Rains submerge over 80,000 acres of paddy lands in Ampara, Polonnaruwa

Ridma Dissanayake

Over 80,000 acres of paddy lands in Ampara and Polonnaruwa districts have been submerged due to heavy rains experienced in the area during the past week. Farmers have been inconvenienced as they are unable to gather the harvest from their paddy lands.

Ampara District Agriculture Director (Inter Provincial) M.S.A.Kalees said around 11,300 hectares of paddy lands in the Ampara district were destroyed during the previous rainy season.

“We expected a paddy harvest of 316, 000 metric tons this time but I think we will have only 255,500 metric tons as a resulut of the heavy rains and floods.

“Around 30,000 acres of paddy lands in the Polonnaruwa district have also been destroyed due to rains and floods,” Gowijana Sewa Department sources said.

“The rains have destroyed around 20 percent out of the total harvest. Department sources said they expected a paddy harvest of 325, 000 metric tons from the Polonnaruwa district this season, but the expected yield decreased by 20 percent, which is a considerable reduction of the harvest, “they said.