Category: Daily Financial Times

It has been many days of relentless rains and winds devastating the island as Cyclonic Storm Ditwah approached and made landfall in Sri Lanka. At the time of writing, we are heartbroken that 355 people have lost their lives and 366 people are missing. Nearly 15,000 to 25,000 homes are damaged, and more than 59,000 families have been displaced.

The highest casualties were reported from Badulla, Kandy, Kegalle, Matale and Nuwara Eliya districts, from areas especially prone to landslides and home to already marginalised and vulnerable working class tea plantation workers. Telecommunication lines are down in many districts, leaving people without a way to call for help. A state of emergency was declared on 28 November. First responders working tirelessly have been providing support and an outpouring of community-led efforts by volunteers. However, with the prevailing conditions, the human impact and death toll are expected to increase.

The lack of information, transparency, and coordination have left communities in the most vulnerable areas stranded with no help. Although dedicated disaster management systems have been in place in Sri Lanka since the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, these systems turned out to be ill-prepared. Evacuation notices were issued, often only after roads were flooded, without adequate information on the infrastructure and support people require to move to shelters with confidence.

Official Government communications, including those from Disaster Management Centres and the Meteorology Department, are issued in Sinhala, even when addressing affected regions that were primarily Tamil-speaking. Default practices of institutional racism creeped in even at a time of dire need. The lack of a trained and equipped civilian disaster response cadre has meant dependence on the military at this time. Whilst recognising the efforts and humanitarian motives of all rescue efforts underway, we note for the future the need to move towards civilian systems.

Impact on the marginalised

Communities who are already marginalised and vulnerable are the worst hit by the disaster. Low-income and working-class households are bearing the brunt. Households’ dependent on fishing are unable to go out to fish; those who have home-based livelihoods such as food preparation, basket-weaving, packing spices, sewing, etc., cannot earn due to disruption to transport and access to markets. Those dependent on agriculture have lost their entire crop.

Free Trade Zone workers are adversely affected. Workers living and working in and around the industrial waste canals are exposed to deteriorating water sanitation and severe hygiene risks. It is shocking that even in these extremely perilous conditions, workers are being forced to work.

Plantation workers have lost homes, loved ones and continue to battle landslides occurring in close proximity to one another leaving barely any room to escape. Women workers, especially domestic workers, have to juggle the impossible choice between going to work and attending to increased care work, including addressing structural damage to their homes.

The impact on low-income and working-class households is not short term as incomes of the entire season’s produce are lost and damage to infrastructure and equipment will take a lot more time to replace.

Along with the poor and working class communities, other marginalised groups are entirely invibilised. Queer and trans people, especially those living without familial support or are forced to live in unsafe homes, are neglected at times of disaster. Access to shelter and evacuation is challenging at best and often impossible for many reasons, including the lack of identity documents that affirm their preferred gender/name. Along with such obstacles, the wrath of social stigma puts this group at the very bottom of the rung, especially during crises when many are scrambling for the limited support being provided.

People living with disabilities, especially women, are stranded when Government announcements ask people to go to shelters without any awareness, sensitivity or logistical support for people with prosthetic limbs, or wheelchairs, or those who are visually or hearing challenged to navigate flood waters, landslides and cyclonic winds to reach a shelter. None of the shelters have basic facilities – toilets and other access – for those living with disabilities. We know from past experience that persons living with disabilities cannot scramble for relief packs, even if they are able to reach temporary shelters.

In post-disaster contexts, there is often an increase in domestic and sexual violence. While existing hotlines have been publicised by the State, they are ill-equipped to deal with the increased demand. Women who attempted to access emergency support were sent away showing the unpreparedness of the response structures.

Official Government communications, including those from Disaster Management Centre and the Meteorology Department, are issued in Sinhala, even when addressing affected regions that were primarily Tamil-speaking. Default practices of institutional racism creeped in even at a time of dire need. The lack of a trained and equipped civilian disaster response cadre has meant dependence on the military at this time. Whilst recognising the efforts and humanitarian motives of all rescue efforts underway, we note for the future the need to move towards civilian systems

Women disproportionately bear the burden of household readiness such as addressing the distress of occupying less permanent structures, securing food, preparing to evacuate, caring for the elderly, the sick and the young, extending support to neighbours and extended family, protecting personal belongings and holding space for fears and anxieties – their own and of others. Yet there is barely any emergency psychosocial support and communities are not brought in to participate in building coping and resilience mechanisms.

