Adverse weather kills 10, affects 1,790 people

Water levels of Castlereigh and Maussakele hydropower reservoirs rising 

By Yohan Perera 

Adverse weather conditions have killed ten people and affected more than 1,790 people and 504 families in Ratnapura, Kegalle, Badulla, Matara, Hambantota, Galle, Gampaha, Kalutara, Kilinochchi and Jaffna Districts have been affected by the adverse situation data put out by the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) by yesterday evening. 

Some 16 people belonging to five families in Ratnapura District have been evacuated and have been provided with temporary shelters. 

People living in Millakanda Basin of Kalu River and Talagoda of Nilwala Ganga were asked to be alert as the water levels were rising. Minor floods were reported in Moragaswewa, Dunamale in Kurunegala District and Baddegama in Galle District. 

Meanwhile, seven persons have been killed as a result of a rockfall in Mawanella. The disaster has blocked the Mawanella Kandy Road. Two were killed in Badulla, and one was reported killed in Kalawana, according to DMC. 

Around 750 individuals in 255 families in the Galle District had been displaced by last morning due to prevailing heavy rains and floods. 

District Secretary W.A.Dharmasiri said 16 divisions had been affected by the prevailing inclement weather. He said the low-lying areas in the district had gone underwater and transport was obstructed by the fall of trees, rocks and mounds of earth onto the roads. The District Secretary said steps have been taken to provide transport to the students appearing in the GCE Advanced Level examination and urgent relief to the displaced families. 

Water levels of Castlereigh and Maussakele hydropower reservoirs have been rising fast owing to the heavy rainfall experienced in the western slopes of the central hills. 

Engineers in Charge said the water level in the Castlereigh reservoir stood nine feet below the spill-over level and that of the Maussakele reservoir 15ft below. 

Meanwhile, the waterfalls in the central hills, including Devon and St. Clare falls, have swelled creating lovely and attractive sights. 

An earth slip at Hatton-Maskeliya road, has resulted in obstructions to traffic. At present traffic is operating on a single lane. 

Prevailing heavy rain has resulted in the fall of rocks, trees and mounds of earth, obstructing transport in the Badulla district. 

Additional reports by Siorangika Lokukaravita Ranjith Rajapakse, Saman Palitha, and Prasad Rukmal