Severe weather across Sri Lanka’s Central Highlands has caused major disruptions to telecommunications in the Nuwara Eliya District and surrounding areas. According to official updates from the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRC), multiple fibre-optic cables in Nuwara Eliya, Passara, Kadugannawa and Welimada have been damaged, leading to widespread outages of mobile networks and data services. Power failures affecting telecom towers have further delayed restoration efforts.
These disruptions come at a time when the region is already facing floods, landslides and road closures, making highland travel and outdoor activity significantly unsafe.
Critical Advisory to All Hikers: Stay Off the Entire Pekoe Trail Until Further Notice
Due to the combined risks of:
- Telecom outages
- Power disruptions affecting emergency response
- Road closures and blocked access routes
- Extreme weather conditions and active disaster zones
The Pekoe Trail Organization strongly advises all hikers to avoid the entire Pekoe Trail network until further notice.
At present, hikers may be unable to call for help, coordinate with emergency services or receive real-time warnings, creating very dangerous conditions on remote stages of the trail.
Your safety, and the safety of rescue teams and trail-side communities, is our top priority.
Impact of Telecom Disruptions on Hikers
- Unreliable or no mobile signal across large sections of Nuwara Eliya and nearby districts
- Inability to access online maps or route guidance
- Delays in emergency communication and rescue dispatch
- Limited access to timely alerts on weather, landslides or closures
These conditions make independent hiking extremely unsafe at this time.
Safety Guidance for Hikers
- Cancel or postpone all hikes on The Pekoe Trail immediately
- Do not rely on mobile or GPS-based navigation because outages are ongoing
- Avoid remote or estate-based roads, many of which remain blocked or unsafe
- Follow updates from Disaster Management Center, TRC and local authorities closely
- Stay in accessible areas where communication is possible
We will share a follow-up message as soon as conditions stabilize and authorities confirm safe access.
Stay safe,
The Pekoe Trail Organization
