Sri Lanka announced plans yesterday to prosecute a slew of companies and individuals behind illegal construction projects blamed for landslides and flooding that have killed at least 211 people following heavy monsoon rains last week.
The urban development ministry said they will press criminal charges against those illegally occupying marshlands earmarked to absorb flood waters and structures blocking canals and storm drains.
“Much of the destruction was due to people building on mountain slopes after cutting down trees and blocking waterways,” a ministry spokesman said.
Prosecutors will kick off proceedings on Monday in Colombo against 18 individuals and companies, he said, as authorities prepare to launch a nationwide campaign to remove illegal structures.
There are some 10,000 unauthorised structures in the capital alone, according to the spokesman.
Decades of illegal construction have worsened the flooding by blocking drains and eliminating natural rainwater stores, including marshland.
The official Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said the death toll from last week’s rains that triggered landslides and flooding rose to 211 after more bodies were discovered under tonnes of mud.
Among those killed were 45 schoolchildren. Over 90 people were still listed as missing while another 72 remained in hospital.
Nearly 2,000 homes were destroyed and over 10,000 suffered structural damage reported the DMC.
The centre said the situation across the country had improved but thousands of security personnel were still assisting in relief and recovery operations.
The flooding is the worst since May 2003 when 250 people were killed and 10,000 homes destroyed after a similarly powerful monsoon, officials said.
Monsoon rains last year also caused flooding and landslides, killing more than 100 people.
President Maithripala Sirisena has blamed lack of prevention measures for the recent floods.
Speaking in the southern town of Galle recently, Sirisena lamented that flood prevention plans had not been
implemented in the country.
“People who oppose prevention plans are the ones who cry hoarse when the floods occur,” Sirisena said.
Yesterday, a Chinese cargo plane carrying emergency humanitarian relief arrived in Sri Lanka.
The relief items, including tents, bedsheets, life jackets, blankets and rain boots, were handed over to Sri Lanka’s Disaster Management Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa and Foreign Minister Ravi Karunanayake by Chinese ambassador Yi Xianliang.
“China has been ready to help us during our hour of need and we have received a lot of aid and financial support from China. These relief items which were received today will be distributed to the affected families in five districts which were the worst hit,” Minister Yapa said.
Foreign Minister Karunanayake, while thanking the Chinese government and its people on behalf of the Sri Lankan government and people, said China had responded spontaneously when Sri Lanka called for help.
“We requested the international community and China was there as a ready friend. They have been with us right throughout and have been assisting us at this hour of need,”
Karunanayake said.
Residents walk past damaged homes following flooding in Yatagampitiya village in Bulathsinhala yesterday.
