Minister K. D. Lal Kantha said Kandy may need to be relocated following the warnings issued by the National Building Research Organization (NBRO) this week.
He noted that while efforts are underway to restore normalcy in the Kandy District, authorities are unable to move forward until the NBRO provides a clear signal confirming it is safe to do so.
“According to yesterday’s (NBRO) alert, Kandy will have to be moved somewhere else in Sri Lanka. Kandy will have to be taken to Ampara, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa or somewhere else. This is what was most discussed at the coordinating meeting,” he said.
The minister was referring to landslide evacuation alerts issued for Kandy, Kegalle, Kurunegala and Matale districts.
According to the NBRO, more than 20 areas in Kandy alone have been placed under a Level 3 red alert, the highest risk category.
“Although we were given the go-ahead to reopen schools, we may instead have to bring more people into schools as shelters, not reopen them,” Minister Lal Kantha said.
He said extensive discussions have been held, and eight teams have been deployed to manage the situation, adding that the number of teams may need to be increased.
“We even considered seeking international assistance. We need to decide where to relocate people, whether to continue using schools as shelters, and whether schools can resume. But we’re struggling to make these decisions without clear guidelines from the NBRO,” he said.
“We can’t relocate all 20 divisional secretariats elsewhere. But we’ve requested that certain areas be prioritized.”
The minister also stressed that divisional coordination committees must now meet regularly, alongside district-level committees, given their increased responsibility in helping restore normalcy after the disaster. (Newswire)