The unfortunate death of teacher Mallika at the foot of Ambuluwawa mountain

Ms. Mallika Thebuwanaarachchi, who graduated from the University of Peradeniya and entered the teaching profession, had the sole aim of not merely imparting subject knowledge to students, but also building them into good citizens with social and political understanding. However, in a cruel twist of fate, it is extremely tragic that the very school grounds where she toiled to shape the future of children ultimately became the grave that stole her life.

She, who served as a teacher at Gampola Jinaraja Boys' College, lost her life in the disaster that occurred in the Ambuluwawa area on November 27, 2025, and it is now being revealed that dark shadows of human activities, beyond a natural disaster, lie behind her death.

Mallika, a mother of one, married Mr. Shaminda Nayanakumara, an Air Force soldier, on March 9, 2006. Their son, raised under the care of his parents, had excelled in the G.C.E. Ordinary Level examination and was preparing to sit for the Advanced Level examination in 2026. While Mallika and Shaminda were dreaming of celebrating their twentieth wedding anniversary, that unfortunate day arrived, turning their lives upside down. For convenience of commuting to school, they resided in a rented house at the foot of the Ambuluwawa mountain. On that day, despite heavy rain, Mallika returned home after conducting extra classes. While spending time with her husband and son that night, she mentioned smelling an unusual earthy scent. Although they checked towards the stream, they saw nothing unusual. A moment after returning to the house, they heard a terrifying sound of rolling rocks.

The swiftly moving water current crashed into the house, and as the house's windows shattered, Mallika, attempting to get out, was caught in the current. Her husband and son, who went to save her, were also swept away by the water. As the three of them were separated into three different currents, Shaminda was swept about a hundred meters away and managed to save his life by clinging to a concrete pillar, but his wife and child disappeared into the darkness. He then had to borrow a sarong from another house and go in search of his distressed family members. By the next morning, it was learned that his son had survived, but there was no news of his wife. Later, Shaminda identified his wife by seeing two hands raised upwards from amidst the mud and trees near the Gampola Jinaraja College playground. As the entire town of Gampola was submerged in water, making it impossible for the police to reach, her body was recovered with the help of the people residing in the school's official quarters at that moment.

Evidence that this disaster was not merely a natural calamity emerged from around the grave itself. Teacher Mallika's house and the school playground were covered by massive rock boulders, pushed down from Ambuluwawa mountain and blasted with explosives. This tragedy was the result of authorities disregarding a warning issued by the Divisional Secretary a year prior, not to dump soil and rocks down the mountain. As revealed by Auditor General's reports, large-scale quarrying was carried out in Ambuluwawa in 2019 and 2020 under the guise of carving a rock statue. It is a serious matter that the Ambuluwawa governing body itself admitted during audit inquiries that the broken rocks were not properly removed but pushed down the slope.

These unauthorized constructions and quarrying, carried out by misusing public funds and without any environmental studies, ultimately led to the loss of human lives. According to Sections 298, 327, and 329 of the Penal Code, this can be defined as a death and injuries caused by criminal negligence. Several state institutions, including the Central Environmental Authority and the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau, are responsible for this crime, which blatantly violated the Mines and Minerals Act No. 33 of 1992, the National Environmental Act, and the 'Public Trust Doctrine' enshrined in the Constitution.

Even though court rulings have demonstrated that state policies are not mere documents but living guidelines that must be implemented, it appears that the authorities, including the Ambuluwawa Board of Trustees, have not given any regard to these laws and regulations. Shaminda and other family members point out that justice for Teacher Mallika is not limited to mere compensation, but involves implementing the law and taking proper steps to prevent such tragedies caused by human activities. Although the value of a life lost due to the negligence of irresponsible state officials and institutions cannot be estimated, upholding the rule of law would be the highest honor that can be paid to her memory. (Tharindu Jayawardena - Based on a Divaina article)