By Ifham Nizam

Torrential rains lashing the country have claimed 14 lives and damaged more than 900 houses, according to the the Disaster Management Centre (DMC).

Some 245,212 persons belonging to 60,674 families have been affected in ten districts since last Thursday.

The Irrigation Department yesterday issued a red notice, stating that the water level of the Kelani Ganga was rising.

Department’s Engineer (Hydrology) S P C Sugishwara said the flood situation in the Kelani valley was likely to worsen.

He said flood waters in the Ruwanwella, Dehiowita, Seethawaka, Dompe, Kaduwela, Biyagama, Homagama, Kolonnawa, Colombo and Wattala Divisional Secretariats in the Kelani River Basin might rise further.

More than 800 houses have suffered damage mostly in the Ratnapura and Gampaha districts. At present in certain places, Kelani, Kalu, Attanagaluoya and  Mahaoya have caused minor floods.

However, water levels are receding in many areas.

Nearly 15,658 people belonging to 3,520 families have been affected and evacuated to 72 welfare centres––32 in the Colombo district,  12 in Gampaha, Kalutara 10 and Ratnapura 10.

Some 3,397 of 794 families of these displaced people are staying with relatives or in friends’ houses.

The National Disaster Relief Services Centre (NDRSC) has allocated Rs. 74.5 million for response and relief operations in the disaster-hit areas.

The DMC warned yesterday that the upper catchment areas of the Kelani Ganga basin might cause floods in the next 24 hours.

Adverse weather has affected people in Gampaha, Ratnapura, Colombo, Puttalam, Kalutara, Nuwara Eliya, Kegalla, Kandy, Kurunegala and Galle districts.

Sri Lanka Navy has deployed 33 relief teams in the Western, Southern, Sabaragamuwa and Northwestern Provinces to provide relief to the people affected by the floods caused by torrential rains. They have rescued 66 more persons including children and women, affected by floods in several areas in the Gampaha and Kalutara districts and provided them relief measures.

The Navy relief teams managed to rescue 61 persons including children and women affected by floods in the Ja-Ela area in the Gampaha District and five more persons in the Bulathsinhala area in the Kalutara district.

The Navy has sent out its relief/rescue teams to the flood-risk areas in the Gampaha, Kalutara, Colombo, Rathnapura, Galle, Matara and Puttalam districts. Moreover, 11 more Navy relief teams are kept on standby for deployment, as and when a need arises.

Water stagnation is still reported from Kaduwela, Kolonnawa in Colombo District, Biyagama, Wattala, Ja-ela, Kelaniya, Gampaha in Gampaha District, and necessary relief efforts are provided by district administration with the support of the military.

Showers or thundershowers will occur at times in Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in Galle, Matara, Nuwara-Eliya and Kandy districts today. Fairly heavy falls of about 50 mm can be expected at some places in these areas. Showers or thundershowers will occur at a few places in Uva and Eastern provinces during the evening or night.  

The National Building Research Organization has issued high risk alert for Ingiriya, Palindanuwara, Bulathsinhala, Agalawatte and Matugama in the Kalutara district, Kalawana, Ayagama, Kiriella & Eheliyagoda in the Ratnapura district, Ambagamuwa in Nuwara-Eliya District, Yatiyantota, Dehiowita, Bulathkohupitiya, Deraniyagala, Kegalle, Warakapola, Galigamuwa, Ruwanwella, Aranayaka, Mawanella & Rambukkana in the  Kegalle District. Further, medium level risk alerts have been issued to some areas in Colombo, Galle, Gampaha, Kalutara, Kandy, Matale districts.

The WFP handed over a consignment of items to the Disaster Management Centre to support the Monsoon emergency response efforts. These items which include personal protective equipment, disinfectant liquid and sprayers, thermal scanners and washbasins will help facilitate response and relief activities to assist those affected by the South-West Monsoon rains.

The Consignment was handed over to Major General (Retd.) Sudantha Ranasinghe, Director General of Disaster Management Centre by Indu Abeyratne, Programme Officer of World Food Programme, whilst Director Preparedness and Director Operations were also present at the handover.