Kandy tops list in air pollution
By Niranjala Ariyawansha
The Central Environmental Authority (CEA) has said that an official scientific clarification will be given before the forthcoming New Year to claims that Kandy is Sri Lanka’s worst city in terms of air pollution.
Acting Deputy Director General, Environmental Pollution Control of CEA, Dr. Sanjaya Ratnayaka expressed these views to Ceylon Today when we inquired about the problem.
Retired Emeritus Professor, Science Faculty of Peradeniya University O. E. Illeperuma revealed that the people who live in Kandy City should wear masks because the air pollution in the city was four or five fold more when compared to Colombo City.
According to the data of the Road Development Authority (RDA) in 2015, about 417,000 vehicles enter and exit into Kandy on a daily basis.
However, Dr. Ratnayaka expressed a different view. “We have not reported such a thing. But it is good that the professor has highlighted the matter. For the moment, we cannot comment on Prof. Illeperuma’s report. The reason is we are yet to conduct a study on the matter.”
However, he pointed out that the CEA was the official authority of monitoring air pollution and they would take necessary measures within the next two weeks.
“We are having test runs on a Mobile Air Quality Monitoring Station in the CEA premises at this moment. We will check the accuracy of the station first. Then we can create a clear picture. After that we will move to monitor the air pollution level of Kandy City,” Dr. Ratnayaka said.
Prof. Illeperuma warned that the people who live and travel in cities could be affected by respiratory diseases and carcinogens.
Against this backdrop Dr. Ratnayake said that the CEA had already received the equipment to carry out the tests on air pollution.
He added that the air pollution tests in Kandy City will begin with the schools.
Meanwhile Chairman of the Urban Development Authority (UDA) Dr. Jagath Munasinghe said that the Kandy City Development Plan had been updated under the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) fund to include solutions for the problem of air pollution.
He highlighted that both Prof. Illeperuma’s study and the Transport Study conducted by Prof. Amal Kumarage of the Moratuwa University conducted in 2010, would be considered in developing the Kandy City Development Plan.
He further pointed out that substandard constructions, water supply and traffic congestion would be among the other factors considered when developing the plan.
Kataragama’s Deer Slaughtered
D. N. Kaluarachchi – Kataragama
Hunters have killed eight of the herd of 9 deer in the Nagahaveediya Beheth Watta area near the Ruhunu Maha Kataragama Dewale.
Townsfolk say there were 17 in the herd not very long ago that was a familiar sight often emerging out from the scrub jungle to roam around in the sacred city where they had mixed at ease with the people. But several poachers had trapped many of them while at least two of the animals had been the victims of crocodiles in the Menik Ganga. The carcass of a deer which had been killed in Beheth Watte had been found in the forest recently.
Villagers here say the animals are killed in the shrub forest and stripped of their flesh to meet a huge demand for venison in tourist hotels. Although the authorities had been informed about these happenings through the media on several occasions, apathy on their part resulted in the deer not being taken for safety to the Yala Wildlife National Park. There’s now only a single deer, with antlers, and he too will disappear soon, they say.
Source 29/03/2017, Ceylon Today, See more at – http://www.ceylontoday.lk/article20170101CT20170331.php?id=4632
200-year-old Mara tree inside Galle Fort cut down
A 200-year-old ‘Mara’ tree inside the historic Dutch Fort in Galle has been cut down by authorities as it posed a risk to people’s lives.
The tree, dating back to the Dutch colonial period, was situated next to the Galle Court Complext inside the Fort. Workers from the State Timber Corporation cut it down on a request made by Galle Four Grevates Divisional Secretary.
The decision to cut down the historic tree was made as it was dead and was posing a risk to the court complex as well as to those traveling on the road next to it.
A Spokesman for the Galle Heritage Foundation stated that new Mara saplings will be planted at the spot where the tree was cut down, as well as several other identified locations within the Fort. He assured that measures are being taken to ensure that the historic nature of the Fort is protected.
Pix by Sirangika Lokukarawita
Source – 28/03/2017,Times Online, See more at – http://www.sundaytimes.lk/article/1019185/200-year-old-mara-tree-inside-galle-fort-cut-down
More tourism gains for SL
ourists watch a Sri Lankan elephant walk through a field in the Minneriya National Park. Sri Lanka earned US $ 3.52 billion from tourism in 2016 on the back of little over two million tourists visiting the country (AFP).
Source – 28/03/Dailymirror- See more at: http://www.dailymirror.lk/article/More-tourism-gains-for-SL-126298.html#sthash.V2hdq9Y8.dpuf
