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| Sunday, 5 October 2003 |
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Floods less severe but eight deaths occur by JAYAMPATHY JAYASINGHE and CHAMIKARA WEERASINGHE Last week's floods in the Southern Province that caused death and destruction due to torrential rain in many parts was less severe than the floods that caused havoc in the Sabaragamuwa province three months ago, a spokesman for the Social Welfare Ministry said. National Disaster Management Centre's Director A. Hettiarchchi said that a total of eight deaths have been reported from Matara, Elpitiya and Yakkalamulla areas due to people being swept away and then drowning in flood waters. Two persons had drowned in Matara-Welivitiya areas while six persons from Yakkalamulla are reported to have been swept away by flood waters. He said 816 families living in 57 Grama Nilladari Divisions of Galle and Matara districts of Welipitiya, Elpitiya, Yakkalamulla, Welivitiya, Baddegama, Nagoda and two other districts in the Kalutara Grama Niladari Divisions of Matugama and Walallavita were affected. Social Welfare Ministry Secretary, Mrs. V. Jegarasasingam said that Minister Karu Jayasuriya, Chairman of the Sub-Committee on National Disaster Management and Social Welfare Minister, Ravindra Samaraweera visited Hambantota, Matara and Galle Districts and brought immediate relief to flood victims by providing them with cooked meals, dry rations and other requirements. She said the government has decided to reconstruct damaged houses and grant Rs. 100,000 for the victims. Ministers Karu Jayasuriya and Ravindra Samaraweera also visited the Kalutara district and granted a sum of Rs. 5.36 million to flood victims. Already a sum of Rs 85.3 million has been provided to Kalutara district for reconstruction work. Meanwhile, the Social Welfare Ministry has granted a sum of Rs. 693.9 million to the Divisional Secretariats to pay compensation to those who were affected by floods during the month of May 2003. The areas affected were Ratnapura, Kalutara, Galle, Matara and Hambantota. |
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