The Godakawela Divisional Secretariat on Saturday evacuated six families from the Basnakanda area of Makandura after large trees uprooted on a hilltop above the village raised the risk of rockfall and a landslide, Ada Derana reported.
Several mature trees on the hilltop had toppled under the weight of the prevailing heavy rainfall, the Divisional Secretariat said. Authorities decided to remove the six households occupying the houses directly downhill because of the risk that the dislodged rocks and soil could collapse onto the structures. Further action will depend on a report from the National Building Research Organisation (NBRO), which is to inspect the slope and assess longer-term stability before any return is authorised.
The evacuation comes within the broader Sabaragamuwa-Western monsoon cluster already under elevated alert. The Department of Meteorology on Friday warned of showers exceeding 75mm in Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces, while the Irrigation Department on Saturday placed Kalu Ganga and Attanagalu Oya under a minor-flood advisory. The NBRO on Friday issued Yellow landslide warnings for nine Divisional Secretariats across four districts — six of the alerted DS divisions sit at the head of the Kalu River basin, the same upstream slope-saturation system that includes Godakawela.
Source: Landslide threat prompts evacuation of six families in Basnakanda, Makandura — Ada Derana, June 13.
