The Gampaha Regional Directorate of Health Services (RDHS), in conjunction with local police divisions, issued an urgent public health and water safety advisory today, September 21, 2026, targeting communities residing along the Maha Oya and lower river valleys.

Health officials warned the public against bathing in rapid river sections following tragic drowning incidents during monsoon surges in Badalgama. Public health inspectors (PHIs) have also initiated community water purification checks and chlorination drives across rural Gampaha wells to prevent outbreaks of waterborne enteric infections as runoff levels rise.