Colombo: President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Sunday extended the state of public emergency declared a month ago when the Ditwah cyclone made its landfall, leaving a trail of destruction. The gazette notifying the extension by one month was issued by the Secretary to the President to ensure “protection of public order and the maintenance of supplies and services essential to the life of the community”
The emergency was declared to coordinate all relief agencies, including the military, to deliver rescue and relief assistance. Fifteen different services, including media, were included as essential services under the emergency order.
Widespread flooding, landslides and severe infrastructure collapse across the island nation severely strained the country’s disaster-response capacity, which was hit by Sri Lanka in November.
It damaged crops, tea estates and critical transport infrastructures, including roads and bridges.