|
|
 |
 |
| Sunday, 27 June 2004 |
 |
|
 |
Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
Get rid of mosquitoes : Keep your backyards clean Save the earth by Carol Aloysius The warning bells have sounded. Sri Lanka is once more on the brink of a dengue epidemic. As the numbers of dengue cases and dengue related deaths continue to soar relentlessly, with 5786 cases on the sick list and 37 deaths, health authorities have sent out an alert for a better response from the public to their call for collective action in putting halt the spread of the killer disease.
Ironically, it is not the poor uneducated householder who are the chief culprits. Rather, it is the rich, the educated and the so-called sophisticated class that are the biggest culprits, a study by the Colombo Municipal Council recently revealed. Among the fashionable areas that have been cited are Colombo 7, Colombo 3. Colombo 5 and 6 which fall under the category of "high risk areas". Residents in these areas knowingly or unknowingly provide breeding grounds for mosquitoes in their ponds, fountains, flower pots, ant traps, uncleared backyards strewn with coconut shells, discarded tyres and clogged drains. "You will be surprised at the state of the back gardens in some of these so-called fashionable houses", says a PHI who adds that despite the CMC slapping fines on the owners, they have refused to co-operate and take remedial action. Dengue is a flu-like illness that affects infants, young children and adults. While Dengue seldom causes death. Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever (DHF) on the other hand is a potentially life threatening disease that is characterised by high fever, haemorrhagic phenomena - often with enlargement of the liver and in severe cases circulatory failure. Today the global prevalence of both Dengue and DHF which is said to have been officially recognised in the 1950s during the dengue epidemics of the Philippines and Thailand, has grown dramatically. It is believed that the disease is now endemic in over a hundred countries including South East Asia. This puts at least two fifths of the world's population at risk. Sri Lanka is no exception. Come June through July and again December to January described as the "two peak seasons" for the outbreak of Dengue due to the onset of the monsoonal rains, this country experiences a Dengue epidemic which seems to get worse each year, if figures are anything to go by. While the Aedes Egypti is the main vector that transmits the disease to human beings, the chief culprit for spreading the disease is Man himself, because of his indifference to and negligence in adhering to basic environmental cleanliness rules. In Asia, and more specifically in Sri Lanka, the Aedes Egypt breeds primarily in man made containers such as earthenware, metal drums, concrete cisterns used for domestic water storage, as well as discarded plastic food containers, giving rise to the term "Small container disease". Other "offenders" comprise discarded tyres, ant traps, flower vases, and any other item (even leaves) that collects fresh rain water where the mosquito breeds. So far efforts at developing an effective vaccine for Dengue has proved futile. The only effective method to combat the disease is thus to prevent it in the first place, and control its spread when it does occur. How can this be done? The answer is simple and obvious. Eliminate all breeding sites of the dengue carrying vector. Yet this may be easier said than done. In fact the Epidemiological unit of the Health Ministry has been waging a losing battle against the mosquito population in general for the past several years. Efforts at fogging by the CMC, and experimenting with various other methods of vector control using environmental management and chemical methods, have been successful for a short period. Other methods tried out include proper solid waste disposal and improved storage practices including covering containers to prevent access to egg-laying female mosquitoes which the health department has encouraged through community oriented programme. In spite of all these efforts, the mosquito population has returned with a vengeance to claim more victims with their killer bite. While lack of sustained monitoring and surveillance by the authorities may be one reason for this failure, another significant contributory cause is the marked absence of interest and motivation shown by the public to achieving a mosquito free goal. In a desperate effort to spur public motivation, The health Ministry even declared 1996 as the Year of Anti Mosquito Drive when it launched Operation Mosquito a National Mosquito Control Programme on a suggestion by President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, which was extensively implemented. But, judging from the rising dengue cases, it is clear that the problem is far from over. **** Is Larvicide the answer ? Only this week we read that a new strategy to eliminate mosquitoes is to be put into place. The Ceylon Daily News has reported that Cuba, is gifting 200 litres of Larvicide to Sri Lanka to eradicate the mosquito menace in Hambantota where it is widespread. According to the news report, this friendly gesture could be a major breakthrough in making Sri Lanka a mosquito free country. But this is only if it works. The CDN report adds that the use of the larvicide, if successfully implemented, would be extended to other parts of the country as well. The Cuban method of mosquito elimination, consists of using appropriate insecticides to larval habitats - e.g. open drains, clogged water ways, gem pits and water storage vessels to kill the larvae and not the mosquito. If this is the case, regular and active monitoring and surveillance of the natural mosquito population and its susceptibility