More than 30,000 locations across the country have been identified as being at high risk of landslides due to prevailing heavy rainfall, National Building Research Institute (NBRI) Senior Geologist Dr Wasantha Senadheera said yesterday (22).
Speaking at a media briefing, he said 25 updates to landslide early warnings had been issued since 3 October.
He said the impact of Cyclone Ditwah had resulted in preliminary signs of potential landslides emerging in many areas. In some locations, rocks and layers of soil remained temporarily in place, posing a significant risk of being washed away by the prevailing rainfall.
Dr Senadheera explained that landslide warnings could remain valid even if only light rainfall was recorded in a particular area, due to the rainfall experienced over the preceding several days. He urged residents in landslide-prone areas to remain vigilant and take necessary safety precautions.
Landslide warnings were updated on Wednesday (21) following rainfall, with Level 2 ‘Alert’ notices issued for Udapalatha, Medadumbara and Kundasale in the Kandy District; Ambagamuwa and Norwood in the Nuwara Eliya District; and Ratnapura, Elapatha and Kuruwita in the Ratnapura District.
He said the warnings could be revised depending on prevailing rainfall conditions.
Meanwhile, a significant amount of earth from a landslide-prone hillside near Kadigamuwa Railway Station collapsed onto the railway track again on Wednesday evening, disrupting train services between Colombo Fort and Gampola and Peradeniya on the Upcountry Railway Line.
Separately, measures to strengthen landslide risk reduction in vulnerable areas were discussed at the ninth Project Steering Committee (PSC) meeting of the Reduction of Landslide Vulnerability by Mitigation Measures Project (RLVMMP), held at the Defence Ministry.
Defence Secretary (Retired) Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha, who chaired the meeting, led discussions on project progress, implementation challenges and measures to improve the effectiveness and sustainability of mitigation efforts.
Representatives of key Government institutions also discussed ways to improve coordination and address implementation challenges.
The RLVMMP is implemented by the NBRI with funding from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the Government. It aims to reduce landslide vulnerability through mitigation measures, particularly in high-risk areas.