Over 65,000 people affected by floods

• Thirteen districts affected; North, North Central, East and Central Provinces among worst hit
• Over 15,000 people in 123 temporary shelters  
• Two confirmed deaths, 62 houses completely destroyed, over 1400 damaged 
• Govt. to release Rs. 17 m to assist affected   
• Heavy rains to continue: Met. Dept.   

By Shailendree Wickrama Adittiya 

A total of 65,294 people from 19,095 families in 13 districts have been affected by the adverse weather, which has devastated large areas of Sri Lanka over the last three days, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said yesterday.

There are 15,510 people from 14,704 families in 123 temporary shelters set up in affected areas and the provinces affected the most include Northern, North Central, Eastern, North Western, and Central. Two deaths have been confirmed so far, according to DMC, with more casualties likely. Sixty-two houses have been completely destroyed and 1,463 have been partially destroyed. 

“Steps are being taken to provide up to Rs. 2.5 million in compensation through the National Insurance Trust Fund for damaged houses,” DMC spokesperson Pradeep Kodippili said.

“Relief efforts have been continuous,” DMC spokesperson Pradeep Kodippili said, adding that DMC along with the National Disaster Relief Services Centre (NDRSC) under the purview of the Defence Ministry, as well as the armed forces and police have been providing relief since last week. NDRSC has released funds to relevant divisional secretariats which are coordinating with DMC units and provincial councils to provide relief to those affected.

Kodippili added that rain is expected in most areas of the Northern, North Central, Eastern, North Western, and Central Provinces and the weather forecast by the Meteorology Department for today predicts fairly heavy rainfall of 50-75 mm in some areas in the Sabaragamuwa, Central, and Western Provinces.

The forecast also states that showers or thundershowers may occur in the Northern Province and Trincomalee District, while several spells of showers are expected to occur in the Uva and North Central Provinces as well as Ampara, Batticaloa, and Hambantota Districts.

Landslide warnings have also been issued in several parts of the country, with red alerts in issued in several areas in the Matale, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, and Badulla Districts. These include Laggala, Pallegama, Yatawatta, Nawula, Wilgamuwa, and Raththota in the Matale District, Ududumbara and Madadumbara in the Kandy District, Walapane in the Nuwara Eliya District, and Badulla, Bandarawela, Welimada, Heli-Ala, Uwa-Paranagama, Ella, Haldummala, Passara, Lunugala, and Haputale.

Amber alerts have been issued to Badalkumbura, Madagama, and Bibile in the Monaragala District, while a yellow warning has been issued to the Balangoda and Imbuldena areas of the Ratnapura District. “As soon as a landslide warning is issued, DMC units and the National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) relocate residents of the areas depending on the type of alert issued,” Kodippili said.

Kodippili added that while the levels of the Mee Oya in Kurunegala are still high, the levels of other rivers are slowly receding. Sluice gates of the Parakrama Samudraya and Kaudulla Tank in the Polonnaruwa District have been opened, as have the sluice gates of the Rajanganaya Tank, Angamuwa tank, Kala Wewa, Nachchaduwa Wewa, and Yan Oya in the Anuradhapura District.

Sluice gates in several tanks in the Puttalam, Kurunegala, Ampara, Hambantota, Batticaloa, and Trincomalee Districts have also been opened due to high water levels. These include Thabbowa and Inginimitiya in Puttalam, Deduru Oya, Ambakola Wewa, and Hakwatuna Oya in Kurunegala, Rambakanna in Ampara, Lunugamwehera, Mawwara, and Weheragala in Hambantota, Unnichchai in Batticaloa, Kantale in Trincomalee, and Iranamadu and Kilinochchi.

“Fours gates of the Iranamadu Tank in the Kilinochchi District have been opened by six inches and people living in lower areas have been cautioned,” Kodippili said. He added that the Irrigation Department is reporting to the DMC throughout the day and are monitoring water levels.

The adverse weather has also caused road blocks in the Polonnaruwa, Matale, Ampara, Badulla, and Kandy Districts, while some areas in the Mullaitivu District had over 100mm rainfall yesterday morning and Galle and Kalutara Districts also saw considerable rainfall.

However, Kodippili said the situation was getting better and that relief efforts will continue. “Rs. 17 million in funds have been provided for relief efforts. If more is needed, the Finance Ministry will take steps to allocate additional funds,” Cabinet spokesperson Bandula Gunawardana told Daily FT. 

Sri Lanka Navy is also assisting those affected by adverse weather and have deployed four teams in the North-western Naval Command, eight teams in the Eastern Naval Command, nine teams in the North Central Naval Command, and one team each in the Southern Naval Command and South-eastern Naval Command.

“Sri Lanka Navy has also pre-deployed relief team to certain flood-prone areas in anticipation of continued adverse weather,” Navy spokesperson Lt. Cmdr. Isuru Sooriyabandara said.

While efforts are being taken to offer aid and relief to those in affected areas, long-term measures are also being looked at, North Central Province Governor Professor Tissa Vitarana said. During a discussion held with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on his visit yesterday to areas affected by floods in Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa Districts, long-term measures that can be taken to control adverse weather were looked at.

“Various ideas were copped up but I think we need to do a systematic study of this to find out scientifically what is leading to flooding and how it can be controlled,” Professor Vitarana said.