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Weather wages war
View(s):36 dead, more than 340,000 displaced by floods, tanks overflowing; while Met Dept says more rains expected
By Nadia Fazlulhaq
Floods and landslides have claimed 36 lives and affected more than 340,000 people countrywide as adverse weather conditions continued for the second week wreaking havoc
This week, the Northern Province was the most battered as the north-east monsoon rains lashed the districts of Mullaitivu, Vavuniya, Mannar, Kilinochchi and Jaffna. Around 16,000 sought shelter in relief centres as homes went under water.
Kilinochchi was one of the badly hit areas this week. Pic by V. Wathani
Heavy rains in Nanattan, Manthai west, Mannar, Musali and Madhu DS divisions in the Mannar district, saw more than 5,000 families affected.
In Vavuniya about 15,000 people were hit by flood waters with Vavuniya South, Vavuniya and Cheddikulum being the worst affected. In Mullaitivu the areas of Oddusudan and Thunukkai bore the brunt of the bad weather.
Heavy rainfall was also reported in the districts of Anuradhapura, Ampara, Badulla, Batticaloa, Hambantota, Kandy, Kegalle, Kurunegala, Moneragala, Matale, Nuwara Eliya, Puttalam, Polonnaruwa, Ratnapura and Trincomalee while other districts received intermittent showers.
Matale district reported the highest number of deaths, nine, followed by eight in Batticaloa and six in Puttalam.
Meanwhile Irrigation Department director, Janaki Meegastenna told the Sunday Times that of the 71 tanks, that came under the purview of the department 39 were above spill level and seven at spill level.
She said ten of them were 90 percent full while sluice gates of 21 tanks have been opened.
“Heavy rains this week has resulted in tanks spilling over in the Mannar district with the Giant tank (yodha wewa) reaching above spill level,” Ms. Meegastenna said.
In Anuradhapura main tanks including Kalawewa, Rajanganaya, Nachchaduwa and Mahakandarawa were overflowing while 54 small tanks were also spilling. About 104 small and medium tanks have been damaged out of which 36 were completely destroyed. Navy boats have been deployed to rescue families stranded in the vicinity of these tanks, Ms. Meegastenna said.
A partially submerged telecom tower in Mannar. Pic by S.R. Lambert
In Polonnaruwa the Parakrama Samudraya, Kawudulla and Minneriya tanks were overflowing. The Puttlam Disaster Management office has requested people living close to Deduru Oya and Kala Oya to be vigilant as water levels were rising due to the relentless rain.
Meanwhile last week’s flash floods in Puttalam damaged 4,800 houses with 1500 of them completely destroyed. Similarly, in Batticaloa, 5, 600 houses were damaged due to gale force winds and floods. Of them, 2,100 were completely destroyed.
Meanwhile, the National Building Research Organisation has warned that 7,000 houses were at the risk of sinking in Matale district. Areas including Matale, Rattota, Ukuwela, Ambaganga Korale and Laggala have been identified as vulnerable to subsidence and landslides.
Agrarian Services and Wildlife Deputy Minister S.M. Chandrasena said 180,000 acres of paddy fields have been destroyed with Batticaloa, Kurunegala and Polonnaruwa being the most affected. Seed paddy and fertiliser would be distributed free of charge to farmers in these areas Mr. Chandrasena assured.
Disaster Management Centre spokesman Pradeep Kodipilli said funds have been allocated to the District Secretaries of the affected areas to provide immediate relief to the displaced. The districts of Mannar, Vavuniya, Mullaitivu, Anuradhapura and Hambantota have reported the highest number of displaced.
In Mannar, 2700 displaced families were living with families and another 3000 have sought shelter while those displaced in Mullaitivu and Vavuniya sought temporary shelter in community centres, the spokesman said.
Painting a bleak picture the Meteorology Department has forecast heavy showers in the coming week and requested the public to be vigilant.
A landslide in Naula Matale. Pic by Mahesh Keerthiratne
Meteorology Department Director Genertal S.H. Kariyawasam said the Northern, Eastern, North Central, Uva and Central provinces will experience heavy showers while evening thunder showers were expected to develop in the Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces and in the districts of Galle and Kurunegala.
He said the North East monsoon would continue till February with rains lasting till mid January.
Warning that strong winds would accompany thundershowers, Mr. Kariyawasam has requested the public to take precautions to minimise damage caused by lightning.
Parakrama Samudra: Then it was dry, now it’s at spill level
Sand mining during the drought has damaged tank bund leading to fears of breaching
By Indumathi Jayasena
After a prolonged period of drought that dried up the mighty Parakrama Samudra, the heavy rains in the past two weeks have seen the giant tank reach spill level. But along with it has come fears that the heavy sand mining that took place in its dried up bed may lead to excessive erosion of its bund.
Residents in the area said the bund of the Parakrama Samudra has started eroding as a result of the tippers that were frequently removing sand from the tank bed during the drought. The tank bund was badly damaged due to the frequent trips made by tippers loaded with sand removed from the dried up bed.
Th sand was transported and said to be sold at Rs. 5,000 a tipper load.
Residents said a great deal of damage was done to the tank during the drought by the frequent digging, especially close to the bund.
Parakarama Samudra: Sand being mined and trasported during the recent drought. Pic by Athula Devapriya
Officials make temporary repairs which do not stand the impact of floods. G Jayathilleke (52) said that the so-called development by the government only damaged the bank. Such projects in the name of economic development made our villages targets of the so-called progress, he said.
There were other villagers who made their comments on the present pitiful state of the banks of the Parakrama Samudra.
Meanwhile, incessant rains experienced during the past few days have caused floods with the Mahaweli Ganga overflowing its banks in the Manampitiya Polonnaruwa area making the road to Batticaloa impassable.
Gallella in the Somawathie Chaithya area was also flooded forcing devotees to keep away as the authorities declared it a disaster area.
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