New rain causes 3 deaths and displaces many

Thursday, 3 February 2011 01:15 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

By Shezna Shums

Three persons have died following the recent rains and landslides. One death was of a child who drowned in the Vavuniya District and another death was reported from the district of Badulla.

Two persons are missing after the recent spate of rains and floods.

The National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) has issued a landslide warning for the districts of the Central highlands.

Warnings have also been issued in respect of the Eastern mountain slopes in the districts of Matale, Nuwara Eliya, Kandy and Badulla which are vulnerable to landslides during the rainy seasons and if the rain continues, dwellers in these areas need to be vigilant on any unstable features of slope failures cautioned the NBRO.

The Disaster Management Centre (DMC) in their recent Situation Update yesterday (12.30 p.m. on February 2) stated that a total of 8643 families consisting of 31,565 persons have been affected by the rains and floods.

To date there are 21 Internally Displaced Camps (IDP) set up to provide shelter to 520 families which consist of 1636 persons.

The DMC also records that some low lying areas and road were inundated due to the over flowing of irrigation tanks.

The Handugama and Awukana bridges were inundated while some low lying areas in the Anuradhapura District were also flooded.

The Batticaloa road is under water and impassable while some cultivated paddy lands have also been inundated.

In the Badulla District 15 families have been evacuated to safer areas and due to the possibility of landslides in Mawalangala Aramaya, 30 Buddhist monks have been temporarily evacuated to safer ground.

The recent rains have caused a number of landslides and earths slips and resulted in many roads being impassable said the DMC, Situation update.

The NBRO yesterday (February 2) issued a warning to people to be alert for landslides and slope failures if the rains continue for the next 24 hours.

The districts that have been placed on alert are Badulla, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya and Matale.

The DMC said that 3 sluice gates of the Kaudulla wewa in Polonnaruwa had been opened and that people living around that area had been advised to be on the alert.

AGA Divisions under threat

Badulla District: Haldumulla, Haputale, Bandarawela, Hali Ela, Beragala, Ella and Badulla

Kandy District: Gangawata Korale, Ganga Ihala Korale, Harispaththuwa, Thumpane, Pathahewaheta, Uda Dumbara, Patha Dumbara, Uda Palatha, and Yatinuwara

Nuwara Eliya District: Walapane, Hanguranketha, Kotmale, Ambagamuwa, and Nuwara Eliya

Matale District: Rathtota, Yatawatta, Pallepola, and Ukuwela

Roads affected

Nuwara Eliya-Badulla main road

Ratnapura-Badulla main road

Ella-Wellawaya main road

Badulla-Meegahakiula road

Kandy-Badulla main road (Raja Mawatha)

Kandy-Kurunegala main road

Gampola-Nuwara Eliya main road

Walapane-Padiyapelella road

Nawalapitiya-Hatton road (via Ginigathhena)

Nuwara Eliya-Udapussellawa road

Ganoruwa-Barigama road