Heavy rains experienced in several provinces during the last three days resulted in the low lying areas of Trincomalee, Anuradhapura, Badulla, Ampara and Batticlaoa districts being submerged with over 88,225 people of 24,414 families being displaced.
More than 238,000 people of 146,945 families were affected by the fresh floods that erupted in many districts which were badly hit by the first wave of floods two weeks ago. According to the Disaster Management Centre, most of these districts were badly hit by the first wave of flood that erupted two weeks ago and the Government was compelled to declare disaster a situation in those districts.
Five deaths were reported and two persons were reported missing due to floods and landslides in the Haliela, Hingurakgoda, Beruwala, and Vavuniya Divisional Secretariat divisions.
Over one hundred and twenty camps were established in the Trincomalee district where 42,175 people belonging to 11,714 families displaced by the flood were provided accommodation. The Government started providing cooked meals to these displaced families.
The Verugal , Kinniya and Muttur DS divisions are among the badly affected areas in the districts and several roads in these areas are impassable due to the overflowing of several irrigation tanks.
Over 60 welfare centres were established in the Pollonnaruwa district mainly in the Thamankaduwa and Lankapura areas to accommodate more than 15,000 people of 4042 families. Several roads became impassable due to the opening of spill sluice gates of Parakrama Samudraya, Minneriya and Giritale tanks. The Pollonnaruwa – Batticloa road was inundated at Gallella and Manampitiya areas too.
Disaster Management Centre coordinator for Matale district I.A.K. Ranaweera told the Daily News that over 1000 people were displaced by the floods in the Dambulla Divisional Secretariat division while other DS divisions have faced the threat of landslides due to continuous rains in the district.
Four wards of the Dambulla Base Hospital were closed by yesterday morning due to flood water seeping to the Hospital premises.
The Matale-Naula road and several roads in the Rattota DS division became impassable due to landslides in several places.
Low lying areas in number of Divisional Secretariat divisions in the Anuradhapura District were submerged with water.
Spill gates of number of tanks in the heart of Anuradhapura town and the outskirts were also opened by yesterday morning as the water reached the spill level.
Disaster Management Centre spokesman yesterday said the flood level in several district is on the increase and the public have been kept on vigil over the developing situation in the respective area.
Daily News - Chaminda Perera
