News

News

Rivers in spate, reservoirs at spill
With incessant rains during the past few weeks, most of the island’s rivers are in spate and reservoirs at spill level, causing inconvenience to thousands and displacing others.

In the wake of unabated rains landslides have occurred adding to the problems of those affected by the rains. With irrigation and hydro power reservoirs spilling over due to the heavy rains, the authorities have been forced to open the sluice gates.

“Out of the largest reservoirs, Victoria is spilling over and three of its gates are opened,” Ceylon Electricity Board Control Engineer Lakshitha Weerasinghe said. He said the possibility of the Kotmale reservoir spilling over was very high while there was concern about the Randenigala reservoir as well.

Kalawewa and Rajangana reservoir are also full to the brim forcing the sluice gates to be opened and people living around warned to be on the alert. Kalawewa with the capacity of holding 100,000 acre feet of water has spilled over causing inundation, resident project officer of the Mahaweli H Area A. Gunatilleke said.

Many roads including the Kalawewa-Aukana road are impassable and the water level is said to be rising. Inginimitiya, the largest reservoir in the Puttalam district has also reached spill level on Friday, for the first time in 14 years, forcing the sluices to be opened and the excess water directed to the Mee oya, according to District Secretary H.M. Herath.

Due to a leak that sprang in the Ambakolawewa, 6000 acre feet of water was fed from it into the Inginimitiya reservoir increasing its capacity to a dizzy 57,500 acre feet thus causing the sluice gates to be opened. Villagers are asked not to bathe cows in that area.

With the opening of the sluice gates the Anamaduwa – Nawagaththegama road has become impassable from Uswewa to Kirioya. It was in 1985 on the invitation of Minister Asoka Wadigamangawa that the project was commissioned by President J.R. Jayewardene. Since then till 1992 the sluice gates were opened on six occasions while from that time to date it was opened only in January this year, according to the GA.

In Matale district the Bowatenna reservoir and the Nalanda, Dewahuwa and Kandalama wewas are said to be full as a result of incessant rains. By noon on Friday the water level in the Bowatenna reservoir was only 6 inches below spill level and its sluice gates were opened as a safety measure, according to engineer Vijaya Basnayake.

Arangala police had informed people living in the area to be in readiness to leave in case the Amban Ganga overflowed its banks. Around 200 families in the district have left their homes due to landslides while there are signs of more landslides. Those affected are seeking refuge in homes of relatives and friends elsewhere.

In the Madawela area, water is seeping through the ground forcing residents to flee the houses, according to Provincial Councillor T.G. Dissanayake.
Places of refuge are being made ready in case more residents have to give up their homes, he said.

Meanwhile, the causeway on the Akkaraipattu-Pottuvil road has been rendered impassable by the continuous rains over the past few days in the Eastern Province.

Top

Back to News