Sri Lanka opens reservoir sluice gates as heavy rains persist

The Department of Irrigation announced the opening of sluice gates at the Deduru Oya, Rajanganaya and Thabbowa reservoirs on Tuesday as part of precautionary flood management operations.

At the Deduru Oya Reservoir, eight sluice gates have been opened by two feet each, discharging approximately 10,400 cubic feet of water per second into the Deduru Oya river system. The controlled release is intended to prevent reservoir levels from exceeding safe operational capacity during the current period of intensive rainfall.

The proactive measures reflect standard flood management protocols deployed by the irrigation authority when monsoon conditions and heavy precipitation threaten to overwhelm storage facilities. Similar gates at the Rajanganaya and Thabbowa reservoirs have also been activated as a precautionary measure.

The Department of Irrigation advised residents in low-lying areas adjacent to affected waterways to remain vigilant and follow official guidance as water discharge volumes increase downstream. Authorities continue to monitor rainfall patterns and reservoir levels to determine whether additional measures will be required in coming days.