Coconuts in Nuwara Eliya

Would you believe that coconuts could grow in Nuwara Eliya? If the island-wide coconut planting campaign launched recently by the Plantations Ministry is successful, it wouldn't be so novel to see coconut plantations in the Nuwara Eliya district.

What was planted in the Haggala and Victoria Gardens of Nuwara Eliya at the launch of this campaign was a hybrid coconut variety developed by the Coconut Research Institute (CRI), to suit the cold climatic conditions of this area.

The necessary coconut genes required for this experiment were provided by China. Chinese assistance was sought after CRI officials were able to witness for themselves how coconut cultivation was maintained in China's Haina island where the temperature is below five degrees Celsius.

The project was part of the drive launched by the Ministry in collaboration with the Coconut Development Board to cultivate one billion coconut saplings islandwide.

Coconut planting campaigns have also been initiated in the Ampara, Trincomalee and Batticaloa districts in the East. A new coconut variety is also expected to be introduced to suit the climatic conditions of the Vavuniya and Mannar districts in the North.

University for dhamma school teachers

Most of you would be attending dhamma schools. The government, with a view to improving the quality of the teachers who teach at these schools, will shortly set up a university to provide higher education to them.

This proposed new university would provide opportunities for dhamma school teachers to study languages and Buddhist philosophy in depth and gain further training in teaching methods.

Teachers of these schools have been recognised as providing an invaluable service to society by imparting knowledge of the dhamma to the children and promoting discipline and also moral and spiritual values among them. Thus, it has been acknowledged that they should be given all assistance and encouragement to further their knowledge and skills.

Harvest festival of Thai Pongal

Thai Pongal, which falls on January 15, is one of the most significant and colourful ceremonies celebrated by Tamil Hindus of Sri Lanka and India. The harvest festival is a feast of thanksgiving where the Hindus offer their thanks to the Sun God who had been instrumental in giving them a bountiful harvest.

After the wet months of October, November and December, it signifies the arrival of the Sun and bounteous crops. This is the time when people clean and renovate their houses and old pots and pans are replaced with new ones.

There are many rituals associated with the festival, starting with the boiling of a pot of rice at sunrise on the front doorstep of the house, to shouts of "pongal" from family members.

The next day is Paddipongal. This event honours the cattle, which play a vital role in agricultural societies. Cows and bulls get a rest on this day.

Programme to protect wild elephants

A special project titled 'Gaja Mithuro' has been planned by the Wildlife Department with the objective of protecting wild elephants that are under the threat of extinction and to uplift the living conditions of families displaced due to the human-elephant conflict.

The project would be implemented with assistance from the Environment and Natural Resources Ministry. A sum of Rs. 118 million has been allocated for this project, to put up electric fences.

When installing these electric fences, priority will be given to areas which face the biggest threat, from where the highest number of killings and the most severe damage have been reported. The work is expected to see completion within three years.

According to a recent Wildlife Department survey, over 50 humans and over 150 elephants lose their lives annually due to the human - elephant conflict.

Campaign to raise awareness about heritage

Cabinet approval has been granted to a memorandum on a national campaign to create awareness about the island's heritage among schoolchildren.

Sri Lanka's heritage needs to be conserved, protected and handed over to the younger generation by the elders. One of the best and most effective ways to achieve this objective is by creating better awareness and appreciation of the local heritage among the public.

The campaign titled 'Nation's Heritage is for Children' is to be implemented over a period of 10 years and Rs. 5 million is expected to be set apart for this purpose every year from 2008.

Botanical garden in the dry zone

Sri Lanka has many botanical gardens as you all know; you may have even visited a few of them. One thing you may have noticed when it comes to the botanical gardens of our country is that they are all located in the wet zone.

The dry zone has been lacking in such environmental features so far. This would be a thing of the past however with the first ever Dry Zone Botanical Garden in the island being set up at Mirijjawila, Hambantota.

The botanical garden is estimated to cost Rs. 100 million. Three hundred hectares of Mahaweli land have been allocated for this project. The main objective of the project is to attract more tourists to the area.

Tasmanian devils face cancer scare

A mysterious cancer has wiped out more than half the population of Tasmanian devils and threatens the species with extinction, scientists said.

Fierce and carnivorous, Tasmanian devils earned their name from early British settlers for their steel-trap jaws and blood-curdling nocturnal (nightly) screeches. The size of a small dog, they live only in Tasmania and were immortalised (made to be remembered long after death) by Warner Bros with the snarling Loony Tunes cartoon character.

But for all their famed ferocity(fierceness), they have proved to be vulnerable to a highly infectious cancer which emerged about a decade ago. Up to 50,000 are believed to have died from the disease, which causes hideous facial tumours.

Most die of starvation within six months, their mouths so swollen that they can no longer eat. Scientists estimate that 60 are now infected and fear that, within five years, the cancer could send the species the way of the Tasmanian tiger, which died out in the 1930s.

The Daily Telegraph