Mannaar severely affected by overflowing water from Anuradhapura tanks

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 February 2011, 23:32 GMT]
Mannaar district has been facing a severe natural calamity for the first time in its history due to recent rain and flood. Almost all the villages in the district are under water. 7,807 persons from 2,667 families have been displaced from areas that come under Mannaar Urban Council and Naanaaddaan Piratheasa Chapai (PS). People from Arippu and Maanthai have been trapped in their houses as they are marooned in the flood. The Government Agent of Mannaar, N.Vedhanayagam, has declared emergency situation in the district.

Vanni district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian Selvam Adaikkalanathan has sent an urgent appeal by fax to the High Commissioner of India in Colombo to send humanitarian assistance to the people of Mannaar who are fighting for their survival amid reports from the District Secretariat that the stock of food in store is enough only for two to three days.

The flood-water from the districts of Vavuniyaa and Anuradhapura due to heavy rain has deluged several areas in the Mannaar district. The water released from Malwaththu Oya from Anuradhapura flows through Aruvi Aa'ru in Mannaar district causing deluge in several villages in the district. Several houses are under water.

Hundreds of cattle have been washed away.

Land transport between Maanthai West where families are resettled and Mannaar town had come to halt on Tuesday.

Villagers in Maanthai West have been undergoing untold hardships without food and medical facilities.

Several snake-bitten victims were unable to come to town to obtain treatment, medical sources said.

Boats and fishing nets and other equipment belong to fishing community of Chilavaththu’rai and Arippu have been washed away by flood. Flood has affected not only low lying areas but also highland.

The water level of Malwattu Oya has risen to 20 to 30 feet due to excess water released from tanks in Anuradhapura district thus inundating several villages in Mannaar district.

About 2,500 families are trapped in flood in Musali area without food and medical facilities. The fate of people marooned in Maathaakiraamam and Kugnchukku’lam in Madu DS division is not known for the last seven days, according to civil authorities.

A team of volunteers with food materials, led by parliamentarian Selvam Adaikalanathan rushed to Arippu from Achchangku’lam in Naanaaddaan DS division on Monday in two fiberglass boats and they returned to the shore after four hours due to rough sea.

All the six parliamentarians of the Vanni district are on the field helping flood victims with relief materials through various sources for their survival.

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