At least 11 killed in Sri Lanka flooding
Source: Agencies |
February 7, 2011, Monday
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HEAVY rain triggered flooding in Sri Lanka that killed at least 11 people and is threatening up to 90 percent of the staple rice crop, heightening concern about supply shortages and inflation, officials said yesterday.
Heavy monsoon rain caused flooding across the Eastern, Northern and North Central provinces for the second time in less than a month. More than 250,000 people have been forced into temporary shelters by this latest inundation.
"A large amount is destroyed. More than 90 percent of the crop will be destroyed this time," Agriculture Minister Mahinda Yapa Abeywardene said, referring to the rice crop.
Sri Lanka cultivates 570,000 hectares of paddy fields twice a year, and another 100,000 hectares have been added in the former war zone in the Northern and Eastern provinces, the -government said.
January's floods killed more than 40 people and forced up to 325,000 from their homes and the Agriculture Ministry had said that at least 21 percent of the rice crop was destroyed.
Sri Lanka has maintained low inflation since May 2009, when a 30-year war with Tamil Tiger separatists ended, mainly because of higher food supplies coming from the Northern and Eastern provinces where fighting took place.
Heavy monsoon rain caused flooding across the Eastern, Northern and North Central provinces for the second time in less than a month. More than 250,000 people have been forced into temporary shelters by this latest inundation.
"A large amount is destroyed. More than 90 percent of the crop will be destroyed this time," Agriculture Minister Mahinda Yapa Abeywardene said, referring to the rice crop.
Sri Lanka cultivates 570,000 hectares of paddy fields twice a year, and another 100,000 hectares have been added in the former war zone in the Northern and Eastern provinces, the -government said.
January's floods killed more than 40 people and forced up to 325,000 from their homes and the Agriculture Ministry had said that at least 21 percent of the rice crop was destroyed.
Sri Lanka has maintained low inflation since May 2009, when a 30-year war with Tamil Tiger separatists ended, mainly because of higher food supplies coming from the Northern and Eastern provinces where fighting took place.
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