Kelani water to recede in four days
The Irrigation Department yesterday predicted that water levels of the Kelani
river are expected to return to normal in four days, bringing a sense of relief
to hundreds of thousands of flood-affected victims from the longest flood
situation the country had experienced in decades.
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ON DANGEROUS GROUND :Treading cautiously through the
treacherous mud, with a fallen boulder looming dangerously
above them, in the yet unstable rock fall of last Tuesday’s
landslide at Aranayaka, this rescue team carries its sad
burden of a body of a victim recovered from the depths of
the earthslip. (Pic: Sulochana Gamagé) |
According to the Disaster Management Centre, the extreme weather that prevailed
for the past one week, left 375,604 people of 93,099 families affected across
the country. Seventy-one deaths were reported and 127 people were reported
missing.
The military said the number of missing persons was 141. Search operations were
continuing in the landslide-affected Aranayaka and Bulathkohupitiya areas in the
Kegalle district.
People living in low-lying areas in Hanwella, Biyagama, Kaduwela, Kotikawatta,
Kolonnawa, Sedawatta, Wellampitiya, Kohilawatta, Orugodawatta, Mulleriyawa,
Wellampitiya, Gothatuwa and Kelanimulla experienced the longest flood situation
in decades.
Director General of Irrigation, Saman Weerasinghe said water levels in the
Kelani river are fluctuating between 6.8 feet and 7 feet due to the high tide
and are expected to reduce in the coming days and will thereby reduce the
flooding levels in areas along the Kelani river.
“On a normal day, the water level of the river is between 3.5 and 5 feet,” he
said adding that in four days the water level is likely to reach this mark.
Weerasinghe said this estimation is based on the information received from the
Department of Meteorology.
According to Weerasinghe, the number of overflowing reservoirs around the
country have also reduced from 23 to seven and the decreasing water levels are
expected around the island as well.
However, news that one of the two flood control dams near the Ambatale Water
treatment plant along the Kelani river is near collapse, and is a matter of
concern for the public in the area.
According to the Director of Irrigation, Colombo Division, G.K. Premakeerthi the
public need not be alarmed as water levels have risen above these dams and not
affected the Ambatale plant. “We are not able to ascertain as to which dam is
damaged due to the high levels of water,” he said adding that as the water
levels had surpassed the dam, if it collapses it will not affect the Ambatale
plant.
Director General of the Department of Meteorology Lalith Chandrapala said the
island can expect fair weather in the coming days as the country has not
received any significant levels of rain in the past 12 - 18 hours.
“We expect the situation will remain the same in the next 24 hours,” he said
adding that while rainfall can be expected in several parts of the island
including the Western, Wayamba, Sabaragamuwa and Central province, the rainfall
will not be significant.
According to Chandrapala, cyclone Roanu which adversely affected the island is
now 1,600 kilometres from Kankesanthurai and is expected to enter Bangladesh
today. “This will reduce the effect it has on the weather experienced by Sri
Lanka,” he said.
According to the Disaster Management Centre, 278,528 flood-affected people of
66,198 families are still living in 497 camps.
The devastating floods has left 474 houses fully damaged and has caused immense
damage to private property. |
