Navy alerted as water level of Diyawanna Oya rises

The Navy was being kept in readiness following a warning issued to Speaker Karu Jayasuriya by Minister of Western Development and Megapolis Patali Champika Ranawaka that the Parliamentary complex might go under water if the water levels of the Diyawanna Oya rises further.

Sources close to Speaker Jayasuriya said that Minister Ranawaka had raised this on Sunday (20).

The minister had told the Speaker that the Parliamentary complex and houses in the vicinity might get submerged if the rain continues to pour causing the water levels of the Diyawanna Oya to rise. However, sources said the risk is less to some extent as Colombo and its suburbs have not received a heavy rainfall yesterday. “We have kept a team of naval officers on alert as a precautionary measure,” the sources said.

The Parliamentary complex had gone under water s a result of torrential rains in 1992 and in 2010 while there was also a close call in 2016.

(Source: Daily Mirror – By Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana)