News
Cyclone Fengal departs, leaving devastation and drop in air quality
The cyclonic storm “Fengal” departed Sri Lanka yesterday after a week of heavy rains and floods that left at least 16 dead, half a million affected, more than 2,500 houses damaged, and caused a drop in air quality.
The depression in the Bay of Bengal turned into a cyclonic storm as it left Sri Lanka and headed toward Tamil Nadu early yesterday.
As an immediate result, the air quality in several of the districts, including Colombo, was declared as slightly unhealthy by the National Building Research Organisation (NBRO). The condition was expected to remain for at least two days and gradually reduce.
NBRO’s Environment Division Director Sarath Premasiri explained that the air quality drop was unhealthy and would improve to moderate conditions but would remain for at least two days.
“As the cyclone makes landfall in the evening, the weather condition also would improve; along with that, we expect the air quality to reach moderate levels, yet it would at least take two days for the air quality to turn good,” he said.
Meanwhile, the death toll due to floods and earth slips increased to 16 yesterday with the detection of one more body of those killed in the tractor tragedy in Ampara.
Agrarian Development Commissioner General U.B. Rohana Rajapaksha said an estimated 338,000 acres of paddy lands remained submerged as of Friday due to continuous rains throughout the week. He also added that 10,035 acres of paddy have been destroyed.
Apart from paddy, many cultivated crops and vegetable plantations were destroyed. Meanwhile, fishermen halted fishing activities due to strong winds and rough seas.
DEMODARA: Earthslips on rail track
COLOMBO: Air pollution
JAFFNA: Nallur Temple
BATTICALO: Flooded roads
Pix by Prasad Rukmal, Indika Handuwala, Romesh Madushanka and Deva Athiran
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