Lanka appeals for help as floods foul water supply
COLOMBO: Sri Lanka has appealed for volunteers to help with a massive clean-up after landslides and floods left at least 193 dead and tens of thousands without safe drinking water.
The government sought help to purify wells contaminated by the floods, the worst in 14 years after record rainfall in the island’s southwest.
The Disaster Management Center said nearly 600,000 people had been forced from their homes. Just over 1,300 houses were completely destroyed in landslides, while nearly 7,000 suffered structural damage, according to official figures.
Water Supply Minister Rauf Hakeem said 40 percent of those affected had no access to piped drinking water, and there was an urgent need to purify contaminated wells in flood-hit areas.
He said 400 people had volunteered so far for a major clean-up of wells and appealed for dona- tions of water pumps.
“Our workers have volunteered to join a major (well) clean-up,” the minister said in Colombo.
He said flooded pumping stations had been restored but an area just outside Colombo was still without piped water.
Government spokesman Rajitha Senaratne said many victims had started moving back into their homes as floodwaters receded but authorities remained concerned about the spread of disease.
“We have started sending additional doctors, nurses and medical supplies to prevent any outbreak of diseases such as rat fever (leptospirosis) and diarrhea,” said Senaratne, who is also health minister.
“We could also have a dengue outbreak in about two weeks. We are very conscious of that. Additional medical teams will be checking on mosquito breeding grounds as well.”