• Believes officials managed water levels, protected reservoirs and minimised harm 
• Highlights group decision-making based on systematic, correct methods 

The Land and Irrigation Ministry stated the relevant irrigation officials took all possible steps to manage reservoir systems well during the heavy rainfall brought on by Cyclone Ditwah, both by protecting the reservoirs and minimising any harm caused to nearby communities.

The remarks come amid allegations that water was not released early enough and that sluice gates were later opened suddenly without giving residents adequate time to evacuate.

Speaking to The Daily Morning, the Deputy Land and Irrigation Minister Aravinda Senarath said that the Ministry had not found any evidence to support claims that officials mishandled the water levels during the disaster. “We don’t feel there was such a mishandling when opening the sluice gates, nor were there any such reports,” he said, adding that no institution has records of Sri Lanka ever experiencing rainfall of this magnitude.

“This is the first time we have faced a situation like this since the Mahaweli project was built. The officials responsible for reservoirs including Kotmale, Polgolla, Victoria, Randenigala, and Rantambe have more experience and knowledge about managing them than politicians or ordinary citizens. Our view is they handled the situation systematically and used the correct methods,” he added.

He said that officials devoted significant time and effort throughout the emergency. “They took steps to protect the reservoirs and manage them in a way that caused minimal harm to the people. This is not like opening a culvert or a door in a house. This is a system. When managing it, they take decisions as a group. Their objective throughout was to ensure the least possible harm to the public.”

Ditwah struck Sri Lanka late last month (November 2025), triggering severe rainfall across multiple Districts and leading to unprecedented flooding and landslides. The country’s large network of reservoirs – including those connected to the Mahaweli development system – came under pressure as catchments recorded unprecedented rainfall.