By Saman Palitha Nanayakkara - Haldummulla, Rukmal Prasad - Ella, Tharangani Fonseka - Moratuwa, Sarath Siriwardhena - Aluthgama,
D.G. Sugathapala - Galle, Thusitha Kumara De Silva - Aluthgama, Sunil Thanthriarachchi - Kalutara
Torrential rains are still lashing Sri Lanka and thousands of people in the country are affected by the prevailing inclement weather. The South, including Kalutara and Galle, have been affected by floods while landslide warnings were issued for the up-country areas including Nuwara Eliya. Heavy rain, floods, lightning and high winds are reported from Northwestern, Eastern, Southern, Central, Sabaragamuwa, Uva, Western and North Central Provinces, according to the Disaster Management Centre.
Certain areas in Badulla District have been declared as being vulnerable to earth slips
Landslide warnings in Haldummulla area
With the prevailing weather conditions in the Badulla District, certain areas had been declared as being vulnerable to earth slips and landslides in and around Haldumulla as revealed by the Badulla Disaster Management Centre. Residents have been cautioned to adhere to the conditions as indicated by the equipment recording the rainfall patterns. This was stated in a message communicated by the Assistant Director of the Centre E.M.L. Udayakumara. It is further advised that if the rainfall exceeds 75 millimetres and the rains continue people must be extra cautious. It is also advised that if the rainfall exceeds 100 millimetres during a period of 24 hours and the rains continues it would give rise to a dangerous situation. In the event the rainfall figures increase, people are advised to move onto more secure places. By October 11 (Thursday), the rains were exceeding 100 Millimetres. Landslide prone areas had been demarcated in the Divisional Secretariats of Haldumulla, Soranathota, Badulla, Uva Paranagama, Bandarawela, Passara and Welimada areas by the National Building Research Institute. At present this centre has distributed more than 3000 rain gauges among the residents after conducting rehearsal programmes.
People have been instructed to follow the procedures stipulated, informed Udayakumara.
People have been instructed to follow the procedures stipulated
People have been advised to move onto more secure places
Landslide warnings to Meeriyabedda Watta residents
The prevailing heavy rain has affected 328 people of 79 families in the Badulla District. Following the landslide warnings, 27 persons of 06 families in Haldummulla - Meeriyabedda Watta have been located in Meeriyabedda camp. They are provided with food and other essential facilities. Meanwhile 21 houses in Bandarawela, Passara, Uwa - Paranagama, Soranathota and Haldummulla in the Badulla Divisional Secretariats have been damaged due to the heavy rains, no deaths have been reported.
Borupana affected by floods
Borupana area in Moratuwa, which had not experienced any flood situation during the recent great deluge, is now facing a flood situation even after a minor shower.
The residents claim that this scenario is the result of the haphazard filling of the Weras Ganga near the Karadiyana garbage dump, causing their dwellings to be submerged by flood waters. With the incessant rains 12 Grama Seva divisions in Moratuwa had been affected by floods and 3782 residents have been displaced.
Floods in some places were caused by the illegal constructions in lowlands
Floods in Beruwala
A number of lowlands had been flooded in Beruwala and the Divisional Secretariat had identified that the floods were caused by the illegal constructions in lowlands. The secretariat has said that it initiated efforts to remove the unnecessary constructions in problematic areas.
Fourteen Divisional secretariats in Kalutara District affected
Fourteen Divisional Secretariats in the Kalutara District were affected by the floods and as at Tuesday by 04.00 pm 18344 individuals belonging to 4768 families had been affected. The deaths of six people were reported while five had been injured.
Seventeen houses had been completely destroyed with 119 being partially destroyed. As many as 416 houses were affected with minor damages. These damages had been observed in 290 Grama Seva Niladhari Divisions as confirmed by the Kalutara District Disaster Management Centre assistant Director Lt Colonel Saliya Dias.
Vegetation devastated by floods
The residents of Kalutara, Beruwala, Mathugama, Palinda Nuwara, Bulathsinhala, Wallalawita, Milleniya, Ingiriya, Madurawala, Panadura, Horana, Dodangoda, Agalawatte and Baduraliya, Divisional Secretariats had been severely affected by floods. 106 small and medium trade stalls too have been damaged due to the floods.
The public was requested to guard against contagious diseases that could spread after the floods
Nearly 30,000 affected
The adverse weather condition in Kalutara District has affected 20,856 persons in 5361 families. Six deaths and five injuries were reported while 26 houses were destroyed. As many as 247 houses were partially damaged while 816 houses had minor damages. Kalutara District Secretary U.D.C Jayalal said that they had deployed 10 bowsers to Kalutara, Panadura, Beruwala, Dodamgoda, Mathugama, Palinda Nuwara, Bulathsinhala, Madurawala, Ingiriya and Horana to provide drinking water to the affected public since the ground wells have been polluted due to floods. Meanwhile the National Disaster Relief Centre had provided 11 million rupees for flood victims. Jayalal added that they are providing one hundred thousand rupees for each death. The public was requested to guard against contagious diseases spreading after the floods.
Flood disaster in Galle District
The heavy rains during the past few days in Galle District had claimed two lives and left 12943 people belonging to 3426 families as flood victims, Disaster Management Centre said.
A 61-year-old man in Urala Wanduramba and a 10-year-old student in Elpitiya lost their lives in this flood disaster. Meanwhile16 houses were completely destroyed while 648 other houses and 170 business places suffered partial damage. Meanwhile 4 houses in Wadiyakanda were destroyed due to earth slips. The fall of earth mounds was also reported from several places in the area. The Nagoda Divisional Secretary said that they had warned the people in the affected areas to leave their homes as these places are vulnerable to earth slips.
However they were reluctant to live in Alutthwattha area, an area assigned for their houses. She also said that they had demanded lands at the close proximity to their present homes. However, lands were not available in the places where they desires to live. Huge heaps of bamboos and branches of trees floated as a result of surging water had remained entangled near bridges in Wakwella and Benthota. They were later removed with the assistance of the Navy. Funds have been allocated to the divisional secretariats in the affected areas for distribution of cooked foods and dried rations to the flood victims and also for the benefit of others affected by the disaster situation.
Floods had been receded in several low-lying areas as transport services gradually improved along many roads that had been affected due to the continues rain that prevailed for 36 hours. However the Galle District Disaster Management Centre had arranged to place 23 boats and 9 canoes in vulnerable spots to be used during a possible heavy rainfall in the days ahead. In addition relief groups of the Sri Lanka Navy, Army and volunteer organizations have been placed on alert
