Affidavit filed by the Chief Wildlife Warden, Assam in the matter of news item titled "the last feral horses in India" appearing in Mongabay, November 5, 2024. The matter relates to the critically endangered status of feral horses in the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park as well as of smuggling of these …
The strategic Urban Development Project centered round the historic Kandy City, would be launched in August this year. Initially US$ 100 Million would be spent on this project handled with the active contribution of the Defence and Urban Development Ministry. This was revealed at a special meeting held at the …
Sri Lanka will upgrade and maintain roads connecting more than 1,000 villages to the highways and expressways in a 906 million US dollars project with 800 million US dollars coming from the Asian Development Bank, a minister said. Information minister Keheliya Rambukwelle said 106 million US dollars will come from …
A recent survey revealed that 10 percent of farmers in the Anuradhapura district have fallen prey to kidney diseases. President Mahinda Rajapaksa in view of this directed Agriculture Ministry officials to embark on a carbonic cultivation project covering the Anuradhapura district. The Anuradhapura district carbonic cultivation scheme was inaugurated in …
The World Bank is lending Sri Lanka US$ 213 million to prevent the flooding in the country's economic capital of Colombo and increase its defenses against the natural disaster to safeguard the livelihoods of city's 2.5 million people and the economic health of the entire country. The metropolitan city faces …
Sri Lanka has been selected as one of the first two pilot countries to implement the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) project on the application of space technologies for drought monitoring and early warning. The project will be continued for three consecutive crop …
Deputy Solicitor General Sanjay Rajaratnam yesterday told the Supreme Court that the State would not enforce till July 11, the gazette regulations stipulating that cigarette packets contain pictorial warnings covering 60% of their display areas. Earlier, it was decreed that the new regulations take effect from July 1, 2014. The …
The Economic Development Ministry signed an agreement with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on June 25 to support the Divi Neguma Livelihood Development Programme to withstand climate related shocks. The agreement was signed between Ministry Secretary, Dr. Nihal Jayathilaka and UNDP Country Director, Sri Lanka Razina Bilgrami to implement …
Canada is pleased to have contributed 1.16 million Canadian Dollars (138 million Sri Lankan rupees) towards research projects aimed at enhancing food security in Sri Lanka through the "Canadian International Food Security Research Fund". Conducted in collaboration with Sri Lankan, Canadian and scientists from other countries, the projects aim to …
Fishers’ protests have prevented the erection of pylons in the Puttalam lagoon to transmit electricity from the Norchcholai Coal Power Plant (NCPP)to Anuradhapura being put on hold. R. Yograjan MP, one of the ten UNP parliamentarians who undertook a fact finding mission of the NCPP recently told The Island yesterday …
The National Mobile Service Provider, Mobitel in partnership with the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) and other stakeholders, made a noteworthy contribution to the people and the environment recently when it collected a staggering 312 metric tons worth of electronic waste from the public in view of National e-Waste Management Week. …
Sri Lanka's Ministry of Economic Development Wednesday signed an agreement with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to support the Government's rural livelihood development programs to withstand climate-related shocks. Secretary to the Ministry of Economic Development Dr. Nihal Jayathilaka and Resident Representative of UNDP in Sri Lanka Ms. Razina Bilgrami …
The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) yesterday claimed to have taken measures to put an end to fly ash from the first coal-fired plant in Norochcholai causing respiratory problems to humans apart from affecting plantations in the area. The Island reliably learns that the problem has been resolved with the Holcim …
Rs. 98 million has been allocated by the Economic Development Ministry to develop minor irrigation schemes and abandoned paddy fields in Matara district under the village to village program. Funds will be used for this in Akuressa, Malimbada, Matara, Kamburupitiya, Dikwella, Thihagoda, Pitabeddara, Hakmana Kirinda-Puhulwella Mulatiyana, Welipitiya Divisional Secretariat areas …
The Alakolaveva-Padiyapelalla road development project was launched by Private Transport Minister C. B. Ratnayaka recently. A fund of Rs. one million has been allocated for the project carried out in the divisional secretariat area of Valapane in the Valapane electorate of the Nuwara Eliya district.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa opened several development projects in the health, education, infrastructure sectors in the Monaragala district yesterday. The government has spent over Rs 800 million for these development projects. In accordance with the Mahinda Chintana vision for the future to restructure education and create a knowledge base in the …
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa Monday declared open an electrification scheme for the benefit of the indigenous community in the Rathugala area of Moneragala in the Uva Province. President Rajapaksa vested the Rathugala, Electrification Scheme constructed under the Uva Udana development programme with the indigenous community in Rathugala which is …
The government plans to increase the forest cover in the country to 35 percent by 2020. Currently, the forest cover is 29.7 percent. At least 9,00,000 acres need to be planted to achieve the target, said Environment and Renewable Energy Minister Susil Premajayantha. The minister was addressing a meeting at …
The foot and mouth disease is spreading among hoofed animals in 18 Divisional Secretariat divisions in the Kurunegala district. Nearly 1,000 animals are suffering from the disease, said North Western Provincial Animal Production and Health Director N. Thilakarathne at the monthly meeting of the Kurunegala District Development Committee at the …
The United Nations, which marked World Day to Combat Desertification on 17 June, describes drought as the "world's costliest natural disaster". When monsoon rains failed to arrive in the Horn of Africa three years ago, for example, an estimated 50,000 people died. The US, Brazil and Sri Lanka are just …
There had been a 12 per cent increase in HIV/AIDS cases in the country so far this year with 90 new victims detected compared to last year’s 81 cases, Director HIV/AIDS Dr. Sisira Liyanage revealed yesterday. Dr. Liyanage said that during the first six months of this year alone 16 …
