News Emergency won’t be extended Published 1 min agoon 2026/07/2 Dr. Jayatissa Cabinet Spokesperson and Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa has said that the state of Emergency will not be extended further. He made this announcement at the post-Cabinet media briefing held yesterday (…
News Emergency won’t be extended
Published 1 min agoon 2026/07/2
Dr. Jayatissa Cabinet Spokesperson and Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa has said that the state of Emergency will not be extended further. He made this announcement at the post-Cabinet media briefing held yesterday (July 01) at the Department of Government Information. Dr. Jayatissa noted that the government had now decided to allow the emergency provisions to lapse as the situation has stabilised following months of recovery work and ongoing restoration of normal public services. Following the devastating impact of Cyclone Ditwah, the government declared a state of emergency to facilitate disaster response and recovery operations. The emergency regulations, which were initially imposed to help manage relief efforts, were extended several times with the approval of Parliament as the country continued to address large-scale damage and rehabilitation needs. The Opposition pressured the government to declare a state of Emergency in the immediate aftermath of the landfall of Cyclone Ditwah. It faulted the government for an initial delay in doing so and what it described as a slow disaster response. The JVP-NPP government has drawn heavy criticism for extending a state of Emergency, which the Opposition has claimed is used to suppress dissent.
News ADB approves $200 Mn emergency assistance for post-Ditwah recovery
Published 17 mins agoon 2026/07/2
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $200 million emergency assistance package for Sri Lanka’s recovery and reconstruction, following Cyclone Ditwah. According to an ADB statement, the package comprises a $100 million regular loan and a $100 million concessional loan from ADB’s ordinary capital resources, and a $500,000 technical assistance grant to help strengthen project implementation, readiness, and quality assurance. The Post-Cyclone Ditwah Reconstruction and Livelihood Support Project will finance priority investments to rehabilitate damaged road and irrigation infrastructure, restore the livelihoods of affected smallholder farmers, and support the reconstruction of severely damaged or destroyed houses. The project applies build-back-better principles to strengthen resilience to future disasters. “Cyclone Ditwah caused widespread damage to infrastructure, housing, and livelihoods across Sri Lanka, placing additional strain on communities already facing significant economic challenges,” said ADB Country Director for Sri Lanka, Shannon Cowlin. “This emergency assistance will help restore essential services, support affected households and farmers, and rebuild infrastructure to higher, climate-resilient standards.” Cyclone Ditwah made landfall in Sri Lanka on 28 November, 2025, bringing intense rainfall, flooding, and landslides that caused widespread damage across 22 districts and disrupted transport networks, irrigation systems, housing, and rural livelihoods. The project will support the rehabilitation and climate-resilient reconstruction of priority national and rural roads damaged by the cyclone. This includes slope stabilisation, drainage improvements, and repairs to carriageways and minor structures. These investments will restore safer, more reliable access to markets, services, and employment while reducing vulnerability to extreme weather events. The project will also finance the rehabilitation of damaged irrigation infrastructure, including tanks, canals, and associated water management structures, and will strengthen dam safety planning. By restoring irrigation functionality and improving resilience, the project will help farmers resume agricultural production, support food security, and reduce exposure to future environmental shocks. In addition, the project will provide targeted support to cyclone-affected households by building on the government’s recovery assistance programmes for smallholder paddy farmers and owner-driven housing reconstruction. Livelihood assistance will help farmers restore inputs and resume production, while owner-driven housing support will be provided through staged grants based on verified construction progress, enabling families to rebuild safely and with greater resilience. The project will be implemented through government agencies responsible for transport, irrigation, agriculture, and disaster recovery, supported by project implementation consultants and regular ADB review missions.
News Tame elephant kills man who tries to feed it
Published 17 mins agoon 2026/07/2
A 61-year-old man was killed by a tame elephant near the Menikhinna Ganesha Temple, on Monday afternoon, police said. Investigations have revealed that the victim had approached the elephant, named ‘Muthu’, while it was kept near the temple, and attempted to feed it. Police identified the deceased as K.M.M.G. Lalith Sujeewa, a resident of Menikhinna, and the paternal uncle of the elephant’s owner. According to police, the elephant, though tamed, has been linked to four previous fatal attacks. Police are conducting further investigations into the incident. by SK Samaranayake ✍️