Sri Lankan authorities pay focus on sustainable energy

(May 24, 2010) Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority has initiated a programme to set up Sri Lanka’s first ever major scale solar power plant. A 50-acre land in Baruthakanda that has been declared as a Solar Power Zone in Hambantota has been selected to establish two solar power plants.

The capacities of the proposed plants are 600kw and 500kw. Renewable Energy Director of Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority Athula Jayatunga said to media that Japan would grant US $ 9 million for the 600kw plant, while Korea will fund the 500kw plant with US $ 4.5 million.

Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority is to develop infrastructure for both facilities.

A power supply of 1, 237,500 kw will be added to the National Grid after the generation of these two plants begin. They are also expected to save Rs22.5 million of the annual expenses on fuel for the Ceylon Electricity Board.

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Posted in Baruthakanda , Sri Lanka , Sustainable Energy

Water Management degree course to be introduced in a Sri Lankan university

(May 24, 2010) Sri Lanka Minister of Irrigation and Water Management Nimal Siripala de Silva says that a degree course on water management will be introduced to Sri Lankan universities.

He said that water management has become a top priority in the modern world since water has become a scarce resource.

The attempts of Sri Lanka government in connivance with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to commercialize water resources in the island came under severe criticism by activists a decade ago.

The Minister further said that this degree course will be hosted by Uva –Wellassa university situated in Badulla district he represents.

Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva revealed these facts addressing the gathering after opening a computer laboratory in a school in Welimada. He has just returned from Geneva where he presided the World Health Assembly convention.

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Posted in Nimal Siripala de Silva , Uva-Wellassa university , water management , Water Management degree , water market

Nearly 1,000 acres of Kokilai Bird Sanctuary razed

(May 04, 2010) Nearly 1,000 acres of the Kokilai Bird Sanctuary in the northeastern coast have been reportedly destroyed in a very brief period and cleared torched after dousing petrol.

Between 2,000 and 3,000 Weaver bird nests were also demolished with eggs and young birds, reports say.

The cleared land is a part of the sanctuary that has about 6,000 acres.

Ornithologists said that of the 13 Black headed Storks found in Sri Lanka, three were reported in the Sanctuary, apart from large number of pelicans and other hundreds of migrants, reported The Island. Villagers also said that the said area was home to 35 elephants including a tusker.

Environmental Lawyer Jagath Gunawardena told The Island that no one can clear a sanctuary without getting the Environmental Impact Assessment and the approval through the National Environment Act. He said that according to the Flora and Fauna Ordinance that clearing a sanctuary is a non bailable offence and that even clearing up a privately owned land within the sanctuary requires an environmental assessment to be submitted to the Central Environmental Authority.

He said that under the Fauna and Flora Ordinance too it is prohibited to clear land belonging to a sanctuary.

Such clearance would also affect the fisheries in the area and also damage aquatic resources, he said.

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Posted in Flora and Fauna Ordinance , Kokilai Bird Sanctuary , National Environment Act

Cadmium deposits cause of kidney failure in NCP

By Saliya Kumara Gunasekara (Lakbimanews)

(May 02, 2010) Arecent research carried out by Prof. Sarath Bandara of the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Peradeniya has revealed that staples such as rice, grains, vegetables and curd produced in the North Central Province (NCP) contained Cadmium deposits and this is believed to be the reason for severe renal failure cases among those living in the NCP.

The reason for the percolation of Cadmium is due to the use of imported phosphate fertilizer, the research has found.

“Kidney failure is on the increase in the North Central region. Analysts were of the view that the use of phosphate must be restricted in order to solve this problem. If people begin to use Eppawala Rock- Phosphate, a considerable reduction of Cadmium being mixed into the environment can be avoided” says Prof Sarath Bandara.

“Kidney failure which was earlier reported only from the Anuradhapura area has now taken hold in the whole North Central region,” says Prof. Sarath Bandara. Meanwhile, officials of the Ministry of Health say that the number of kidney patients were increasing every year. According to Prof. Sarath Bandara young people around 20 to 30 years of age are more prone to kidney disorder than older people.

The research conducted by Prof. Sarath Bandara has revealed many other characteristics about the spread of kidney disease in the North Central area. The “phosphate” is imported to Sri Lanka in stocks to be used in agriculture. Agricultural scientists say that the Phosphate fertilizer contains Cadmium. This fertilizer when applied mixes with the water systems. According to Prof. Sarath Bandara, the research led him to the conclusion that Cadmium is mixed in drinking water and in agro wells, lakes and irrigation sources in the province.

Thus, when Cadmium mixes with drinking water it is directly absorbed into the body. When this continues for a considerable period of time, it causes kidney failures. According to Dr. Atapattu, the Provincial Director of Health Services of the North Central area, 10000 patients with kidney failure are being identified in the region and there are 250 kidney relateddeaths. These kidney patients have been identified through urine and blood samples in the medical clinics held in Anuradapura and the Polonnaruwa district.

It has been found that Cadmium does not dissolve in water, but turns into sludge in water sources. The research also revealed that Cadmium deposits have found their way into food in the North Central area including rice, grain, vegetables and curd. When cows consume pasture mixed with Cadmium, the metal gets into cow’s milk as well.

According to Prof. Buddhi Marambe, Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Peradeniya, there is a minimum amount of Cadmium mixed in Eppawala Rock Phosphate. However, there is a very large amount of Cadmium found in the fertilizers imported to Sri Lanka from China.

