Adverse weather affects many districts

by Mohammed Naalir

The adverse weather has affected the Matale, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Badulla, Kegalle, Ampara, Batticaloa, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu and Vavuniya districts. This has affected 45,918 families comprising 134,693 persons, according to Disaster Management Centre (DMC) sources.

DMC sources said 273 houses have been fully damaged while 1,558 houses have been partly damaged. Over 292 families numbering 1,060 persons have been displaced and have been housed in 24 welfare centres.

Two persons each have died in Walapane and Welimada.

In Batticaloa district, 44,530 families numbering 129,473 persons have been affected. Seventeen houses and 29 houses have been fully and partly damaged respectively.

In Manmunai Divisional Secretariat Division, 400 families numbering 1,439 persons have been affected.

Twenty families numbering 73 persons have been displaced and are staying with friends or relatives.In Katthankudy Divisional Secretariat Division, 3,964 families numbering 12,515 persons and 8,320 families comprising 33,321 in Eravur Town Divisional Secretariat Division have been affected by bad weather.

The statistics of people who were affected by floods are being collected, according to the Batticaloa Disaster Management Centre.Due to landslides, 87 families numbering 289 persons have been displaced in Matale district and housed in 11 welfare centres.

The sources said 170 houses have been fully and 660 houses partly damaged in Matale. Due to floods, 44 families numbering 288 persons have been affected in the Kandy district. Fifteen families numbering 97 persons have been displaced and have been housed in two welfare centres.

In Ampara district, 153 families numbering 479 persons have been affected. Reservoirs and tanks in the Ampara and Batticalia districts are overflowing. Paddy fields which were nearing harvesting in both districts have now submerged, according to Eastern Province sources. The threat of Epidemics has also arisen in the flooded areas. Fishermen have also been affected.

The Transport to Thuraiwandiyamedu via Thuraineelawanai, Senaikkudiyiruppu has also been interrupted due to floods and boats are used to ferry people between these areas.