The Sri Lanka Mahaweli Authority began opening the spill gates of the Kotmale Reservoir on Monday afternoon, and by late evening about 500 families had been displaced by flooding in villages around Gampola, in the Kandy district.
The authority said the spill gates and the silt sluice of the Kotmale Gamini Dissanayake Reservoir would be opened gradually from 3.00 p.m. on Monday (3) because of continuing heavy rainfall over the reservoir’s upper catchment. The decision was taken on the instructions of the authority’s Director General and the Director of the Water Management Secretariat to safeguard the reservoir and reduce the risk of severe flooding downstream, according to a notice issued at 1.00 p.m.
Roughly 250 cubic metres of water per second was to be released into the Kotmale Oya, the Daily Mirror reported. Ada Derana gave the same figure in cubic feet per second. The authority said the volume released may change depending on how much water flows into the reservoir.
The Kotmale Reservoir is a separate structure from the Upper Kotmale Reservoir further up the same river, where three spill gates opened automatically in the early hours of Monday.
Downstream areas warned
The authority urged residents and local authorities to stay on high alert for flooding in low-lying land along the Kotmale Oya at Nugawela, Riverside and Mawathura, and along the Mahaweli River from Ulapane through Gampola, Weligalla, Gelioya, Peradeniya and Katugastota to Polgolla.
Earlier in the afternoon the Disaster Management Centre warned that Peradeniya, Gampola and Nawalapitiya faced a minor flood risk as Mahaweli water levels rose. DMC Director General Major General (Retd.) Sampath Kotuwegoda said the Kotmale spill would push levels higher still, and named Udunuwara, Udapalatha, Yatinuwara, Ganga Ihala Korale, Pasbage Korale and Gangawata Korale as the divisions at risk. The tri-forces and police have been deployed, and district officials instructed to prepare for evacuations if needed.
500 families out of their homes
About 500 families across several villages in the Gampola area have been displaced and moved to safety, the Gampola Uda Palatha and Doluwa divisional secretaries said, attributing the flooding to the rising Mahaweli.
Water entered houses at Babila, Bothalapitiya, Gangawata Road, Pallewela, Nawalapitiya Road Leonis, Kudamake, Naranwita and Inguruwatta, Hiru News reported. Those displaced are sheltering at the Gampola Gate Mosque, the Kahahatapitiya Mosque and the Bothalapitiya Gangathilaka Viharaya.
An emergency disaster committee chaired by Kandy district MP Pasming Sarif and Kandy District Secretary Indika Udawattage met at the Gampola Uda Palatha divisional secretariat on Monday to plan for a further escalation. Six boats have been brought to Gampola.
The releases add to a river system already under a Red major-flood alert covering ten divisional secretariat divisions until Wednesday afternoon. The Met Department expects the rain to ease from Tuesday afternoon.
