Flood threat countrywide

Flood treat that caused much havoc in several areas of the country and disrupted civilian life was likely to subside today.

Floods in Anuradhapura town and the sacred city had subsided by this morning and the displaced families were returning to their homes.

However, the roads in the low lying areas of the Malwatu Oya including the sacred city were under water.

Anuradhpaura Zone Irrigation Engineer Lalith De Alwis said heavy rains experienced in the area endangering the tanks and reservoirs had ceased.

However, he said several tanks and reservoirs in the district were till spilling over.  

Meanwhile, a senior official of the District Disaster Management Centre said the crop devastation was yet to be estimated.

Statistically 250 houses in the Polonnaruwa District have been destroyed by floods.

Disaster Management Centre Assistant Director Upul Nanayakkara said several houses in Welikanda, Dimbulagala, Lankapura, Elahera and Hinguraggoda divisions had been damaged.

He said 7684 members of 2174 displaced families in seven divisions were still staying at 39 welfare centres as the inclement weather persisted.

Meanwhile, the Polonnaruwa- Batticaloa Toad had gone under water at Gallella due to the overflow of Mahaweli Ganga.

The Lunugamvehera reservoir had swelled with its water level standing at 147000 acre-feet and four feet below the spill l level by last morning.

Tisaamaharama Irrigation Engineer said if heavy rains experienced at present in the catchments continued he would be compelled to open the spill gates to release excess water to the Kirindi Oya.

He warned the people living in the low lying areas of the river to be cautious of a possible floods.

The spill gates in the Veheragala reservoir had reached spill level by last morning due to the heavy rain experienced in the catchments.

The Irrigation Engineer said excess water in the river was released to the Menik Ganga at a speed of 2000ft/s.

He warned the pilgrims and the people living on the banks of the river to be cautious of possible flash floods when using the river.

Algimale and Elonakanda in the Laggala in Matale had been endangered with a massive landslide.

Disaster Management Centre Asst. Director Chaminda Amaraweera said 20 families in the endangered area had been moved to safer locations immediately.  
He said 156 other families had been displaced due to the inclement weather experienced in the area at present.

Overflow of Sigiriya tank has caused much hardship to the tourists and the tourist hotels.

Residents of the area said the excess water in the tanks could not be released due to the defective sluice gates.

A group of villagers were attempting to put the sluices back in order to release the water and save their houses from floods and to clear the obstructions to traffic.

Meanwhile, a sever fog had been experienced in the up country hills obstructing traffic.

Roads in Badulla, Lunugala, Welimada, Madolsima, Ella , Haputale, Beragala and Boralanda were the worst affected, the Police said.

The hills along the roads in those areas were also endangered with earth lips, the Police said.

Police warned the drivers to be cautious when driving along the roads affected by the mist and through the endangered areas.