Torrential rain wreaks havoc [October 25 2008]

Last week’s torrential rain wreaked havoc in many parts of the Western province and several families were rendered homeless in the Puttalam district. Rs. 6.3 million has been allocated to Government Agents of flood stricken areas by the National Disaster Relief Services Centre to be distributed among those affected by the flash floods.

A spokesman for the National Disaster Relief Services Centre said only cash was allocated for Government Agents in the area. They will decide whether dry rations are to be distributed among the flood victims.

The areas affected by the flash floods are Colombo, Kalutara, Galle, Gampaha, Kurunegala, Matara, Puttalam and Ratnapura. Gampaha was the worst affected division where 15,632 families and 67,156 persons were displaced.

The number affected is as follows: Attanagalle (1,286), Gampaha (1,925), Ja-ela (12,550), Katana (13,380), Kelaniya (3,435), Mahara (333), Minuwangoda (1,006), Negombo (2,241) and Wattala (31,000). Twenty-two camps have been set up to accommodate flood victims in Gampaha, Matara and the Puttalam areas.

Puttalam is the second flood affected division after Gampaha with 2,781 families and 11,064 persons rendered homeless. Residents of Ja-ela have complained that the water level at the Dandugama-Oya has risen threatening nearly 500 families living in the Galigam-Kotogoda area.