Floods-hit Archeology sites estimated for early-2026 repair: Dir Gen Archeology

By Pranavesh Sivakumar

Colombo, Dec. 25 (Daily Mirror) - The Archeology sites damaged and destroyed all over the island due to the recent cyclone and flash floods are set for an estimated early repair next year , Director General of Archeology, Thusitha Ranasinghe, told the Daily Mirror.

Scores of archeology sites, mostly from the North Central, Central, North-Western provinces, have been damaged or destroyed in some form and repair work is estimated to commence early in the new year.

“Assessment of damages is currently in progress. Only this week, our teams concluded the scale of destruction by extensive inspection throughout the island. Though the exact dates are yet to be determined, plans are in place for restoration to commence early in the new year”, she said.

Preliminary assessments has revealed as many as 83 archaeological sites which have been damaged or destroyed.

“There are around eight sites which have been completely destroyed. 24 sites have suffered partial damage. Historical paintings have taken a hit, damages have also occurred due to trees falling,” she explained.

UNESCO support is now in progress for the assessment of damages to world heritage sites, including Sigiriya, Dambulla Cave Temple, Sacred City of Kandy, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Sinharaja Forest Reserve, and Central Highlands.

Over 1000 religious sites have been hit and severe landslides and topsoil loss in the UNESCO-listed Knuckles Mountain Range has also been recorded.

While the exact amount for the restoration is yet to be fixed and finalised, the amount is expected to be a hefty sum.