As you may already have heard Sri Lanka faced with a disaster in past weeks. We had a massive amount of rain falls within a few days and it led to flooding and mudslides in some areas.

All started with the development of low pressure in the Bay of Bengal. It was on the 10th of May 2016. Sri Lanka had been already having inter-monsoonal rains and this development in the Bay of Bengal changed the rainfall pattern in Sri Lanka. Many areas such as Colombo, Kegalle, Gampaha, Matara, Rathnapura, Galle and Vavuniya received a higher amount of rainfall. These areas in the country received over 100 mm of rain on that day.

On 15^th May 2016 Sri Lanka was hit by a severe tropical storm named Roanu. And it caused widespread flooding and landslides in 22 districts of the country, destroying homes and submerging entire villages.

Beginning on 16^th May, a low pressure system triggered strong winds and very heavy rain across much of Sri Lanka. In some locations as much as 300 mm of rain fell in 24 hours. And this massive shower triggered flooding and landslides. One landslide devastated three villages it was near Aranayaka division in Kegalle District. And there, over 60 houses got buried.

On 19^th May, the Sri Lanka Disaster Management Centre (DMC) reported that more than 418,000 people have been affected by this weather in 22 districts, with 41 confirmed deaths. Colombo and Gampaha districts remain the worst affected by this disaster.

Even though the depression moved away from Sri Lanka on 17 May, a heavy rain was still continuing.

According to the reports on 19^th May, 22 districts across the country have been affected: 414,627 people affected with 306,773 displaced into 594 safe locations. Forty three persons were confirmed dead with another 16 reported as missing.

Colombo district was affected mostly with the overflowing of the Kelani river. 170,233 beings affected in this district alone. The water levels in the river continue to remain high due to the continuous spilling of major tanks upstream.

According to the past reports this is the worst floods affected in Sri Lanka in 25 years.

Water levels on the Kelani River had been peaked at 8 feet. And it started to fall gradually on 19^th May 2016 and had tumbled to six feet by 22 May 2016.

67 bodies had been recovered from the central district of Kegalle according to the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) after massive shower and extensive flooding. At present, 99 people are still listed as missing after the disaster on 17 May.

Due to heavy rains, floods and landslides the authorities evacuated more than 60,000 people from thousands of homes and were living in a variety of safe locations, including camps, schools, temples, with host families and in other temporary accommodation.

Now some people have gone back to their homes since the water level has fallen. And the rains have become less frequent.

But still 237,240 people are displaced and living away from their homes.

Government agents, military, volunteers, non-profit organizations and many other individuals helped rescue people who faced to the disaster. All Sri Lankans and many foreign nations supplied food and other necessary equipment to these people who suffered. There were many collecting centers where people could donate dry foods, clothes, sanitary items and much needed accessories. Senior students at my university collected these items and I helped with them.  Facing to this disaster created hard time for all the Sri Lankans, but we as a nation trying to overcome it. Some animal rescue organizations and some other individuals helped save animals that faced in floods. And it taught us saving every living being is important.

Still, some area such as Colombo are getting somewhat big amount of rains but the frequency is lesser and the harm is intangible from that.

Prior to this massive shower period Sri Lankan faced with droughts and temperature those days were very high. Sometimes it went up to forty Celsius in district like Colombo.

Not only had we, Sri Lankans faced these worse situations.  Some other countries faced with floods, massive rains, droughts etc.

As you may have already assumed all this disasters are consequences of Global Warming. We are getting repaid to all the harm we did to our planet. As environmentalist it is our duty to stand against people who harm the environment and protect Mother Nature. Let's protect our planet today itself, tomorrow would be too late. And every small step would count and will make massive change in the future.

References:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/sri-lanka-landslides-missing-dead-a7055136.html

http://reliefweb.int/report/sri-lanka/sri-lanka-floods-and-landslides-situation-report-no-1-22-may-2016

http://reliefweb.int/report/sri-lanka/sri-lanka-floods-and-landslides-flash-update-no-1-19-may-2016

http://reliefweb.int/report/sri-lanka/situation-report-sri-lanka-floods-19-may-2016

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_Sri_Lankan_floods