President Directs Enhanced Preparation for El Niño Impact Through Infrastructure Planning

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has instructed government officials to develop comprehensive plans to address potential El Niño conditions, emphasizing the need to expand small and medium-sized reservoir capacity and consolidate fragmented irrigation projects under unified national oversight.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has called for immediate action to strengthen Sri Lanka's preparedness for El Niño weather patterns by expanding the capacity of smaller reservoirs across the country. During discussions on provincial development initiatives and the 2027 budget framework, the President instructed officials to formulate detailed contingency plans that account for anticipated climate-related challenges.

Central to the President's directive is the consolidation of irrigation and reservoir rehabilitation efforts currently being managed through multiple channels. He emphasized bringing together work conducted by the Department of Agrarian Development, the Irrigation Department, and Provincial Councils under a single coordinated national strategy. This consolidation is intended to streamline operations and eliminate overlapping initiatives that consume resources without proportional benefit.

The President stressed the importance of improved coordination and data-sharing mechanisms within government structures to prevent duplication of effort. With 30,923 development projects currently underway at provincial level, he highlighted the need for clearer governance frameworks in which the central government establishes national policy guidelines while Provincial Councils implement projects tailored to their specific regions. He also mandated strict adherence to allocated budgets and instructed that all project plans be finalized by November to ensure timely commencement of work in the coming year.

These directives reflect an administration-wide push toward greater efficiency in resource allocation and project management, positioning reservoir infrastructure development as a key priority in national climate adaptation strategy.