Rains cause havoc

Rasika SOMARATHNA

COLOMBO: Heavy rains accompanied by floods and earthslips, wreaked havoc in several parts of the country, with the Meteorogical Department forecasting further showers specially in the East, Uva and North Central provinces.

More than 2,000 people were displaced by yesterday in addition to two deaths being reported from Badulla. Extensive damage to property and crops has also been reported from several areas, while Maha harvesting has also being severely affected in the North Central and Eastern areas.

The Disaster Management Centre said yesterday all measures were onfoot to assist the displaced with temporary shelter and other facilities.

By yesterday, 970 people were displaced in the Mannar district considered to be the most affected with Batticaloa and Trincomalee too reporting some displacement due to floods.

Threats of major tanks overflowing in the Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa loomed large with Rajanganaya, Kalawewa and Nachchaduwa tanks reaching maximum capacity levels. Officials said they had taken steps to open the flood gates but if the rains continued the tanks might overflow resulting in heavy damage to crops.

In Ratnapura several families had been moved from identified hot spots for landslides. Authorities said over 200 were displaced in the Badulla district in landslides.

Meanwhile our Badulla correspondent reported that heavy rains had damaged property and crops extensively with the Badulla-Kahataruppa and Badulla-Demodara roads impassable due to flooding.

In Madugastalawa, a 61 year old died in floods while in an estate in Haputale, a 14 year old girl was buried under an earthslip.

The Advanced Technical Institute in Badulla has been temporarily closed due to flooding while the computer section is reported to have undergone extensive damages reported over Rs. 1 million.

Vegetable cultivations in the Nuwara Eliya district has been adversely affected due to torrential rains while the loss is expected to be over Rs. 6 million. In the Walapone area, over 100 acres of paddy lands have been destroyed.

While attributing the sudden change of weather to a low pressure disturbance, Meteorology sources said rains in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and Southern Provinces would ease by today.

However according to weathermen heavy rains is expected to continue in the East, Uva and North Central in the coming week.

The winds may increase upto 45-50 Km\h at times in the Southern, South Western, and Eastern areas with seas being rough specially in the Southern and Eastern coastal belt.

Meteorological sources said they were keeping a close eye on the situation and would inform the public immediately with regard to any new development.