When Cyclone Ditwah struck Sri Lanka, it exposed many institutional, structural, and operational gaps in the island’s disaster mitigation and management systems. It also held a mirror to the kind of society we have evolved into over the decades, and posed many moral, socioeconomic, and environmental questions, while highlighting some unpleasant truths which we should all take to heart.
However, the crisis, as tragic as it was, has also shown opportunities and concepts which may help Sri Lanka be more resilient to such natural or man-made shocks, and bounce back quicker and become stronger in the process.
Community resilience and the capacity of civil society and the political spectrum to aid in relief and rebuilding efforts is an area which has hardly been reported on. A resilient community does not wait for the State to do everything in a crisis; it adapts and works with the many layers of society to begin rebuilding.
There were many Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), volunteer groups, religious places of worship, and political entities that contributed to the broader national effort of delivering relief and helping their fellow countrymen in their hour of need. While the Government apparatus gets into gear, the rest of the community steps in and does their bit. Disaster preparedness and resilience are everyone’s business; no government can do it alone.
One such example from the post-Ditwah period, where such non-State entities rose to the task at hand, was reported from a flood-prone area in Katana in the Gampaha District where Jenituspura, a small village of 69 residences, was flooded, with many single-storey homes completely submerged, leaving every standing structure drenched and plastered with mud and sludge.
The home of Dhammika Susantha Dharmawardena, Sanjeewani Deneshika, and their two children had collapsed due to the flooding, leaving only a few columns standing. When Saravajana Balaya Leader and Opposition MP Dilith Jayaweera visited the victims of Ditwah in Katana, he had given the family an undertaking that their house would be rebuilt within seven days – a momentous task. This, while flood levels were still receding.
According to Sarvajana Balaya Organiser for Katana and Sarvajana Youth Front Convenor Rajitha Hapuarachchi, the party’s ‘Sarvajana Senehasa’ disaster response programme kicked into full gear to take on the task and to help the other villagers who were affected.
“This area is prone to flooding and our aim was to fulfil the promise given by our Leader, Dilith Jayaweera, to rebuild the home and to do so in a way that was better than before, so those affected feel empowered to get on with their lives and grow,” Hapuarachchi explained.
“Our concept is to provide relief and rebuild rapidly. We do not want to see victims of such disasters lagging behind in society and waiting years for their lives to return to normal. So, we mobilised our resources; we know the landscape and the people well and we can use our networks to get things done quickly.”
Hapuarachchi said that following the instructions by Jayaweera, the ‘Sarvajana Senehasa’ team had provided water via bowsers and electricity by installing generators, and had supplied high-pressure water guns, cleaning supplies, and even new paint for the 69 residences to clean their homes during the seven days the house of Dhammika and Sanjeewani was being rebuilt.
“We knew the right builders and the capable masons who could get the job done quickly. We provided all the resources, manpower, and equipment needed, and while the house was being rebuilt, the entire village was cleaned.
“There were two small shops that serviced the village, which had been flooded and the groceries destroyed, so once we helped them clean up and restore the shops to normal, we provided them with fresh stocks of groceries so that both shops could return to business. People need to see and feel normality to get over a crisis,” he said.
When the house was completed and handed back to its owners by Jayaweera and his team, Dhammika couldn’t help but be emotional.
Addressing the media, he said: “I didn’t think it was possible, but they did it. I am overcome by emotion. My small house has been rebuilt better than before. Our village suffered a lot. The water levels were higher than 10 or 12 feet. Part of my house was completely washed away.
“MP Jayaweera visited us and promised me that he would rebuild my house in seven days. He gave an undertaking that I would be able to sleep under my own roof after seven days. I am lost for words, that today, seven days on, it has come true. They have provided everyone in Jenituspura with many of the things we lost. I am grateful for all the effort the team has taken to help us in our hour of need.”
Sanjeewani said it was a great relief to get their home rebuilt in seven days, adding that her children, aged 15 and 11, were fortunate to have a roof over their heads. Sanjeewani works in the apparel industry, while Dhammika is self-employed. She said that without such assistance, rebuilding so quickly was but a dream.
When asked about enduring challenges, Sanjeewani said that her primary concern now was to prepare her 15-year-old son for the Ordinary Level examinations, as all his study materials, notes, and textbooks had been soaked or washed away in the flood.
“With help, we have managed to stand on our feet. Now, we must get on with our lives, help others, and prepare our children for their future,” the mother of two said.