Reopening of Wilapattu Park to Save Jumbos and Humans
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The IslandHome News Page Three Monday 1st March, 2010 3 Dry zone eco Reopening of Wilapattu Park to activists offered save jumbos and humans WB grant by Ifham Nizam more human-elephant conflicts in the of the park, said archaeological sites sanctuary and The reopening of the Wilpattu Wayamba region. located there were under threat and con- in 1938 it was National Park would reduce the number With the resumption of rehabilita- siderable amount of historical evidence upgraded Dry Dry of incidents of elephant-human conflict tion work within the park, elephants had already been lost. as a Interm by 50 per cent, Environment and and other animals would be restricted to He said that they had found that National ediate Wet Natural Resources Minister Patali the park soon, the Minister said. nearly all the significant sites had been Park. Interm Champika Ranawaka said at the reopen- Annually, between 275 and 300 ele- affected. ediate ing of the Wilpattu National Park on phants are killed while 65 to 70 humans He said he strongly believed that Wet Saturday. He said the largest and the die in elephant attacks. there was an urgent need to protect and most beautiful park had been neglected IUCN Researcher Vimukthi conserve those sites. owing to terrorism and that had led to Veeratunga, speaking on a recent study In 1905, Wilpattu was designated a Community organizations in Sri Lanka’s dry zone could apply for grants of up to 9000 US dollars each under a Forty - two illegal programme that promotes environmen- tal friendly agriculture, water and waste foreign job agencies management, the World Bank says. The lender’s Colombo office is call- ing application to give grants under its raided, 26 remanded Civil Society Fund (CSF) 2010 which is operating under a theme of since November “Development and Climate Change – Building Community Resilience in the by Lal Gunesekera tact with overseas princi- Dry Zone of Sri Lanka.” pals have been doing The World Bank says water scarcity The Foreign business over the years, in the ‘dry zone’ area of Sri Lanka is Employment Bureau but now the FEB has one of the biggest challenges faced by (FEB) has stepped up received many com- people living in this area, which is also a raids on illegal job agen- plaints that these unreg- key area of agriculture production. cies. istered foreign employ- “Innovative approaches to dealing Forty-two foreign ment agencies not only with the causes and consequences of cli- employment agencies, collect cash from mate change will be critical for the operating without prospective employees, future”, World Bank’s country director licences, have been raid- which is illegal, but also Naoko Ishii said in a statement. ed and 26 people remand- cheat people seeking The lender is looking for projects ed during the last four employment abroad,” he that will propose “innovative mecha- months. said. nisms to adapt to and mitigate climate “These illegal agen- “Cash is collected and change” related to “sustainable agricul- cies are operating all by way of commissions, tural practices at the household level, over the country, not only air tickets etc, but they water management and managing solid in the city and towns. are not sent abroad and waste.” They obtain money from we find out that these prospective employees agencies have closed and A Buddhist monk blesses an elephant that is brought to take part in a procession in Colombo on Saturday who seek employment moved to different loca- (27). Dozens of elephants went on parade in the Navam Maha Perahera held Saturday and Sunday. overseas, particularly in tions,” he said. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) the Middle-East, Far-East Even if they send peo- and even countries like ple abroad in some cases Greece and Italy,” a workers get into trouble spokesman for the FEB there. The Sri Lanka said. Embassies find it diffi- He told The Island cult to assist them as Double murder mystery cracked that there were several they have not been regis- such unauthorised tered with the FEB. Saturday, Feb 27, 2010: refugee camp here while inflicted a deep cut injury on employment agencies Those who run unreg- KARUR: Police here claim to Pandi is married to a Sri his neck and killed him. even in the Eastern istered foreign employ- have cracked the mystery Lankan Tamil girl from the The murders shook Karur Province now and that ment agencies