Parliament on Thursday (11) approved an extension of the deadline for the Special Parliamentary Committee studying Sri Lanka’s lack of preparedness for Cyclone Ditwah, with the report now due on September 19. The original mandate, set on January 21, would have required the committee to submit its findings on June 19.
Health and Mass Media Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa chairs the committee. Under the original motion, the committee was tasked with completing its inquiry within three months of its first sitting and reporting to Parliament with proposals and recommendations on the loss of life, damage to property and damage to people caused by Cyclone Ditwah.
The select committee was established on January 21 after a motion moved by opposition members. The motion framed Cyclone Ditwah, which struck Sri Lanka in late November and December 2025, as “the worst tragedy in the history of Sri Lanka,” noting the losses had not yet been formally assessed and that a comprehensive study of preparedness and the corresponding events was required. The chair and members were appointed by the Speaker under Standing Order 101.
The September 19 deadline lands well after the UN-led Humanitarian Priorities Plan formally wound up its emergency response, and after Japan and UNDP launched a new $1.33 million Build Back Better project for the Central Province. The probe is one of two parallel accountability tracks alongside a separate Court of Appeal writ filed by the Centre for Environmental Justice challenging the broader disaster-preparedness regime.
Cyclone Ditwah affected an estimated 2.2 million people across all 25 districts, leaving more than 640 dead and 173 missing as of January.
Sources: Parliament extends deadline for Cyclone Ditwah preparedness probe report — Ada Derana, June 11.
