The Nattandiya Divisional Secretariat made arrangements to relocate those affected in flood prone areas due to the overflowing of Hamilton canal. Residents said the flood is caused by clogging of garbage and poor maintenance of the Hamilton Canal. Picture by Mihira Wijesekera, Marawila group corr.
At least 16 persons have died, while 270,912 people belonging to 60,674 families in 10 districts have been affected due to the adverse weather conditions prevailing in several parts of the country for the last few days, according to the latest update from the Disaster Management Centre (DMC).
Additionally, the DMC also stated that three people are still reported to be missing and another two persons are injured. According to the DMC, 14 houses have been fully damaged and 817 houses partially damaged mostly in the Ratnapura and Gampaha districts.
A total of 15,658 people belonging to 3,520 families have been adversely affected and evacuated to 72 safety centres set up to assist the displaced. Most of these safety centers are in Colombo (32), Gampaha (16), Kalutara (10) and Ratnapura (10) districts. Some 3,397 of these displaced people are residing with relatives or friends. A total of Rs. 74.5 mn has been allocated by the National Disaster Relief Services Centre (NDRSC) for emergency relief purposes for 10 districts.
Four people in the same family had died after a mound of earth collapsed on to their home in Aranayake, Kegalle yesterday. Another person has died in another landslide in Warakapola - Algama area on Saturday morning.
Army troops were mobilised to Dumbara in Ratnapura, Aranayake in Kegalle and Meerigama in Gampaha to rescue people affected by landslides with the coordination of the DMC.
“People in Gampaha, Ratnapura, Colombo, Puttalam, Kalutara, Nuwara Eliya, Kegalle, Kandy, Kurunegala and Galle districts have been affected by the rains, floods, landslides and winds,” the DMC said.
Meanwhile, the National Building Research Organization (NBRO) has issued landslide warnings for Colombo, Galle, Gampaha, Kalutara, Kandy, Kegalle, Matale, Matara Ratnapura, and Nuwara Eliya districts. The National Building Research Organization has requested the people living in high-risk areas to move to safer areas.
Level 3 Evacuation alerts have been issued for Bulathsinhala, Agalawatta, Palindanuwara, Matugama and Ingiriya in the Kalutara District, Eheliyagoda, Ayagama, Kiriella & Kalawana in the Ratnapura District, Ambagamuwa in the Nuwara Eliya District, and Galigamuwa, Mawanella, Kegalle, Yatiyantota, Ruwanwella, Deraniyagala, Bulathkohupitiya, Dehiowita, Rambukkana, Aranayake and Warakapola in the Kegalle district.
The Meteorological Department meanwhile forecast more showers in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-Western provinces and in Galle, Matara, Nuwara-Eliya and Kandy districts. Showers or thundershowers will occur at a few places in Uva and Eastern provinces during the evening or night. Mainly fair weather will prevail elsewhere. The public were requested to take adequate precautions to minimise damage caused by temporary localised strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.
The Disaster Management Centre urged the public to take immediate action to protect their lives and property in the event of a flood, especially due to the added risk of the COVID-19 pandemic.
