The Sectoral Oversight Committee on Infrastructure and Strategic Development has disclosed the economic impact caused by the recent Ditwa disaster.
According to officials who briefed the parliamentary committee, the disaster inflicted severe damage on roads and bridges, with the Road Development Authority (RDA) suffering losses of approximately Rs. 75 billion. The committee was informed that 316 roads and 40 bridges under the RDA were damaged.
The total estimated cost for complete reconstruction is around Rs. 190 billion. To address this, plans are underway to secure a loan of Rs. 2 billion from the World Bank.
In addition, the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) reportedly faced losses of approximately Rs. 20 billion. The committee chairman advised the board to explore grant assistance rather than loans to cover these provisions.
The National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) has also been affected, with estimated losses of Rs. 5.6 billion. So far, 156 damaged water supply schemes have been restored through maintenance work, and efforts are ongoing to secure grant funding from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for full reconstruction.
Meanwhile, the Lanka Electricity Company (LECO) suffered losses of approximately Rs. 252 million, which are expected to be repaired using existing provisions.
These details were presented during the meeting of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Basic Infrastructure and Strategic Development. Committee Chairman S.M. Marikkar emphasized that the ministry should establish a mechanism to ensure timely allocation of funds for road renovations.