The climate crisis is further aggravated by an economic structure that marginalises the poor. The failure to establish long-term safety nets for vulnerable and marginalised communities become acutely visible at such times. Within a year, we have survived three climate disasters -the tropical storm Fengal in November last year, the Montha and Ditwah cyclones in October and November this year. Being forced to live in weak, exposed structures, in vulnerable areas such as landslide prone mountains, flood prone low-lying outskirts of towns and along river banks/canals is largely due to poverty and landlessness.

The housing inequalities are socio-historical and systemic. Add to this gross inequalities related to livelihood, access to transport and health infrastructures, and social stigma, it is clear that the vulnerabilities of people are structural and infrastructural.

Policy priorities

In this context, we are disappointed that the NPP Government’s policies reflected in the 2026 budget have failed, yet again, to prioritise social protection. Cutting off people from social protection or describing the cash transfers as begging, as Minister Sunil Handunetti has done, demonstrates the disconnect between policymakers and people’s needs. Social protection programs are not merely poverty alleviation. It is a safety net for all citizens. The need for it to be universal is clearly proven during times such as this, where universal social protection could have softened the blow of climate disasters to some extent.

Universal social protection must be considered as part and parcel of disaster preparedness and post-disaster economic and social resilience. This resilience is built through these systems as a sustainable and reliable connection between the state and citizens. Social protection ensures access to critical infrastructure such as healthcare facilities, meal and nutrition programs, to climate resilient housing and to adaptation financing to support livelihoods.

In the past few days we’ve also witnessed devastating natural disasters in Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia. The global debt burden mirrors the climate crisis and is disproportionately upon the feeble shoulders of poorer countries such as Sri Lanka. People are barely surviving the economic crisis and rising costs of living while more than 50% of households are heavily in debt.

The Government must account for this reality and review its economic priorities, of its continuing inhumane austerity policies and harsh debt repayment commitments. Evidence strongly shows that there is a likely causation between impacts of climate disasters and increasing debt burdens. As FCEJ, we strongly reiterate that the NPP Government must renegotiate the conditions stipulated by the IMF and other lenders in the coming months. The Government must choose to be on the side of its people and not side with its creditors as the nation struggles to emerge from this disaster.

Urgent demands:

Rescue and relief efforts must be sensitive to those who are already marginalised. Buildings, particularly schools which are used as temporary shelters, must be equipped to support large numbers of people, including having access to clean water, clean toilets, cooking and eating facilities, safe space for feeding mothers and disability access.

All state communication relating to disasters and relief must be in all languages.

Involve communities in decision-making processes of disaster response and relief work, particularly those most vulnerable. All state and community level decision-making bodies must have at least 50% women representatives.

Plans for return, rebuilding, and restitution must take into account the impact on women, informal workers, their families and on those living with disabilities.

Provide special support lines for socially stigmatised or invibilised communities such as LGBTQIA+ communities and people living with disabilities. These support lines must have officers who are sensitive to the needs of these communities.

Special effective support lines must be urgently activated to address gender based violence and child protection.

Establish permanent Grama Niladhari level disaster preparedness committees led by women, youth, disability advocates, estate workers, and local first responders.

Communities should be equipped with solar powered sirens and megaphone announcement systems to ensure timely warnings even when electricity and communication networks fail.

Existing mechanisms such as the Ministry for Disaster Management must be strengthened to fulfill their mandate rather than replacing their role with armed forces in the face of disaster.

Sri Lanka’s disaster preparedness must receive serious attention given the increasing number and damages inflicted by cyclones and other natural disasters over the island. Climate change mitigation, food security, continuous support and programs for non-loans based livelihood and infrastructure adaptation for disasters must be launched.

