that this will enable long-term solutions to these issues.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake made these remarks on Sunday (07)  afternoon  while participating in the Special District Coordination Committee meeting held at the Kurunegala District Secretariat.

The President instructed the relevant authorities to restore all damaged provincial roads and local council roads in the Kurunegala District to full functionality and reopen them for public use within the next two weeks.

He further stated that the allocations already set aside for this purpose should be utilized and that any roads that cannot be completed before 31 December, along with the required allocations, should be reported. The necessary funds will be allocated for these in the 2026 budget.

The district has recorded damage to 1,181l  ‘A’ and ‘B’ grade provincial roads due to the disaster, along with 35 bridges, 162 culverts and one embankment. Detailed discussions were held on restoring them urgently.

The President separately reviewed the measures taken to restore essential infrastructure including electricity, water supply and communication facilities that had been disrupted in the district due to the disaster. He emphasised that delivering services up to the end user is the responsibility of the service-providing institutions and highlighted the need for strong coordination among these institutions to overcome existing obstacles.

Officials reported that 12,729 hectares of paddy land in the Kurunegala District were fully damaged due to the disaster, of which 7,215 hectares remain cultivable, while 5,514 hectares cannot be cultivated.

The President instructed the Water Supply Board to provide temporary water where cultivation is hindered due to lack of irrigation water and directed authorities to minimise the extent of uncultivable land as much as possible to ensure harvesting. He also inquired into the programme for supplying paddy seeds and fertiliser to farmers.

Damage caused to maize, vegetables and other supplementary crops, as well as the compensation process for affected farmers, was also reviewed.

The President informed local council Chairpersons that a main responsibility for well-cleaning activities lies with the local councils and instructed them to expedite the work with the assistance of the Tri-Forces and voluntary organisations.

Highlighting the need for maintaining accurate data on livestock farms across the country, the President pointed out that existing laws may be insufficient for this purpose and stressed the need to revise them. He also noted that the lack of proper registration of livestock farms causes issues when granting compensation and other assistance.

Therefore, the President instructed officials to bring all livestock-related data into a single system, review it and promptly make policy decisions regarding compensation.

There were also discussions on reviving the inland fisheries industry, healthcare requirements and the reopening of schools.

Extensive discussions were held on identifying land for resettlement and granting compensation for damaged houses. The President instructed that Divisional Secretaries must play a major role in compensation payments and resettlement activities.

Meanwhile, Venerable Aluthgama Mangala Thero, Chief Incumbent of Maddeketiya, Gokarella Sangamu Raja Maha Viharaya has allocated 20 acres of temple land for the resettlement of affected families. The relevant documentation was handed over to the President.

A financial donation of Rs. 10 million from the North Western Provincial Cooperative Societies, associations and members coordinated by the North Western Provincial Cooperative Development Department along with a donation from  S.M. Wasantha Samarakoon, owner of Gokarella Rice Mill, was also handed over to the President.

Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs, Ananda Wijepala, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Namal Karunaratne, Deputy Minister of Women and Child Affairs , Namal Sudarshana, North Western Province Governor, Tissa Warnasuriya, district MPs from both government and opposition, local council Chairpersons, Secretary to the Treasury, Dr Harshana Suriyapperuma , Ministry Secretaries, Kurunegala District Secretary, Chandana Dissanayake, senior government officials and security forces leaders were present on this occasion.

The Situation Report issued by the Disaster Management Center at 0600hrs on 8th December 3035 confirms that 627 persons have lost their lives due to floods and landslide that occurred in the island during the past few days. The number of persons missing was 190.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake instructed officials to prepare the farmers in the Anuradhapura District whose paddy cultivation was destroyed due to floods to re-cultivate during the upcoming Maha season.

Highlighting the need for all relevant institutions to work in proper coordination, treating this as a national necessity, the President instructed the authorities to provide compensation to farmers without delay and to ensure temporary irrigation water supply through provisional repairs.

The President further noted that the government is providing the highest amount of compensation in the country’s history for crop damages, with the expectation that cultivation activities will be commenced again promptly.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake gave these instructions this morning (07) while attending a special coordination committee meeting at the Anuradhapura District Secretariat to review the programme being implemented to restore normalcy to the lives of people affected by the disaster situation and to rehabilitate damaged infrastructure in the district.

The President instructed officials to present, before this Friday, a report detailing the number of farmers who were completely affected, the extent of damaged farmland and the required financial allocations. He emphasised that compensation must be granted only to those who are genuinely entitled and that no one should receive it unjustly.

The President stated that the government is committed to providing compensation to the farming community and directed officials to foster confidence among farmers so that they will be encouraged to resume cultivation.

The President also inquired, separately, from the relevant institutions about the measures taken for the development of the district’s infrastructure including highways, irrigation and communication networks.

The President examined the programme for reopening obstructed roads and instructed that temporary repairs be expedited to meet the public’s transportation needs until permanent road development plans are implemented.

Officials of the Ceylon Electricity Board informed the meeting that 473 out of the 580 electricity transformers damaged due to the disaster have already been restored and that full electricity supply to the district could be achieved by tomorrow.

They further stated that 49,000 water connections had been affected, of which about 99% have now been restored, while water is being supplied by bowsers to the remaining areas. They noted that total restoration of water supply is expected within the next two days. Damaged community water projects are also being restored.

Well-cleaning activities are currently being carried out with the support of the Navy and the President instructed officials to complete these tasks swiftly through community participation coordinated by Divisional Secretariats.

Discussions were also held regarding the provision of compensation for crops such as Maize, restarting cultivation, restoring the livelihoods of those engaged in animal husbandry, normalising health services and rehabilitating religious sites including damaged temples.

The floods have caused total damage to 228 houses in the district. The President instructed officials to gather accurate information on whether affected families should be resettled on the same land or relocated elsewhere and to begin identifying suitable land for resettlement.

Officials reported that all schools in the district could reopen by 16 December. The President instructed that the Rs. 15,000 allowance promised by the Treasury for schoolchildren affected by the disaster be fully distributed before 31 December and that the list of beneficiaries be prepared without delay.

The President also expressed his gratitude to government officials, the Police and the Tri-Forces for their service in providing relief to the public and restoring infrastructure.

The meeting was attended by Co-Chair of the Anuradhapura District Development Committee, Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development Wasantha Samarasinghe, Minister of Housing, Construction and Water Supply Susil Ranasinghe , Anuradhapura District MPs Susantha Kumara Navaratna and Sena Nanayakkara, North Central Province Governor Wasantha Jinadasa, Chief Secretary J.M.R.P. Jayasinghe, representatives of local authorities; Secretary to the Treasury Dr Harshana Suriyapperuma, Anuradhapura District Secretary K.G.R. Wimalasuriya, ministry secretaries and other government officials.