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 …
A drought monitoring system is being developed in South Asia, in a collaboration between GWP and the IWMI. A first Assessment Report has been released by GWP South Asia and the GWP-WMO Integrated Drought Management Programme (IDMP). Over one billion people in South Asia are dependent on agriculture for their …
The Environment and Renewable Energy Ministry has taken steps to set up Environment Protection Committees in each district with the intention of obtaining public support to increase forest cover in Sri Lanka, a ministry spokesman said. He said this initiative has been taken under the directive of Minister Susil Premajayantha …
The Northern Provincial Council of Sri Lanka had adopted a resolution last week to not allow any mining or quarrying of limestone in the province by companies or individuals. Agriculture and Environment Minister Ponnuthurai Ayngaranesan told the media that the resolution was adopted last week and discussions on the matter …
Around 9,000 new tuberculosis (TB) patients are detected annually in Sri Lanka. About 43 per cent of the TB patients are from the Western province and of that around 23 per cent of the cases have been reported from the Colombo district, according to TB and Chest Diseases Control Unit. …
The Sri Lankan Government has received a US$ 40 million loan from Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) of Korea to fund the improvements of several roads in the hill country. The funds will be utilized towards the cost of improvements on the 46.75 km Hatton - Nuwara Eliya section of …
Majority of paints analysed in seven Asian countries, including Nepal, contained astonishingly high lead content and did not meet the international regulatory standards, according to the Asian Regional Paint Report, 2014. International POPs Elimination Network and its partner organisations are carrying out Asian Lead Paint Elimination Project in seven countries …
Three projects have received funding support from the Sanitation Financing Partnership Trust Fund, created last year by the Asian Development Bank, in recognition that complex urban and coastal environments require new approaches to septage management. The Fund had been created to provide safe sanitation to families in Asia’s cities and …
Sri Lanka has banned the sale of Monsanto's "Round Up" glyphosate weedicide after a study found that the weedicide is responsible for the increasing number of chronic kidney disease patients. Minister off Special Projects S.M. Chandrasena said the decision to ban Glyphosate sales in the country has been taken on …
Environmentalists in Sri Lanka warn of severe environmental degradation in the island's main catchment area of Sri Pada mountain. They say that the pilgrims who visit the sacred mountain are damaging the environment in the sensitive ecosystem from which the country's four major rivers, Mahaweli, Kalu, Kalani and Walawe start …
The Central Environmental Authority (CEA) has taken an initiative with the assistance of eight other state run institutions and the private sector to make this year’s annual Siripada Pilgrim Season a carbon free event especially considering the area’s sensitive environment. CEA Director General Dr. Saranga Alahapperuma said that their recent …
About 50 per cent of school children are suffering from iron deficiency in Sri Lanka. The Health Ministry has decided to add iron to common salt to prevent iron deficiency and it has already discussed plan with salt producing companies. In addition, iron tablets will also be given to schoolchildren …
It’s impossible to prevent natural disasters completely but, their mitigation and adaptation are possible through accurate and timely forecasts Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday said international cooperation for exchange of weather data and information is very essential for worldwide disaster management after urging the up-gradation of the traditional early …
Recognizing the Sri Lankan government's vision to develop a well-planned and connected network of cities and townships throughout the country by 2020, the World Bank has agreed to grant US$ 147 million to Sri Lanka. The loan assistance through the World Bank's lending arm, International Development Association (IDA) will be …
The prolonged drought in Sri Lanka has affected the tea cultivation and reduced the tea production by about 50 percent ,the industry sources say. Sri Lanka Tea Board says that the drought has affected tea plants in the plantations in the hill country as well as in the low country. …
The Government of Sri Lanka has received a loan of Rs. 9.8 billion (Japanese Yen 7.62 billion) from the Government of Japan through its lending arm, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to protest the national road network of the country from landslide disasters. The Landslide Disaster Protection Project of the …
An Australian company has expressed commitment to invest US $ 190 million to establish a solar panel and solar cells plant in the Mirijjawela Export Processing Zone in Hambantota. Australia-based Energy Puzzle Group that would set up its plant across eight-and-a-half acres is expected to be fully operational by 2015. …
Sri Lanka’s largest urban wetland, the Muthurajawela Wetland Sanctuary, performs many important ecological functions, particularly in the area off the North coast of Colombo up to Negombo. Many local and foreign tourists value its contribution to eco-tourism, as a top bird-watching location within the metro Colombo region and minutes away …
Sri Lanka's private mini power generator Viddullanka PLC has commenced construction of a 1.75 MW Mini-Hydro Power Plant (MHPP) in the Badulla district. The Rideepana MHPP will be owned by the Rideepana Hydro ( Pvt) Limited, a fully owned subsidiary of Vidullanka PLC. The project is estimated to cost Rs. …
Construction work of the Northern Expressway from capital Colombo to northernmost city of Jaffna has started, the Director General of the Road Development Authority (RDA) W.A.S. Weerasinghe said. According to the official, the 300-kilometer long highway will be constructed under four stages and the first stage of the project from …
Sri Lanka Standards Institute will issue standard certificates to farmers who use organic fertilizer devoid of chemical fertilizer and pesticides for cultivation, the Ministry of Technological Research and Atomic Energy said. Awarding of the standard certificates will take place at 10.00 a.m. today at the Sri Lanka Standards Institute in …
