Heavy rainfall triggers landslides and evacuations in Sri Lanka and India

Heavy rainfall has triggered landslide risks and flooding across parts of Sri Lanka and India, leading to multiple evacuations.

In Sri Lanka, a landslide in the Kalkandai section of the Gartmore Private Tea Estate necessitated the relocation of 45 people from nine families to a local children’s home. This follows a previous landslide in the same area on September 21. The National Building Research Organisation has issued landslide early warnings for several areas in the Nuwara Eliya District as rainfall continues.

In India, the Visakhapatnam district recorded an average of 332.7 mm of rainfall over five days due to a severe depression. As a precaution, district authorities moved 257 people from 97 families living in flood- and landslide-prone areas to safer locations. The administration has prepared 56 relief centres. The heavy rains have also caused damage to banana crops, cattle, and approximately 11.5 km of roads.