Reaches 6.4 level ... but recedes -- risk of "big floods" of Kelani Ganga blows away

Reaches 6.4 level ... but recedes -- risk of "big floods" of Kelani Ganga blows away

Director of Hydrology Mrs. Prema Hettiaarachchi informs that the 'big floods' risk of Kelani Ganga overflooding has not occured though Irrigation Department had issued a warning about such a situation last afternoon.

During the course of a news briefing last afternoon she mentioned that if the water level meter of  Nagalagamveediya which remained at a value of 5.3 happened to exceed 7, a 'big floods' situation was bound to occur. Though that value was reported to be at a value of 6.4 at approximately 10 in the night, there were signs that the said value

was receding during nighttime. Thus this morning (27) she has informed that the 'big floods' situation is tending to drift away. As such, it appears that there would not be a damage similar to that which took place in the year 2016. value of 5.3 happened to exceed 7, a 'big floods' situation was bound to occur. Though that value was reported to be at a value of 6.4 at approximately 10 in the night, there were signs that the said value was receding during nighttime. Thus this morning (27) she has informed that the 'big floods' situation is tending to drift away. As such, it appears that there would not be a damage similar to that which took place in the year 2016. However this situation may take a different turn depending on the rainfall in the next few days.

Whatever it is, because of the normal flood condition of Kelani Ganga overflowing, a number of low-lying areas in the environs have gone under water. What the Irrigation Department said was that low-lying lands adjoining Avissawella, Hanwella, Dompe, Kolonnawa and Kelaniya have come under water this way. According to the announcement of caution issued to public living on either side of Kelani Ganga by Disaster Management Centre, over 3000 people had left abandoned the said locality by nighttime yesterday.