Environmental issues addressed

Garbage disposal, the human-elephant conflict and illicit sand mining were identified as some of the most serious environmental issues facing the country by President Mahinda Rajapaksa at a recent meeting with Environment Ministry officials.

He stressed the importance of protecting and conserving the environment and said that all measures should be taken to eliminate or at least minimise all environmental hazards the people are facing.

The disposal of garbage has become a serious problem in Colombo, Kandy and other urban areas. According to Environment and Natural Resources Minister, Patali Champika Ranawaka, around 600 tons of garbage is collected daily within Colombo; 25 per cent of this from Colombo city itself. Around 14 tons are collected from hospitals alone.

Only about 16 per cent of the total garbage generated in the country is collected by the relevant authorities in a systematic manner. Most of it is then dumped in places such as Bloemendhal and Attidiya.

The Minister said they could find a sustainable solution to this problem within three years if they had proper funds. The garbage could be diverted towards the production of compost.

The Minister said they intend to address the issue of the human-elephant conflict in the 'Gama Neguma' programme in future.

The President also suggested the possibility of installing various transmission towers at one location, so that they could all be controlled by the Central Environmental Authority, instead of installing them everywhere, causing environmental hazards and inconvenience to the public.

The improvement of sanctuaries such as Yala and Wilpattu, which are almost abandoned now, to re-attract tourists was also discussed at this meeting.

Internal water pollution, ocean and coast pollution, air pollution and climate change were identified by the Minister as other issues which were important to his Ministry.

Reconstruction of Galle Fort

We have kept you informed about the reconstruction projects that are due to be carried out at the Galle Fort. As part of this project, the shrub overgrowth around the Fort complex has already been cleared.

It's also assumed that valuable archaeological and historical treasures are buried within the premises and excavation work is now under way to discover these items. The excavation is being carried out by the Central Cultural Fund in association with the Department of Archaeology.

The government of the Netherlands has made a donation of Rs. 380 million towards the restoration of this complex, which has been declared a World Heritage Site. A marine museum is also expected to be set up at a cost of Rs. 130 million. Other plans in the pipeline are the renovation of the ancient sewerage system and the setting up of an information centre.

Have fun with the stars!

For the first time in Sri Lanka, an awards ceremony will be organised to honour all child stars of the small and silver screens.

A concert featuring all these stars will also be staged. What is this event? It's 'Vasanthayata Muthu Ahurak', an awards ceremony and concert organised by Mc Allo Creations and sponsored by Ceylon Biscuits Limited (Munchee) to honour child stars who colour the Sri Lankan cinema and teledramas.

The 16 children that will be honoured are Sarala Kariyawasam, Pramudi Karunarathne, Nityavani Kandasami, Poorna Sampath, Natasha Perera, Thisuri Yuvanika, Kasun Chamara Kumanayake, Nalina Kashmeera, Madhavi Wathsala, Inoka Jayangani, Dinupa Kodagoda, Ranmini Shakya, Tharaka Hettiarachchi, Sajitha Anutthara, Dasun Madushanka and Harshana Dissanayake.

You are invited to the Kularathne Hall, at Ananda College, Colombo at 6.30 p.m. on July 1 to have a nice time with your favourite child stars.

JA

Be aware of drugs

You may know people who have fallen victim to the scourge of drugs. They could even be your family members, relatives or close friends. Have you realised the effect their drug habit is having on their health and well-being as well as their families?

Drugs harm not only the users' health and wealth, but also their families' economic and mental well-being. It's also a drain on the country's economy and resources in terms of loss of productivity and medical costs.

Creating worldwide awareness about the drugs menace is the objective of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking observed by the United Nations on June 26. This day is used by governments, organisations and people all over the world to support the anti-drug cause.

In Sri Lanka too, many tough laws have been introduced to control the drugs trade and many preventive drug education programmes have been organised to protect the people.

However, despite such government measures, the drug scourge won't be totally wiped out without the commitment of the public, especially the youth of the country. Youth and children are the primary target of drug dealers and unless you have the knowledge and awareness to steer clear of them, you risk becoming a victim.

June 26 was declared as the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking by the UN General Assembly in December 7, 1987 as an expression of its determination to strengthen action and co-operation to achieve the goal of an international society free of drug abuse.

It followed the recommendations of the International Conference on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, which on June 26, 1987, had adopted the Comprehensive Multidisciplinary Outline of Future Activities in Drug Abuse Control.

On February 23, 1990, the General Assembly adopted the global programme of action to combat illegal drugs and stated that the day was to be observed as part of the efforts to raise public awareness about fighting drug abuse and to promote preventive measures.

The main commemorations of the day are carried out by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), a global leader in the fight against illicit drugs and international crime.

Established in 1997, the UNODC has 500 staff members worldwide and has its headquarters in Vienna, Austria with liaison offices in New York and Brussels.

Protecting indigenous herbs

An islandwide programme to protect indigenous medicinal flora was discussed by a Parliamentary Advisory

 Committee of the Ministry of Indigenous Medicine, which met at the Parliament Complex recently. The meeting on the conservation of rare and declining varieties of herbal plants was chaired by Minister Tissa Karaliyadde.

The programme encompasses the setting up of 'forests of indigenous medicine' containing plants such as aralu, bulu, nelli and margosa. While providing the raw material for the manufacture of ayurvedic drugs, it will also be self-employment and income-generating avenues for the village folks.

The project to grow dewadara trees on lands 5,000 feet above sea level and the spreading of the herbal plant kalupila, which is fast disappearing, received the special attention of the committee.

The committee also decided to commence the 'Osu Govi Gammana' (villages of herb cultivators) in the Batticaloa district, and to facilitate traditional indigenous physicians to join the 'Hela Weda Gedara' (house of the ayurvedic physician) programme.

Project to conserve reservoirs

The Ministry of Irrigation and Water Management has spent Rs. 15 million to conserve and develop the Nuwara

 Wewa. The government is carrying out this project with the objective of protecting and preserving the Kandy Lake for the benefit of future generations.

The Ministry will also introduce legislation to prevent and control activities which can damage or destroy the environments around water tanks (wewas) and other water resources. Action will also be taken to minimise the degradation (deterioration) of the environment associated with tanks and water reservoirs.