Floods: Thousands face more misery
Torrential rains exceeding 100 millimetres in most areas and heavy flooding are once again causing unnecessary deaths and destruction at the onset of the monsoons in May. The overall danger is not over. The southwest monsoon has yet to set in proper. So far, 20 people are dead and another two persons missing. More than 153,000 people from 40,117 families are helpless. Dozens have lost their homes permanently. Now, thousands are facing the danger of diseases such as diarrhoea, rat fever, and the deadly dengue. Just last year, about 200 people died in South-West monsoon floods across the country.
Navy divers have been seen clearing blocked waterways with their bare hands, and ferrying the sick, injured and the helpless in dinghies. In some areas, people have joined in to repair breached flood barriers and clear drains.
In 20 out of 25 districts, roads have turned into rivers, mountain sides have collapsed, bridges damaged, roofs of schools collapsed, and homes destroyed by cracks and flooding.
Thousands in Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara, Galle, Matara, Hambantota, Badulla, Ratnapura, Kegalle, Kandy, Matale, Nuwara Eliya, Puttalam, Kurunegala, Moneragala, Mullaitivu, Jaffna, Vavuniya, and Polonnaruwa districts have been hit by floods and landslides.
About 55,000 people from 14,437 families have been evacuated to 265 centres, Disaster Management Centre’s Deputy Director ( early warning) Pradeep Kodippilli said.But thousands more are likely to suffer in the months ahead.
Officials say that 105 homes are completely damaged and 4,832 houses partially damaged.
Deaths were reported from all over the country. Three have died in Kegalle and Gampaha while two each have died in Puttalam, Kurunegala, Ratnapura, Polonnaruwa and Kalutara. Galle, Moneragala, Gampaha, Colombo and Nuwara Eliya districts have reported one death each. Many have drowned, while others have been buried in landslides. Two persons are still missing from Puttalam and Ratnapura.
A nine-year-old girl was washed away by a strong muddy stream of water in Ragala, Nuwara Eliya while on her way home after school. In Biyagama, navy divers are searching for a person who is missing after going for a dip in a brook. In Alawwa, in the Kurunegala district, an earth mound collapsed on top of a house killing a 40 year old man who had been asleep.
Heavily populated Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara districts were hit by last week’s floods as well. Bunds have collapsed, retaining walls have failed, and river banks have eroded.
Seethawaka, Homagama, Hanwella, Kotte, Kolonnawa, Kaduwela are some divisions in the Colombo district that have flooded.
The damaged Biyagama-Kaduwela main bridge has been reopened after a temporary steel structure was erected.
The two- year long drought in Puttalam ended with heavy rains. Anamaduwa received a high rainfall of 353. 8mm and about 15,000 people are displaced in this district and temporarily settled in 81 shelters.
Puttalam has been among the worst affected and all 20 floodgates of the Thabbowa reservoir were opened Saturday causing flooding in the village of Thambapanni. In Gamuruwa, Madampe in the Puttalam district, a policeman is reported missing after being washed away during an attempt to rescue a mother and two children trapped in the floods. Forecasters predict winds upto 80 kilometres an hour on the coastline from Mannar to Pottuvil.