Floods displace 5,964 in A’pura

Amila Prabath Wanasinghe, Kithsiri Wanasinghe and Vavuniya central spl cor

The floods in Anuradhapura district displaced 5,964 persons belonging to 1,579 families, Anuradhapura Additional District Secretary K B Hettiarachchi said.

Of them, 2,892 persons belonging to 824 families have been found accommodation in 31 temporary camps. Others have found accommodation with their relatives.

He said no casualties have been reported in the district due to floods.

Food and other needs were being provided to the flood victims uninterrupted, Hettiarachchi said.

Once the floods recede, damage to houses and crop fields would be taken into account to provide relief to the affected people, he said.

Meanwhile, several small tanks have breached their bunds while larger tanks in the Vavuniya district have started spilling following heavy rains in the region.

An Irrigation Department spokesman said the Mamaduwa Tank had started spilling and warned people in the area to desist from walking along the tank bund.

Roads and several houses in Diyawaragama have been inundated by flood waters, Vavuniya Government Agent Bandula Harischandra said.

He said four spill gates of Pavakkulama tank have been opened to release excess water and flood waters have submerged the Setikulama- Vavuniya Road. He said people resident in areas below the Pavakkulama Tank should remain cautious about possible flooding.

The A- 9 road has been submerged by flood waters at Nochchimuddai disrupting traffic.

People in Bogaswewa, Pirappanmaduwa and Mahakachchakodiya villages have also been affected by floods.