Swift relief for flood-hit districts

Nadira GUNATILLEKE

COLOMBO: The Government has released Rs.9 million to provide relief to flood and landslide victims as rains continued to lash the country displacing more than 41,000 people, Disaster Relief Services Minister Amir Ali told the Daily News yesterday.

Ali said the relief programme is now in operation. Under this programme Rs. 5 million will be released for the Galle district where 3,446 people have been rendered homeless while another Rs.2 million will be released for the Kalutara district with 1,400 homeless people.

These two districts, along with Colombo (5,277 affected) and Gampaha (31,338) were badly hit by the floods. The latter two will get Rs.1 million each.

A total of 8,636 families (41,161 persons) have been affected up to yesterday. Reports are still coming from different areas of the country and relief will be provided immediately according to the requirements, he added.

According to the situation report released by the National Disaster Management Centre, nine deaths have been reported so far. The flood water is going down in the Colombo district, but the water level at Gunasinghepura is decreasing slowly.

About 100 displaced persons are staying at the Wellampitiya Sedawaththa Siddhartha Vidyalaya. In Kelaniya Divisional Secretariat division, 450 houses have been affected by floods and 1,525 people have been displaced.

In Galle, the number of displaced families in the Baddegama Divisional Secretariat division is 196 (869 persons). A flood situation is gradually developing in the Agaliya Divisional Secretariat division and some roads in this area are flooded. Some houses have been destroyed. The Mapalagama-Galle road in the Nagoda Divisional Secretariat division is flooded causing hazards for road traffic.

In the Kalutara district 3,000 rubber trees have been destroyed in the Dodamgoda Divisional Secretariat division while one house and a school were partly damaged.

In the Beruwala Divisional Secretariat division, 184 houses have been damaged while 500 persons have been displaced.

Six hundred persons have been displaced in Matugama. Property damage is also reported. The Mathugama Welipenna road, Aluthgama road, Lechchaduwa and Pelawaththa areas in the same Divisional Secretariat division have gone under water. About 300 persons have been displaced in the Agalawaththa Divisional Secretariat Division.

Our Kalutara Group Correspondent reported that Chandra Damayanthie of Kalutara South died after lightning struck her. She was in her kitchen around 5.30 a.m. yesterday when lightning struck her.

She died on admission to Kalutara Hospital. Our Polgasowita Group Correspondent reported that Wipulasiri Weerakoon, a father of two also died instantly after being struck by lightning.

His 12 year daughter was admitted to the South Colombo Hospital with critical burn injuries.

The Met Department said there will be showers or thunder showers at times in the Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces and in Galle, Matara and Puttalam districts especially during the morning.

Showers may spread to the adjoining areas. Isolated thunder showers will also develop elsewhere during the afternoon or evening.

There will be showers or thunder showers at times in the sea areas around the island. Winds will be moderate to fresh (10 - 20 km/h) and Southwesterly in direction.

It may increase up to 50 km/h at times in the Western, Southwestern and Southern coasts. Western, Southwestern and Southern sea areas will be moderate.