Several small tanks and anicuts have been damaged as a result of Cyclone Ditwah, impacting Sri Lanka’s agricultural sector, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Namal Karunaratne informed parliament.

“We are still receiving information on the scale of the damage,” Karunaratne said, addressing parliament 21 days after the cyclone struck.

According to the Deputy Minister, approximately 1,277 small tanks, 1,271 anicuts, and 3,229 irrigation waterways have sustained damage. He emphasized that these figures are expected to change as assessments continue.

Karunaratne described varying degrees of destruction, ranging from total to moderate and slight damage in different areas. “In some places, there is no bunt where there was one earlier. It has been washed away,” he noted. “Some fields have become waterways.”

The Deputy Minister assured parliament that the government is taking prompt action to repair the affected infrastructure.