Sri Lanka to allocate nearly 1 b USD in 2026 for roads: Minister

Sri Lanka plans to allocate nearly one billion U.S. dollars in 2026 for road construction and the repair of roads damaged by floods and landslides caused by Cyclone Ditwah, a senior minister said on Saturday.

Transport, Highways and Urban Development Minister Bimal Rathnayake told journalists that about 486 million dollars have been allocated for reconstructing damaged roads, while another 486 million dollars will be used for new road construction.

He said that 99 per cent of the damaged roads had been rebuilt within about a month after Cyclone Ditwah struck Sri Lanka.

The Minister also said the Sri Lankan Government will begin compensating people whose houses were fully or partially damaged by the cyclone starting this month, adding that each household whose homes were completely destroyed will be allocated 5 million to 10 million rupees (about 32,313 U.S. dollars).

Source: TheMorning