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Landslide warnings for 7 districts, rivers swell

02 Aug 2022

  • Upcountry trains affected, some trains cancelled    
Taking into account the rainy weather in many parts of the island yesterday (1), the National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) has issued level one (yellow) landslide warnings for the Galle, Hambantota, Kandy, Kegalle, Matara, Nuwara Eliya and Ratnapura districts, until 11 a.m. today (2). Accordingly, the NBRO has issued landslide warnings to the Nagoda Divisional Secretariat (DS) Division in the Galle District, the Walasmulla DS Division in the Hambantota District, the Pasbage Korale DS Division in the Kandy District, the Aranayake, Yatiyanthota, and Dehiowita DS Divisions in the Kegalle District, the Mulatiyana and Athuraliya DS Divisions in the Matara District, the Ambagamuwa DS Division in the Nuwara Eliya District, and the Elapatha, Kalawana, Imbulpe, Kuruwita, Nivithigala, Kahawatte, and Eheliyagoda DS Divisions in the Ratnapura District. During the warning period, from 11 a.m. yesterday to 11 a.m. today, the NBRO has advised the public to pay attention to the development of cracks on the ground and ground subsidence, the slanting of trees, cracks in the floors and walls of buildings which are built on slopes, the sudden appearance of springs, and emerging muddy water. Meanwhile, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) announced yesterday (1) evening that due to the rain, the water levels of the tributaries of the Kelani Ganga – the Sitawaka Ganga and the Kehelgamu Oya, the Kalu Ganga from the Ratnapura area and its tributary the Maguru Oya, the Nilwala Ganga from the Panadugama and Pitabeddara areas and its tributary the Urubokka Ganga, and the Mahaweli River from the Peradeniya and Nawalapitiya areas were rising. Due to the adverse weather conditions that prevailed throughout the day yesterday, train operations on the Upcountry railway line were severely disrupted. Especially with the heavy rain in the Central Province, landslides, tree falls, and large rock falls were reported on the railway tracks in many areas. As a result, train operations between the Kotagala, Talawakele, Rosella, Watawala, Galabada, Iguruoya, Nanuoya, and the Great Western Railway Stations were disrupted. Furthermore, the trains that were scheduled to run from Colombo Fort to Badulla and vice versa, yesterday morning, were stopped at the Nawalapitiya and Hatton Railway Stations. The Railways Department had also taken steps to cancel two night mail trains that were scheduled to run from Colombo to Badulla.


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