The system built for 30mm of rain in Colombo couldn't cope with 129mm - Mayoress

The decades-old drainage system in Colombo city was designed to withstand approximately 30mm of rainfall. However, due to the unusual rainfall of 129mm that poured down on the city in a short period yesterday (6), a massive flood situation was created across Colombo city.

Explaining the sudden disaster, Colombo Mayor Vrai Kelly Balthazar emphasized that yesterday's rainfall was a unique situation that the city's infrastructure could not possibly withstand. She pointed out that the city's normal drainage system can only handle between 30mm and 50mm of rain, and added that only a small number of drains in the city have an increased capacity to handle about 100mm of rainfall.

The Mayor stated that this torrential rain, received within a short period, caused a major problem where many areas of the city were simultaneously submerged. Currently, the Colombo Municipal Council, the Low-Lying Areas Authority responsible for canal cleaning, the Police, the Tri-Forces, and officials from Divisional Secretariats have jointly commenced operations to clean the city and provide relief to the public.

She also commented on the accusations and criticisms leveled against the Mayor via social media following the sudden flood situation. Stating that people are expressing their suffering and pain, she declared that the Colombo Municipal Council, as a responsible institution, is ready to share that pain. "The rainfall was heavy rainfall. People will share their sorrow and pain. We are here to share it," she further added.

The Mayor stated that short-term, medium-term, and long-term plans exist for managing such disaster situations, and confirmed that at this moment, the primary priority is given to implementing short-term plans that provide immediate relief and interventions needed by the people. Acknowledging that there is a large amount of work to be done in the long term, she also highlighted the importance of correctly understanding this extreme weather condition that Colombo city faced yesterday.