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Home » NewsThe barren waste without the taste of water
With severe drought in several parts of the country, these pictures tell the pathetic story of what farmers and their families are suffering in the Anuradhapura District while animals also look in vain for water. Details on Page 6. Pix by B.G. Chaturanga
LNG project: China-Pakistan company out, India in
Govt. revokes tender awarded to Engro; considers offer from India’s Petronet By Niranjala Ariyawansha The Government has decided to cancel a tender awarded to a China-Pakistan consortium to supply Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and lay a pipeline network after being selected through an international open competitive bidding process and instead consider an offer by an [...]
No-confidence motion against Health Minister appears on order book
By Sandun Jayawardana The no-confidence motion against Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella has been published as an addendum to the order book of Parliament. The motion has been signed by 45 MPs led by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa. It has been signed by MPs representing several different opposition parties and alliances. They include the Samagi Jana [...]
Emergency orders for more drugs and medical equipment
Amidst the ongoing health crisis and calls for the resignation of the minister in charge, the Health Ministry has placed more than a dozen orders to procure essential drugs and other medical resources to meet the current acute shortages in public hospitals. At least thirteen procurement announcements categorised as “Emergency Notices” were published on Friday [...]
PUCSL rejects CEB’s request for tariff hike; points to Rs. 31bn surplus revenue
By Damith Wickramasekara The Ceylon Electricity Board’s (CEB) request for a fresh electricity tariff hike has been rejected by the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL). In a letter dated July 21, the CEB’s General Manager requested approval from the PUCSL for an immediate tariff hike. The CEB sought the tariff hike on the [...]
Boost for domestic aviation: Insurance rates reduced
In a boost to domestic aviation, the Government has gazetted significantly lower insurance liability limits for air transport within Sri Lanka, ending a requirement for companies to pay prohibitive international rates of up to US$ 174,000 for a passenger. In the case of death or injury, the liability is now Rs. 5mn for a passenger, [...]
Muriel Gunasena passes away
Mrs. Muriel Gunasena, wife of the late M.D. Sepala Gunasena who was the founder chairman of the Davasa-Sun group of newspapers published by Independent Newspapers Ltd and former chairman of M.D. Gunasena and Co Ltd, passed away peacefully at her residence on Wednesday. She was 96. She was the last surviving sibling of [...]
President to confer high honour on senior eminent instructing attorneys
Experienced senior instructing attorneys-at-law who have demonstrated eminence and high standards in the legal profession are to be conferred with special honour by the President appreciating their service, according to a new bill. The new bill, published by the Ministry of Justice, says, “The President may after obtaining observations from the Chief Justice and the [...]
Reservoirs have dried out, putting water supply in danger zone
By Nadia Fazlulhaq The country is heading towards water scarcity due to the prolonged dry spell, which is expected to last several months. “Water levels in small-to-major reservoirs are dropping at an alarming rate while underground water sources are drying up. Releasing limited water to sectors is becoming a hard task with water management panel [...]
Dilemma over last drops of water — food production or power generation
By Sandun Jayawardana While farmers continue to agitate, demanding that water be released from the Samanalawewa to the Udawalawa Reservoir to irrigate their paddy fields, the possibility of having to impose power cuts across the Southern Province in this event has resulted in the Cabinet preferring to keep the water for power generation purposes thus [...]
CPC to be amended to speed up accident compensation cases
By Ranjith Padmasiri The Civil Procedure Code is to be amended to avert inordinate delays in victims of accident cases obtaining damages for their injuries. The amendments will allow for the medical examiner’s report to be used as evidence at a trial before the court without the need to submit any further proof, the [...]
Britain offers funds to civil society groups to address ‘religious intolerance’ in Lanka
The British High Commission in Colombo invites civil society organisations to apply for grants from a country-specific fund by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to “address religious intolerance in Sri Lanka” as part of the British government’s mission to promote human rights and advocacy worldwide. The 50,000 sterling pound grant comes from the “John [...]
British firm takes Mines Bureau to court over cancellation of licences
By Namini Wijedasa A listed British mineral sands company has, through its local partner, petitioned Sri Lanka’s Court of Appeal (CA) against the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau (GSMB)’s unexpected cancellation of its industrial mining licences (IMLs), reportedly acquired after an investment of around US$ 11mn on preparatory activities which started 2017. Capital Metals Plc [...]
In drought-affected Puttalam, water is lost through faulty sluice gate at Tabbowa tank
Text and photos by Hiran Priyankara Jayasinghe At the Tabbowa irrigation tank, a malfunctioning sluicegate is resulting in a loss of large volumes of water, despite a renovation of the tank at a cost of millions of rupees. With the Puttalam district facing severe drought conditions, the Tabbowa tank is a major source of water [...]
