Mammoth task to rebuild a nation: How Sri Lanka can rise from the debris

THE waters are receding and leaving behind the utter destruction that has been caused across most of Sri Lanka.

- by Aubrey Joachim

Altered landscapes, lives shattered, a nation in shock and its infrastructure in ruin.It is thought that cyclone Ditwah and its fury has caused ten times the damage inflicted by the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. Initial estimates by the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) indicates a reconstruction bill of between six to seven billon USD which is approximately 3 to 5% of GDP. A significant statistic by any measure. In addition, the impact of the loss of productivity and the cost of imports of essential food items resulting from the loss of agricultural crops, meat, poultry etc. must also be taken into account.

Blame game

While the above aspects as well as the intangible impact on the psyche of the nation is hurting, it has not prevented political bastardry to cease the opportunity of placing blame on the Government and its leadership for the event and immediate aftermath. At a time when one would have expected the whole nation-down to every man woman and child-to come together to lift the country out of its predicament, Opposition politicians who themselves failed miserably in the past in similar circumstances, pilfered billions of dollars from the country’s coffers and even monetised past disasters to their own benefit, are now seeking to divide the nation. While such accusations are fundamentally flawed. their ‘illusionary’ suggestions in respect of how the disaster should have been managed would have placed Sri Lanka far ahead of any nation on earth that faced a similar calamity even in the most developed world. Those making such claims should be ashamed of themselves, demonstrating their utter incompetence in any leadership role.