to the insecticide that is being used, should thus be a vital component of any efforts to implement this new experiment. Senior Health Ministry official, Dr. Nihal Abeysinghe from the Epidemiology Unit however has cautioned against its widespread use unless local health officials gave it the green light. "It has to be scientifically proven and hundred percent safe for human beings and the environment", he emphasises. "We are still collecting data on the feasibility of using BTI (Bacillus Thringgiansis Israelensis which is a bacteria that kills the larvae and pupae of the Dengue mosquito. In fact a five member committee headed by Dr Tissa Vitharna is looking into the feasibility of using this technique", he says. But he adds, "What is important to understand, is that any technique, whether fogging or spraying is only a supplementary method of controlling the mosquito population. Our main weapon against the mosquito is public co-operation. If the public is sufficiently motivated to keep the environment absolutely clean, we can easily eliminate the mosquito menace once and for all." The rules for a mosquito free environment are simple. Stop using non degradable containers like sili sili bags (what ever happened to the ban on these bags some time ago?), plastic food containers such as ice, cream cups, yoghurt cups, which invariably find their way into drains, clog canals and other waterways, and in the process collect rain water in your environment and make ideal breeding grounds for the dengue mosquitoes. Clean up your backyards and your immediate neighbourhood environments. Most importantly, change your lifestyle. Use less plastic and other non degradable small containers. The fact that the number of dengue cases have been much less in the peripheral areas outside the city is proof that dengue is more a city or urban problem rather than a rural problem as the rural population use much less small non degradable containers, say health sources. These simple rules hold the key to a mosquito free Sri Lanka. If we can make our country free of mosquitoes by adhering to these basic rules of environmental hygiene, we will also be able to reap the benefits of an additional bonus, health sources predict. For, in eradicating the ubiquitous mosquito, we would also be paving the way for a dengue free, malaria free and filaria free country which are also mosquito borne diseases, in the future. Cuba and Thailand appear to have achieved this seemingly impossible goal. So why can't we? ###### How many Primates are there in Sri Lanka? by Uditha Wijesena Field guides written for birds outnumber those written for Mammals. Sri Lanka lacks a mammalian guide. The last complete work probably is W. W. A. Phillips Manual of the Mammals of Sri Lanka in three volumes. But this is not a field guide as such.
The Slender Loris is nocturnal and we know very little about it. The Hanuman Langur is widely distributed in the dry zone and still could be found in fairly plentiful numbers. They occur in all dry zone districts where many of our National Parks are located. Its food consists of fruits, flowers, leaves and grain. During the dry parched seasons, one could find them seated among the men and women in dried up tank beds eating lotus seeds while the latter digs for lotus roots and legumes. Men seem to co-exist with this species in the dry zone unlike its counter part the Toque Monkey. The Torque Monkey endemic to Sri Lanka and is widely distributed in the whole country and has a very unique ability to adapt to changing habitat conditions. Being omnivorous it is said that they predate even birds. Recently, they have turned out to be scavengers in most temple areas where people have got in the habit of feeding them. A prolific breeder the numbers have gone to intolerable levels and is now considered an agricultural pest, resulting it being poisoned by the dry zone peasant. However even with these grave conditions their numbers don't seem to ring alarm bells to the conservationists. The Purple faced Leaf Monkey endemic to Sri Lanka is confined to the wet zone with its sub species the Bear Monkey in the hill country. This is the troubled monkey which happens to be competing with man for its habitat. Thirty years ago it was a common occurrence in the sub urban Colombo and in the wet zone villages. It was very common then to find them raiding home gardens in the fruiting season. Unlike the other monkey species in Sri Lanka this species is very selective in it's diet. Thus the rapid urbanisation has taken a toll on the numbers of these monkeys. The lower numbers in the troops has even resulted in the behaviour of the dominant male killing the young males to maintain harems. It's a pity that we in our social development seem to have pushed this species in to extinction. It is now found mainly in the remaining rainforests in the wet zone. So next time you visit Sinharaja, if you hear the Purple-faced Leaf Monkey, look for it, for it may be the last time you might see it. That apparently is the number of primates in Sri Lanka. How strange Sri Lanka has a national flower Nil Manel (Nymphaea stellata) a national tree Na (Messua ferrea) and a national bird the Sri Lanka Jungle fowl (Gallus lafayetii). Why not a national mammal endemic to Sri Lanka ? Can I propose the Purple faced Leaf Monkey as the national mammal endemic to Sri Lanka? Courtesy : Sri Lanka Wildlife News ###### Guide to National parks : Wasgamuwa Covering an area of over 39,322 hectares the Wasgamuwa National Park is
segmented into two sections - the Strict Nature Reserve and the
