ECONOMYNEXT – Access to Gampola and Kandy cities in Sri Lanka, which faced the brutal assault from Cyclone Ditwah has been restored and relief workers and the military is attempting restore power and other utilities to the people, Deputy Minister Prasanna Gunasena said.
“Flood levels in Gampola, Geli-Oya, Peradeniya and Gatambe from the overflowing Mahaweli River has now subsided,” Minister Gunasena said in a speech broadcast over Sri Lanka’s Sirasa Television.
“We have opened the road from Peradeniya to Gampola. The supply line of fuel, medicine and food to Kandy has been restored through Kurunegala – Galagedera road.
“We cannot open the Kadugannawa Road which was blocked due to rock falls and landslides. Due to the threat of more rock falls we do not expect to open the road immediately.”
The Kurunegala-Galagedera road had 14 rockfalls and only one lane is currently open, he said. Several teams are working 24 hours to keep the road open as there were occasional rock falls.
Kandy has been without water and electricity for three days.
“Officials have told us that they will be able to restore electricity to Kandy town and most surrounding areas by evening.
“With that we hope telephone towers will be restored and people would be able to charge phones by tomorrow.”
All pumping stations in Kandy were inundated and intakes were blocked with mud. The generator was also damaged.
“There is a shortage of workers so a complement of soldiers are helping restore the water supply,” Gunasena said.
“We hope to restored water supply in three days. In the meantime we will provide water though bowsers. We have made arrangements to supply the hospitals with water through bowsers.
“Because there is a limited supply of bowsers we have hired from the private sector. We ask that if people have water to use sparingly and also try to collect rainwater.”
Fuel tankers are being sent from Kurunegala and Minister Gunasena requested the public not to pump too much fuel.
“Sri Lanka has enough fuel, so we will supply fuel, there will be no shortages, so do not try to stock fuel.”
“Please do travel only for essential tasks like buying goods and going to hospital. Avoid going sight-seeing.”
Students in Peradeniya university hostel was safe and was being provided with food and shops nearby also had stocks, he said.
Towns in the central hills have been badly hit with landslides claiming dozens of lives.
(Colombo/Nov29/2025)
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