Heavy rains play havoc

The damage caused by the torrential rains in the past few days have been roughly given by the Assistant Commissioner of Agrarian Services Centres in the Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Ampara, Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa districts. These rough figures have been given due to the non-availability of transport facilities which have also been affected by the rains.

Batticaloa District

Acreage of paddy destroyed is about 75,000.

Number of tanks affected are - 52.

The Ayithiyamala Fertilizer Store is three feet under water. About 4,000 fertilizer bags have been destroyed.

Total number of families affected is 30,000.

Trincomalee District

The Agrarian Services Centres at Agbopura, Divulgaswewa in Kantale and Uppuveli are completely under water.

About 10,000 acres of paddy has been destroyed.

The number of families affected is 10,000.

Ampara District

The Siyambalagaskandiya tank at Bubula, Unuwathura in Maha Oya is completely under water and the Maha Oya Nilwala tank has been destroyed.

About 7,000 acres of paddy have been affected.

Families displaced are in the region of 81,574.

Anuradhapura District

More than 10 tanks have completely been destroyed and about 100 minor tanks affected.

Ten thousand acres of paddy have been destroyed.

The number of families affected is in the region of 2,000. While 400 families in the Horowpathana electorate are displaced.

Polonnaruwa District

Twelve tanks have been destroyed and a number of minor tanks have been partly affected.

The Manampitiya area is completely under water.

The damage to the Giritale Agrarian Services Centre is about one million rupees.

One thousand fertilizer bags in the Giritale fertilizer store have been destroyed.

Around 30,000 acres of paddy have been destroyed and about 15,000 families displaced.

The Agriculture Minister has given instructions to the relevant authorities to provide immediate relief to the victims with the cooperation of the Agrarian Services Ministry, the Ministry of Wildlife and other institutions under their authority.

This is on the instructions of President Mahinda Rajapaksa with funds obtained from world donor agencies.