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The Archaeological Department’s Southern Province Chief Conservationist K.Y.Gamini Saman goes through the finishing touches to the restoration of the Coat of Arms of England at the entrance to the Galle Fort ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting . The Galle Fort put up by the Portuguese and subsequently captured by the Dutch and [...]
Road to CHOGM and beyond
It was November 2007 at Kampala in Uganda where the Heads of Government of the Commonwealth met. Uganda under President Yoweri Museveni was the host for the Commonwealth Summit. Her Majesty the Queen Elizabeth and the distinguished leaders of the 54 member countries attended. At the ministerial meeting, I got the opportunity to propose Sri Lanka [...]
Logistic company imports Benzes thru’ official agent
The Finance Ministry has granted a tax concession of Rs.757.75 million to import 54 Mercedes Benz vehicles of the latest S400 model to Sri Lanka for the use by heads of government attending the Commonwealth summit here next month, official sources said. The tax relief has been announced in the gazette notification issued and recommended by [...]
Concern over Afghan, Pakistani refugees here
Increasing arrivals of Afghans and Pakistanis to register as refugees and asylum seekers at a United Nations agency in Colombo are causing concern to government authorities. Immigration and Emigration Controller Chulananda Perera said his officials and Criminal Investigations Department (CID) detectives were probing several instances where the asylum seekers were allegedly indulging in illegal activities. These [...]
Hi-tech safety measures for CHOGM flights
State-of-the-art satellite navigation systems will closely monitor aircraft bringing foreign leaders to Colombo for the Commonwealth Summit, a senior official said. Civil Aviation Authority Director General H.M.C. Nimalasiri said Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B), a surveillance technology for tracking aircraft and Performance-Based Navigation (PBN) using satellite navigation systems were among the new features to enhance surveillance. [...]
NPC fisheries minister berates TN poaching in Lankan waters
The Northern Province’s newly appointed Fisheries Minister Pathinadar Danister is planning to visit to the Southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu to resolve the crisis of massive-scale poaching by Indian fishermen. Mr. Danister told the Sunday Times he hoped to undertake the visit to hold discussions with the authorities there while he also called upon the [...]
Cost of Airport Expressway: Rs. 1.8 b per km
The 26-kilometre-long Colombo-Katunayake Expressway has cost the country US$ 14 million or Rs 1.8 billion a kilometre — around double the cost-per-km of the completed 95-km stretch from Kottawa to Pinnaduwa on the Southern Expressway. The Colombo-Katunayake Expressway cost US$ 350 million or Rs 45.7 billion, official figures show. In contrast, the Kottawa to Pinnaduwa [...]
Early morning horror as villagers wake up to chemical fumes
“In the early hours of Tuesday (October 22) we were woken by neighbours who were banging on our door and windows and shouting for us to come out. When my husband opened the door the house was filled with smoke and a strong smell and we began to choke,” 23-year-old Samanthika Priyadharshani said. It was [...]
Modern tech to optimise train movement
With Android phones being fixed to engines, the woes of train commuters whose common complaint is delays, will soon be eased. To be tried out initially on the coastline between Colombo Fort and Matara starting next month (November), the ‘Train traffic optimisation system’ has become a reality due to the tireless efforts of Research and [...]
Noise nuisance: Checks show every other vehicle is a polluter
Almost every other vehicle the Environmental officials along with the Police checked for the use of loud horns were found to be violating the new regulations, a senior official said yesterday. The checking of vehicles for horns and other sound equipment that emit loud noises began on October 15 and 69 vehicles were checked in [...]
Law and disorder
Three wheeler drivers widely accused of violating road rules are now adding to their disrepute with blatant disregard by causing willful inconvenience to both motorists as well as pedestrians. In many instances three-wheeler drivers inconsiderately park their vehicles, causing obstruction to motorists outside supermarkets, restaurants shopping outlets as well as to pedestrians by parking their vehicles [...]
Sri Lanka’s Spiny Eel has slipped away, maybe forever
The Sri Lanka Spiny Eel, a freshwater fish that was common in the early ’80s is probably now extinct. This was revealed by Prof.Devake Weerakoon delivering a talk on the Red List, at an event organised by the Open University’s Botany society. Sri Lanka is home to six species of eel known as ‘aandha’ in [...]
