A spill gate at the Kotmale Gamini Dissanayake Reservoir was opened slightly at 7.00 p.m. on Sunday (9) after the water level rose close to maximum capacity, with residents downstream told to stay alert.
The Major Dams and Reservoir Operations Division of the Sri Lanka Mahaweli Authority at Kotmale said about 20 cubic metres of excess water per second is being released into the Kotmala Oya through the gate.
Hiru News, citing the Irrigation Engineer in charge at Kotmale, reported that one gate was opened.
Downstream warning
Water levels in the Kotmala Oya and in the Mahaweli River below the reservoir could rise slightly as a result of the release, authorities said. People living downstream and along both banks have been urged to remain vigilant and monitor the situation closely.
Officials also asked that residents in affected areas be informed immediately and advised to follow any safety instructions issued.
The Disaster Management Centre and the Mahaweli Authority issued the alert jointly, according to Hiru News.
The fourth release in a week
Sunday’s operation follows a sequence of releases at the same reservoir during the current wet spell. The Mahaweli Authority opened the spill gates and the silt sluice on August 3 as heavy rain accumulated over the upper catchment, a far larger discharge that was followed by flooding around Gampola and the displacement of about 500 families.
The Upper Kotmale gates were opened the same day, and the Irrigation Department reopened the Kotmale gates on August 5, releasing around 130 cubic feet per second and placing Ulapane, Gelioya, Gampola, Peradeniya and Katugastota on alert.
Sunday’s release is a comparatively small one. It comes as the reservoir refills rather than during the peak of the rainfall, and the Met Department’s forecast for Sunday carried no rainfall threshold for the first time this week, though showers were still expected in the Kandy and Nuwara Eliya districts that feed the catchment.
Sources: Ada Derana, Hiru News.
