• PM urges riverbank protection, improved drainage, relocation of vulnerable facilities

Prime Minister and Higher Education Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya said the Government stands ready to support the rebuilding of the Peradeniya University after several of the Facilities were damaged in recent floods. The floods swept through the Campus on 27 November and caused extensive damage to academic buildings, student facilities and key infrastructure. University officials highlighted significant losses to the Faculties of Management, Agriculture, and Veterinary Medicine, as well as the Information Technology (IT) Centre, the Centre for Distance and Continuing Education, the gymnasium, the swimming pool, and the playgrounds. The disaster also disrupted both academic activities and the well-being of students and staff, including the loss of more than 110 computers, vital laboratory equipment, examination documents, and four central IT servers, with preliminary damage estimates exceeding Rs. 6 billion. A joint engineering team has confirmed that University buildings remain structurally stable, although several require urgent repairs. 

A total of 750 students from hostels located along the Mahaweli River banks were evacuated while 11,000 students remained on campus during the crisis. 

Academic activities at the University have been suspended until 15 December.

The Premier also issued a series of directives focusing on both immediate relief and long-term safety. These include restoring essential services such as water, electricity, and safe access pathways for students; accelerating the rehabilitation of the heavily damaged Faculties and laboratories; strengthening early warning systems for flood-prone areas; and implementing long-term mitigation measures such as riverbank protection, improved drainage, and the relocation of vulnerable facilities. She directed the relevant agencies to fast-track Government assistance, assuring the University community that the Government will provide its full support to rebuild the University.