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| Sunday, 8 January 2006 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Environment Compiled by Shanika Sriyananda Spare a thought for nature by Shanika Sriyananda Close your eyes just for a minute. Surely, if you are a human being sensitive to nature - your will hear a cry. Its ... its mother nature who has been abused by man.
You will never ever get the chance of witnessing that charming beauty of the environment which you saw and read about in the books. It is vanishing due to the greed of the modern man, who is unwilling to protect it for the future generation. A major share of the responsibility to protect the environment lies in good habits and desires of the ordinary man. But, in the absence of a natural link between man and nature, the law needs to put down its foot to 'compel' people to protect nature. People set their new plans with the dawn of a fresh year. Most probably there may not be a single thought for the environment in the list of wishes. But ... if you can just stick to one good habit to protect nature, the year 2006 would be a more eco-friendly year than last year. Anyway, here, are the major New Year 'resolutions' of the government institutions, which are mandatory to protect the nature. We thoroughly hope that these plans would not remain on the shelves until the dawn of next year. CEA to spot fine industries The Central Environmental Authority (CEA) is to introduce a new system to impose spot fines in industries that arbitrarily release wastewater, from this year. According to Mervyn Gunesena, Director General of CEA, the 'Discharge Fee Scheme for industrial wastewater' will help to adopt 'cleaner' technologies. At present, general standards and some industries specific standards are in use for industrial wastewater discharge regulations. "This is more of an equitable system for the heavy polluters paying a higher fee than lighter polluters. This scheme would benefit both industries as well as the authorities by encouraging the industries to adopt cleaner production technology, recycling wastewater and facilities enforcement by the CEA.", he said. CEA, which undertook a daunting task after the tsunami disaster in the massive reconstruction process, have set up an environmental Help Desk to provide technical assistance to all the government agencies involved in post-tsunami reconstruction activities. The Help Desk had provided technical assistance for a rapid environmental assessment of housing development programs and had also facilitated strategic environmental assistance to township plans in the tsunami hit areas. Apart from the CEA's usual duties on environmental protection activities the CEA will continue in providing assistance in the tsunami reconstruction process this year. New outlook for Dehiwala Zoo The age-old outlook of the National Zoological Gardens, Dehiwala will be transformed to a 'new-look', this year. Big animals like elephants, jaguars, tigers and leopards will get spacious cages, this year. Especially, the elephants will be freed from their chains and will be in a one acre land in the Zoo to give them the feeling of a natural habitat. Brigadier H. A. N. T. Perera said that the Zoos all over the world go for changes, but not the 70-year-old Dehiwala Zoo. "Most of the enclosures, which are designed to old concepts, are now outdated and need a facelift", he said, adding that more attention will be paid to develop facilities for the big animals. According to Brigadier Perera, facilities for small species have been upgraded during the last five years and a separate section will be developed this year for exotic birds. A walking aviary will be constructed this year where the visitors will be given the chance to view birds freely. " Birds will be in a big cage and the visitors will be allowed to go into the cage to view them at close quarters", he added. Construction of the fully equipped animal hospital including a laboratory will be completed before end 2006. Green belt along coastal areas shortly Last year's tsunami is a major blow to the Coast Conservation Department (CCD), which spends several millions annually to protect the coastal belt from man-made and natural activities. Apart from its annual budgetary allocations for coastal stabilisation and building of new and old coastal structures, the major tasks of the CCD are to implement the green belt project under the Coastal Zone Management Plan. Planting of plant species suitable to the coastal eco-system will be launched shortly with the participation of the public, State agencies and the NGOs. The Coastal Conservation Act will also be fully implemented this year and all unauthorised structures in the coastal areas will be demolished. Dr. R. A. D. B. Samaranayake, Director CCD, said that a sum of Rs. 60 million has been allocated to construct new coastal structures which will come up in Mahamodera, Koggala, Unawatuna, Mirissa and in the North and East. Rehabilitation of old structures will be carried out in Waikkala, Porutota, Kamachcholai and Kapumtotaduwe, Induruwa, Balapitiya and Dadalla. "Over Rs. 26 million has been allocated for rehabilitation and a further Rs. 8 million has been allocated for emergency coastal protection work", he said. Apart from the major activities the CCD will carry out investigations in areas where there are deep erosions and damages to coastal eco-systems. Goodbye 'Mrs. Florence'
But, just two days before the New Year dawned, the Lake House journalists were in for a rude shock when they heard the bad news - 'Florence Wickramage has died'. Never thought that she was 'too old' to say good bye this early, and every one found it hard to believe the news at once. The reality ... is that she has gone for ever. While as a cub reporter and later on, after some years in journalism, I used to go in search of her, a treasure trove in the environmental field, for minute details before writing some of my stories. Dressed in her usual outfit, a light coloured 'Kandyan saree', she will remain in my memory throughout my life. "I always did good to people and never thought ill of those who did wrong to me", she used to say, while relating her experiences of the past whenever we shared the same room during assignments out of Colombo. Always a fine example to young environmental journalists, 'Mrs. Florence' (as I used to call her) asked us to use the pen as a weapon against people who harmed nature. My tongue could never get used to the name 'Flori', by which name most of her colleagues addressed her. Being one of the senior journalists, she served in the Daily News Editorial until her demise. Many may not recall that she did a short stink in the 'Sunday Observer' Editorial as well. She received the Editors' Guild Award for the Best Environmental Reporter of the Year in 2003, and her contribution to the field of environmental conservation was honoured with the Green Golden Award in 2004. With over 15 years of service at the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation, Florence functioned as the Chief Coordinator of the Asia Vision. She also served as a news reporter, news editor, continuity announcer and program presenter. During this period she represented the SLRC at many national and international presentations. "My interview will be telecast tonight on ITN. Please look out for it", was her humble request after winning the Presidential Environmental Award from the former President Chandrika Bandaranaike, still echoes in my ears. It is hard to believe that the lady clad in a Kandyan saree, walking down the long corridors of Lake House, is no longer with us. 'Mrs. Florence', may you attain Nibbana. (SS) |
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An elephant which breathes her last... a fine forest cover cut down
haphazardly ... a river which has been mined to the rock bottom ... mounting
garbage dumped along the roadways ... an unroadworthy vehicle emitting black
smoke ... come into your mind. 
I never missed reading her interesting stories written on environment.
'The day the waves shook Lanka', which appeared on December 21 in the Daily
News, was the last hers that I read. 