could be behind the murder of two camp. residents and, pilloried by the the FEB’s investigative fined upto Rs. 100,000 children and arrested three Police claim that the trio public, police mounted sus- unit officers had started and sentenced to impris- persons, including a Sri had entered the house of LIC tained efforts to zero in on the raids on them. onment for a period of Lankan refugee, in connection Development Officer S. culprits. Several special teams “These employment four months if found with the case. The murders Karthikeyan at G.R. Nagar, were deputed to nab the agencies with direct con- guilty. took place on May 17, 2007. North Gandhigram, here in killers. Deputy Inspector The names of the arrested the hope of looting things but General of Police, Tiruchi were given as Murali alias was confronted by his daugh- Range, Amalraj lauded the Robbery Murali of ter Deepika (7) who tried to efforts of the special team Thanthonrimalai, Pandi alias shout and raise an alarm. The officers and men and distrib- Over 80 percent Muthupandi of Karur and intruders delivered a fatal uted cash rewards. Kumar alias Tharkolai Kumar. blow on the head of the girl. Superintendent of Police R. Kumar is a Lankan refugee When Ram Prakash (12) came Dhinakaran and other officers of stroke patients and inmate of the Rayanur in search of his sister, they were present. (The Hindu) are alcoholics by Don Asoka strokes annually in the Wijewardena world, but a complete The UNP estimate of Sri Lanka’s handed over A top medical expert death rate could not be nominations yesterday urged the taken because some for Gampaha Health Ministry to set stroke patients had died District on up separate wards to at home. February 25 provide specialized At least two stroke at Gampaha treatment to stroke wards in two hospitals Kachcheri. patients at major gov- should be set up in each UNP Deputy ernment hospitals. district, she said. When Leader Karu Consultant stroke patients were Jayasuriya Neurologist Dr. (Ms.) admitted, doctors had at Kachcheri Padma Gunaratne made no alternative but to with Ruwan that request after send them to the Wijewardena launching an awareness Intensive Care Unit and former programme for people (ICU) for treatment, she Parliamentari in Colombo to mark the said. ans World Stroke Day. Dr. Gunaratne said Sarathchand She said although 80 per cent of stroke ra strokes were the second patients admitted to Rajakaruna leading cause of death hospitals were heavy and John after heart ailments, smokers and tipplers. Amaratunga state-run hospitals, Thirty per cent of the except the Colombo patients could be treat- National Hospital and ed but they would suf- Kurunegala Hospital, fer from permanent dis- did not have wards for ablement. stroke patients. She said factors such UNP pledges good governance All stroke patients as eating salty and fatty were warded in medical food, depression, high by Susil Ranamuka determined to develop the coun- the Prime Minister in the next wards, she said adding blood pressure, dia- Imbulgoda try and keep pace with the devel- parliament. that 80 percent of betes, smoking, exces- oped world, Jayasuriya said. Former parliamentarian patients brought to hos- sive consumption of The UNP is contesting the Former parliamentarian John Amaratunge said the UNP pitals were males. liquor and lack of exer- general election to protect Sarathchandra Rajakaruna said was confident that it would win Dr Padma Gunaratne cise were the main democracy and establish good the UNP had fielded a group of a majority of seats and all said the National causes of strokes. governance in the country, its courageous, honest and hard- should get together to bring Stroke Association had The Stroke deputy leader Karu Jayasuriya working candidates in the about a system of good gover- been instrumental in Association of Sri said at the handing over of nom- Gampaha District and the prin- nance. launching several Lanka urges people to inations for the Gampaha cipal aim of the UNP was to pro- Ruwan Wijewardena and awareness campaigns change their eating District. tect democracy and win the elec- Western Provincial Council on strokes. habits and to take in Freedom of expression had tion with a comfortable majori- members Harshana Rajakaruna Around 5.7 million more fruits and vegeta- been curtailed. UNP leader ty. A victory for the UNP would and Udeni Wijeratne were also people were dying of bles. Ranil Wickremesinghe was also help Wickremesinghe to be present..