Displaced now 127,528

Chaminda PERERA

The Disaster Management Centre yesterday said more than 127,528 persons belonging to 33,330 families were displaced due to floods. The Security Forces are coordinating with the administrative officers in the district to provide relief.

More than 24,000 persons belonging to 7812 families were displaced in the floods caused by torrential rains that prevailed in the Ampara district for the past two days and 49 welfare centres have been set up in almost every DS divisions in the district.

According to an official of the Ampara District Secretariat, over 88,366 people were affected by the floods and two deaths were reported from the district. The Security Forces and the Police in coordination with the administrative officials in the district are providing urgent assistance to the people in the district. The displaced are given cooked meals in addition to the various donations made by civil society organizations.

The Anuradhapura district experienced heavy rains during the past two weeks. Here houses submerged in the floods. Picture by Senarath Bandara Kulasekera

He said more local NGOs and civil society organizations are coming forward to help those affected by the floods in the district.

The Horowpothana town was inundated and some roads in the areas became impassable due to overflowing of the Demalawewa.

Six camps were set up in the Anuradhapura district and Horowpothana, Ipalogama and Rambewa became the worst hit DS divisions in the district.

The Disaster Management Centre yesterday told the Daily News that the Tikkampatana dam had breached due to the flood conditions that prevailed in the district.

He said two spill gates of the Kalawewa and 14 sluice gates of Rajangana tank were opened owing to the extreme rains experienced in the area.

Heavy rains and earthslips were reported from the Badulla district particulary Haliela, Lunugala and Mahiyangana DS divisions.

Two camps were set up in Lunugala and Mahiyangana DS divisions to accommodate more than 205 persons from 34 families.

One death was reported from Pathahewaheta DS division . A number of landslides were reported from many areas in the DS division.

Ampitiya-Thalathuoya, Bahirawakanda Vihara road, a part of Mahanuwara-Mahiyanganaya Road, Lewella, Buwelikada and Dharmashoka roads became impassable due to landslides.

The Disaster Management Centre said five houses were submerged due to the overflowing of Meda ela.

The Polonnaruwa district is also among the worst hit districts due to continuous rains that resulted the low lands in many areas being flooded.

More than 59 camps have been set up in the district to accommodate more than 11,000 people belonging to 2415 families.

Thamankaduwa, Medirigiriya and Lankapura DS divisions are among the worst hit DS divisions in the district. The Disaster Management Centre said sluice gates of many tanks in the district were kept open and a number of roads in the Gallella and Manampitiya are impassable.

The sluice gates were opened in the Weheragala tank in the Moneragala district due to heavy rains. Six affected families in the Walapone DS division were evacuated yesterday. Meanwhile a report from our Addalaichenai Group Correspondent

M A Phakurdeen states the entire coastal areas of the district are flooded and the major towns like Kalmunai, Sammanthurai, Sainthamaruithu, Nintavur, Addalaichenai, Akkaraipattu and Pottuvil are now underwater and even the main trunk roads in certain areas are now flooded with 2’ to 4’ feet water. Meanwhile the textiles and the shops in Kalmunai, Maruthamunai and Nintavur too are inundated.

Ampara Government Agent Sunil Kannangara said more than 360,000 people have been affected by the flood in district and the coastal areas of the District are worst affected and this number may increase if the rain continues.

He said 48 refugee camps have been set up in this District and the issuing of cooked meals is now on by the Divisional Secretaries of the areas. The affected people have been staying in schools.