Disaster management: Govt. allocates one million rupees per DS division

By Ifham Nizam

The government had allocated one million rupees per each District Secretariat initially to repair houses, etc., damaged due to heavy rains that wreaked havoc in some parts of the country, Disaster Management Centre (DMC) Assistant Director Pradeep Kodippili said yesterday.

Kodippili told The Island that unlike on previous occasions, damages were minimal. Nearly 43,000 people from some 11,074 families have been affected due to heavy rains on Friday and Saturday. About 853 people from 205 families are currently being sheltered in welfare centres.

The Meteorological Department yesterday forecast several spells of showers in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern and North-western provinces today.

Showers or thundershowers will occur at several places in the Central, Uva, Eastern and North-central provinces during the evening or night. 

A Few showers will occur in the Northern Province.

Water levels of several rivers have risen and floods have occurred in some areas owing to the prevailing rainy weather in the country. However, the latest weather report says it is receding in most parts.

The DMC earlier said that the water levels of the Kelani, Kalu, Gin, and Nilwala rivers  had risen and the Gin has burst its banks in the Baddegama area.

A minor flood situation has arisen due to the overflowing of the Kalu Ganga in the Millakanda area as well.

Water levels of Attanagalu Oya and Maha Oya have risen and a minor flood situation has occurred due to the overflow of Attanagalu Oya in the Dunamale area.

The adverse weather prevailing in the country since May 13 has affected 61 Divisional Secretariat areas in seven  districts.

Four persons were killed and two were injured due to the inclement weather. 

The National Building Research Organization (NBRO) has issued landslide warnings in six districts with effect from Saturday.

Accordingly, several areas in Colombo, Kalutara, Matara, Galle, Kegalle, and Ratnapura Districts have been declared as landslide-prone areas.

The Ministry of Power said that the power supply to nearly 150,000 families had been cut off due to inclement weather. The CEB has also received more than 200,000 complaints regarding power breakdowns etc.

Ministry’s spokesman Sulakshana Jayawardena said that measures had already been taken to restore the power supply.