Many families in the hill country live on unstable slopes. A long-term program is needed that ensures safe housing, right to land and stable access to livelihood with the meaningful participation of affected households in planning and execution

Launch universal social protection schemes that can efficiently and meaningfully provide a cushion in times of disasters.

Review development, investment and infrastructure projects for climate impact and assess the contribution of such projects to risk to land, resources and people in times of disaster.

Urgent negotiations should be initiated with the IMF and other creditors to cancel debt repayment and reverse austerity policies in this crisis context.

In a rare show of unified industry action, top tourism bodies-The Hotels Association of Sri Lanka (THASL) and the Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) have joined hands with Sri Lanka Tourism to urgently reassure international travellers that the island’s tourism industry is ‘back to normal’ following the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah.

The two leading industry bodies have requested the Sri Lanka Tourism for a joint social media and a PR campaign aimed at countering any negative perceptions and confirming that hotels, travel routes, excursions and key tourist attractions are functioning across most regions, as authorities meet all foreign missions tomorrow (5) to brief them on the industry’s swift recovery after the devastating natural disaster.

In a joint media briefing yesterday, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) Chairman Buddhika Hewawasam, THASL President Asoka Hettigoda, and SLAITO President Nalin Jayasundera stressed that Sri Lanka’s tourism sector has long demonstrated its resilience and ability to ‘bounce back fast,’ with Cyclone Ditwah proving no exception.

They said the outlook for the season remains strong, supported by coordinated industry action, strong diplomatic engagement and reaffirmed confidence from global travel partners.

‘The Tourism Ministry is coordinating a full diplomatic outreach, led by our Minister Vijitha Herath, who also serves as Foreign Affairs Minister. A second round of consultations with envoys will take place on Friday, bringing together Ambassadors and High Commissioners based in Colombo and connecting Sri Lankan missions overseas,’ Hewawasam said.

He said the briefings aim to provide foreign Governments with an accurate real-time picture of the state of tourism infrastructure, hotel operations, and visitor safety following the cyclone.

Hewawasam noted that missions had already commended the authorities for the rapid recovery efforts and the successful handling of affected tourists during the peak of the disaster.

Responding to queries, the SLTDA Chairman asserted that arrivals data up to 30 November 2025 showed normal patterns and that daily arrivals remain steady despite the weather-related disruptions.

‘There have been no major cancellations, with only an estimated 1-5% drop from last-minute regional bookings, mainly from India. Winter season bookings continue as planned with major international operators,’ he said, adding that TUI brought one of its largest cruise vessels carrying over 2,000 passengers on Tuesday, while charter flights and scheduled flight operations have proceeded without interruption.

Hewawasam assured that tourist movements recorded by immigration do not indicate any significant deviation from expected seasonal trends.

THASL President Hettigoda said hotels across Negombo, Pasikudah, the Cultural Triangle, and Jaffna are operating normally, maintaining 65-70% occupancy.

He noted that access to Kandy and Nuwara Eliya is expected to improve further in the coming days, with single-lane vehicular passage already restored.

Hettigoda stressed that visitors continue to enjoy wildlife parks, historical sites, whale-watching excursions and other activities without disruption.

‘There are no shortages of food, electricity, or water in tourist zones and hotels are functioning at full service levels,’ he assured.

To reinforce the message worldwide, he said THASL, the SLAITO, and Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) will roll out a coordinated social media outreach campaign to highlight that 90% of the country’s tourism offerings are fully operational and to project ‘the calmness after the storm.’

SLAITO President Jayasundera echoed the positive outlook, noting that global tour operators remain confident in promoting Sri Lanka as a top destination in their source markets.

He said in a powerful symbol of resilience and recovery, Sri Lanka on Tuesday welcomed the luxury cruise ship Mein Schiff 06, operated by TUI Cruises, carrying over 2,000 international passengers to the Colombo Port, adding that visitors already in the country are continuing their itineraries without difficulty.

‘The southern region, particularly the Deep South, remained largely unaffected, and cruise passengers who docked in Colombo and Hambantota this week have enjoyed excursions to Yala, Udawalawe, and other sites with highly favourable feedback,’ he said.

Jayasundera stressed future booking cancellations remain minimal and insignificant compared with confirmed reservations for the winter season.