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Posted in cadmium , Central bank of Sri Lanka , kidney diseases , North Central Province , Rajarata , renal failure

40,000 METRIC TONS OF PADDY PURCHSED THIS SEASON

April 23, 2010: The government says it has purchased 40,000 metric tons of paddy from farmers so far this season.

The Ministry of Agriculture Development and Agrarian Services added that the process would continue uninterrupted.

“Offices of the paddy marketing board are open in all parts of the country for this purpose,” said S. Amarasekara, Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture Development and Agrarian Research.

Rs. 3,000 million have been allocated for purchasing paddy this season.

The Secretary to the Ministry noted that if those funds proved insufficient additional funds could also be obtained.

Farmers who bring their paddy to the storage facilities are paid Rs. 31.50 for a kilogramme of Samba while Nadu is purchased at Rs. 29.50 a kilogramme.

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Posted in paddy purchasing , rice harvest , Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka yielding the best ever Maha harvest

(April 21, 2010) Sri Lanka is now yielding the highest harvest that she gained in a ‘Maha’ season, reports say. ‘Maha’ is the most favorable season for paddy cultivation in Sri Lanka.

The Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture S. Amarasekara says that the harvest will reach to 2.6 million metric tons. This is an increase of 300,000 tons of the anticipated harvest of the Maha season this year. The agricultural authorities expected a harvest of 2.3 million. 

The Ministry commended the favorable weather conditions, fertilizer subsidy and the addition of the harvest of the Northern and Eastern Provinces to the national output for the sharp increase of harvest.

The Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture said that the Paddy Marketing Board under the Ministry has so far purchased 36,000 metric tons from the farmers. 

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Posted in Maha season , Ministry of Agriculture , rice harvest , S. Amarasekara

Extraordinary urgency in Sri Lanka when granting land ownership to encroachers

(March 09, 2010) As the elections are underway, the government of Sri Lanka has decided to grant land ownership to 5000 encroaching families.

The Chairman of the Land Reform Commission Nimal Puchihewa says that this action of granting land ownership will be completed before the end of this month.

There are many unscrupulous elements that have encroached state land with political backing among the persons that have done so due to poverty. The government's move can be to benefit those unscrupulous persons and the Movement of National Land and Agricultural Reforms (MONLAR) ask the public to be vigilant about the government's moves.

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Posted in land ownership , Land Reform Commission , Nimal Punchihewa , state lands

Rice prices declining in Sri Lanka as harvesting is underway

(March 03, 2009) As the harvesting of rice in the major Maha season is underway in Sri Lanka, the rice prices in the markets that was earlier escalated sharply have commenced declining, reports from Colombo wholesale market say.

The secretary of the Essential Food Commodity Importers' Association G. Nathan said that the wholesale rice prices had dropped below the government certified maximum prices.

Sri Lanka government had to take measures to import rice since there was a scarcity of rice in the market during the past few months.

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Posted in Maha season G. Nathan , rice market of Sri Lanka , rice price

Paddy purchasing prices down below government registered price in Sri Lanka

(March 03, 2009) Reports from Polonnaruwa say that the paddy purchasing price has de-escalated sharply as the harvesting is underway in the major Maha season. Polonnaruwa is one of the major rice cultivation districts of Sri Lanka.

The purchasing price for a kilo of paddy has gone far below down the government registered price. Private businessmen purchase Nadu paddy now for prices as low as Rs. 20 per kilo, farmers pointed out.

The much hyped programme of purchasing paddy at the government registered price of Rs. 28 for a kilo of Nadu rice and Rs. 30 per a kilo of Samba rice is unseen anywhere in the district, farmers said.

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Posted in Government registered price for paddy , paddy , Polonnaruwa , Rice , rice farming

Pineapple cultivators of Sri Lanka express concern

By Gamini Senadeera (Daily Mirror)

(February 26, 2010) Pineapple cultivators in the Gampaha District expressed concern about the heavy losses incurred by them due to the increasing production costs and for want of a profitable market for their produce.

They pointed out that the increasing prices of fertilizer and agro chemicals seriously affected them. A pineapple cultivator of Rathupaswala, Wimal Wickramarachchi stressed the need to provide a fertiliser subsidy to the pineapple cultivators as in the case of paddy cultivators. “I took to pineapple cultivation a few years ago in a small scale.

Today I have 50 acres of pineapple cultivation at Giriulla, 40 acres at Katupotha and 15 acres at Ganemulla. However, I am facing hardship for want of a market for our produce. The sharp decline of prices causes us heavy losses during the harvesting season. The government or the private sector must introduce pineapple based industries to provide a market for the produce.

The small scale cultivators should receive a fertiliser subsidy from the government. It is sad that we have been left to the mercy of the middleman.”

Meanwhile, the traders pointed out that it was with great difficulty that they earned a marginal profit from pineapple cultivation.

“We do not have storage facilities to preserve pineapple for a long time. Unless we dispose of our stock in a couple of days, we would be compelled to discard a large parentage of it as rotten fruits. Our customers are mostly ordinary consumers,” one of the traders said.

The pineapple cultivators requested the government to look into their predicament and provide them adequate facilities.

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Posted in Gampaha , pineapple cultivation , Sri Lanka