Over 966,600 affected by floods

Disaster Management Centre Director General, Major General Gamini Hettiarachchi said that more than 966,757 people belonging to 257,993 families have been affected by the floods.

He added that over 200,000 acres of paddy fields have been destroyed in the floods while more than 200 small-scale tanks have been damaged. He made this observation at the Asi Disi Intellectual Forum on Natural Disaster Management held at the information Department Auditorium.

The Director General also stated that 18 persons in the North and East provinces are reportedly dead due to floods and two persons in Ampara and Batticaloa districts are missing in addition. He added that there were 49 casualties.

Stating that most of the roads in the Batticaloa, Ampara, Trincomalee and Polonnaruwa districts are inundated, Director General Hettiarachchi further said that 11,338 houses have been partially damaged while 1,609 have been completely destroyed due to the prevailing unhealthy weather condition. Stating that 502 welfare centres have been set up in all the flood- affected districts, he added that altogether 197,221 persons belonging to 52,391 families are provided relief in them.

Batticaloa is the worst affected district and 533,000 people there, are affected by the floods and the torrential rains. The number of welfare centers established in Batticaloa district is 225. They provide shelter for 122,000 people belonging to 30,264 families. Seven deaths are reported from the Batticaloa district. Director General Hettiarachchi further stated that 336,470 people in Ampara district have been affected from the unexpected weather condition. Two persons are reportedly dead. He added that 49 welfare centers have been set up in Ampara district in which 28,744 persons belonging to 7,817 families are temporarily settled.

With reference to the Trincomalee district Director General stated that 31,374 persons are affected from the flood. He added 97 welfare camps have been set up in the Trincomalee district. 30,965 persons belonging to 8,194 families are provided relief in those centers. In Polonnaruwa district 77 welfare camps are set up in which 10,841 people belonging to 2,705 families are temporarily settled.

Disaster Management Ministry Additional Secretary Gamini Rajakaruna, Meteorological Department Director General P B Samarasinghe, National Building Research Institute Section Head R M S Bandara also participated at the occasion. SM and CP