11 November 2023 12:00 am Views - 146
By Ranjith Rajapakse, Sajeewa Kottage and Sanath Gamage
All eight spill gates in the Deduru Oya reservoir were opened again when the reservoir reached spill level due to heavy rainfall. Irrigation Engineer In Charge Sampath Samarajeewa said water was being released to Deduru Oya at a speed of 17,000 cubic ft. per second.
Kurunegala District Deputy Director of Disaster Management Viraj Dissanayaka said steps was taken to warn the people living in the low-lying areas of the river to be cautious of any possible flood threat if the rain persisted.
Meanwhile, the bridge over Hakwatunaoya, a tributary of Deduru Oya, had caved in due to the velocity of floods, bringing traffic on Ratmale- Hiripitiya Road to a standstill. This resulted in the closure of Maho-Nagollagama-Hiripitiya Road from either end.
Police have advised drivers to use alternative routes.
Castlereagh and Maussakelle hydropower reservoirs had swelled and reached spillover level by last morning due to the incessant rain experienced in the catchments for the last several days. Engineers in Charge said Castlereagh reservoir stood six inches below the spillover level and Maussakelle reservoir three feet below. They said Wimalasurendra reservoir was already spilling over.
Police said the roads in several areas in the upcountry had gone under water causing obstructions to traffic due to the heavy rain experienced in the western slopes of the central hills at present.
Meanwhile Maskeliya – Nallathanniya main highway had been obstructed by huge rocks that rolled down the hill near Mohini Ella and traffic was operating a single lane. National Building Research Organisation had warned the drivers to be cautious when passing through the endangered area. Several officers have been on duty round the clock to warn the drivers of any possible danger.
The people living in the low-lying areas of Kirindi Oya valley had been warned to be cautious of possible danger of floods if the spill gates in Lunugamwehera reservoir were opened.
Tissamaharama Irrigation Engineer K.H.N. Sahan Kumara said it was quite possible that the spill gates would be opened today as the reservoir that swelled was fast reaching spill-over level.
He pointed out that the people living in the low-lying areas of Kirindi Oya including Magama, Welipothewela, Bundala, Siriyagama, Molakepupathana, Ikkpallama would face a flood threat if the water was released into the river.