Colombo - A city that should not drown

Newswire reports that heavy rain flooded roads in Maligawatta, Sangharaja Mawatha and Khettarama, with traffic disruption also reported around Armour Street, Nawam Mawatha and Borella. Newswire says police advised motorists to take care and warned that delays were likely. Ada Derana (தமிழ்) reports that police said heavy rain from the afternoon had flooded several Colombo roads.

Daily Mirror reports in one account that nearly 100mm of rain fell within two hours on Friday the 6th, overwhelming a drainage system designed for about 30mm an hour. In a separate report, Daily Mirror says 129mm fell in two hours on Friday evening, flooding roads and residential areas, overflowing sewage systems and leaving thousands of commuters stranded.

Lankadeepa and Newsfirst (தமிழ்) report that the transport, highways and urban development ministry identified 60 locations in Colombo where water drainage is obstructed. Ada Derana reports that a minister cited poor drainage and unauthorised construction as factors contributing to flooding within Colombo Municipal Council limits.

Hiru News (සිංහල) reports that Colombo Municipal Council is taking steps to remove unauthorised constructions linked to sudden flooding. The reports provide no further details about the timing or scope of that work.