The BRICS TimesSri Lanka needs about $7 billion for rebuilding homes, roads, and industries. Cyclone Ditwah has killed at least 465 people there so far.
Cyclone Ditwah Devastation
Cyclone Ditwah started southeast of Sri Lanka last week. It has caused massive damage across Southeast Asian countries. The total death toll now exceeds 1,300 people. The cyclone moved slowly along Sri Lanka’s coast. It stayed there a long time before moving parallel to the Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Puducherry coasts. The cyclone triggered severe floods and landslides in both Indonesia and Sri Lanka. Survivors are frustrated. Rescue efforts and aid delivery are slower than the catastrophic destruction.
Key Developments on Cyclone Ditwah
Sri Lanka Toll Hits 465
Sri Lankan authorities said on Wednesday they need about $7 billion for reconstruction. This money is needed to rebuild homes, roads, and industries destroyed by Cyclone Ditwah. The cyclone has already killed at least 465 people. Additionally, 366 people are still missing. They were lost after mudslides and floods hit the island. Sri Lanka has seen consistent rainfall over the last week. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake stressed the need for foreign assistance. This aid is essential to fund the nation’s recovery. The country is still recovering from its worst economic crisis three years ago. Dissanayake had promised to rebuild the nation with international support last weekend. Floodwaters were slowly receding on Wednesday. Over 1.5 million Sri Lankan people have been impacted by this natural catastrophe.
Sri Lanka’s Economic Crisis
The total economic loss from Cyclone Ditwah is estimated at USD 6 billion to 7 billion. This is roughly 3-5 per cent of Sri Lanka’s GDP. A senior official oversees the island nation’s recovery work. Prabath Chandrakirthi, Commissioner General of Essential Services, spoke to reporters. He said new laws are necessary to speed up the post-disaster process. The government temporarily allowed frozen vegetable imports. Landslides and floods destroyed the main vegetable-growing areas. Chandrakrithi also said the house-cleaning allowance increased. It went up from LKR 10,000 to LKR 25,000 for affected families. This money will be given out without checking ownership. Sri Lanka defaulted on its $46 billion external debt in 2022. It lacked foreign exchange for essential imports. It later got a $2.9 billion bailout loan from the IMF. The IMF has noted that the economy has since stabilized.
Op Sagar Bandhu
Last Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered deep condolences. He expressed sorrow to the people of Sri Lanka over the Cyclone Ditwah destruction. He announced India had sent relief and humanitarian aid. This was done under Operation Sagar Bandhu. The Indian Air Force used two transport aircraft, C-130 and IL-76. They carried paramilitary personnel and relief material. The IAF reported sending 21 tonnes of relief material to Colombo. This included over 80 NDRF personnel and eight tonnes of equipment. On Tuesday, the Indian Army deployed an integrated task force. This is a high-readiness HADR contingent. It is part of Operation Sagar Bandhu. Its goal is to provide critical relief. It will restore essential services and support families in cyclone-hit Sri Lanka. India also sent a mobile field hospital and over 70 medical personnel. NDRF teams have rescued over 43 people so far. This happened in the Sedawatta and Nadeegama areas near Colombo. They continue to rescue those trapped in floodwaters. These waters range between eight and ten feet deep.
Indonesia Reeling from Massive Loss
The death toll in Indonesia from floods and landslides hit 755. However, the number of missing persons rose to 650. Monsoon rain and two rare tropical storms caused chaos last week. This affected parts of Sumatra, southern Thailand, and northern Malaysia. Ade Soekadis, director of Mercy Corps Indonesia, commented, “It’s very challenging logistically to respond. The extent of the damage and the size of the affected area is really huge.” The weather system also caused heavy rain in Thailand. This killed at least 176 people. Two people also died in Malaysia.
Tamil Nadu Rainfall
Coastal Tamil Nadu and some interior parts had torrential rainfall on Wednesday. This was caused by the remnants of Cyclone Ditwah. The weakened depression further lessened into a well-marked low-pressure area. Rain heavily pounded Chennai. Neighboring districts like Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu, and Kancheepuram were also affected. Roads in residential areas became submerged. Villupuram, Cuddalore, and Tiruvannamalai also saw frequent heavy rainfall. There were only brief intervals as the depression moved inland. An official from the Greater Chennai Corporation gave an update. He said they were bailing out water. They were trying to restore normal traffic flow. “We are striving to ensure that the subways don’t get inundated so as to cause hardship to the people,” he stated.
Where is Cyclone Ditwah remnant now
The India Meteorological Department gave the latest update on Wednesday. The depression over the southwest Bay of Bengal had moved slowly southwestwards. It was near the north Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts. It weakened into a well-marked low-pressure area by 5:30 am. This was over the coasts and nearby areas. The weather office expects the low-pressure area to keep moving slowly southwestwards. It will cross north coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. It is very likely to weaken further into a low-pressure area in the next 24 hours.
