A butterfly sanctuary close to Ritigala forest reserve

One of the most beautiful species from the insect world, butterflies will become a major attraction with plans under way to set up a sanctuary for butterflies close to the Ritigala forest reserve. The Environment and Natural Resources Minister, Patali Champika Ranawaka disclosed that "The preservation and conservation of the country's natural resources including the flora and fauna and wildlife is one of the most important things we could do for the future generations." This was said at the inauguration of the construction work on the transit camp for wild elephants', in the forest reserves at Ritigala in Anuradhapura district recently.

The Ritigala elephants transit camp will be the second such reservation next to Udawalawa Eth Athuru Sevana and will be 1,000 hectares in extent.

The Minister pointed out that the proposed butterfly garden and other environmental protection ventures in the North Central Province would be tourist attractions in the future that would support livelihood empowerment and generate more jobs.

"It has been observed that the present accommodation at the Udawalawa elephants' transit camp is inadequate for the hearding of jumbos and hence the need for a second transit centre. In future, elephants haunting the North West Eastern and North Central provinces could be released into the Ritigala Camp avoiding the inconveniences being experienced in transporting them to Udawalawa, the Minister said.

* August 30

S. Thondaman, a former Minister and the founder leader of Ceylon Workers' Congress was born in 1913.

Rev. Ernest Poruthota was born in 1931.

Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt (48-30 B.C.), died in 30 B.C.

* August 31

Piyadasa Sirisena, Sinhalese writer and poet, was born in 1875.

Maria Montessori, founder of the Montessori Educational Scheme was born in 1870.

Clive Lloyd, former West Indies Cricket captain was born in 1944.

Princess Diana of Wales died in a car crash in 1997.

*September 1

Solias Mendis, artist who did the paintings at Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara, died in 1975.

Edgar Rice Borrough, American writer was born in 1875.

Rocky Marciano, American boxer was born in 1923.

* September 2

Jimmy Connors, American tennis player was born in 1952.

Sir Tikiri Banda Panabokke, a former Minister of Health died in 1963.

Prof. Wilhelm Geiger, famous scholar who translated the Mahavamsa into English died in 1943.

*September 3

Ho Chi Minh, leader of the Vietnam National Communist Front died in 1969.

Dr. R.L. Spittel, a doctor and a writer on Sri Lankan wildlife (who wrote the famous novel Where the white sambur roams('Sudu Gona') died in 1969.

Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of England died in 1658.

*September 4

Rev. Dr. Edmund Peiris, a former Bishop of Chilaw passed away in 1989.

Dr. Albert Schweitzer, philosopher, doctor and a famous writer who won the Nobel Peace Prize, died in 1965.

* September 5

John Wisden, founder of Wisden's Cricketers Almanac was born in 1826.

Catholic nun Mother Teresa passed away in 1997.

* August 30

Sri Lanka became a member of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the International Development Bank (IDB).

* August 31

Trinidad became independent in 1962.

* September 1

Libyan National Day.

Coastline Railway was extended up to Panadura.

* September 2

National Day of Vietnam.

Sri Lanka Freedom Party was established in 1956.

Japan surrendered to the Allies, ending World War II in 1945.

* September 3

Sri Lanka Police Day - the Police Department was established in 1956.

U.S.A. space craft, Viking II landed on Mars in 1976.

The Bank of Ceylon commenced business in 1939.

*September 4

The State Printing Corporation was established in 1968.

World's first Boy Scout Rally was held in London in 1909.

* September 5

Voyager 1 was sent to explore Jupiter and Saturn by America in 1977.

* Why do you always find things in the last place you look?

Because when you have found it you stop looking!

*****

* Why do you always walk with the right foot first?

Because when you put one foot forward the other is always left behind!

******

* What always falls without getting hurt?

Rain!

******

* What word is always pronounced wrong?

Wrong!

****

* What is full of holes yet can still hold water?

A sponge!

*****

* What happens after a dry spell?

It rains!

************

A new-rich, overdressed, overbearing woman walks into a music shop. A sales assistant shows her a CD of Mendelssohn's 'Songs without words' and tells her the price.

"Oh yes," she says haughtily,

"But how much is it with words?"

************

Menik Farm:

Healthcare programme for the benefit of children

by Ananda KANNANGARA

A massive health care programme for the benefit of over 40,000 children under five years of age at Menik Farm in the Vavuniya District was launched by the Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry last week on a directive of Health Minister, Nimal Siripala de Silva.

According to the programme, conducted by the Ministry's Family Health Bureau, Ministry officials distributed a large stock of Multiple Micro Nutrients to children.

The nutrients were given after medical checkups were carried out by the health officials on children who suffer from malnutrition for a long time especially during the time they were under LTTE control.

Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva also directed his officials to distribute necessary vitamins and various other medicines to at least 3,000 pregnant mothers who live in the five zones in the Menik farm.

Speaking to Junior Observer, Minister de Silva said that providing nutrients to both children and pregnant mothers living in the welfare camps is immensely needed according to some health surveys conducted by officials in the Colombo Medical Research Institute (MRI).

While thanking the UNICEF for their assistance towards the programme, Minster de Silva said that deficiency of vitamins badly reduce the immunity of the human body and such persons are vulnerable to communicable diseases such as diarrhoea and similar ailments.

The Ministry distributed Vitamin A,C,D,E, Vitamin B6, B12, Iron tablets, Zinc, Copper and similar nutrients under this programme and it is said that similar programmes are to be conducted in the welfare camps on a monthly basis.

On the trail of child labourers

Legal action is to be taken against those who employ underaged children of plantation workers as domestics and other workers, says the Human Development Organisation (HDO).

This follows the mysterious death of two 14 year old girls from the plantation sector identified as Letchumanan Sumathy and Maruthaiveeran Jeevarani, in Colombo 7 recently.

Director of Human Development Organisation, Kandy, P.P. Sivapragasam, who visited the Estate where the parents of the victims worked, said according to information about 30 children from that estate are employed in Colombo as housemaids. He said his organisation would file cases against those who had employed such children.

Child labour is a violation of the rights of a child and is strictly prohibited by law.

As children, do be alert to such violations of children's right and discourage poor people in your areas from sending little children like you for employment, especially to faraway places as domestics.

Donation for IDPs

Students of Willesden College International, Battaramulla donated essential items for the IDPs recently. The Managing Directress of the College Mrs. A.S. Wijetunge, Principal Mrs. P. Tennakoon and Rt. Rev. Crishantha Mendis, Archdeacon of Colombo participated in the presentation made by the students.

[News briefs]

The 42nd annual Esala festival of the Seenigama Devale which commenced on August 21 with the Kap planting ceremony will continue till September 4.

The traditional Devol Perahera with low country and up country dancing troups and more than a dozen elephants, will be held tonight (August 30).

The Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer named WISE will be launched by NASA in December. This space telescope will orbit the Earth and scan the entire sky at infrared wave lengths, unveiling hundreds of thousands of new asteroids, stars and galaxies.

Meanwhile NASA scientists have discovered a fundamental building block for life glycine, an amino acid in samples of comet WILD 2, brought back by NASA's spacecraft Stardust.

An Asian Elephant Day was held at the National Zoo, 3001, Connecticut Avenue, Washington on August 21 jointly organised by the Sri Lanka Embassy in Washington and the Smithsonian Institution.