Daily contributions continue to flow into the Government’s ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund, established to provide relief to communities affected by Cyclone Ditwah.

Yesterday, the Sri Lanka Administrative Service Association and Pragathi Lanka International Ltd., made financial donations amounting to Rs. 10 million each to support the ongoing relief efforts.

On 30th November 2025 in Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka Army rescue boats transported villagers stranded near the Kelani River to safer locations. People boarded the boats carrying their essential items, hoping to escape the dangerous flood levels surrounding their homes/UNICEF/UNI908620/InceptChange

While the institutional architecture for early-warning and preparedness existed, proactive, structured early evacuation did not occur at the scale or speed required to limit loss of life or mitigate the worst outcomes of Cyclone Ditwah. The lack of major pre-emptive action warrants closer investigation.

It is the India Meteorological Department (IMD) that is responsible for early warnings of weather systems in the North Indian Ocean, which includes the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea. Both the IMD and Sri Lanka’s own Meteorological Department identified a strengthening low-pressure system near the island, forecast its intensification, and noted risks of heavy rainfall, rough seas and flooding from as early as 24 November. The IMD bulletin is publicly available on its website.

Statutory framework and bulletins

Sri Lanka’s statutory framework provides mechanisms for anticipatory deployment of resources under the Disaster Management Act. The system includes a national early-warning apparatus centred on the Department of Meteorology and the Disaster Management Centre (DMC), established protocols for inter-agency coordination, pre-identified evacuation centres, and published hazard maps for floods, landslides and storm surges.

Yet these tools did not translate into timely, population-level protective measures during the crucial 24-48 hour window between confirmation of a strengthening weather system and the onset of widespread flooding.

The IMD bulletin of 24 November noted the ‘likely formation of a low-pressure area over Comorin and adjoining areas of southwest Bay of Bengal and Sri Lanka. around 25 November.’ Its ‘Summary of dynamic and thermodynamic features’ likewise concluded that ‘a low-pressure area is likely to form over Comorin and adjoining Sri Lanka around 25 November.’ Under the section on ‘Probability of cyclogenesis,’ the report designated an ‘Intense Observation Period (IOP)’ for the Sri Lanka-Tamil Nadu coasts from 24 to 29 November. Although the bulletin did not yet predict a storm or guarantee a landfall, it formally flagged likely development near the island and placed the Sri Lankan coast under heightened monitoring, an early-warning alert under the regional system.

Flood-risk districts such as Colombo, Gampaha, Puttalam, Kegalle and Badulla, together with the low-lying districts of the Eastern Province such as Batticaloa and Ampara, are well recognised within the disaster-management framework for recurrent flooding and, in central districts, frequent landslides. Local authorities in these areas have standing instructions to monitor hydrological triggers. Yet none of these districts appear to have issued early evacuation orders or begun staged relocation while conditions were still favourable and before rivers, reservoirs or lagoons began to spill.

Bi-lingual public communication

The lag was also evident in public communication. Although national-level warnings were issued, residents in several of the worst-affected localities reported receiving no hyper-local alerts, no loudspeaker announcements, no coordinated SMS warnings and no door to door mobilisation. In predominantly Tamil speaking districts, community accounts and media reporting indicate that early official warnings were either not disseminated in Tamil across all platforms, reducing their effectiveness for at-risk populations. Many households only realised the severity of the situation once water entered their homes or slope failures had already begun. This breakdown in ‘last-mile’ communication is critical because Sri Lanka’s disaster-management model depends on district and divisional authorities activating community-level early-warning chains, particularly during rapid onset flooding.

Structural preparedness was similarly weak. Evacuation centres existed on paper but were inconsistently resourced, and their activation lagged behind the unfolding pattern of destruction. In Puttalam, Badulla and Kegalle, districts that ultimately recorded large numbers of displaced persons, safety centres began receiving significant inflows only after flooding and landslides were already causing casualties. In several locations, subsequent assessments found that communities had never rehearsed evacuation drills despite being situated in repeatedly affected basins. According to post-event reporting, some local officials hesitated to order evacuations until receiving central clearance, reflecting persistent ambiguity over authority and responsibility under the Disaster Management Act.

