Nilanthi

Anjali Tashani

Hundreds of persons were marooned in the Kalutara district due to heavy rains yesterday.

A mother and a daughter were buried alive while the father was severely injured by an earthslip in Akuressa. The deceased were identified as Nilanthi Kumari (27) and Anjali Tashani Vinodya(05). The father H. G. Gamini (30) was admitted to the Imaduwa hospital with severe injuries and his condition was serious according to hospital sources.

The National Disaster Management Centre said that over 200 houses in Kalutara had gone underwater owing to a block in the estuary of the Kalu Ganga. Officials of the Irrigation Department’s Kalutara District branch were engaged in clearing the estuary.

A number of roads in the Ratnapura district, too, had been inundated and transport had come to a stand still, NDMC sources said.

"A few roads in the Elapatha in Kahawtta areas are underwater. Vehicular transportation in Elapatha Karangoda area and Tethpanawa Medagama, Ihalagama, Owitigama, Kitulpe, Pahala Kuruwita in Kuruwita Divisional Secretary’s division had come to a halt due to increase in the water level on roads. Some roads in Kiriella in Ratnapura district, Palinda Nuwara and Walallawita in the Kalutara district are also underwater," Deputy Director (Emergency Operations) of the NDMC said.

Meanwhile, the Department of Meteorology warned that thundershowers and strong winds would continue for a few more days due to the activation of south west monsoon.

Meteorolosit Dulari Fernando said that this was the southwest monsoon period which had begun in July. The current monsoon would continue till the end of September. During this period the monsoon conditions would be active from time to time.

"The active southwest monsoon conditions are expected to continue throughout the country. Showers accompanied by fairly strong winds are expected occasionally in the Western, Central, Sabaragamuwa and Southern provinces and Southern parts of the Northwestern province. Isolated, fairly heavy falls are also likely. Thundershowers will also develop in a very few places in the Eastern and Uva provinces during the afternoon," she said.

Fernando added that there would be showers or thundershowers at times in the coastal areas around the island. Director General of the National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) Basil Fernando said that there had been no major landslides. "However, there would be earthslips on the Deniyaya – Rakwana, Morawaka – Deniyaya, Deniyaya – Urubokka, Kotapola – Galdola roads in the Matara district and the Ratnapura – Kalawana, Kalawana – Rakwana roads in the Ratnapura district. These roads are being widened and this has caused openings due to the digging of the hills. People who use these roads are advised to take precautionary measures to minimise possible accidents," Fernando said.