Rs. 65 million for flood relief

Rajmi Manatunga and Irangika Range

COLOMBO: As the death toll from floods and landslides occurring in several parts of the country rose to 45 yesterday, the Government allocated Rs. 65 million to provide relief to the affected people.

Director General of the National Disaster Management Centre Gamini Hettiarachchi said that the funds have been released to district and divisional secretariats in the relevant areas for carrying out emergency relief activities.

Out of the 45 victims, 30 have died due to floods in the Gampaha, Puttalam, Colombo and Kalutara districts while the other 15 have been killed in landslides. Most of the landslide deaths have been reported from Kandy and Kegalle districts.

Around 78,436 people from 16,127 families have been displaced owing to floods caused by heavy rains this month, Hettiarachchi told the Daily News. Around 23,000 displaced people have been reported in the Colombo district. Around 57 houses have been fully destroyed in the floods while 163 others have been partially damaged.

"Around 3,890 people from 833 families affected by landslides in Kandy and Kegalle are living in temporary huts. Those displaced due to floods in Puttalam and other areas have also been provided with temporary shelter and dry rations. However, the floods in Puttalam are subsiding now," he said.

Around 68 houses have been fully destroyed in landslides while 693 others have been partially damaged.

Train operations on the Colombo-Badulla main railway line were also restricted owing to torrential rains and earthslips experienced in the central parts of the country.

"The Department had to limit the Colombo-Badulla 'Udarata Menike' train to Nanu Oya and cancel all the mail trains to and from Badulla yesterday due to the turbulent weather conditions," the railway main control room said. Meanwhile, the water levels of many reservoirs in the Anuradhapura, Batticaloa and Mannar districts has also reached spill level with the commencement of the North East monsoon season.

"The water level of the Mahavilachchiya, Rajangana and Angamuwa reservoirs has risen due to heavy rains while the Vahaneri tank in Batticaloa is also reaching spill level. The Yodha Weva in the Mannar district is spilling," the Irrigation Department said.

Among the other reservoirs which have reached spill level are the Kandaela, Mapakada and Sorabora weva in the Badulla district and the Abakola weva, Attanagallewa, Batalagoda and Kimbulwana reservoirs in the Kurunegala district.

The Badagiriya, Mavuara, Ridiyagama and Weerawila tanks in the Hambantota district, Handapanagala tank in the Moneragala district, Thabbowa weva in the Puttalam district and Palukadawala reservoir in the Kurunegala district are already spilling.

Spill gates can open any time and people who live in these areas should be on alert. "As heavy rains continued to thrash the country, we warned people who living in risky areas to be taken necessary precautions," Irrigation Department's Director Water Management, H.M. Jayatileke said.