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162,800 families affected by floods

by Nadira Gunatilleke

According to the latest figures, 250 persons have been killed in the floods while completely destroying 25,534 houses. The number of families affected by the floods is 162,818, Social Welfare Ministry Secretary Vijayalakshmi Jegarasasingam said.

She said that another 25,481 houses have been partly damaged due to floods. The highest number of deaths, 127 have been reported from the Ratnapura district while 74 deaths have been reported from Matara district. Twenty two persons were killed in the Hambantota district. The highest number of affected families, 60,996 have been reported from the Matara district and 48,090 families have been affected in the Ratnapura district. Another 29,734 families have been affected in the Galle district.

Several areas in the country are still under water. Matara-Akuressa road, Pinidiya-Tudawa road, Thihagoda-Wellatota road, Kamburukaduwa road, Thalamitiya road, Weddagala-Pothupitiya road, Deniyaya-Akuressa road, Hanwella-Matara road and the Ayagama area still experience floods.

Power has not been restored in several villages hit by the floods. A part of Kamburupitiya area, Mawarala, Dampella, Telijjawila, Athuraliya, Morawaka, Deniyaya, Hiniduma, a part of Neluwa, Hudupitiya, Kekatiyanpalla, Ayagama, Galatura, Singhalagoda, Poddana, Thoppikanda, Ikkakanda, Kammunikanda, Athdana, Puttapitiya, Rakwana, Hangarangala, Maddagala, Wewalkandura, Delgoda, Dewgala, Panapola, Pathakada, Binkanda, Niriella, Udawatupitiya, Parawatta and Pabotuwa still do not have power.

The Department of Social Services has already released Rs.31,571,180 as emergency relief. Rs.78.92 million has been allocated for the Ratnapura district while Rs.73.50 million was allocated for Matara district. Another 67.65 million was allocated for the Galle district.

The Social Welfare Ministry has received several donations from the private sector. New Zealand Milk Lanka (Pvt) Ltd has donated a shipment of milk powder while the Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation Ltd has donated Rs.2 million. Sri Lanka Distilleries Company of Sri Lanka and Tokyo Cement Company (Lanka) Ltd donated Rs.1 million each.

The International Institute of Management Sri Lanka Branch has donated Rs.100,000 while Prima Ceylon Limited has donated 200 Mt flour.

Associated Motorways Ltd.Colombo has donated ten outboard motors.

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