Floods affect 17,000, displace 1,500
October 30, 2012

by Dasun Edirisinghe

As inter monsoon rains lashed all parts of the country, floods affected more than 17,000 civilians while displacing 1,500 people in eight Districts, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said.

DMC Assistant Director Sarath Lal Kumara told The Island that 1,500, 48, 27, 19, 274, 48, 1,945 and 15,000 people were affected by floods in the Mullaitivu, Nuwara Eliya, Kegalle, Kurunegala, Kandy, Colombo, Trincomalee and Gampaha Districts respectively.

He said that 13 houses were completely damaged and 29 other suffered minor damages due to floods.

"Fortunately, no deaths have been reported so far, but 15 people have been reported missing in the Kinniya Divisional Secretariat area of the Trincomalee District," Kumara said.

The deputy director said that worst affected Districts were Trincomalee and Mullaitivu.

The Meteorology Department said that the cyclonic storm, ‘Nilam’ still persisted to the east of Sri Lanka.

Meteorologist – in – charge D. A. Jayasinghaarachchi said that heavy rain and strong winds would continue in the North-Central, Northern, Eastern and North-Western provinces for few more days.

"Other areas of the country would also receive rain with some places experiencing heavy downpours," he said.

Jayasinghaarachchi said that the seas, off the coast, extending from Mannar to Trincomalee via Jaffna and Mullattivu would experience strong winds, very rough conditions and intermittent rain.

Therefore, the fishing and naval community have been further advised to refrain from maritime activities in those seas, he said.

Meanwhile, National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) issued a landslide alert countrywide.

Head of the Landslide Research Division of the NBRO R. M. S. Bandara said that there were no major incidents reported, but people must be vigilant due to continuous rains.

He said that the Hatton – Nuwara Eliya road and Kande Handiya – Ragala road, in the Nuwara Eliya District, were inundated yesterday due to earth-slips.

Bandara said however, that it was not a disaster but mounds of earth had fallen onto the road due to road construction.

Meanwhile, the JVP urged the government to provide relief to the affected people in the North, especially in resettled areas.

JVP MP Sunil Handunnetti said that people in Pudukudiyirippu, Wellamullaivaikkal, Kopay and Mullaitivu had been displaced due to floods.

"The government resettled them in temporary shelters recently," he said adding now their temporary shelters had bbeen washed away by the flood water.

Naval sources said that the predicted cyclone moved away to Andra Pradesh in India, but heavy rains would occur for two more days.

He said that despite the almost non – stop rain there were no major incidents except tanks and lakes overflowing.