Minister pledges new housing complexes for families affected by disaster

Plans are underway to establish housing complexes for those who lost their homes due to the impact of cyclone Ditwah, the Minister of Housing, Construction and Water Supply, Susil Ranasinghe has stated.

Speaking at a media briefing held at the Ministry premises today (22), Minister Ranasinghe said alternative plots of lands have already been identified through District Secretaries for the initiative.

He further emphasized that efforts are being made to restore the lives of people affected by the disaster within a short period of time.

Minister Susil Ranasinghe stated,

“More than 6,000 houses have been destroyed. Over 100,000 houses have been reported as partially damaged. Even if the houses are not damaged, there are areas that are still uninhabitable and unsafe. Step by step, we are taking measures to address this. Through District Secretaries, alternative lands have been identified. At many of these locations, we plan to establish housing complexes. The Presidential Secretariat is also involved in facilitating the necessary funding for this effort. As a ministry, we are preparing the initial plans for these housing complexes and consulting with the relevant officials and necessary architects. We hope that, in a short time, the families whose homes were destroyed and their lives affected by this disaster will be resettled and restored, and that people living in high-risk areas will be relocated to safer regions to prevent facing such disasters again.”