Garbage-blocked canals flooding residents out

By Vanessa Sridharan
The heavy thunder showers that continued throughout the week have forced residents in the low lying suburbs of Colombo to relocate their homes after they went underwater. The worst affected areas are Rajagiriya, Maligawatte, Madampitiya, Wellampitiya and Ragama.

The city garbage has proven to be the culprit as many of these residences are near canals which had overflowed due to the garbage blocking their flow. “Municipal workers have been clearing the garbage-clogged drains but irresponsible dumping of polythene and other non-degradable products have caused the city to go under water every time it rains,” Colombo Mayor’s Advisor Sham Nawaz said.

When The Sunday Times visited the victims they complained that none of the city officials had helped them.
“The water rose from the canal behind the housing complex bringing garbage and we were knee deep in water,” Mohamed Imran a resident of Wellampitiya said. Meanwhile the Meteorology Department warned that the rains would continue till the end of next month.

Ragama garbage returns
Residents living in the Demalapura, Samagi Mawatha Watta in Ragama are plagued by the month-long rains and the reopening of the garbage dump near their dwellings.

They have to put up with the breeding mosquitoes, viral deceases, the unbearable stench and the swarm of flies in the area.
“The rain washes the garbage into our homes and the overflowing canal floods the entire area,” A. Samson said.
Most survive on odd jobs and rains had caused immense damage to their one-room houses.

“Last month alone we have lost five children due to dengue while three are in hospital,” T. Rani a mother-of-two said. Children in the area have begun to suffer from an eczema-like rash on their limbs due to the unhygienic living conditions.

The Ja-Ela Pradeshiya Sabha under whose purview the area comes under has turned a blind eye while Municipal workers dump garbage in the neighbourhood, residents complain. However Ja-Ela PS, Ragama Sub-office Secretary Sunil Premadasa told the Sunday Times that this was a temporary occurrence till the rains end.

More bad weather ahead, Met. Dept. warns
The heavy rains resulting in flooded roads and heavy traffic jams would only get worse, the Meteorology Department warns.
The inter-monsoon rains of October-November which plagued the city and displaced 16,000 families around the country will only get worse, meteorologist M.Mendis said.

“At the beginning of December the North-East Monsoon will begin and heavy rainfall and thundershowers will continue until February,” he said. “The North and East and the Uva Province will get rain during the mornings while the whole country will experience thundershowers in the evenings from the end of this month,” he said.

16,000 families affected by floods, landslides
By N.Dilshath Banu
The recent natural disasters - floods and landslides – have left over 16,000 families displaced, of which 15,000 families were affected by floods, according to statistics of the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC).

The Government had spent more than Rs. 65 million as relief to victims of these disasters, NDMC chief N.D. Hettiarachchi said.
“The flood waters in many areas were receding and the affected people moving away from temporary shelters to their own houses. However, landslide victims were still remaining in the temporary camps established in affected districts,” he said.

According to statistics, landslides had displaced 924 families, of which 237 were from Kegalle District, 212 from Kandy District and 102 from Badulla District. Fifteen deaths were reported - 9 from Kandy and 3 each from Badulla and Kegalle. The total death toll from floods was 33, of which the highest was 10 from Gampaha District.

Badulla District Disaster Management Officer Prasathini Chandrasena said two new villages in the district - Werangoda and Poonagala - were identified as landslide prone. “Around 30 families are living in these two villages and we have warned them of the threat and are considering to relocate them temporarily,” she said.

Kandy Additional Government Agent B.E.H.M Sugathadasa said 10 perches of land in Augusta Estate have been identified for resettlement of a few displaced families. “We may be able to resettle only a few families at this site and are looking to acquire other lands to settle more affected people,” he said.