Controlling stray dog population

An additional Rs. 100 million has been allocated from the budget to the Ministry of Healthcare and Nutrition this year to treat victims of dog bites.

This would supplement the regular sum of Rs. 500 million allocated towards this objective by the Treasury annually. According to statistics released by the Ministry, there are around 2.5 million dogs in Sri Lanka.

Around 2,000 dog bites are reported daily from the island with the annual figure standing around 730,000. However, only 50 deaths had been reported during the past year as a result of dog bites. This had been attributed to the stern action which had been taken by the Ministry to control the increasing number of dog bites.

One such move implemented by the Ministry was the dog sterilising and vaccination programme which was launched from Ragama and Colombo recently. This programme is to be implemented countrywide throughout the year.

Some of the reasons behind the growth of the stray dog population are the neglecting and abandoning of pet dogs especially when they grow old, and leaving female dogs on the roads.

Study finds pesticides in everyone

Spanish researchers say 100 per cent of people carry at least one type of pesticide in their body.

A study by the University of Granada, Spain in collaboration with the Andalusian School of Public Health found that 100 per cent of Spaniards analysed had at least one kind of persistent organic compound in their bodies.

POCs, which are substances internationally classified as potentially harmful, enter the body through food, water or even air, the university said in a release.

The study measured the contamination levels of some POCs in a sample of the adult population from one urban and one rural area.

A total of 387 adults had a sample of their human adipose tissue taken during surgery and answered a questionnaire about their place of residence, lifestyle, eating habits and activities throughout their life.

Higher levels of toxic substances were detected in women compared to men and in older volunteers compared to younger people, the report said.

United Press International

Duruthu - first poya for the year

This Tuesday is a special day for the Buddhists of this country as the first poya for the year, the Duruthu Poya, falls on this day. Duruthu is the Sinhala name for January.

It was on a day like this almost 25 centuries ago that the Buddha made His first visit to Sri Lanka. He arrived in the island, nine months after attaining Enlightenment. This visit was made to Mahiyangana to restore peace among the Yakkah tribes, the ancient inhabitants of Sri Lanka, who were at war with each other.

The Buddha had arrived at the Mahanaga Park on the right bank of the Mahaweli River, just as the war gongs started sounding, and the war drums started beating, signalling the start of war.

The tribesmen had got frightened at the sight of the stranger in yellow robes, and had run and hid in the jungle. Some of them came out later and met the Buddha, and embraced peace after listening to His sermons. Peace was established in the island and the Buddha returned to India.

Although the events related to the Buddha's visit had taken place at Mahiyangana, it is Kelaniya that is mostly associated with the day now.

The latter place was hallowed by the Buddha's third visit and is the stage for the famous Duruthu Perahera held every year, to commemorate the Buddha's first visit to Sri Lanka. Duruthu holds special significance for Buddhists as it's the first poya for the year.

Improving Sri Lanka's IT literacy

Improving Sri Lanka's computer literacy, which currently stands at a rate of 25 per cent of the population, to 60 per cent is the aim of the government. Opening the IT centres named 'Nenasala' in all parts of the country was one of the initiatives made by the government in this direction.

The first such IT centre was opened at the Kataragama Kiri Vehera in January 2005 after the tsunami disaster, while the 500th was opened at Samanthurai in the Ampara District recently.

The goal of President Mahinda Rajapaksa is to double the number of Nenasala centres to 1,000 by the end of this year, with at least three centres covering each Pradeshiya Sabha.

The establishment of such centres islandwide, especially in the remotest villages, is a paradigm(exemplary) shift in the landscape of providing IT to the nation, President Rajapaksa said after opening the Samanthurai Nenasala.

Sri Lanka currently enjoys a good position in the sphere of IT and many opportunities and facilities, which were previously enjoyed only by city children, have been made available to village children as well. The Nenasala initiative to provide ICT access to the rural sector is implemented by the Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka, under the e-Sri Lanka initiative.

e-Sri Lanka uses information and communication technology to develop the country's economy, alleviate poverty and enhance the quality of life for its people.

The Nenasala programme provides many ICT features such as internet, e-mail, facsimile, photocopy and computers in 23 districts. It has also provided opportunities to the communities of the areas to gain knowledge and access to new opportunities in their businesses for economic development.

Everest conqueror dies

Sir Edmund Hillary, the unassuming (humble) beekeeper who conquered Mount Everest to win acclaim(public praise) as one of the 20th century's greatest adventurers, died on January 11. He was 88.

The New Zealander devoted much of his life to aiding the mountain people of Nepal and took his fame in stride, preferring to be called Ed and considering himself an "ordinary person with ordinary qualities."

Hillary died from a heart attack, said a statement from the Auckland District Health Board. Though ailing in his later years, he remained active.

His life was marked by grand achievements, high adventure, discovery, excitement - but he was especially proud of his decades-long campaign to set up schools and health clinics in Nepal, the homeland of Tenzing Norgay, the mountain guide with whom he stood arm in arm on the 29,035-foot summit of Everest on May 29, 1953.

Yet he was humble to the point that he only admitted being the first man atop Everest long after the death of Tenzing.

Hillary remains the only non-political person outside Britain honoured as a member of the Britain's Order of the Garter, bestowed by Queen Elizabeth II on just 24 knights and ladies living worldwide at any time.

The first living New Zealander to be featured on a banknote, he helped raise nearly $530,000 for the Himalayan Trust by signing 1,000 of the sparkling new five-dollar bills sold at a charity auction in 1982. They were snapped up by collectors round the world.

AP

Medals for Lankan students

Sri Lankan students succeeded in winning two gold and two bronze medals at a cultural pageant and competition held in Chennai, India, organised by the Chennai Karunalaya Social Services Institute and Children Skills Development Programme (CSDP) in Sri Lanka.

Kalana Suboda and Thilan Lochana (both of C.W.W. Kannangara Vidyalaya, Colombo 8) won gold and bronze respectively in the general knowledge competition. Dasuni Wasana (Siddhartha Balika Vidyalaya, Nugegoda) and Kalani Amaya (Suradutha Balika Vidyalaya, Kuliyapitiya) won gold and bronze respectively in the dancing competition. The winners received their awards from Director CSDP, Rathna Pushpa Kumari, Director, Karunalaya Institute, Dr. Paul Sundar Singh and Principal, C. W. W. Kannangara Vidyalaya, Maithreepala Silva.

The CSDP is currently in the process of selecting participants for a similar event in Singapore.

Education mobile service

The Education Ministry and Provincial Ministries of Education have organised mobile services throughout the country for the benefit of those involved in the education sector.

The service would seek solutions for the problems faced by those in the education service such as teachers, principals, administrative officials and non-academic staffers.

The first of these mobile services will be held for the Uva Province, at Badulla Central College, on January 25 and 26. The Education Ministry expects the mobile service to improve the quality of education through discussions between the various parties involved.