The critical issue is how early warnings translated into on-the-ground deployment. During the 25-27 November window, technical warnings on rainfall and river levels were issued, but there is no corresponding evidence of large-scale, pre-emptive evacuation from well-known high-risk locations

By the morning of 25 November, IMD’s National Bulletin reported that a low-pressure area had formed over the Comorin region and the southwest Bay, including Sri Lanka, and was ‘very likely’ to become a well-marked low within 24 hours and a depression thereafter. It warned of rough to very rough seas along and off the Sri Lankan coast from 27-30 November and advised fishermen not to venture out. Special Tropical Weather Outlooks issued the same day indicated that most models showed a low or well-marked low near Sri Lanka, predicted intensification to a depression within 24 hours, and stated that the system would skirt the island and strengthen over the next 72 hours.

On 26 November, Tropical Cyclone Advisory No. 1 was formally addressed ‘TO: STORM WARNING CENTRE, COLOMBO (SRI LANKA).’ It identified a ‘well-marked low-pressure area’ near southeast Sri Lanka and assessed that it was very likely to intensify into a depression within 24 hours while moving north-northwestward. An accompanying Tropical Cyclone Forecast Program (TCFP) report kept Sri Lanka within the Intense Observation Period and reiterated high confidence in further intensification. At this point, Sri Lankan authorities had been explicitly informed that a well-marked low was present near the island and was expected to strengthen while moving along or near its coast.

From the night of the 26 into 27 November, the DMC issued flood warnings for key river basins; including Deduru Oya, the Kelani and Badulu Oya; alongside water-level updates. Between 28 and 30 November, Met Department bulletins explicitly referred to ‘cyclonic storm Ditwah in the vicinity of Sri Lanka,’ and DMC situation reports began labelling ‘affected flood areas: Cyclone Ditwah.’ Taken together, these records show that national agencies recognised and communicated the evolution from a low-pressure system to a significant storm affecting the island.

Absence of major pre-emptive action

The critical issue is how early warnings translated into on-the-ground deployment. During the 25-27 November window, technical warnings on rainfall and river levels were issued, but there is no corresponding evidence of large-scale, pre-emptive evacuation from well-known high-risk locations.

Under the Disaster Management Act, the state is required to address ‘impending disasters’ as well as ongoing ones, operate an effective early-warning dissemination system and take preventive steps under the National Disaster Management Plan. Read against IMD’s alerts from 24-26 November and Sri Lanka’s own bulletins, the record suggests that the forecasting and legal architecture was in place and that warnings were issued. What did not occur with comparable speed was the systematic conversion of this warning lead-time into early, pre-impact evacuation and protection for at-risk communities.

This absence of major pre-emptive action warrants close examination. This is not a criticism directed solely at the NPP Government; rather, it reflects long-standing structural weaknesses across many state institutions. Decades of underfunding, institutional inertia, unclear lines of authority and a lack of sustained strategic direction have left critical agencies without the capacity or agility required for rapid anticipatory action. Ditwah exposed these systemic deficiencies, and many of the poorest Sri Lankans paid the price.

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) law enforcement officers arrested Sumith Gunasekera, a criminal illegal alien sex offender from Sri Lanka, in Detroit on 12 November 2025. During processing, Gunasekera claimed to be employed as an associate professor for Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan.

Gunasekera’s criminal history includes:

On 28 August 1998, Gunasekera was arrested by the Peel Regional Police in Brampton, Ontario for uttering death threats. He was arrested again just three days later again for invitation to sexual touching and sexual interference. Gunasekera admitted to officers that this charge was related to a minor.

On 12 November 1998, a criminal court in Brampton, Ontario convicted Gunasekera for utter threat to cause death or bodily harm and sexual interference and sentenced him to 1 month of incarceration and 1 year of probation.

On 25 September 2003, the Metropolitan Police Department in Las Vegas arrested Gunasekera for open and gross lewdness.

On 16 January 2004, the Las Vegas Justice Court convicted Gunasekera of disorderly conduct and sentenced him to fines.

