11th November 2021 13:50:10 Hours
General Shavendra Silva, Chief of Defence Staff and Commander of the Army closely watching development of flood threats across the country as torrential rains have worsened causing havoc in the past 24 hours instructed all island-wide Commanders of the Security Forces to have additional troops on standby to meet with any emergency contingencies.
Of late, Yakadagalla in the Welihinda Grama Seva Division in Diulapitiya was among the worst hit flooded areas in the past 24 hours ending at noon today (10).
Sector 14 troops of the 143 Brigade under the 14 Division on the instructions of their Commanding Officer rushed to the affected village areas and evacuated more than 35 stranded families who were surrounded by surging flood waters, being unable to do their cooking either.
Troops evacuated those families on Army boats and moved them to safer places in Army vehicles before all of them were provided with cooked meal packets as dinner and lunch.
Meanwhile, torrential rains and ravaging floods in the past 24 hours inundated many areas in the Jaffna peninsula, causing people to abandon their houses and properties in search of safer places as water levels were fast on the increase.
Alert to the alarming developments, 51, 52 and 55 Division troops of the SFHQ-J swiftly jumped into action and assisted their safe evacuation to common places and houses of their relatives and friends. Simultaneously, troops cleared waterways and enabled flood water to flow fast while assisting the Police to control vehicle traffic along affected roads.
In addition, troops took steps to provide cooked meals, drinking water and other essentials for affected people in those respective areas while at the same time providing security and safety to their abandoned houses and properties.
Those arrangements were effected on the directions of Major General Jagath Kodithuwakku, Commander Security Forces - Jaffna. All General Officers Commanding of 51, 52 and 55 Divisions, Brigade Commanders and Battalion Commanders supported and instructed accordingly in order to mitigate the adverse effects of floods on stranded civilians. At the same time, Jaffna troops in close contact with officials of the Disaster Management Centre and other relevant authorities have been mobilized to alert to face any further flood threats in the peninsula.
In the meantime, troops of the 58 Division, located in Puttalam on Tuesday (9) distributed more than 300 plus meal packs among flood victims in the Puttalam area after heavy rains have inundated the entire low-lying areas.
Similarly, 5 (V) Sri Lanka Light Infantry troops of the 213 Brigade under the 21 Division hand in hand with villagers of Nabadagasdigiliya, in Security Force Wanni on Sunday (7) completely cleared the canal that runs from the Nabadagasdigiliya sluice gates which have been completely covered with pollutants and different water plants, threatening splits on the bund. The request to this effect to the troops was received from the Divisional Secretariat in Mahawilachchiya.
This urgent need was attended as per instructions of the Commander, Security Forces - Wanni, Major General Champaka Ranasingha and General Officer Commanding 21 Division, Major General Mohan Rathnayake and Colonel L.G.J.N Ariyathilake, Commander 213 Brigade. Major S.D Rathnasiri, Commanding Officer 5 (V) Sri Lanka Light Infantry troops closely monitored the project.
In the meantime, more than thirty-one 1 Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment troops of the 143 Brigade under the 14 Division, following technical guidance given by the Irrigation Officer in order to avert any threat of split to the tank bund of the Kusalawewa in Arachchikattuwa dug an additional parallel waterway and mitigated the threat of overflowing of the tank this morning (10).
Those troops under the instructions of the Major Sri Samarasingha, Commanding Officer began the task around 8.00 am this morning and completed it before noon.
