Interim housing construction to begin in early May for Cyclone Ditwah-affected districts

Plans are underway to commence interim housing projects in early May for districts severely affected by Cyclone ‘‘Ditwah,’’ including Kegalle, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, and Badulla with the aim of completing construction within a short timeframe.

A discussion on expediting these projects was recently held at Army Headquarters under the patronage of Deputy Minister of Defence, Major General Aruna Jayasekara (Retd).

The primary objective of the programme is to provide temporary, safe, and livable housing for nearly 1,000 displaced individuals.

Construction work will be carried out using the engineering expertise and manpower of the Sri Lanka Army.

This initiative is being implemented under the government’s ‘‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’’programme.

The Deputy Minister has instructed the Army to present a detailed action plan with a clear timeline to ensure the timely completion of the project.

It is reported that the process of identifying suitable land for construction is currently underway with the support of relevant District Secretaries and the National Building Research Organisation (NBRO), in compliance with safety standards.

Further emphasis was placed on strengthening coordination among all stakeholders to avoid delays, as well as ensuring transparency, accountability, and quality in the implementation process.

The Army Commander, senior officials from the Ministry of Defence, and representatives from the Disaster Management Division, the National Housing Development Authority (NHDA), the National Building Research Organisation (NBRO), and other relevant institutions were also present at the discussion.