‘It’s sickening that a sex offender was working as a professor on an American college campus and was given access to vulnerable students to potentially victimise them,’ said US Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. ‘Thanks to the brave ICE law enforcement officers, this sicko is behind bars and no longer able to prey on Americans. His days of exploiting the immigration system are OVER. Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, criminals are not welcome in the US’.

Gunasekera entered the US in February 1998, left for Canada, and returned later that year on a student visa. It was later discovered, when he applied for a change of status with US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in 2012, that he was convicted of crimes in Canada.

In response to the severe impact of Cyclone Ditwah, the US has provided $ 2 million in emergency life-saving assistance for people in need in Sri Lanka, the US State Department said.

In a statement, it said that the US will also leverage the Department of War’s strategic airlift capabilities to support US Government disaster response efforts.

‘Representatives from the Department of State are working closely with the Sri Lankan Government and relief organisations to ensure that assistance is distributed efficiently and reaches the communities most affected by the disaster,’ the statement said.

‘We are committed to ongoing coordination with the Government of Sri Lanka as it undertakes the critical work of recovery and reconstruction after Tropical Cyclone Ditwah. The US expresses its sincere condolences for the tragic loss of life and destruction caused by Cyclone Ditwah.’

Cargills has once again extended its support to the people of Sri Lanka in a time of national hardship, stepping forward to assist families affected by the recent floods through its Heart for the Nation program.

As an immediate relief measure, Cargills has dispatched 10,000 dry-ration packs to the most severely impacted areas, ensuring that essential supplies reach the families who need them most. All distributions are being carried out in close coordination with government agencies and local authorities to ensure delivery to the hardest-hit communities.

Building on this initial effort, Cargills will soon open the initiative to its customers, giving the public the opportunity to join this worthy cause. Through this program, customers will be able to contribute towards the provision of essential food and hygiene items, which Cargills will distribute on behalf of the customer, using its extensive island-wide store network and logistics capabilities. This next phase aims to broaden the reach of relief efforts and bring hope to even more families during this critical period.

The Sri Lankan powerlifting delegation returned to the country after delivering one of their strongest-ever performances at the 2025 Pro League World Powerlifting Championship held at Pattaya, Thailand, securing a total of 21 medals – 16 Gold, 2 Silver, and 3 Bronze.

The championship brought together top lifters from more than 20 countries, offering a highly competitive field across junior, open, and masters divisions.

This year’s group was also the largest Sri Lankan powerlifting delegation to compete at the Pro League World Championship, marking a significant milestone for the sport domestically and highlighting the depth of talent emerging nationwide.

A standout performance came from Hiruni Jayasinghe, who won Gold in the 48kg Open Powerlifting category and was awarded the Female Best Lifter Award, recognising her as one of the most dominant athletes in her division.

Another notable achievement was recorded by 13-year-old Akindu Fernando, who secured Gold in Powerlifting and Gold in Bench Press in the Teen 48kg category, underscoring the potential of Sri Lanka’s next generation of strength athletes.

The team’s medal-winning performance across multiple categories demonstrates significant progress in Sri Lanka’s powerlifting standards and highlights the sport’s growing reach among youth, women, and masters-level athletes.

The delegation, led by Head Coach Mothilal Jayathilake, noted that the results reflected the dedication of athletes competing across diverse weight classes and age groups.

Sri Lanka’s strong showing in Thailand further positions the country as an emerging contender in international strength sports, with athletes now looking ahead to future regional and global competitions.

The Colombo stock market yesterday fell sharply to the lowest point in two months, losing Rs. 143 billion in value from the previous close.

The ASPI was down 1.87%, or 414.98 points, to 21,826.59 and the active S and P SL20 fell 1.75%, or 107.13 points, to 6,030.66. Turnover was nearly Rs. 3.78 billion on over 171.2 million shares traded.

NDB Securities said the ASPI closed in red as a result of price losses in counters such as Ceylinco Holdings, Melstacorp, and Commercial Bank.

High net worth and institutional investor participation was noted in John Keells Holdings, Hemas Holdings, and Hatton National Bank.

