• Blanket warnings, statements scare travellers
• Industry presents solutions, support to prevent another downfall
• Lack of preparedness takes spotlight
• Hospitality industry urges Govt. to calculate indirect impacts on livelihoods as well

Sri Lanka has moved to the second stage of post-disaster recovery, where immediate relief is being distributed through grama niladhari divisions, divisional secretariats, and district secretariats to its over one million citizens who were directly affected by the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah. 

The third stage of post-disaster recovery is the most complex, yet crucial needs must be addressed rapidly, given that the country has no room left for slow economic growth. The tourism industry is meant to be reaching its peak winter season guest arrivals in the immediate weeks, and already, the south coast is brimming with tour groups.

Yet, the scenic upcountry is already facing daily losses as access roads that run across high-risk landslide zones are only open for a 12-hour window of 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Meanwhile, the railways, which faced the heaviest damage in terms of accessibility disruption, are forecast to take a longer period of time to be restored, given the requirement of resources, manpower, and challenges due to continued rains and still unstable land parcels along the way.

“With the famous train journey from Colombo to Ella being disrupted, I considered cancelling the train tickets I reserved. Just seeing the devastation and the red alerts for landslides still in effect for the areas that I had planned on travelling, I have to rethink whether I want to visit Sri Lanka just yet. I wanted to take up the Pekoe Trail challenge during my stay as well, but it seems as if I would have to skip certain stages,” a Reddit user noted.

The user further noted that the Railways Department had agreed to refund part of their payment, while a boutique hotel that had been booked had refused to refund even part of the booking amount, although the travellers had informed it a good 20 days ahead of cancelling travel plans.

This is just one account of how the disaster has forced some travellers to cancel their travel plans to Sri Lanka in December. The lack of refund policies in place for hospitality establishments, even those managed as private companies, appears to be generating a negative impression. The Railways Department, at least, has a clearly explained refund policy in place, so travellers are compensated should they decide to cancel their plans.

A not-so-festive mood

“Our establishment was along the direct path of the flooding of the Mahaweli River, where it turns sharply and flows towards Halloluwa. The impact of the rapid movement of flood water was felt in the structure. When the floods hit, we had a tour group staying over for the night at our hotel and no one expected the weather to change so quickly,” Oak Ray Regency General Manager Roshan Fernando recounted. 

Explaining the challenges ahead, Fernando said: “The hotel faced somewhat of a challenge in attending to requests of distressed guests; many had to extend their stay in Kandy until the roads were repaired and we had to ensure that they received the best of hospitality despite essential utility services such as water and electricity facing disruptions amid a double disaster caused by floods and landslides.” 

Fernando also added that due to losses incurred by event cancellations and room occupancy drops, hotel staff would not be earning the seasonal service charge bonuses they would generally enjoy at year-end. 

Although Government relief is provided to directly affected communities, Fernando pointed out that a few segments had lost an entire month’s earnings and would not receive any form of compensation from the Government or any aid programme since they were unable to present projected earnings – such as of quotations issued previously – to prove their losses due to event cancellations.

Experiential tourism takes a hit

As with any main river that flows across several scenic areas of the country, the Mahaweli River and its banks are home to establishments that provide experiential tourism. Safari tours along the Mahaweli River, notable for providing cross-country experiences to their participants, are fast becoming bucket-list items for many adventure sports lovers.

One such hospitality provider in Halloluwa, Kandy is Thotupola Residence, which has been in business for 15 years. Speaking to The Sunday Morning, owner Rohan Suwaris recalled the day the major flooding occurred. 

“As with any torrential rain, we were expecting the river to swell somewhat. The news of the reservoir sluice gates being opened to release all the water that was gathering reached us at around 9 p.m. I sent out my staff to draw our boats closer to the riverbank and secure them. Though we only expected water levels to rise to a maximum of 5 feet, the levels kept increasing beyond that limit,” he said.

Suwaris questioned the lack of detailed instructions released by the Irrigation Department, Mahaweli Authority, and Disaster Management Centre, especially during a major weather-related event. 

“How can a regular citizen predict the intensity of water levels rising or take necessary precautions to reduce damage to property or safeguard their families, and from a hospitality perspective, the lives of staff and guests? Not everyone is equipped with knowledge of safe evacuation drills, nor would they be in a position to move out of the danger zone in such a situation,” he added. 

Suwaris requested that the authorities, regulators, and Government ministers consult experts in geology, irrigation, and climate to prepare a scientifically backed study in the aftermath of the disaster in order to recognise areas that should be marked as potential high-risk zones.

“After the flooding, the width of the Mahaweli River has increased threefold. The riverbanks have been carved out in certain areas, making the soil unstable. Some of the permanent buildings on the riverbanks will have to be removed after assessing the damage and risks,” he noted. 

