‘Evacuate high risk population’

*Areas in 10 districts landslide prone:

*Kandy, Matale vulnerable:

Chaminda PERERA and Sandasen MARASINGHE

In the backdrop of escalating landslides in the country, the Government yesterday said an approval from the National Building Research Organization (NBRO) has been made compulsory for building houses in landslide prone areas in the country.

According to Head of the NBRO’s Building Material Section HMS Bandara, a circular comprising the list of landslide prone areas in each Divisional Secretariat division would be issued to the relevant Local Government institutions within a few days and construction in these areas cannot commence without a report from the NBRO.

He said that these areas were identified by the NBRO in 10 districts which were categorized as landslide prone districts by the NBRO earlier.

The NBRO has detected more than 500 houses in vulnerable regions and the occupants have been educated on the risks they face.

Bandara said that their field officers categorize the landslide prone areas into high risk and medium risk areas and the occupants in the high risk areas should be evacuated immediately.

He said the field officials label the constructions including the houses as high risk when they cannot mitigate the possible landslide threat.

The details of the houses within the High Risk areas are sent to the respective District Secretaries for necessary action.

He said there are a number of such high risk areas in the Kandy and Matale districts.

Bandara added that the mountainous and slopy areas in the Central, Sabaragamuwa, Southern and Uva provinces are faced with a landslide threat if rain continues. The local Government institutions including Municipal Councils will seek a NBRO certificate for the approval of housing plan in landslide prone areas declared by the organization. “Haphazard construction on slopes have caused landslides, Bandara said.

He added that over ninety percent of landslides are due to destructive human activities.