Floods hit over 600,000 in Eastern Province

by Mohammed NAALIR

Over 600,000 persons have been affected in the Eastern Province due to floods a spokesman for the Disaster Management Centre said.

The Batticaloa and Ampara Districts have been severely affected due to floods, the spokesman said.

According to Disaster Management Centre, 95,376 families comprising 358,366 persons in Batticaloa district and 62,362 families 229,548 persons in the Ampara district have been affected.

The prevailing adverse weather conditions have affected the normal life of around 157,738 families comprising 588,014 persons in the Eastern Province.

Six-hundred and sixty nine houses have been damaged while 2,631 are partly damaged. The displaced families have been sheltered in 18 welfare centres in the province.

Over 3,550 persons have been sheltered in welfare camps in Batticaloa and 1,127 in Ampara.

Water Resources Management Deputy Director Janaki Meegastenna said that 36 major tanks in the country of the 59 are overflowing.

Seven tanks in the Anuradhapura district are at spill level and two sluice gates of the Padaviya and Rajangana tanks have been opened. Four tanks in the Batticaloa district are overflowing. The two sluice gates of the Urugamam tank have also been opened.

Eight tanks in Hambantota, five in Kurunegala, two in Trincomalee and the Kattukkarai Tank in Mannar are overflowing due to the prevailing weather.

The land route to Navithanveli from Kalmunai is impassable due to the floods. The Kittangi Thambothi bridge on the main road which is the main route to Navithanveli from Kalmunai was washed away. People are unable to reach this area even on foot.Transport to Navithanveli, Central Camp, Weerattidal, Sorikkalmunai, Thiruwanoor and the Ammamalai Ranamadu areas, are impassable.