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1,000 homeless from downpour and gusts
View(s):Nearly 1,000 people have been made homeless due to destruction caused by torrential rains and gusts over three days in three districts the past week.
Deraniyagala: Noori Estate workers' quarters. Pic by Manjula Nishantha
More than 350 houses were either completely or partly damaged, officials from the affected districts said.
The worst affected area was Kalmunai Tamil Divisional Secretariat Division in Ampara District, where 216 houses built for victims of the 2004 tsunami and another 35 houses in the adjoining villages were damaged or destroyed.
Divisional Secretary K Loganathan said that after the tsunami, 648 two-storey houses were built at Periyaneelavaly to settle the displaced. On Wednesday (28) night, torrential rain and strong winds struck this complex and adjoining villages, damaging the upper floors of 216 of the houses. In addition, another 35 houses in neighbouring villages were also damaged.
“We have set up temporary tarpaulin sheds to house the displaced and we are also providing them with cooked meals,” Mr. Loganathan said. He added warnings had been issued about adverse weather well into next week.
The situation is also dire in ‘Noori Estate’ in Deraniyagala, Kegalle District. The estate’s workers’ quarters that are more than 100 years old have been damaged. Five quarters were destroyed while another 45 were partly damaged. Most of the residents lost their possessions, including clothes, and school books.
Earlier, the Disaster Management Centre had instructed the plantation management to cut down some trees near the workers’ quarters as they posed a danger, but the request had been neglected, according to residents.
So far, the plantation’s management had promised to rebuild only four of the houses as the residents of the others are no longer working at the estate. However, the displaced people claim they have worked at the estate for nearly two generations and have nowhere else to go.
Meanwhile, acting Deraniyagala divisional secretary Chandana visited the area on Friday with DMC officials to assess the damage.
Hit once again: The housing scheme built in Periyaneelavaly in Ampara to settle the 2004 tsunami displaced. Pic by T.M.Athiran
In Hatton, Talawakelle, and Nuwara Eliya, another 57 houses were partly damaged due to adverse weather on Thursday night.
Met Department Director (Forecasting) Anusha Warnasooriya said strong winds can occur during thunderstorms – either due to a tornado or downdraft (downward moving air).
While parts of the Eastern Province have experienced heavy rain and strong winds during the past week, this will ease next week, Ms Warnasooriya predicted. She however, added that parts of the Western, Southern, Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva Provinces could expect showery conditions next week.
| 357,000 STILL SUFFERING FROM DROUGHT | |
| While heavy rains and strong winds have caused damage and displacement in parts of the country, severe drought in six district is badly affecting more than 357,000 people.According to the Disaster Management Centre, 357,144 persons from 110,481 families have been suffering in the drought since January, this year. Puttalam, Kurunegala, Kandy, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Mannar have all been baking in the heat. Puttalam is by far the worst affected district, with 216,670 people from 66,648 families facing drought since March 1. In Kurunegala, 88,645 people from 28, 867 families are suffering, while in Mannar District there are 39,328 people from 11,312 families in the grip of the drought. |