President Anura Kumara Dissanayake marked the Sinhala and Tamil New Year on Monday by attending a housewarming ceremony for a family whose home was destroyed during Cyclone Ditwah in November 2025.
The newly constructed house, located in the Malbeligala Grama Niladhari Division of the Galnewa Divisional Secretariat in Anuradhapura, belongs to H.M. Indrajith Sampath Senarathna. According to the President’s Media Division, the home was rebuilt within five months under a government compensation programme for fully damaged properties.
The President joined residents in observing traditional New Year customs and exchanged Avurudu greetings with those present.
Ditwah recovery continues
The house is one of six currently under construction in the Galnewa area for families whose homes were completely destroyed by the cyclone. Compensation has also been completed for 66 partially damaged houses in the division.
Cyclone Ditwah, which struck in November 2025, caused an estimated $4.1 billion in damage, killed 646 people and displaced over 2.2 million. The government has since established a compensation task force and approved housing programmes for estate workers affected by the disaster.
Several ministers attended the event, including K.D. Lal Kantha, Wasantha Samarasinghe and Susil Ranasinghe, along with provincial leaders and Members of Parliament.
