A controversial statement from a deputy minister reframes disaster as opportunity, signaling a major shift in Sri Lanka’s housing policy after devastating floods.
Deputy Minister of Housing T.B. Sarath has stated that the recent flood disaster has removed long standing obstacles to changing Sri Lanka’s housing concept, describing the situation as an opportunity to move forward with a new national housing plan.
Speaking on the issue, the Deputy Minister said, “The flood was a blessing for us.. Now we can move on to a new housing concept,” explaining that the government had long intended to reform housing policy but was constrained by the existing system of scattered individual house construction.
He noted that the current housing model made it difficult to introduce planned and structured development, despite the government’s desire to modernize housing and improve long term urban and rural planning. According to him, the flood situation has now created the necessary conditions to implement a new housing plan without those earlier barriers.
The Deputy Minister stressed that while the loss of human life is irreversible, other aspects of the disaster response and rebuilding process can be improved. “Except for the lost life, everything else will definitely be made better than before,” he said, emphasizing that lives lost can never be replaced, but infrastructure and housing can be rebuilt stronger and more efficiently.
He further stated that the background created by the flood disaster will be used to accelerate the implementation of the new housing concept, with the government taking steps to move forward with revised housing policies and development strategies.
