This guide is for governments, conservationist practitioners and insurers to design and introduce insurance schemes to reduce human-wildlife conflict (HWC) and promote human-wildlife coexistence. Certain
The Environment Ministry will soon formulate a national level action plan with new regulations with regard to tamed elephants to ensure their well-being, Environment Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka said. The regulations will comply with international conditions as well, the Minister told a ceremony at the Kotte Raja Maha Viharaya on Thursday. The Minister opened the sacred relic exhibition at the conclusion of the temple
The World Bank
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) yesterday announced plans to boost rice production in districts hard hit by recent floods or conflict and by the soaring cost of many basic foods in Sri Lanka. Under the US$500,000 project, families in the four districts of north-central and eastern Sri Lanka
The Supreme Court yesterday rejected the motion seeking bail for Venerable Pannala Pragnaloka Thera of the Welikadawatte Temple Rajagiriya who had been remanded on a Supreme Court order for failing to answer notice to appear before the Court.
A water supply for Wegala in the Meda-Dumbara electorate will be inaugurated today by Urban Development Minister Dinesh Gunawardena on the invitation of Central Province Chief Minister Sarath Ekanayake at Wegala, Teldeniya. Chief Minister Sarath Ekanayake said this is another programme under the Mahinda Chintanaya to provide pure drinking water to the public. He said 550 families and over 3,000 persons in Wegala, Meegahamadiththa and Doraliyadda South will benefit from the new water scheme.
The Cabinet has approved a memorandum submitted by Minister of Transport, Dullas Alahapperuma to transfer Rs. 20 million from the budget for acquiring capital assets to meet the initial expenditure of the Vehicle Emission Testing (VET) Programme. Accordingly a VET Fund will be created to credit income received by the Motor Traffic Department from testing and to incur expenditure for training, awareness and allied activities for the programme.
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is to provide US$ 500,000 to increase rice production in conflict and flood affected districts of Sri Lanka. In a press release yesterday, the FAO said it has approved the funding for the project "Input supply to vulnerable populations under Initiative on Soaring Food Prices" in response to a request by the Sri Lankan government for assistance in combating the soaring food prices. FAO will provide funds to renovate the paddy lands in the troubled areas and will distribute seed paddy to the farmers in those areas.
The Coconut Cultivation Board (CCB) has decided to suspend the planting of coconut in the Matara district temporarily to curb the spread of leaf-rot disease. Transport of coconut saplings from Matara to other districts has banned and instructions were already issued to police to take action against those violate the regulation, the Board said. The Board says over 150,000 coconut palms in Matara district were attacked by the blight and instructions were given to the cultivators in a special gazette notification to remove the coconut trees affected by the disease, without permission.
The Government has decided to channel all ADB funds for the development of roads that come under the purview of Provincial councils, said Media Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardene. He said the Government has utilised Rs. 24,803 million out of Rs. 50,450 million allocated for road development activities for 2008. There are complaints that roads coming under provincial councils have not seen development for number of years.
The National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWS&DB) undergoes a loss of nearly Rs. 9 billion in providing drinking water, Water Supply Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said. The Minister was addressing a meeting after vesting with people several water supply schemes at Rotawala in Ambalantota. He said even undergoing a loss, it was the duty of the NWS&DB to supply drinking water to the people.