Mixed interest was observed in Access Engineering, Colombo Dockyard, and Tokyo Cement Company, while retail interest was noted in SMB Leasing nonvoting, SMB Leasing, and Industrial Asphalts.

The Capital Goods sector was the top contributor to the market turnover, driven by John Keells Holdings, Access Engineering, Hemas Holdings, and Colombo Dockyard, with the sector index losing 1.51%.

The share price of John Keells Holdings decreased by Rs. 0.30 to close at Rs. 21.50 and Access Engineering ended down Rs. 1.30 at Rs. 71.30. Hemas Holdings gained Rs. 0.50 to Rs. 34.90, while Colombo Dockyard recorded a loss of Rs. 16 to end at Rs. 412.75.

The Banking sector was the second highest contributor to the market turnover due to Hatton National Bank, with the sector index decreasing by 1.72%. Hatton National Bank ended down Rs. 5.75 to close at Rs. 390.

First Capital Research attributed yesterday’s slide to adverse weather forecasts. It said the Colombo bourse recorded a sharp drop from the early start of the day’s session, driven by uncertainty surrounding weather forecasts that warn of persistent heavy rainfall in the days ahead.

Investor activity was muted, with both retail and HNW showing notably lower participation. CINS, MELS, COMB, SFCL, and BUKI emerged as the top negative contributors to yesterday’s bear-market performance.

The Capital Goods sector generated 38.6% of the day’s turnover, while the Banking and Materials sectors together accounted for 26.7%.

Foreign investors remained net sellers, posting a net outflow of Rs. 295.5 million.

One thing that is crystal clear in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah is that Sri Lanka’s public sector workers and members of the tri-forces and Police rise to the occasion when the country is in dire need for their services.

Those in the public service have diligently taken up the task of providing relief to those affected by the disaster while members of the Armed Forces are assisting people trapped in different places due to landslides and floods while also undertaking the grim tasks for recovering the remains of those who have lost their lives. The Sri Lanka Police has also stepped in to ensure law and order, particularly to ensure that the homes of the people displaced by the natural disaster are safeguarded while they are in shelters.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has called on the public officials and the Armed Forces and Police to ensure that those affected are given all the necessary funds.

Ironically it is the same President who not so long ago thought it fit to talk down to State sector officials at various gatherings asking those who can’t work according to the Government policies to quit.

As for the NPP Government’s attitude toward the members of the Armed Forces, it has been more indifferent than engaging. The President did not attend the National War Heroes Days commemoration in May this year and only made it at the last minute due to pressure from ex-servicemen organisations that backed the NPP in the last two elections. This is in sharp contrast to him going gung-ho over the commemoration of fallen JVP leaders last month.

After taking office, the NPP decided to do away with the post of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) saying it was no longer necessary and its duties will be handled by the Defence Ministry. The CDS was responsible for coordinating joint operations across the Army, Navy, and Air Force coordinating much of the work connected to the vaccination program during the COVID-19 outbreak making it a highly successful operation. However, no one has been appointed to the post since its last incumbent General Shavendra Silva retired in December 2024. The Government would do well to rethink its decision not to appoint a CDS given that proper coordination between the to-force is vital at a time of a national calamity.

The Government is in the unenviable position of having to deal with the most unexpected situation. The NPP has been fortunate that those who ruled the country before 2024 December ensured that a 30 year long separatist was ended, a pandemic dealt with, and an economic crisis brought to a manageable level by the time President Dissanayake took power. What comes now is for the Government to manage.

Those in the NPP have been shouting from the rooftops, particularly during the past election campaigns about a 76-year-old curse. If one believes in curses, then it is possible for political opponents to turn around and say that the country could be facing worse curses from its 77th year onward. But logically speaking, natural calamities can happen anywhere, at any time and the country has to have a cohesive disaster management plan without waiting for the next one to strike and then rushing into ad hoc plans.

Climate change is causing havoc across the world and even in the best-case scenario the country has to expect similar disasters will take place and come up with a proper plan of action. But for now, the Government must focus on providing relief to those affected by the disaster and getting the infrastructure in place and stop its motherly treatment toward those working in the State services.