‘Death by ragging’ case postponed
The trial of two undergraduates of the Peradeniya university who were charged with causing the death of a first-year student -T .Varapragas a fresher at the Engineering Faculty of the University of Peradeniya- was taken up before Kandy High Court Judge Manilal Wadiyatilleke on Wednesday (23.10.2013). The trial was taken up in absentia as the suspects [...]
NHSL leads by example in e-waste collection and disposal
Amidst the treatment and care being provided to patients, there is a different kind of activity taking place at the National Hospital (NHSL) in Colombo these days. The staff meticulously locating and collecting electronic waste (e-waste), not only from within the hospital, but also from their homes, to be handed over tomorrow (October 28) for [...]
Race against time to dress up for CHOGM 2013 visitors
From streets to cemeteries, historical forts to botanical gardens, the country’s places of interest are being spruced up for the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) with workers hurriedly trying to keep to the deadline of end of the month. Colombo city, where most of the Commonwealth programmes will be held, is seeing a [...]
3 dead, 5 critical as pilgrim van crashes into parked lorry
A pilgrimage to Anuradhapura ended in a tragic accident at Karuwalagaswewa, killing three persons including a 10-month-old infant on Friday. The accident along the Puttlam-Anuradhapura road in Karuwalagaswewa occurred when a van carrying eight residents of Madampe, hit a stationary lorry at 5.45 am. According to hospital sources, three died instantly while five others with [...]
Bus fare increase comes with promise of better facilities
As a bus fare hike comes into effect next week moves are underway to upgrade passenger facilities, Private Transport Services Minister C. B. Ratnayake told the Sunday Times. He said improved facilities would be introduced within a month along with the drafting of a new bus fare policy. “Cabinet has granted approval to appoint a Ministerial Sub [...]
Colombo-Katunayake Expressway ceremonially opened today by President Rajapaksa
Sri Lanka’s second expressway, the Colombo-Katunayake Expressway (CKE) will be ceremonially opened by President Mahinda Rajapaksa today morning. Vehicles will be allowed to travel along the expressway from 6.00 pm today. Construction of the 25.8-km CKE, which commenced in 2009, was completed recently. Once opened, the four-lane highway with a designed speed of 100 kmph, will [...]
NWSDB proposes solution to control future Chlorine leaks
The National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) has proposed a solution to the recent Chlorine gas leak that took place two weeks ago in Avissawella, Engineering Assistant R.A.S Ananda of the NWSDB Avissawella said. He added that NWSDB has proposed to carry out development activities at the NWSDB building situated at Penrith Estate, Puwakpitiya, Avissawella. [...]
Legislation to license fishing in the high seas
Government will shortly seek parliament approval for new legislation that would make it mandatory for those fishing in the high seas to obtain licences for their operations. The new laws are being enacted in keeping with Sri Lanka’s obligations under international agreements to prevent, deter and eliminate Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing in the High [...]
Self determination for the Tamils within a united Sri Lanka: CM
Northern Provincial Council (NPC) Chief Minister (CM) C.V. Wigneswaran addressing the inaugural session of the NPC on Friday, vowed to work within a united Sri Lanka for self-determination of the Tamil people. “Self-determination means not separation. We will work hard through non-violence means for self-determination. We are the partners of this country, not leased people. We [...]
Contraband fags freely available despite heightened vigilance by the law
An office executive went to a kiosk close to his office in Kollupitiya, and asked for a popular brand of imported cigarettes.The cashier stood up, raised his sarong and pulled out a pack from the shorts he wore underneath. It was Rs 25 cheaper than the same brand produced locally. Sunil Chandrasiri, a regular smoker, last [...]
SC says 500 Slave Island families must vacate their houses by Dec. 1
The Supreme Court last Monday gave some 500 families in the Slave Island area, a final date (December 1, 2013) to vacate a seven acre prime block of land in Colombo 2, giving the free holding of the land to the Indian company for a mixed development project. The Court asked the residents some of whom [...]
Many local politicians a law unto themselves
This week a local council member accused of sexually abusing a child was jailed, another member was issued a suspended sentence for dismantling a fence and a warrant was issued on another local councillor for indecent behaviour in public. The incidents were among a string of many involving local politicians reported from various parts of the [...]
