Officials of the Mahaweli Authority yesterday cautioned the public against entering rivers due to strong currents resulting from overflowing reservoirs.
The recent heavy rains in the central hills of the country have led to eight reservoirs, including the Victoria, Rantambe and Randenigala reservoirs, reaching full capacity.
As a precautionary measure, all sluice gates across various reservoirs, including the six at the Lunugamvehera reservoir, have been opened.
A spokesman for the Mahaweli Authority emphasized the dangers associated with the heavy currents, adding that there is a significant risk of people being sucked into the sluice gates.
The authorities have called upon people to exercise extreme caution and refrain from venturing into rivers until the water levels subside.
Irrigation engineers have also advised residents in low-lying areas to stay vigilant for potential floods, as the increased water flow downstream could pose a threat to nearby communities. Landslides in the central hill country have caused delays in train services.
Meteorologists have attributed the unexpected heavy rains to an Easterly wave in the rain-bearing system.
Meteorologists told the Sunday Observer yesterday, that a passage of the Easterly wave aligning with the Northeast monsoons, have resulted in unexpected rainfall across the country, particularly in the Sabaragamuwa and Western Provinces.
“While these conditions are temporary, the Northeast monsoons are expected to bring heavy rains to the Northern, Eastern, and Uva Provinces,”the meteorologists said. They assured the public that the heavy rains would subside by the last quarter of January.
