President Commends Rapid Progress in Disaster Recovery Efforts

COLOMBO (News 1st); President Anura Kumara Dissanayake announced that significant progress has been achieved in disaster relief, rehabilitation, and infrastructure development, thanks to the unwavering commitment of all stakeholders involved.

Speaking at the District Coordinating Committee meeting held at the Nuwara Eliya District Secretariat, the President emphasized the urgency of restoring normalcy to affected communities and implementing preventive measures to avoid similar calamities in the future.

He called for the continued support of all parties in accelerating these efforts.

The President instructed officials to submit a detailed report on the extent of damage to vegetable cultivation, the number of affected farmers, and the size of the impacted land.

He further directed that compensation payments and seed distribution be expedited to enable farmers to resume vegetable cultivation without delay.

According to officials, vegetable harvests in the Nuwara Eliya district have declined by approximately 25%. However, they dismissed reports of severe vegetable shortages and skyrocketing prices as inaccurate.

In addition to agricultural recovery, the President highlighted the urgent need to repair and upgrade major roads across the hill country, which suffered extensive damage during the disaster. A rapid action plan for road rehabilitation is now underway.

Education recovery is also progressing. Of the 551 schools damaged in the district, 490 are expected to reopen by the 16th of this month.

For schools that cannot resume operations immediately, students will be relocated to nearby institutions, with transportation facilities provided to ensure uninterrupted learning.