Intermediate Zone. A popular haunt for games in the early 1900, Located in the dry zone, the Wasgamuwa National Park is a mixed evergreen forest. The palu, weera, ehala, buruta (satin), velang, milla and kaluwara (ebony) trees are the main tree species here. The endemic 'galsiyambala' is also grown in the park and the riverine forests are dominated by kumbuk owila, mee, kunumella and thimbiri, while the Southeastern and Eastern parts of the park are extensive open plains with grass (Illuk). Wasgamuwa is rich in fauna diversity and is home to most of the endemic mammals, birds, reptiles, fish and butterflies. Twenty three species of mammals, 143 species of birds (five are endemic to Sri Lanka) 35 species of reptiles (seven are endemic), 15 species of amphibians, 17 species of fish and 52 species of butterflies are found here. Blessed with a population of over 150 elephants, this isolated park, is now popular among the local and foreign tourists for elephant watching. The park is also a popular place to watch leopards, sloth bears, golden jackals, water buffaloes, slender loris, wild boar, spotted deer, barking deer, sambar, black naped hare and fishing cats. Of the 143 bird species found in the park, eight are endemic. The Sri Lankan trogon, racquet tailed drongo, endemics - yellow fronted barbet, Sri Lanka jungle fowl, Sri Lanka spurfowl have made this park a popular haunt. White necked stork and lesser adjutant stork can also be found in the plains. Common monitor, mugger crocodile, estuarine crocodile and python are some of the reptiles that can be seen here. Dangaradanda, an inhabitant of this area is a common sight inside the park, which is popular for endemic primates - toque macaque and purple faced langur - sloth bear, spotted deer, sambar and wild boar. The rare and endemic palm front frog can also be found in the park which has over 17 species of fish including the endemic stone sucker and combtail. Buduruwayaya, the 1,800-year-old monument in the South-West corner near the Amban and Kalu rivers, is the most important cultural site of the Wasgamuwa National Park. A statue of Buddha and stone pillars are the archaeological evidences that still remain in the park. Remains of an ancient irrigation system gives evidence to an early human settlement in the Mahaweli and Amban ganga areas. The remains of a stone pillars near the Kalinga Yoda Ela constructed by King Parakrama in the 12th century is another important cultural site in the park. Nearly 50 kilometres northeast of Kandy, Pollonnaruwa and Matale districts, the Wasgamuwa National Park spans the North Central and Central provinces. The Eastern boundary is defined by the Mahaweli ganga, the western and northern boundaries by the Amban ganga and the southern boundary is the Duniwila Oya. Polonnaruwa is just 10-kilometres away from the park, which is 45 kilometres from Hasalaka. Turn off at Hasalaka on the Kandy-Mahiyangana road and proceed via Wilgamuwa upto Wasgamuwa. Visitors from Matale and Polonnaruwa can travel to the park via Laggala and Wilgamuwa. The easiest access to those who are coming from Mahaweli system 'C' is through the Wilgamuwa Japan Bridge. The Flood Plains National Park is just northeast and the Minneriya Giritale Nature Reserve lies to the north of the park. Wasgamuwa is located 225 kilometres from Colombo. Compiled by Shanika Sriyananda ###### Nature Photographers 2004 Time is running out for photographers chasing the coveted Nature Photographer 2004 award, which carries a first prize of Rs 100,000. Entries should be received by 15 July 2004 at Fuji Film Image Service, 501 Union Place, Colombo 10. Entry is by submission of prints in each of five categories for Mammals, Birds, Other Animals, Plant Life and Landscapes. The winning entries will be exhibited in December, at a venue in Colombo. The panel of judges includes Lal Anthonis, Sarath Perera, Rukshan Jayawardene, Panduka de Silva, Gehan de Silva Wijeyeratne, Dominic Sansoni, Cecilia McGuire and Dr. Sriyanie Miththapala. The breadth of the panel of judges, reflect the ambitions of the lead sponsors Fuji Film, HSBC and Jetwing to develop the reputation of the competition as an art event, albeit in wildlife photography. According to Gehan de Silva Wijeyeratne, Chairperson of the competition, the judges will be looking for images with visual impact or images that tell a story. Media coverage this year has been bolstered by participation from ETV, YATV, Yes FM, Classic FM Lankadeepa, Serendipity and Explore Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka Wildlife News |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
"So far, the response to our appeals to maintain clean
environments thereby eliminating breeding sites for the dengue carrying
vector has been very poor", health sources complained bitterly.
"Instead of co-operating with us, they are compounding the problem by
creating more breeding sites in their own backyards".
Vivek Menon has done a wonderful book A Field Guide to the Indian
Mammals. The book is a bit expensive, but I felt compelled to buy it.
Having purchased my copy, the next task was to mark out those that occur
in Sri Lanka. This was no easy task without a biologist's assistance.
India has fifteen (15) primates while Sri Lanka has only four (4). Of this
four, only two occur in India. They are the Slender Loris (Loris
tardigradus) and the Hanuman Langur or Grey Langur (Semnopithecus
entellus). The other two are endemic to Sri Lanka, the Toque Monkey (Macaca
sinica) the Rilawa and the Purple-faced Leaf Monkey (Semnopithecus vetuls)
or Helli Wandura. I'm sure many would not have known that the ordinary
Rilawa and the Helli Wandura that exploits the mango and banana trees in
the garden are found only in Sri Lanka. Let us see if we have done justice
to them.
the park
was segmented in 1945. A considerable extent of land was cleared for the
accelerated Mahaweli Development Project. However, this land blessed with
a rich flora and fauna diversity became a National Park in 1984.
