Authorities in the Kandy District have begun arrangements to permanently relocate nearly 2,000 families whose homes were deemed unsafe following landslides triggered by Cyclone Ditwah, disaster management officials said.
According to L.A.K. Ranaweera, Assistant Director of the Kandy District Disaster Management Committee, technical assessments conducted after the cyclone confirmed that several residential areas have either already experienced landslides or are at high risk of future slope failures. Based on recommendations from the National Building Research Institute (NBRI), returning to these locations has been ruled out.
The affected families are currently staying at temporary relief centres or with relatives while long-term resettlement plans are being finalised. Officials said progress has been made in identifying alternative land, with nearly half of the required sites already located.
The relocation programme is being coordinated under the supervision of Kandy District Secretary Indika Udawatta, with priority given to securing land close to the families’ original communities to minimise social and economic disruption. Construction of permanent housing will begin once suitable plots are fully approved.
Areas recording the highest number of displaced families include Ududumbara, Minipe, Pathahewaheta, Doluwa, Gampola, and Ganga Ihala Korale. Among these, Ududumbara, Ganga Ihala Korale, and Gampola were identified as the most severely affected divisions.
In the meantime, the District Secretariat continues to provide essential assistance, including food, drinking water, and basic services, to displaced residents as they await permanent housing solutions.
Officials emphasized that the relocation effort aims not only to rebuild homes but also to ensure long-term safety by preventing future disaster-related losses in high-risk zones.
