Flood havoc: 11,000 displaced, 5,000 acres paddy land destroyed

• Kirinde-Tissaaharama bridge partially destroyed
• Colombo-Kataragama road impassable

By Nadia Fazlulhaq

Heavy rains caused by the north east monsoon have resulted in widespread flooding in many areas in the country. The Hambantota District has been worst hit with over 11,000 persons being displaced and over 5,000 acres of paddy land destroyed.

The Lunugamvehera, Hambantota and Tissamaharama areas in the district have been the worst inundateded, while heavy showers continued yesterday in some areas of the district.

The Disaster Management Centre announced that five temporary relief shelters had already been set up at the Sarvodaya Hall in Tissamaharama, Yodhakandiya Devananda Vidyalaya, Magama Vidyalaya, Kirinde Maha Vidyalaya and Kirindagama Vidyalaya.
Officers of the Engineering Core of the Sri Lanka Army are carrying out repairs on the main bridge linking the Kirinde-Tissamaharama road bordering the Yodhawewa which had been partially destroyed.

In a joint effort Police and Army personnel were able to sandbag the Yodakandiya tank bund and prevent it breaching, saving the Tissa and Kirinda towns from being inundated. Here the service personnel are seen hard at work. Pic. by K.D. Devapriya in Kataragama

The water level at the Yodhawewa has risen after the bund of the Mathakada was breached, resultantly two sluice gates of the Lunugamvehera reservoir were opened resulting in the destruction of over 5000 acres of paddy land. Heavy rain and flodding have made Colombo - Kataragama road via Hambantota

impassable, with up to 5 ft of water in certain areas. The Hambantota district Disaster Management Centre (DMC), advises travellers to use the alternative routes from Ratnapura along Udawalawa, Thanamalwila, Weerawila and the Wellawaya-Buttala road.
With heavy rain reported in many areas, the Hambantota DMC the said they were preparing to put up temporary relief camps in the affected areas.

The DMC confirmed that the Panama-Pottuvil road in the Lahugala area was totally submerged and people in the area were using two boats provided by the Special Task Force to travel.

Both the new town and the old Lahugala town are flooded. Heavy rains have also caused flooding in the Arugambay, Oruvil, Panama north and south and the Ullai bird sanctuary, however no reports of damage to property have been reported. Deputy Director of the Met. Department, S.H. Kariyawasam said the prevalent bad weather was caused by the north east monsoon.

He said many parts of the country would experience heavy rain accompanied by thunder showers. He added that there was a danger of landslides and flooding.

Mr. Kariyawasam said the worst affected areas were in the Central, Eastern, Uva provinces and in the Hambantota District. He added that the southern and western provinces too could be affected with light afternoon thunder showers. Mr. Kariyawasam predicted that cloudy skies will prevail, and that the showers could continue for several weeks.