Sri Lanka experienced a massive torrential downpour from Thursday, ending the dry spell across the island. Despite the welcome rain, many areas continued to experience heavy downpours as high as 600 mm in some areas which led to floods, landslides, and high winds, causing death, injury and extensive property damage.
According to the Disaster Management Centre (DMC), 14 districts have been adversely affected, while the number of reported deaths has risen to 100 with another 99 people missing.
However, these numbers are expected to rise as the DMC continues to face difficulties in gathering information from the disaster struck areas. Ratnapura, Galle, Matara and Hambantota districts are the worst affected with the Ratnapura town completely inundated by flood waters.
With over 16,700 families and 61,000 people affected by the disaster, the DMC along with the Armed Forces and police have launched an extensive rescue and search operation in the affected areas while the public has also been advised to evacuate low lying areas due to the rising water levels of several rivers and landslide risks.
Situation
As the rains continue to lash the country, floods have been triggered in many areas due to rising water levels in several main rivers. According to the Department of Irrigation the water levels of Kelani, Kalu, Gin and Nilwala are continuing to rise reaching dangerous levels causing severe floods in low lying areas while threatening flood protection systems.
The overflowing of the Nilwala River has adversely affected Bandaththara, Matara and several other areas. People residing in the Naadugala, Banaththara, Watagedara, Mathugala and Piladuwa have been issued warnings and advised to evacuate immediately by the DMC as the flood protection bunds of the river has been compromised due to the water levels.
Meanwhile the Kelani River too reached dangerous levels while flooding low lying areas in Avissawella, Hanwella, Dompe, Kolonnawa and Kelaniya. Neluwa, Morawaka, Habarakada and Imaduwa along with other areas were flooded when the Gin River appeared to burst at the seams.
Floodwater hampered vehicular movement along the Colombo-Avissawella old road due to flooding in Wellampitiya, Ambatale areas while the use of the Southern Expressway too has been hampered with the exits in Kaduwela, Kokmaduwa and Welipenna becoming submerged by the floods. The Tangalle-Kataragama road as well as Tissamaharama-Weeraketiya roads remain inundated. Railway travel was affected as well with the Kelani Valley line becoming submerged between Kosgama and Avissawella.
While many deaths have been reported due to the floods, a tragic death of a school student was reported among in the Beliatta area. The 11 year old has been returning home having failed to reach school due to the adverse weather when he was swept away in a flash flood.
Several landslides too have occurred due to prevailing weather conditions claiming a number of lives. Ten lives were lost due to landslides in the Ratnapura district while three landslides were reported in the Bulathsinhala area alone. Five persons died when a soil embankment collapsed in Duli Ella, Neluwa.
The water supply too has been disrupted due to the current situation in certain areas. According to the National Water Supply and Drainage Board water supply to the Waga, Kaluaggala, Hanwella and Jalthara areas have been halted due to a landslide in Thummodara which has damaged the main water supply line from the Kalatuwawa and Labugama purification plants.
The government has also closed schools in flood stricken areas, such the Galle district while any scheduled examinations were also cancelled.
Returning to the island following a State visit to Australia, President Maithripala Sirisena instructed all government agencies to provide assistance to affected citizens while also instructing officials to do away with any red tape hampering the rescue and relief efforts. All leave of government officials in affected areas has been cancelled in view of the current disaster.
With many districts adversely affected, Government agencies, the armed forces and Police along with volunteers have now launched an extensive rescue and relief operation.
The Sri Lanka army has deployed two of its brigades to assist in rescue operations in all affected districts while the Sri Lanka Air force has assisted in transporting the troops to areas unreachable by land.
Twenty eight rescue groups consisting of 200 personnel of the Sri Lanka Navy too have been deployed to rescue stranded citizens. Six passenger transport tanks of the Army have also been deployed for the operation.
Six helicopters of the Air Force along with a Beechcraft plane too continue to be engaged in the rescue and monitoring efforts delivering rescued people to safe locations as instructed by the District Secretariats.
However, criticisms have been levelled against the DMC (Disaster Management Centre) by the public. In a released document, the major gap in provisions required by the agency for disaster relief and the amount currently available with the agency has drawn the ire of the public. Many were of the opinion that despite last year’s floods and the experience gained, the DMC appeared to be unprepared for a similar situation.
When the Sunday Observer contacted the acting Minister of Disaster Management, Dunesh Gankanda, he said that a calamity of this nature can take a toll on any country irrespective of its readiness to face such situation.
He said it is not that we were not ready. “Any catastrophe of this nature, irrespective of what part of the world it occurs, the effect will be the same and we are not an exception.
“As the Ministry of Disaster Management we have taken full measures to facilitate a situation like this but no country could be able to match up to a disaster of this nature.
“Even the US has had flood situations of this nature and even they could not immediately take control over the situation. But we have been able to effectively address the issues on a priority basis and relief is underway,” he said.
With an allocation of Rs. 45 million for the initial relief efforts, Gankanda assured that more funds will be provided in the coming days while all possible efforts will be put in to provide assistance to the victims.
Pix : Sudam Gunasinghe
Dushmantha Mayadunne
Rukmal Gamage
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Over Rs 45m for flood relief
Acting Minister, Disaster Management, Dunesh Gankanda:
“The disaster situation currently being experienced was unexpected. Rs. 45 million has been allocated for the first stage of relief efforts. A major effort is being put in for rescue and relief by all agencies involved under the guidance of President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.”
Director General, Irrigation Department, M. Thuraisingham:
“The Kelani river has reached major flood level, endangering the Kolonnawa, Dompe, Kelaniya, Hanwella, Padukka areas among others. Water levels continue to rise and sandbags have been prepared by the department.
“Kalu river in the Ratnapura area has gone beyond the major flood level while Nilwala has now reached critical flood level. However, steps have been taken to widen the mouths of the rivers affected to reduce water flow but continuous rains are hampering these efforts.”
Director General, National Building and Research Organization, Dr. Asiri Karunawardena:
“Warnings have been issued for immediate evacuation to those living on hillsides in Elapatha, Pelmadulla, Kiriella, Kuruvita, Eheliyagoda, Imbulpe, Kahawatta, Bulathkohupitiya, Yatiyanthota, Baddegama, Thawalama, Nagoda, Bulathsinhala, Agalawatta, Baduraliya among other areas as dangerous situations can arise as the water recedes.
“Ratnapura, Kalutara, Matara, Galle, Kegalle and Hambantota have suffered a number of landslides and soil embankment collapses. Forty three people are missing due to landslides.”
Director General, Department of Meteorology, S.R. Jayasekara:
“Heavy rains are to be expected during the beginning of the monsoon as seen and rains may reduce in the next few days. But current weather patterns indicate an increase of rainfall on May 29 and 30 as well. The current weather situation is similar to that experienced in May, 2013 but the rainfall is much higher in most areas than seen previously.”
Police Spokesperson, DIG Priyantha Jayakody:
“Public are advised to refrain from visiting flood-affected areas for viewing purposes as it may hamper rescue efforts while also endangering their own lives. Motorists should avoid flooded roads.”