Relief for rain-hit areas in North and East

by Ananth Palakidnar

Minister of Disaster Relief Services Rishad Bathiudeen has instructed the Government Agents of flood-devastated areas to assist the displaced civilians in the North and East with cooked meals as immediate relief, according to the Relief Services Centre, which is keeping a round the clock eye on the disaster.

Arrangements have also been made to assess the damage to the properties in the rain-hit areas, according to Ministry sources.

Around fifteen thousand civilians in the Jaffna Peninsula, over twenty thousand civilians in the regions of Batticaloa and Ampara along with four thousand five hundred families in Mullaitivu district have been affected by the heavy torrential showers in the North and East.

"For the first time in twenty years, thousands of civilians have been affected due to torrential showers in the Peninsula. They are currently seeking shelter in eight camps put up for those displaced due to the floods," Jaffna Additional Government Agent A. Sivasamy said.

Commenting on the adverse weather conditions in the North, AGA Sivasamy told the Sunday Observer that it has been pouring continuously from the beginning of December.

Four camps have been set up in the Jaffna AGA Division with four more being set up in the Uduvil area to house the civilians displaced due to heavy showers in the Peninsula.

"We have received reports from twelve out of the fifteen AGA divisions on the damage caused by torrential showers. Nineteen houses have been completely damaged with 344 more houses partly damaged," Sivasami said.

According to reports on damage to areas under cultivation in the North, over sixty to seventy hectares of area in the peninsula, which had been cultivated with plantains, have been heavily affected, with large cultivated areas of onion and other crops also been damaged.

Meanwhile, according to informed sources from the East, 5,540 civilians from Batticaloa and 14,420 civilians from Ampara have been affected due to the rains. Several highways have become impassable as a result of flood waters.

The Parakrama Samudra in Polonnaruwa is overflowing and its air gates have been opened to release the excess water. Dambulla and other adjoining areas have also been affected by floods and the vegetable cultivators from the region say that they find it difficult to transport their products to other areas.

The uncleared Mullaitivu region has also been heavily hit with torrential rains and according to the Government Agent there, 4,500 civilians have been affected.

The Ratnapura and Badulla areas have also been affected due to rains, sources said.

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