Landslide-prone areas identified

Over 60 villages in the areas of Hanguranketha and Walapane have been identified as extremely at risk for landslides by the National Building Research Organisation (NBRO).

These areas have been recommended as not suitable for habitation by the NBRO, which has also advised that 724 houses in Hanguranketha and 204 houses in Walapane be either removed or shifted.

Individual investigations and mapping have been carried out in each of these locations of Walapane and Hanguranketha and the report has already been submitted to the Divisional Secretaries of the two areas so that they can take necessary action.

Investigations were also to be carried out in 14 more villages in Hanguranketha to ascertain their suitability for the resettlement of residents.

Awareness programmes are also being conducted to educate people living in landslide prone areas with the assistance of the Disaster Management and Human Rights Ministry.

New educational policy

Steps are being taken by the Human Resources Development Unit of the Ministry of Education to introduce a new educational policy and a plan to enhance the productivity and efficiency of human resources under it on a long-term basis. These steps are being made with the approval of the Minister of Education.

The intended reforms involve educational administrative officers and national and provincial school principals and teachers. The Ministry hopes to get the assistance of the World Bank for this project.

According to this project, the Human Resources Training Unit which is under the National Institute of Education will be brought to function under the instructions of the Ministry of Education.

Recognising differently-abled women

The United Nations Day for Women's Rights and International Peace, generally known as International Women's Day (IWD), is celebrated in most parts of the world including Sri Lanka on March 8.

The events in Sri Lanka will include the awarding of insurance policies for self-employed women who have been enrolled in various pension schemes.

This year's event will also highlight women with disabilities, and a database of persons with disabilities compiled by the Department of Social Services will be launched on this day.

Awareness programmes will be conducted for differently-abled women who are willing to engage in self-employment activities. Financial assistance and equipment will also be donated to these women towards carrying out these ventures.

The Social Services Department, National Secretariat for Persons with Disabilities, Elders' Secretariat and the National Counselling Unit coming under the purview of Social Services and Social Welfare Ministry will be responsible for handling the awareness raising programmes.

The contribution of differently abled women and elderly citizens towards the socio-economic development of Sri Lanka will also be appreciated on this day.

IWD is observed annually to celebrate the progress made to advance equality for women and to assess the challenges that remain. It's a major event which honours and acknowledges the economic, social and political achievements made by women around the world.

Women form half the population of this world, but their rights and needs are sometimes ignored. In some countries, girls aren't given a proper education and lose out in life due to lack of opportunities. Eradicating this discrimination against women and girls is one of the objectives of Women's Day.

The first IWD was held on February 28, 1909 in the USA. The first international women's conference, held in Copenhagen, Denmark by Socialist International, recognised the IWD and it was marked the following year by over one million people, both men and women, in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland.

The day also commemorates the Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire in New York in 1911, where over 140 women workers died due to the lack of safety measures. On March 8, 1913, women across Europe organised peace rallies against World War I.

Although the IWD was celebrated by Western countries in the 1910s and 1920s, it dwindled afterwards and was revived during the 1960s.

In 1975, which had been designated as the International Women's Year, the United Nations officially sanctioned and began sponsoring the Day. Celebrations on an international scale got under way in 1977.

Environment friendly projects

The Soraborawewa forest reserve off the Mahiyangana town has been selected by a school as the site to carry out several environment friendly projects.

Accordingly, the students of Orubendiwewa Maha Vidyalaya will visit this forest reserve, grow varieties of plants and herbs and study the local flora and fauna.

They will also visit the farming community in the neighbourhood and educate them on the importance of natural resources such as forest reserves for the existence of human beings, so that people in the area would not destroy the Soraborawewa reserve.

The project is being carried out by the Environment Protection and Improvement Unit of Orubendiwewa Maha Vidyalaya.

Developing primary education

The Model Primary School Development Programme launched by the government will benefit rural schools with less facilities and resources, Road and Passenger Transport Minister Lasantha Alagiyawanna said recently. He was addressing a ceremony held at Vidyaloka Vidyalaya, Veyangoda to lay the foundation stone for a three-storeyed primary building complex.

A sum of Rs 126 million has been allocated by the government for the first stage of this building complex. It will comprise a computer room, laboratory, library and eight classrooms.

The programme has been initiated to fulfil the demand for quality primary education and to create a pleasant physical environment for learning and teaching.