Several districts affected by floods

Saturday, 30 April 2011 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Disaster Management Centre has said that several districts in the country including Ratnapura, Kalutara, Galle, and Hambantota have experienced floods due to heavy rains.

The Ratnapura District is currently the worst affected in the country as the water level of the Kalu Ganga has risen inundating several roads. Roads from Kiriella to Ratnapura, Ayagama, Ellagawa and Ketepola have become impassable, the state-run radio reported.

Authorities have opened the sluice gates of Kukule Ganga reservoir resulting in the low-lying areas of Bulathsinhala, Deeyakaduwa, Molkawa, Paragoda and Kudaligama being flooded.

The Ratnapura Disaster Management Centre has deployed boats to provide transport to the public marooned due to the floods.

The floods have even resulted in the closure of several schools in the district.

One person has died due to a weather-related incident and another person in Elpatha division has presumably drowned.

The Gin Ganga in the Hambantota District has started to overflow and authorities are in the process of evacuating people living in low-lying areas.

The Hambantota Disaster Management Centre has asked the people living near the Muruthawela reservoir to be vigilant of flooding as all the flood gates of the reservoir have been opened.

Meanwhile, the water levels in many reservoirs in the catchment areas have also reached spill level. However, the authorities expect the water levels to go down soon as the intensity of the rain is diminishing.