Record rainfall in 100 years in Batticaloa District

January 9, 2011: 317 mm:

January 10, 1913: 320 mm:

Jawfer Khan - Batticaloa group corr

Torrential rains continued to lash Batticaloa District for the last few days with the area receiving 85.6 mm of rain during the 24 hours ending 8.30 am yesterday.

The previous day, there was 317 mm of rain which was the highest rainfall recorded for a day for the last 100 years, said a spokesman for the Batticaloa District Meteorological Department Office.

He said the previous biggest rainfall recorded for a day was on January 10, 1913 which was 320 mm. Batticaloa Government Agent Sunderam Arumeinayagam said the number of people affected by floods had risen to 482,830 by yesterday.

Nearly 55,345 persons belonging to 14,549 worst affected families are accommodated at 146 temporary camps and looked after while nearly 179,976 people belonging to 47,656 families are staying with friends and relatives.

Meanwhile, the District Assistant Commissioner of Agrarian Services R Rushangan said flood waters had damaged nearly 26,723 acres of paddy land in the district.

Eastern Province Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan chaired a high level meeting at the Batticaloa District Secretariat to discuss relief measures to the affected families.

Meanwhile, Ariyapala Wansathilake our Kurunegala Central Special Corr reports

Over 1,000 acres of paddy land, vegetable and other minor crops have been destroyed due to a heavy rains experienced in the North Western Province.

Kurunegala District Disaster Management unit warned people living in lower elevations to beware of possible floods.

Wariyapola, Maspotha, Hettipola, Narammala, Dambadeniya, Kuliyapitiya, Melsiripura and Gokarella Divisional Secretary areas are under water.

Two minor landslides were reported from the Redeegama divisional secretariat area.

Meanwhile, our Elahera group corr reports

Three persons are reported missing in Hingurakgoda, Bubula and Elahera areas due to floods affecting the region following heavy torrential rains.

Polonnaruwa District Secretary Nimal Abhayasiri said nearly 10,000 people affected by floods are housed in 16 temporary camps and provided with cooked meals.

Three Navy boats have been deployed to rescue people marooned by floods and take them to safer locations.

Meanwhile, Nimal Wijesinghe our Anuradhapura Additional District group correspondent reports

The rumour that the Nuwarawewa and Tisawewa major irrigational tank bunds are about to breach is completely baseless and false, Anuradhapura zonal Irrigation Director Wasantha Bandara Palugaswewa said.

Resulting from the heavy rains and the inflow of rain water and surplus water from other tanks, the Tisawewa and Nuwarawewa are full and have been spilling for the last several days. The capacity of Nuwarawewa and Tisawewa tanks are 36,050 and 4,000 acre feet.

“There could be dampness around and beneath any major tank bund. Since the two tanks are filled with water to spill level, this dampness may develop into a minor or mini flood and flow down stream,” Palugaswewa said.

“Rumours that tanks bunds are on the verge of being breached through spread by those who have encroached the tanks and the Irrigational canal reserves,” he said.