Ground being prepped to set up Israeli agri-tech centre
By Kasun Warakapitiya Israel is trying to finalise an agreement with Sri Lanka to have a center of excellence to transfer its agricultural technology to Sri Lanka. The project aims to improve cooperation and strengthen relations with Sri Lanka by transferring knowledge to Sri Lankan farmers to increase their production by introducing micro-irrigation, drip irrigation, [...]
Unique dengue centre at Negombo marks 10 years
Treats patients of any age and has lowest ever fatality rate in Sri Lanka By Kumudini Hettiarachchi One was a neonate and the other two were a mother and newborn – all pulled back from severe dengue a couple of weeks ago. For the ‘Centre for Clinical Management of Dengue and Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever’ at [...]
Security in place as crowds gather for St. Anne’s Church feast in Thalawila
A throng of more than 300,000 faithful congregated around Thalawila’s St. Anne’s Church, eagerly anticipating the forthcoming festive mass scheduled for Sunday. In a bid to ensure safety and order, stringent security protocols have been enacted by the tri-forces and the police. The deployment includes around 1,000 police officers, 50 officers from the Special Task [...]
Frustration mounts as ‘Aswesuma’ beneficiaries endure long queues
By Dilushi Wijesinghe Prolonged queues have become a symbol of growing frustration for beneficiaries of the ‘Aswesuma’ benefit scheme, as their wait to access much-needed financial assistance continues. In the past few months Sri Lanka witnessed beneficiaries waiting in lengthy queues to submit necessary documents and receive QR codes for the ‘Aswesuma’ scheme Divisional Secretariats [...]
Steps towards implementation of Sri Lanka Unique Digital Identity
The Indo-Sri Lanka Joint Project Monitoring Committee has taken a step towards the implementation of the Sri Lanka Unique Digital Identity (SL-UDI) During a meeting at the Presidential Secretariat on Friday, key stakeholders, including Presidential Senior Adviser on National Security and Chief of Presidential Staff, Sagala Ratnayaka, State Minister of Technology, Kanaka Herath, officials from [...]
Architects conference draws attention to Sri Lanka’s potential
By Yomal Senerath-Yapa President Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday said that great opportunities and openings lie ahead for architects and Sri Lanka in general, including the the Surbana Jurong master plan and blueprints to expand the city of Kandy. The President was addressing the inauguration of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Members’ Sri Lanka International [...]
AG says SLMC must use his dept’s legal services
By Kumudini Hettiarachchi The Attorney General has ruled that the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) is a statutory body and, therefore, required to obtain the services of his department unless otherwise advised by him to retain private lawyers. The ruling comes following an opinion requested by the SLMC to ascertain the legal status of the [...]
Lottery sellers say price rises trigger sales slides
By Jayanie Madawala A month after lottery ticket prices were increased, sellers are feeling the impact of lower sales. Prices were doubled after Treasury approval was obtained for a decision made by both the National Lotteries Board (NLB) and the Development Lotteries Board (DLB) to increase ticket prices from Rs. 20 to Rs. 40. Sunil [...]
Controversy surrounds urban sanctuary development: Wetlands and biodiversity at stake
By Tharushi Weerasinghe The Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte Sanctuary, encompassing 449 hectares, an oasis for migratory birds and aquatic life, finds itself in the midst of tensions concerning urbanisation and construction projects which could threaten its integrity and ecological balance. Last year, vigilant residents near the sanctuary noticed construction machinery within the protected grounds. In just [...]
Activists blame punitive measures for prison overcrowding crisis; call for reforms
By Sandun Jayawardana Prisoner rights activists say a focus on punitive rather than preventative measures is mainly to blame for the overcrowding of prisons. The Prisons Department said this week that the country’s prison population had grown rapidly since the start of 2023. While there is room for only 13,241 inmates within the prison system, [...]
Multiple factors contribute to rising road traffic deaths
By Minaza Hassan Despite several efforts over the years to minimise traffic accidents, the results have been poor, with the death toll and the number of injured on the rise. “The annual average number of patients in Sri Lanka due to road traffic accidents is 44,000, while the deaths due to injuries from road traffic [...]
Jaywalkers put lives at risk
Story and pix by Nilan Maligaspe It is no secret that Sri Lanka’s roads are notorious for accidents. Police statistics recently revealed that 976 people lost their lives in an estimated 930 fatal accidents from January to June this year. More deaths are added to this grim toll on a daily basis. There are some [...]
Public servants construct open air theatre
Story and pix by By L B Senaratne An open air Theatre for Meda Dumbara (Teldeniya) which was estimated at Rs 7.5 million was constructed on a shramadana basis by Public Servants for the benefit of the public over the weekend. The cost calculated for manpower by the Public Servants was around Rs 3.5 million. [...]