Clear waters, bright futures: Community action restores life and dignity following Cyclone Ditwah

For over two centuries, deep within the vegetation of Thoordauooramman Kaadu forest, a natural spring sustained generations of plantation workers and their families at the Adawattha tea estate in Badulla District, Sri Lanka.

More than just a source of water, it was the lifeblood of around 2,000 people.

That centuries-old lifeline vanished overnight when Cyclone Ditwah struck Sri Lanka in late November 2025. Massive landslides and mudslides swept down the steep hillsides, destroying the water intake and burying the historical catchment under tons of boulders, fallen trees and heavy debris.

In a single night, the water intake that sustained us for over 200 years was completely washed out by Cyclone Ditwah. We were left completely helpless and hopeless. For three days, we had no clean water at all and survived solely on rainwater. That was the moment we truly realized how drastically our lives had changed. Muthaiya Rajeshwari, Resident at Adawattha Estate

An acute human and economic crisis

For eight long months, the people of Adawattha lived through severe hardship as daily existence became an exhausting struggle without access to clean water.

Estate workers faced severe struggles balancing work and basic living needs. Women bore the heavy burden of domestic water collection, walking up to 3 kms every day over rough terrain to fetch water that was often not clean before they could even go to work, creating immense physical stress and disrupting their ability to earn a living.

Children suffered deeply. Due to lack of clean water for personal hygiene needs and washing school uniforms, many could only attend school two or three days a week. As Arumugam Sumithra, a mother on the estate, shared: “We were terrified about the future of our children they could only attend school two days a week simply because we lacked the basic necessity of water.”

Social dialogue: Driving local action

Determined not to see their community remain vulnerable, the estate management, local leaders, and community members rallied together. Through collaborative social dialogue, they voiced their shared concerns both publicly and privately to local authorities, drawing urgent attention to the pressing human rights to water and sanitation and labour issues created by the cyclone.

This collective action catalysed a disaster recovery project initiated by ILO with the support of the Japan’s Social Safety Net (SSN) Fund. The intervention was implemented by the Uva Shakthi Foundation (USF), with essential technical guidance provided by the Plantation Human Development Trust (PHDT).

Highlighting strong local partnership and co-funding, the Adawattha Estate management under Browns Plantations contributed 340 feet of community water supply piping valued at LKR 600,000.00, complementing ILO’s investment of approximately LKR 2.1million.

© ILO/Uva Shakthi Foundation (USF)

© ILO/Uva Shakthi Foundation (USF)

Building back safely and inclusively

The restoration of the Adawattha catchment was not merely an engineering undertaking; it served as a model for community rebuilding, while promoting decent working conditions, ensuring safety and health, and fostering equal opportunities for both women and men.

Working across risky conditions, community members manually carried the heavy pipeline on their shoulders up the deep, steep slopes of the hill. They cleared tons of mud, unblocked the choked forest intake, and successfully restored a 340-foot pipeline to bring safe running water back to the estate.

Throughout the construction process, priority was placed on occupational safety and health. All construction workers hired and those working in the community were educated on possible risks and how to mitigate them in rocky construction sites. They were also provided Personal Protective Equipment.

Implemented on a cash-for-work basis, the project generated short-term employment for both skilled and unskilled workers. Over a two-month implementation period, the project created 83 labour days, serving as a vital alternative cash injection for community members while preserving their dignity through active participation in their own development.

Restoring community hope

Normal life and dignity are being restored to the residents of Adawattha Estate. Children are returning full-time to classrooms in clean uniforms, mothers are no longer burdened with finding water, and estate workers are able to live and work in healthy and dignified conditions. Through the combination of disaster response and Decent Work principles, not only were the immediate needs of the community addressed, but their resiliency to future climate disasters was also reinforced.

This timely response has brought water, safety, and renewed hope back to our people. We are deeply grateful to everyone who helped restore our lifeline. Subaramaniyam Gomadi, Estate Resident