Fresh ground cracks and active slope failures have triggered an urgent evacuation order in Ambuluwawa, as experts warn of escalating landslide danger threatening homes and lives.
The Building Research Organization has declared several areas along the slopes of Ambuluwawa Mountain as landslide prone zones and instructed residents of 18 houses to evacuate immediately. Authorities have emphasized that these high risk locations must be preserved as sensitive landslide zones and kept free from construction and development activities.
During a field inspection inside the Ambuluwawa Biodiversity Complex, the observation team identified a visible crack on the ground after walking a short distance. By tracing the crack downhill, officials examined nearby residences and confirmed that seven houses fall within a high risk zone, while six houses are located in a medium risk zone, according to the assessment report.
The team also recorded multiple landslides on another slope of Ambuluwawa Mountain. In the Wattekade area of Ambuluwawa, eleven houses and buildings were identified as being in a high risk zone, while twelve additional houses were categorized under medium risk.
Based on these findings, the Building Research Organization has reiterated that land in high risk zones must be protected and declared unsuitable for any construction or development. Residents living in medium risk areas have been advised to evacuate immediately upon receiving early warnings or if rainfall exceeds the specified safety thresholds, as part of ongoing disaster risk management efforts.
