Flood stricken persons return to homes

Chamikara Weerasinghe

The residents in flood stricken areas are trying to resume normal life with the floodwaters receding.

Thousands of people have returned home from temporary flood camps, Chief of the Disaster Management Centre in Colombo Major General Gamini Hettiarachchi said. The floods triggered by heavy downpours from April 21 have killed nine persons displacing 72,000 people.

The worst hit areas were Ratnapura, Kegalle, Kalutara and some areas in Colombo, said Hettiarachchi.

"Of the 72, 000 displaced, 30,000 have left the relief camps which were put up by the Resettlement and Relief Services Ministry," he said.

" Others are also moving from the camps to resume their normal lives as the floodwater levels have decreased ," he said.

Over one thousand houses were damaged, according to reports of the Disaster Management Centre.

The Resettlement and Relief Services Ministry has provided dry rations to the affected families with the help of the respective District Secretariats in the affected areas. The Ministry will take steps to compensate the affected victims to build their houses damaged by the floods, Ministry sources said.