If new regulations were to be proposed and implemented for conservation purposes, Suwaris noted that all stakeholders whose livelihoods depended on the river must be consulted and provided with the necessary information. 

“Over the years, we have had authorities visit us and air their scepticism concerning tourism activities we carry out in the vicinity of the river. As an individual who manages a hotel by the Mahaweli River, I encourage them to strictly implement regulations that are in place for every business that is emerging.

“There are also establishments that have existed in the region for decades, which are popular vacation spots for both foreign and local tourists. Therefore, before mapping out new boundaries for riverbanks or removing any structures, a comprehensive survey and study should be carried out,” Suwaris said. 

Meanwhile, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has proposed the reclamation of land above an elevation of 5,000 feet, compensating people and businesses, and relocating them to suitable spaces in order to reforest land above the aforementioned elevation. 

This blanket statement raises some concerns, as the elevation alone will require relocation of a major part of the Nuwara Eliya District, as well as pockets of the Ratnapura and Badulla Districts. Making such a drastic adjustment and re-zoning the upcountry appears to be impractical given the limited real estate within the region for housing and commercial purposes.

Inundated due to unplanned development

The Sunday Morning also spoke to Grand Hotel Nuwara Eliya General Manager Mahinda Pinnapola, a seasoned hospitality professional who has served in various parts of the country. 

“While we are willing to support the Government’s decision on reforesting areas that were encroached over the years by those with political backing, this proposal also needs to be revisited. Although the city of Nuwara Eliya was inundated this time, it was caused by the recent unplanned constructions within the city. No thought was given to the stormwater drainage system; in fact, certain establishments were built in a manner that blocked these drainage features that were in place for nearly a century,” he said. 

The city itself is located at an elevation of 1,868 m (6,129 ft) above sea level and did not undergo any major incidents of landslides or flooding due to the adverse weather.

Pinnapola said: “There was an earthslip visible from the hotel in an area known as Eagles’ View Point. Even now I can see that about four houses are perched dangerously; another torrential rain could easily destabilise the soil and damage these houses. All these are recent settlements which were built without proper building permits.” 

While Pinnapola noted that December was a month during which Nuwara Eliya witnessed a considerable influx of local and foreign tourists, there had been several cancellations following the news of the disaster.

Disaster preparedness is key

“We are a publicly listed company, and when the emergency situation was announced with communication breaking down and Nuwara Eliya being cut off from all four access roads, many establishments faced challenges. However, our hotel had a well-functioning generator to power through as well as a well-stocked inventory that had provisions sufficient for 30 days to sustain the staff and guests,” Pinnapola said.

He acknowledged that not all businesses were equipped with stocks or the necessary equipment to be used during a disaster or a total blackout. Moreover, the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) engineer in Nuwara Eliya had promptly attended to the power supply disruption and restored functionality to the facility within a short period of time. 

“We only had power cuts lasting 15–20 minutes when the breakdown occurred, and we also had our generator in case of an emergency. We were very fortunate to have a very efficient disaster-response team headed by the 3rd (Volunteer) Battalion of the Sinha Regiment commanded by Major General Kanishka Heiyantuduwa, who also kept us in the loop about the developments.” 

With only minor incidents relating to the disaster affecting the city, Pinnapola noted that Nuwara Eliya was ready for tourist arrivals with no supply chain disruptions or power outages.

“While it is easy to calculate the direct impacts of the disaster, we must also look at the indirect impacts of business interruption owing to the cyclone. December is a month that generates additional income for many businesses in tourism and hospitality with various seasonal celebrations and events. If we were to calculate the losses incurred by the supporting sectors of event management, such as flower suppliers, musicians, and performers who lost work due to event cancellations, it would far exceed the currently released estimates,” Pinnapola noted.

Weathering the winter season

Meanwhile, the Hill Country Tourism Bureau has submitted a three-phase technical proposal to the President to expedite the restoration of sections of the main upcountry railway line from Demodara to Haputale, followed by Badulla to Haputale, and to restore the full main line to Nanu Oya. 

“We emphasised to the President that even a single train running across the iconic Nine Arch Bridge sends a powerful message to the world. That one image alone proves that Sri Lanka is safe and will instantly bring confidence back to international travellers. We are fighting to keep the hill country open, safe, and thriving for everyone,” Hill Country Tourism Bureau member Piyal Liyanage noted. 

The bureau further acknowledged that 1,347 small businesses and daily wage earners were at immediate risk if the train failed to operate in December. This includes 615 family-run homestays, 400 tuk-tuk drivers, 105 local trekking guides, 125 small eateries and shops, and 75 registered hotels. 

All attempts made to obtain comments from Minister of Tourism Vijitha Herath, Deputy Minister of Tourism Prof. Ruwan Ranasinghe, and Ministry Secretary Aruni Ranaraja proved futile. 

