Waste management plants in Enderamulla, Ekala

Cabinet approval has been granted to set up two solid waste management plants in Enderamulla and Ekala. The memorandum in this regard had been submitted by Agriculture Development and Agrarian Services Development Minister Maithripala Sirisena.

The Western Province has been identified as an area facing serious waste management issues, resulting in many health and environmental hazards.

The main cause of this problem has been identified as the lack of adequate waste water management processes in accordance with the rapid urbanisation in the province. The waste that is released into the environment daily from the Western Province alone has been estimated to be around 1683 tons.

New barb species from Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan scientists have described a new species of barb from south western Sri Lanka, which may already be in the aquarium trade.

This description of Puntius reval by Madhava Meegaskumbura, Anjana Silva, Kalana Maduwage and Rohan Pethiyagoda is published in the latest issue of the journal Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters.

Puntius reval is distinguished from all other Sri Lankan and South Indian Puntius in having the last unbranched dorsal ray serrated (having small projections); incomplete lateral (from the sides) line perforating 4-9 scales; scale rows above lateral line arranged in a distinctive pattern; red dorsal, anal and pelvic fins; body colour pattern consisting of two black bars, one behind gill opening and one above the anal-fin base; and by lacking barbels.

The new species was previously confused with Puntius cumingii, another barb endemic to Sri Lanka exported for the aquarium trade.

Puntius reval is named after its red fins (the name is a conjunction of the Sinhalese re, meaning red and val, meaning fins) and has been found from the Kalu River northwards to the Maha Oya River.

- Practical Fishkeeping, UK
 

Sanitation facilities for schools

Over 800 schools in Sri Lanka lack drinking water, toilet and other essential sanitation facilities. Drinking water facilities are available only at 2,000 schools in the island.

The Water Supply and Drainage Ministry has taken measures to provide these essential services to local schools, considering the fact that most children are affected by various diseases due to the lack of these facilities at their schools.

A proper health and sanitation programme would minimise the number of child deaths and the number of children affected by epidemics and other diseases. In this regard, a mechanism would be formulated to combat diseases like diarrhoea with the assistance of UNICEF.

The Ministry is to carry out a sanitation and drinking water project as a solution to the prevailing drinking water and sanitation related issues. Accordingly, proper drainage systems would be constructed soon in Kandy, Kurunegala, Wellawatte, Ja-Ela and several other areas.

Currently, only 32 per cent of the local population has access to pipe-borne drinking water facilities. The aim of the Ministry is to increase this figure to 90 per cent by 2015. International assistance is expected to be forthcoming towards these projects.

The Festival of Lights

Our Hindu readers would have celebrated Deepavali on October 27. Deepavali, the Festival of Lights, would have been celebrated by Hindus the world over with much gaiety whether they are young or old, rich or poor as they believe the festival dispels the darkness and lights up their lives. It is believed that the demon Narakasura was defeated by Lord Krishna and his wife Satyabhama on a day like this.

In India, the festival is celebrated over four days. It marks the vanquishing (defeating) of the demon Narakasura. It is celebrated by lighting clay lamps, decorating houses, bursting firecrackers and inviting loved ones to their households for partaking in a sumptuous feast. The lighting of lamps is a way of paying obeisance to gods for the attainment of health, wealth, knowledge, peace, valour and fame.

Printing of textbooks

Twenty printing institutions which had been entrusted with the task of printing school textbooks have already completed their quota.

The task of printing textbooks required for schoolchildren next year had been handed over by the government to 35 printing institutions.

The Commissioner of Education Publications said that those institutions which failed to print their quota of books on time would be fined and struck off the list of textbook printers.

The unfinished quota would also be handed over to those establishments which have duly completed their contracts. Quotations have already been called for this purpose.

Biomass power generation

A proposal to develop biomass power generation technologies in the country has received Cabinet approval. The proposal was submitted by Power and Energy Minister, W.D.J. Seneviratne.

The Ministry is currently focusing on using sugarcane as a source of energy in the generation of power. Accordingly, approval was granted to a revised proposal of Pelawatta Sugar Industries, Buttala which will develop the project in collaboration with a Mumbai-based company.

