Letters to the Editor
View(s):Crocs in Wetland Park could pose a threat to people
The young crocodiles commonly seen in the Wetland Park, popularly known as Weli Park, Nugegoda are an imminent threat to the lives of visitors, especially the children and elderly citizens who patronise this park from around 4 p.m to 10 p.m.
The crocodiles routinely enjoy a sun bath on the banks of the walking paths in the morning hours according to regular visitors.
They are seen at all hours of the day at the extreme end of the park, especially right around the children’s park and the threat to human life is unavoidable if the crocodiles are not relocated from the water streams surrounding the park at the earliest opportunity. It is inevitable that these young crocodiles would breed more using this conducive environment available for them, thus creating more threats to the visitors in the years to come.
It was only recently that two TV channels gave live coverage of a man being dragged into the water in the Diyawanna Park – reportedly a 40-year-old resident of Rajagiriya. It is suspected that the crocs have invaded wetland water streams using the canals connected to Diyawanna Oya. Crocodiles are a protected species in the country under the Fauna and Flora Protection Act.
It would be a relief if the area surrounding the children’s park is fenced off restricting the movements of these crocodiles, though they have ample access to encroach on the children’s park through other means, as the rest of the walking paths are not well secured.
The situation is more precarious when the there is no electricity in the night due to breakdowns. The whole area was in full darkness on two Saturdays this month as a result.
It is the responsibility of the (Low-lying areas) Land Reclamation and Development Board, Urban Development Authority, Kotte Municipality and the Sri Lanka Navy that provides the maintenance of the park to ensure the safety of park users. It is strongly suggested that warning boards are prominently displayed as a precautionary measure.
Athula Ranasinghe Via email
Let students here too be allowed to do part-time work
While in other countries, children do part-time work sometimes after the age of 14 to collect extra money for their college fees and other expenses, Sri Lankan students are not legally allowed to do so. It is better if we can allow our schoolchildren also to do part-time work if they wish for several reasons:
They get an extra income.
They get work experience if they take on an apprenticeship. Some students who are not interested in academic studies get frustrated and may resort to anti-social activities and even crime when not gainfully occupied.
Let us hope the relevant authorities will study this matter followed in other countries such as the US and Australia and allow students to take on part-time work.
Mrs. P. Bandara
A dark future indeed
The government signed an agreement at midnight with a US energy company handing over Lakdhanavi for a natural liquid gas terminal. At midnight – the Energy Minister was in the dark, the entire Cabinet was in the dark, the Parliament was in the dark and all Sri Lankan citizens were in the dark! The government too was/is in the dark about what it got into by signing this agreement.
This world’s first is most likely to persist in the future as probably no other country would ever sign anything in the dark.
Will the government resort to more signing in the dark? We have to ask the ideologues or watch out for the trends. With the current state of the economy and the steeply rising fuel prices, it looks like we might have to sign everything in the dark! The future is very dark indeed.
Henry de Mel Via email