Floods easing

Rasika Somarathna and Chaminda Perera

The floods in several areas were easing with water levels of Kalu, Gin, Nilwala and Kelani rivers receding during the last 24 hours, the Disaster Management Centre said yesterday.

The Meteorology Department said several areas would experience intermittent showers but with a lower intensity than before.

Showers at times could be experienced in Western, Central, and Sabaragamuwa provinces and in the Galle and Matara districts. Thunder showers will also develop in the Eastern and Uva provinces, they added. Meanwhile, the combined death toll as a result of extreme weather conditions experienced during the last few days had risen to 22 as of yesterday morning, the centre said.

Releasing a report on damage to man and property yesterday, it said 550,000 persons were affected, with 498 houses fully damaged and another 2,499 partially damaged. The number of displaced people who had sought refuge in temporary camps had risen to 14,316.

Rs 35 million has been distributed among District Secretaries for relief measures,Disaster Management Centre Assistant Director Pradeep Kodippili said.

Emergency medical teams had been dispatched to affected areas. he added.

Meanwhile, Disaster Management Minister A.H.M. Fowzie said the Government had taken short and long-term measure to provide relief to flood victims.

The highest number of welfare centres have been set up in the Gampaha district while a dozen of such centres are visible in the Colombo , Kalutara, Ratnapura, Kegalle and Jaffna districts. The Government will provide cooked meals and dry rations to these people this week until the situation returns to normality.

Over 27 houses were completely damaged while 2216 houses and government buildings were partly damaged due to the bad weather in Jaffna. UNICEF dispatched emergency assistance to the people in the Jaffna, Gampaha and other districts.