Disaster Management Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa denied the Ministry was ill equipped to handle calamities, despite public outcry that the ministry was unprepared to face such a disaster.

“No matter how much we tell them it is going to rain, leave your homes, they will not leave their homes,” the minister said.

“We saw this in Kolonnawa also, when we asked them to leave their homes, they didn’t leave. They wait till the water comes up to their roofs and then cry for a boat to save them,’” he said.

Sports Minister and newly appointed co-Cabinet spokesman Dayasiri Jayasekera also chimed in, holding the public responsible for their own safety.

“Our people never check the weather forecast. Who listens to the weather forecast? People listen to the news headlines and then change the channel,” he said.

Disaster Management Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa made an attempt at reconciliation saying, “We have problems. We have technological problems. In the middle of all of this, this Department has managed to give accurate weather information. No one can deny that.”

“If people are saying we have provided incorrect information, then the best thing to do is to close the Disaster Management Centre and let people just check an app on their phones for weather related information,” he said.

Responding to questions by a journalist on how unprepared the Disaster Management Ministry was in preparing for the calamity that has claimed 208 lives this far, the Disaster Management Minister denied the Ministry was unprepared.

When evidence of the Ministry’s inefficiency was produced before the Minister in the form of a circular released in conjunction with the United Nations requesting equipment including matches, life jackets and blankets, the Minister said he did not agree with the circular that was released through the United Nations.

“I saw that letter. I don’t agree with it,” the Minister said. “The embassy asked us what we need. That letter was sent to the embassy telling them what we need. We didn’t release that list to the public. That list was for the embassy, the Minister further said.