Activities on Children’s Day

The celebration of World Children’s Day was held last month by Kadayamotte Vidyalaya of the Mundala education division. The programme was organised around a new concept and the objective was to promote the reading habit among children and to increase their knowledge. Some interesting activities related to reading were organised and conducted by the teachers.

In the afternoon, there was a concert with various colourful items being presented by children. The founder of Savijana, Laknath Peiris participated as the chief guest. The event was organised by Savijana for the first time.

They had also organised a programme for Children’s Day and Elders’ Day at Mudukatuwa.

Some of the activities that were presented.

CSDP workshop

The Children Skills Development Programme (CSDP) has organised a workshop for children between the ages of five and 18 who are talented in singing, acting and playing musical instruments.

The workshop would be held from 9.00am to 2.00pm today at the Sinhala Cultural Institute (Sudarshi) at Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo 8 (opposite BMICH).

It has been organised with a view to selecting participants for a cultural event in India and for the ‘Naththal Carol’ teledrama. Participants of the workshop will receive certificates at the end of the programme.

Those interested in taking part can speak to the CSDP on 0112672718 or 0112689536.

One day, while Thomas was out driving his car, he ran into a truck. The truck's driver made him pull over into a parking lot and get out of the car.

The truck driver took a piece of chalk and drew a circle on the pavement. He told Thomas to stand in the middle and not leave the circle. Furious, the truck driver went over to Thomas' car and slashed the tyres.

Thomas started laughing.

This made the truck driver angrier so he smashed Thomas' windshield.

This time Thomas laughed even harder.

Livid, the truck driver broke all the windows of Thomas' car.

Thomas was now laughing hysterically, so the truck driver asked him what's so funny.

Thomas giggled and replied, "When you weren't looking, I stepped out of the circle three times!"

A wife says to her husband one weekend morning, "We've got such a clever dog. He brings in the newspapers every morning."

Her husband replies, "Well, lots of dogs can do that."

The wife responded, "But we've never subscribed to any!"

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Bob didn't believe that Fred's dog could talk. So Fred asked his dog, "What's on top of a house?"

"Roof," the dog barked.

Bob wasn't convinced. So Fred asked the dog how sandpaper feels.

"Rough."

He still wasn't convinced.

"O.K., who was the greatest baseball player of all time?" Fred asked the dog.

"Ruth."

With that, Bob walked away, shaking his head in disbelief. The dog turned to Fred and asked: "Was it somebody else?"

"How have you managed to buy such a luxurious villa while your income is so low?" asked the income tax auditor from the taxpayer.

"Well," the taxpayer answered, "while fishing last summer I caught a large golden fish. When I took it off the hook, the fish opened his mouth and said, 'I am a magic fish. Throw me back to the sea and I'll give you the most luxurious villa you have ever seen'. I threw the fish back to the sea, and got the villa."

"How can you prove such an unbelievable story?" the auditor queried.

Came the reply, "Well, you can see the villa, can't you?"

An announcement being made by a pilot of a commercial airline: "Folks, we have reached our cruising altitude now, so I am going to switch the seat belt sign off. Feel free to move about as you wish, but please stay inside the plane till we land ... it's a bit cold outside, and if you walk on the wings it affects the flight pattern."

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The chef instructs his apprentice: You take two thirds of water, one third of cream, one third of broth...

The apprentice: But that makes four thirds already!

Chef: Well - just take a larger pot!

Nick: If a man was born in Greece, raised in Spain and died in America, what is he?

Rick: I have no idea, what?

Nick: Dead.

During break time at obedience school, two dogs were talking.

One said to the other. "The thing I hate about obedience school is you learn ALL this stuff you will never use in the real world."

Mickey: Do buses run on time?

Ricky: No, they run on wheels.

Tim heard a knock on his door and opened it to find nobody outside. However, there was a snail waiting on his doorstep.

Tim picked it up, threw it into the road, came back and closed the door. Five years later, Tim again heard a knock on his door and opened it to find nothing outside, but again there was a snail on the doorstep.

Tim bent down to pick up the snail when the snail asked in a tiny voice, "What was all that about?"