Floods cause widespread damage

Heavy showers in Dambulla on Friday night caused flooding in the area bringing day to day activities to a standstill with the Dambulla Economic Centre flooded up to three feet and Dambulla hospital up to two feet. The flooding caused more than 180 patients of the Dambulla hospital to be transferred to other hospitals including the Kurunegala hospital.

“The Economic Centre was also temporarily closed down due to floods and there was no decision on when it would be re-opened. Except the children’s ward which is on the top floor, all the patients in other wards have been transferred to nearby hospitals,” said A.I.K Ranaweera, District Coordinating Officer of the Disaster Management Centre of the Matale District Secretariat.

He said more than 80 families are displaced and temporarily sheltered at Mohan Jayamaha Vidyalaya and a few other places. The A9 road was blocked and the Road Development Authority (RDA) is continuing to clear the block. Twenty houses in the ‘Gam-Udawa’ housing scheme have been flooded due to heavy rain. Steps are being taken to open the sluice gates of the Devahuwa Wewa.

Matale District Secretary Gamini Seneviratne said steps have been taken to provide relief to persons affected by heavy rains. Four thousand and seven persons in five divisional secretariats in the Mullaitivu district were displaced due to heavy showers last week. The District Secretariat distributed prepared food for three days.

In Polonnaruwa district 426 persons of 133 families in five divisional secretariats have been affected by heavy rains. In Batticola District, 1349 persons from 338 families are displaced and presently staying at four camps. The Disaster management unit in Batticoloa said that the Divisional Secretariat and Red Cross Society are providing relief services to the displaced.

The Ampara District disaster management unit stated that 20 families have been affected by floods. The Met. Dept says that Eastern, North-eastern, North Central and Uva Provinces and the eastern parts of the hill country would experience heavy showers throughout the day this week while Sabaragamuwa, Western and Southern provinces would have evening showers.