Sri lanka flooding disaster

Feb 09, Colombo: Sri Lanka government has roughly estimated that the recent round of floods have caused a damage worth of 50 billion rupees to the economy while affecting over 1.2 million people of 18 districts.

Minister of Disaster Management Mahinda Amaraweera says that thousands of acres of cultivations, around 450 small and big irrigation schemes, at least 75,000 cattle and many thousands of poultry and other animals were destroyed in floods.

The UN agencies say the second wave of floods is worse than the previous round and has led to widespread crop losses causing the almost total loss of the investments towards the Maha season cultivation.

According to Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), paddy and other field crops planted in Trincomalee and Batticaloa districts have completely been lost.

Meanwhile, irrigation officials say rebuilding the damaged reservoirs and canals will cost about five billion rupees.

The government has planned to employ the low income group people in the affected communities in rehabilitation work at 500 rupees per day for four weeks to assist them to rebuild their lives.