Flood risk for many river basins if rains continue

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The Irrigation Department warns that there is a risk of floods in many river basins if the southwestern parts of the island receive the rainfall.

The Irrigation Department has announced that low lying areas of the Mee Oya, Deduru Oya, Maha Oya, Attanagalu Oya, Kelani Ganga, Kalu Ganga, Bentara Ganga, Gin Ganga, Nilwala Ganga and Kirama Oya could be inundated.

Many reservoirs in the island have been filled, due to the heavy rains in the past week and especially, the Deduru Oya, Udawalawe and Iginimitiya reservoirs have already reached their maximum capacity, the Irrigation Department said. It was pointed out that the sluice gates of these reservoirs may have to be opened with the rains in the future.

Especially, due to the opening of the sluice gates of the Deduru Oya Reservoir, if a water capacity of 16,000 cubic feet per second is released into the Deduru Oya, low lying areas on both sides of the Deduru Oya will be inundated.

If 12,000 cubic feet of water per second is released into the Walawe River due to the opening of the sluice gates of the Udawalawe Reservoir, the low lying areas on both sides of the Walawe River will be inundated.

Director of the Department of Hydrology and Disaster Management, S. P. C. Sugishwara said that if a capacity of 8,000 cubic feet per second of water is released into the Mee Oya due to the opening of the sluice gates of the Iginimitiya Reservoir, the low lying areas on both sides of the Mee Oya will be inundated.

Meanwhile, the Meteorology Department said the South-west monsoon condition is gradually establishing over the country.