December 04, Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka continues to assess the widespread damage caused by Cyclone Ditwah, with critical sectors across the country severely impacted, Commissioner-General of Essential Services, B.K. Prabath Chandrakeerthi said.
In a detailed statement, Chandrakeerthi reported that the Department of Agricultural Services has recorded extensive destruction, including 1,777 tanks, 483 dams, 1,936 canals, and 328 rural roads. Approximately 137,265 acres of farmland have been damaged, alongside 305 minor irrigation channels.
The Road Development Authority (RDA) has managed to reopen 246 previously blocked roads, but 22 bridges have been destroyed nationwide. The distribution of the lost bridges includes six in Uva Province, four each in the Northern and North-Western provinces, three in Western, two each in Central and Eastern, and one in North-Central Province.
Sri Lanka’s railway network has also been heavily affected. Out of the 1,593 km network, only 478 km of tracks are currently operational, highlighting the significant impact on transport infrastructure.
Telecommunications have shown signs of recovery, with 91 per cent of disrupted connections restored. However, Nuwara Eliya District remains a focus area for ongoing repairs to fully reinstate service.
In the electricity sector, restoration efforts continue steadily. Of the 16,178 affected substations, 11,315 have been reactivated, bringing power back to 2,526,264 households—around 72 per cent of those disrupted.
To coordinate recovery efforts, the Director General of the Department of National Planning has been tasked with urgently preparing a Climate Responsive Recovery and Reconstruction
