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| Sunday, 23 January 2005 |
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Letters |  |
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Please forward your letters to [email protected] in plain text format within the e-mail message, since as a policy we do not open any attachments.
Broad shelter-belts on coastlines The Forest Department and all NGOs involved in forestation activites should give immediate priority to the extensive planting of all sand dunes and sandy shores with broad shelter-belts of proven species and also regenerate all mangrove areas with available species of mangroves. For sand dunes, prosopis juliflora and pandanus species with some acacias and eucalyptus on higher ground. Prawn fisheries established earlier by clearing of mangroves should be taken up for rehabilitation planting with mangrove species immediately with simultaneous legislation. The Forest Department should channel all forestation funds for the forestation of coastal areas in the national interest halting all other planting activities for the time being. Needless to emphasise, the Forest Department will have to work in unison with the Department of Wild Life Conservation when dealing with the many coastal areas under the jurisdiction of the Department of Wild Life Conservation. V. R. Nanayakkara, former Conservator of Forests. Appreciation to all TV stations With the outbreak of the furious sea dashing to the calm land on December 26 the prompt action taken by our four TV stations - ITN, Rupavahini, Sirasa and Swarnawahini are most commended and appreciated. The courage and risk taken by their cameramen enabled us to see the disaster that happened and the present relief measures. Shortfalls were also pinpointed and thereby these were rectified without delay. The disgraceful acts like selling of dead bodies, selling of little parentless children, stealing of household articles etc., by a few inhuman persons were also highlighted. This made the general public keep their eyes wide open. S.P. Fonseka, Thalapathpitiya, Nugegoda. The tsunami tragedy was immediately followed by many deeds, good and bad. Among the good deeds were the quick steps taken by many Public and Private Sector organisations to organise relief convoys to affected areas reaching the displaced directly. All credit to the Private Sector organisations and banks that silently got down to the priorities of assessing damage, locating their own staff, providing emergency relief and shelter and then to get the places of business opened. Then, there was another category. They forgot their priorities in the midst of the calamity and decided to launch a media offensively aimed at either boosting egos and personalities of their bosses or coming out with meaningless and downright ludicrous statements. One classic example of the latter was a notice from a bank that was being repeated from the very next day on press and radio, inviting affected staff and customers to contact their branches. D.L.C. Fernando During past few weeks after the tsunami disaster, the electronic and print media was flooded with Tsunami news coverages. Some of these coverages included death bodies (sometimes half rotten). "Aren't journalists ethically restricted to publish/show dead bodies over media ..?" I would like to put this matter under light of media experts in Sri Lanka. Malaka Rodrigo. We are all aware that with aid flowing in billions of Rupees a few more Sri Lankans will fall into the category of millionaires soon. Will the government care to make it mandatory for all those who are handling aid funds allocated by the Government to declare their assets. Such declarations should be made public through a website. There will be more donations flowing into the Government if this is done. Gopitha Kiriella, Ratmalana. We are really fortunate to see our politicians, various organisations, political parties, races and citizens working together in collaboration and in the spirit of sedulousness. Although, tsunami was a devastating and a poignant natural disaster it taught our politicians and other responsible officials of their obligation of collaboration. Tharindu Jayamanna, Kotte. Recently, my brother was admitted to a private hospital in Colombo with high blood pressure and he was discharged in a few days. He was prescribed a new drug and it was purchased at the pharmacy run by the private hospital. When he took the first dose of the new drug the morning after he was discharged from hospital, he started throwing up and collapsed. The doctor was contacted immediately. It was revealed that the pharmacy had issued him ten times the dose ! Instead of the prescribed .5 mg, he had been issued 5 mg. Fortunately, he was rushed back to the same hospital where his condition was stabilised. The hospital authorities waived off the second bill as they admitted that they had blundered. M. Jayawardena, Moratuwa. No excuses please : expert's negligence Even now, we hear explanations by Meterological and Geological authorities to show their innocence for not forecasting the tsunami. The ball has been passing from one to another. The first attack of tidal wave to the North Eastern coastal belt has taken place early in the morning of December 26. As the tsunami tidal waves hit the South and South Western boundaries hours later to the first attack, the responsible authorities have had ample time to caution the general public. If they have acted promptly when the first unusual tidal wave hit the North East, massive loss of lives could have been prevented ! Non working of apparatus or failure of software, what they point out are immaterial. The experts of Met and Geo in the country should have made use of their brains ! Bandu Gunaratne, Nugegoda. I'm a principal in the Netherlands and since 1985 a friend of a fisherman's community in Matara Fort. Can you please tell me what happened to that place. I'm very afraid many have died but I don't know how to get info. So I'm trying everything. The families I am befriended with all lived on the Totapala Road and Sri Darmarama Road in Matara Fort. Their names are A.H.T. Nihal Hemachandra, K.W.A.P. Pryanthi, K.P. Sajeewani Samarashna, G.G. Sampat Priyadarshani (14/11 Nawa Deewara Niwasa) Rene, Vinckemoller |
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