I wrote a big article to be published in the local paper, Island. The editir did not published it. I was critical The Public Work Department (PWD) and the local Rajapaksa goons carrying out the shoody job. They did the typical patch work on the road to our house and driving my Peugeot car on this road was dangerous with big pot holes. Besides, now I believe that the road to our house was built on a ancient stream dried up fully. The stream may have found a more suitable lower plane.
The end result was me buying second hand books on Geography books from local book sales. My elder sisters books on Geography was a treasure house. She is no more.
Flood Plains
Land both sides of the river belongs to the river. It does not belong to people or PWD or politicians.
Our political whi was doing shoddy jobs under Chandrika got elevated to high grounds, ended up building massive Motorways when he was the president.
Environmental studies were done only on paper not on proper soil or floodplains.
Proclamation
Major Floods come in 100 year cycles.
The Next big one is worse than the previous worst flood.
We had over 100 rivers.
It has come down to may be 80 now.
Levees both natural and artificial
1. Highest Water Level
This is the highest achieved in a past worst floods
2. Low water channel
This is the normal water chann which varies according moonsoon rain pattern
3. Flood plane
This is the area reserved for minor floods
4. River side elevation
5. River banquette
6. Levee Crown
This is the Summit of the river bank.
7. Protected Land on the land side This is the safe area for living and construction of buildings assuming the next major flood is 100 years from now. It is a false assumption assuming we live up to 80 years. Nobody lives long enough to witness 2 majir floods.