Although The Sunday Morning succeeded in getting through to Ministry of Tourism Director – Development Arjuna Wickramasinghe, the official declined to provide information and directed the writer to contact the Ministry Secretary or the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA). He noted that the latter were better informed about the next steps of post-disaster recovery for the tourism sector and would be able to provide a situation update on the impact on businesses. 

The Sunday Morning also attempted to contact SLTDA Director General Malkanthi Rajapaksha for comment but was informed that contact would be established later, which failed to materialise.  

Box 1

Damage assessment for businesses

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development followed a more streamlined process to identify the impact on businesses through the Sri Lanka Flood Relief – Emergency Coordination Platform, which was established for businesses to report damage incurred post-cyclone.

Ministry Secretary J.M. Thilaka Jayasundara noted: “Industries and enterprises registered under the ministry, Export Development Board, Industrial Development Board, National Enterprise Development Authority, Small Enterprises Development Division, National Productivity Secretariat, and National Chamber of Commerce are able to report damage to their businesses via the Sri Lanka Flood Relief – Emergency Coordination Platform linked to the ministry website. 

“As of 5 p.m. on Thursday (11), we had a total of 9,087 industries reporting total or partial damage to their businesses and business premises. Among the 22 districts that were impacted by landslides and flooding, the highest number of incidents were reported from the Gampaha District with all industrial zones affected by the major flooding events that occurred after the cyclone made landfall.”

Accordingly, 325 large-scale, 1,951 medium-scale, 3,091 small-scale, 3,720 micro-scale, and 285 export industries have registered for damage assessments with the ministry.

“Rapid assessments were carried out and a total of 1,142 businesses have already resumed operations. Meanwhile, 1,315 will need a period of 14 days to recover and 825 will resume work in one month, while 383 will need three months or more based on the scale of damage they have sustained, along with having to attend to repairs, machinery servicing, or relocating to new premises to restart their businesses,” Jayasundara noted. 

The deadline to submit applications on damage to industries and enterprises is open till Tuesday (16). The Sri Lanka Flood Relief – Emergency Coordination Platform, which is linked to the Ministry of Industry website, allows industries and enterprises to register their information and the estimated scale of loss through the portal. Business owners and entrepreneurs can submit the information in Sinhala, Tamil, or English. 

Alternatively, the forms can also be submitted through the respective entrepreneurship development officer, small enterprise development officer, export development officer, productivity promotion officer, or industry development board officer via the relevant divisional secretariat or district secretariat.

For those unable to access the web portal to report the damage to their business premises, the ministry has also set up a dedicated mobile phone number: 0712 666 660.

Once the damage is assessed, a one-time immediate relief sum of Rs. 200,000 per business unit will be disbursed.

Box 2

Freeze drying legal records of 2 centuries

Meda Ela, running parallel to William Gopallawa Mawatha in Kandy, was not designed to support the flow of a massive body of water and could not contain the backflow from the rising river water levels, resulting in the ground floor of the Kandy Court Complex submerging fully in minutes.

Historic legal records of nearly two centuries were reported to be among the documents that were damaged by the flood at the court complex. 

Describing the situation, Kandy Bar Association Secretary Kusha Walagedara stated: “Soon after the flood waters receded, the minor staff, lawyers, and volunteers were called in to begin the cleanup process. The main power distribution board had to be replaced and the switches had to be replaced and secured after the water logging. We used a generator to power the building and our offices on the upper floors.”

Most importantly, the restoration of the water-damaged case reports became a priority. Officials of the Ministry of Justice, the Bar Association of Sri Lanka, and other branch associations stepped in to aid the Kandy Court Complex with in-kind support, financial support, and the contribution of voluntary man-hours to restore the building and its contents.

Opposition MP Dr. Harsha de Silva too had personally intervened, together with assistance from Aitken Spence Logistics, to deploy three 40-foot-long refrigerated containers to the court complex this week. The salvaged case records and reference books from the court library are to be kept refrigerated for a period of three months as instructed by the Department of National Archives.

An estimated 65,000 case records and important Government documents belonging to the Kandy Court Complex and other State institutes of the Kandy District were reportedly archived at the complex prior to the floods.

The National Water Supply and Drainage Board premises and the Central Province ministries located on either side of the road leading towards the Getambe Temple are also racing against time to pressure wash their furniture, save any possible documents from the piles of records stacked outside the premises, and turn the offices into work-ready environments.

The fact that landlines to contact the relevant line ministries are yet to be restored indicates the mounting challenges people will face in the days following the cyclone’s dissipation.

The flood has wreaked havoc, having thrown furniture, trinkets, and items exhibited in showroom spaces out onto the main road. Signs are still visible as tattered seatcovers hang on branches of trees or on twisted fences extending beyond perimeter walls, showcasing the path of destruction.