More rains ahead

By Shezna Shums

With the inter monsoonal rains, the possibility of cutting failures, rocks falls and other minor earth slips are possible in the hilly areas around the island.

Geologist, National Building Research Organisation, R.M.S. Bandara told the Daily FT that at the present time there were no threatened areas but that people should be alert for minor mishaps that may be possible when there is intensive rainfall in mountainous and hilly areas.

Last week’s rains were not so bad as most of the rainfall was within the Colombo District, however the current rainfall is unpredictable and can spread to other parts of the island.  If there is heavy rain in the hilly areas the people in these areas have to be on alert, added Bandara.

The inter monsoon climatic system is such that there is high intensity rainfall during short periods of time.  “At the present time there is no threat of any major landslides, but other smaller cutting failures behind houses, rock falls along roads and small earth slips could take place,” explained Bandara.

“It is hard to pin point particular areas, but the NBRO has so far not issued any alert of threatened areas,” he added.

The Assistant Director, Disaster Management Centre, Pradeep Kodippili said there was no emergency or disaster situation at the moment. With the high amount of rainfall several tanks and reservoirs have had their spill gates opened to help release the excess water.

Over the weekend the spill gates of over 16 tanks were reported to have been opened due to the excessive rainfall. The Meteorology Department predicts that heavy rains can be expected throughout the island within the coming days.

Owing to the incessant rains in some areas rocks falls and earthslips have been reported while some roads in the Nuwara Eliya route are inaccessible for motor traffic.

Be careful of your premises after the rains

THE Epidemiological Unit of the Ministry of Health urges the public to keep their premises, gardens, offices, schools and other areas dengue free after the rains cease.

Although there is no outbreak of dengue, Assistant Epidemiologist Dr. Sudantha Peiris said that there was no harm for people to be vigilant during this time.

After the rains, stagnant water can be breeding grounds for dengue mosquitoes and being careless can give rise to an outbreak of dengue.

However there has not been any significant change in the number of suspected cases or deaths due to dengue.

During this year the Epidemiology Unit has recorded a total of 32 deaths due to dengue and 3784 suspected cases. The highest number of cases were reported from Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara, Kandy, Jaffna, Batticaloa and Ratnapura.

In the case of Leptospirosis or Rat Fever, the people of the farming community and those coming into contact with stagnant rain water or minor floods need to be careful. People in the areas where there is a history of Leptospirosis cases and infections have to be extra careful. Any person suspected of Leptospirosis infection should immediately seek treatment at a Government hospital in the area, said Dr. Sudanta Peiris.

According to the Epidemiology Unit, all Regional Directors of Health have been advised to consider control and prevention of Leptospirosis following floods as a priority health issue and act accordingly.

The Epidemiology Unit of the Ministry of Health also advices all Regional Directors of Health to establish a district level Leptospirosis activity coordinating committee with the key stakeholders of Public health, the curative sector and other necessary sectors in the effort to control or prevent Leptospirosis. They are also to ensure that adequate stocks of Doycycline are available for chemoprophylaxis to target groups, if necessary, and discuss with the clinicians and ensure that the necessary drugs including antibiotics are available for management of cases in the hospitals.

The Regional Directors of Health are also to increase community awareness through local level and regional level awareness programmes and emphasise that patients seek healthcare very early with the initial symptoms at a government hospital or from a qualified medical practitioner to prevent death or other complications.

The Epidemiology Unit stressed that improving surveillance was the most important measure to control outbreaks as early detection would enable timely action to be taken.