Perilous Times and Climate Change
Record rains flood Sri Lanka, leaving 36,000 families homeless
By Iqbal Athas, CNN
November 11, 2010 1:04 p.m. EST
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
* The navy and army tell residents to call for aid
* The 19 inches of rain are the most in 18 years, the government
said
* About 33,000 families are housed in 11 emergency shelters in the
nation's capital
* Assistance also is being given to people trapped by the water,
officials said
Colombo, Sri Lanka (CNN) -- The heaviest rain in 18 years flooded Sri
Lanka on Thursday, leaving about 36,000 families homeless, marooning
traffic and submerging the country's Parliament in four feet of water.
The Ministry of Disaster Management said most of those affected are in
the western province, which includes Colombo, the nation's capital.
About 33,000 families were being housed in 11 welfare centers in the
city, the ministry said.
According to the ministry, Thursday's rainfall totaled 490 millimeters
(19.3 inches), the worst in 18 years. The previous record was from June
1992, when 440 millimeters (17.3 inches) of rain fell.
"The government has taken immediate steps to help those affected,"
Construction and Housing Minister Wimal Weerawansa told CNN. "Food and
other supplies were being provided. The navy was assisting those
trapped in waters."
An air force spokesman told reporters Thursday that helicopters were
conducting surveillance flights over flood-hit areas.
"It will be a couple of days before we make a full assessment of the
damage caused," he said.
Flooded intersections and fallen trees obstructed traffic. Many workers
in state and private jobs did not show up. The government said state
employees would be entitled to leave.
The ground floor of the Parliament building complex was under four feet
of water. However, Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa conferred with opposition
parties and chose to rush through urgent legislation. That included a
supplementary vote to pay salaries of state officers, a measure needed
before November 15.
Rajapaksa rode to the Parliament complex in a boat provided by the
navy. Other members of parliament were transported to the building by
military vehicles with a high clearance, officials and police said.
"We decided to extend our support due to the exigencies of the
situation," said Ravi Karunanayake, a Colombo district member of
parliament for the main opposition United National Party.
He said the session was conducted in the upper floor chamber, which had
no electricity. The state-owned Ceylon Electricity Board had
disconnected service in several parts of the city as a precautionary
measure after its distribution outlets were flooded.
The Sri Lanka navy and army made public appeals asking flood victims to
contact them for relief assistance. Television and
radio stations repeatedly broadcast their contact numbers.
Schools were shut down in the Western Province, the hardest hit area.
The Education Ministry said examinations scheduled for Thursday were
postponed.
The floods came as the government made elaborate arrangements for the
November 19 ceremony in which Mahinda Rajapaksa will be sworn in for a
second term as president of Sri Lanka. He convincingly won the
presidential elections in January, defeating his former army commander.
Foreign dignitaries are slated to attend the elaborate ceremonies,
which will feature military parades and a series of other events.
In addition, Indian Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna is expected in
Colombo later this month, followed by Pakistani President Asif Ali
Zardari.
Sri Lanka, known as Ceylon until 1972, is an island nation off the
southeastern coast of India. Colombo, the capital, is on the western
coast, bordering the Laccadive Sea.