Thushari Kalubowila
The National Disaster Management Center says that 20 persons have died so far while 62247 persons belonging to 17481 families living in 17 districts and 126 Divisional Secretariat Divisions have been affected by adverse weather effects.
3 persons have drowned in Passara area in Badulla District, 1 person drowned in Ella area, another person drowned in Matale Rattota area, 1 person of Thunukkai area in Mullaitivu district and 1 person in Anamaduwa area in Puttalam while another person in Polgahawela, Kurunegala has died with drwining .
978 houses have been damaged and 5035 persons belonging to 1404 families have been displaced and are being temporarily housed at relatives’ houses and relief centers, said the Assistant Director of the Disaster Management Center, Pradeep Kodippili.
The worst affected districts are Badulla, Nuwara Eliya, Matale, Kandy, Mullaitivu, Colombo, Trincomalee, Mannar, Ratnapura, Kalutara, Puttalam, Anuradhapura, Jaffna, Galle, Kegalle, Kurunegala and Kilinochchi, he said.
10 sluice gates of Rajanganaya Reservoir, 04 sluice gates of Deduru Oya, 1 sluice gate of Laxapana sluice gate, 2 sluice gates of Kukule Ganga sluice gate, 4 sluice gates of Polgolla sluice gate, 3 sluice gates of Kotmale, 4 Victoria sluice gates were opened at Mahajilachcha, Mahavilacha , Angamuwa, Kuruwila, Tissawewa, Abhayawewa low lying areas, roads and many houses were inundated.
Many low lying areas were also inundated due to the overflowing of Maha Oya, Attanagallu Oya, Malwathu Oya, Kelani Ganga, Kalu Ganga, Benthara Ganga, Gin Ganga, Nilwala Ganga and Kala Oya.
The National Building Research Institute has designated landslide prone areas and people should be evacuated immediately. , Yatinuwara, Udapalatha, Pasbage Koralaya, Gangawata Koralaya, Udunuwara, Ganga Ihala Koralaya were issued to Divisional Secretariats and Mallawapitiya, Rideegama, Alawwa, Narammala, Mawathagama and Polgahawela Divisional Secretariats in the Kurunegala District.
Baddegama, Elpitiya in the Galle District, Agalawatta in the Kalutara District, Palindanuwara, Bulathsinhala, Dodangoda, Matugama, Narammala in the Kurunegala District, Mallawapitiya, Rideegama, Alawwa, Mawathagama, Rattota in the Matale District, Rattota in the Matale District. Areas at risk of further landslides include Passara, Ella in the Badulla District, Seethawaka and Padukka in the Colombo District, Pathadumbara, Minipe, Meda Dumbara, Poojapitiya, Ududumbara, Deltota, Hataraliyadda, Akurana, Panvila and Kundasale in the Kandy District.
Jaffna received the highest rainfall of 243 mm on the 9th, while Trincomalee received 186.9 mm, Mannar 160.9 mm and Anuradhapura 154.7 mm on the same day. The next day (10th) Jaffna also received 204 mm of rain and Kandy, Kurunegala and Kegalle districts received more than 100 mm of rain.
Meanwhile, the Director General of the Meteorological Department Athula Karunanayake stated that heavy showers will continue in the northern parts of the country.
There will be showers in the North Central, North Western, Central and Sabaragamuwa provinces as well, he said.
