Donor assistance for flood mitigation

Mohammed Nalir

The Government has taken special moves with the assistance of UNDP to mitigate the floods and landslides in various parts of the country including Ratnapura, Nuwara-Eliya, Badulla, Kandy, Kalutara, Colombo and Gampaha Districts owing to the rains, Disaster Management and Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe said.

He said the Government has decided to erect structures at the banks of Kelani ganga and Kaluganga as an immediate move to stop these areas being flooded owing to excessive rain. Minister Samarasinghe was addressing a media briefing at the Building Research Organisation (NBRO).

He said the NBRO is the premier institution engaged in disaster mitigation work for two decades. The Disaster Management Centre was engaged in immediate relief works jointly with three Armed Forces and Police to give a helping hand to the victims.

He said his Ministry, NBRO and Disaster Management Centre and other bodies are functioning round the clock to minimise and mitigate disasters including landslides to protect the people from being affected.

A special meeting was held with President Mahinda Rajapaksa on a new highway being constructed in Kalutara area to discuss the obstacles prevailing with the development work.

Due to the construction work the drainage and canals have been blocked. This was among the prime causes for the flood threats in Kalutara area.

He said the President advised the authorities to take steps to clean the blocked canals and drainages.

The President has also directed him to take proper action consulting with the constructors engaged in the construction work of Kalutara Highway.

A sub committee has been established led by Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka to look into the flood threats in Kalutara and Ratnapura areas.

Plans are afoot to construct a massive tank and utilise it for power generation in Ratnapura. This may be the solution to find solution to the prevailing flood threat in this area while contributing to the national power generation.