The Hon. Anton Jayakody - Deputy Minister of Environment

## Summary Deputy Minister Anton Jayakody spoke in support of extending Emergency Regulations under the Public Security Ordinance, arguing the extension is necessary exclusively to support disaster recovery following Cyclone Ditva. He outlined the scale of the disaster, which affected 22 districts, caused approximately 650 deaths, left 173 persons missing, triggered over 1,250 landslides, and resulted in 6,018 houses fully destroyed and 108,000 partially damaged — contrasting its breadth with the 2004 tsunami. The Deputy Minister cited the practical utility of emergency powers, specifically noting they facilitated rapid cross-agency deployment of geologists — including from the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau and the University of Peradeniya — to address an NBRO staffing shortage for landslide assessment. He called on Opposition members to support the extension, referencing Gazette Extraordinary No. 2464/30 of 28 November 2025 as the legal basis for the proclamation, and noted that NBRO's statutory framework had been strengthened under the current Government.