Mavil Aru Embankment Breaches at 13 Points, Residents Urged to Evacuate Immediately

Due to the Mahaweli River's water level rising beyond its capacity, the Mavil Aru sluice gate and the Mavil Aru reservoir embankment reportedly breached in about 13 locations today (30) around 9:30 AM.
Irrigation officials stated that the breached areas are widening and are difficult to control.

Accordingly,

residents in the surrounding low-lying areas have been advised to evacuate, and arrangements have been made to direct people to Seruwila Mangala Maha Viharaya, which has been designated as a safe haven.

Irrigation Director General Ajith Gunasekara had stated that the situation was already critical by yesterday.
He had stated then that the Mavil Aru sluice gate and the Mavil Aru reservoir embankment were indeed in a precarious state, but that a breach of either the sluice gate or the embankment was not anticipated.
However, he also mentioned that due to the Mahaweli River's high-speed flow and the heavy rainfall in the area, the Mavil Aru reservoir and its surroundings appeared as one continuous body of water, posing a risk of the sluice gate or dam breaking.