Archives

Media must assist in mission of protecting environment - Hewage

by Florence Wickramage

Man's actions have contributed immensely to environmental destruction and the time has arrived to rectify these mistakes warned Thosapala Hewage, Environment and Natural Resources Ministry Secretary recently.

Hewage was addressing a Workshop on "The Role of the Media in Protecting the Catchment Areas" held at the Auditorium of the Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science. The one day seminar was organised by the Upper Watershed Management Project (UWMP) of the Environment and Natural Resources Ministry.

He further added that "the media can destroy an institution or make it, can destroy a government or make it and it can also destroy a man or make him. The media has a great strength and therefore it is the responsibility of the media to assist in the mission of protecting the environment and conserving the water catchment area.

The media has effectively portrayed the development programmes of the government and also urgent projects and by-projects aimed at finding immediate solutions to situations, Hewage added.

UWMP Director D.P. Munaweera made a detailed presentation of the Project, its objectives and successes achieved thus far.

Other speakers who addressed the workshop were former Additional Secretary of the Environment and Natural Resources Ministry Sunil Sarath Perera on the `Responsibility of the Media in Protecting Water Catchment Areas'; Deputy Director UWMP Dr. H.B. Nayakakorale on `Soil Erosion in the Upper Watershed Areas and Conservation'; Attorney-at-Law Jagath Gunawardena on `Legal Provisions for the Protection of Biodiversity in Water Catchment Areas'; Deputy Director UWMP P.M. Dharmatilleke on `Forests and Forest Conservation in Upper Watershed Areas'; Engineer P.H. Jayawardena on `Soil and Water Conservation in the Upper Watershed Areas apart from Farming' and `Formulation of Policies for the Conservation of Upper watershed Areas'.

www.crescat.com

News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security
Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries

Produced by Lake House
Copyright © 2003 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager