It seems to a certain extent, that the new one-way system of some of
the roads are working fine. But the authorities have not considered the
entrances and exits of the Malls when arranging these systems.
For instance how do we go to Liberty Plaza? The entrance is on
Duplication Road. We normally come along Duplication Road on the left
lane from Bambalapitiya and turn in to the entrance and exit on to
Dharmapala Mawatha. But after going round and round last week I just
could not get in to Liberty Plaza and gave up and went to another mall.
The problem is not the traffic but how do you get to that lane, as
Dharmapala Road is also one way.
I hope this system will work but we need to have a few extra litres
of petrol in the car to do the round and round the mulberry bush. And I
also hope that by the time the Big Matches come, they will bar the
bicycle parades going on these roads making it more congested.
Last year one of the big schools held up the traffic for almost three
hours on Duplication Road during the day, at a time of heavy traffic.
These parades should be banned from using the main roads like Galle Road
and Duplication Road, now that they are one way. Please think of the
people who would want to go on their daily business without having to
get stuck in traffic because of a silly parade.
I hope the system of one way will work with time, as for now it seems
to be a real challenge to get from one place to another.
S. A. - Mount Lavinia
I would like to add another dimension to Janaki Wijegunasekera's
letter (DN Oct. 14).
In the pursuit of the dengue mosquito, the Municipal Health
administrators appear to have overlooked the many other types of
mosquitoes that harass the ratepayers. We are informed that the
percentage of dengue mosquitoes is fortunately small compared to the
total mosquito population and they are most active during daylight
hours.
During the late evenings and at night, the other types of mosquitoes
takeover. There are thousands of them all over the City, more in some
areas than in others. There is no feedback to the CMC from residents,
because they do not know to whom to complain. Better than telephone
calls, are letters to the Chief Medical Officer of Health at Town Hall
Colombo 7. All residents should take the trouble to keep that office
informed: flood it with your letters.
When I complained they very promptly sent a 'mist blower' team that
went down the lanes. The results were interesting. All the mosquitoes
outdoors invaded the houses. The remedy was worse than the disease. To
use the 'mist blower' inside houses as well as outdoors is impracticable
and risky. Houses have to be vacated for several hours, all food and
furniture covered. So then - what is the solution?
We are asked by the CMC to remove all sources of stagnant water. How
do we remove the stagnant water in street drains and canals? The CMC
many not have the people and the supervisory capability to cover all
these adequately, although we see men carrying back packs of containers
from which a pesticide is poured into stagnant water in the drains.
Nothing appears to be done for the stagnant water in the many canals in
the city.
We the ratepayers must help ourselves. But unfortunately the tools
are no longer in the market. There are no reliable sprayers for home
use. The plastic coloured sprayers in the shops for around Rs. 70 are
useless. They fail in a few weeks.
There are no liquid pesticides for mosquitoes in the shops which can
be used with the sprayers. Instead we have only heated tablets, wicks
and coils that drive the mosquitoes away - to comeback another day. Many
persons are reluctant to use these as long-term usage is likely to cause
problems in the lungs especially for children.
There are aerosol spray cans at around Rs. 250 each, which may last a
month when used adequately daily. How many can afford this monthly
addition to living costs? There are mosquito nets - a quality brand
costs around Rs. 800 each.
How many homes are ventilated enough at nights, to avoid a bath of
perspiration sleeping under a net. How many can add to their expenses
the increased electricity bill to run a fan throughout the late evenings
and at nights. How many can buy a fan? We are told to reduce electricity
consumption, not increase it.
The municipal and national health authorities must address this
issue. Can they not promote into the markets an effective pesticide and
a long lasting hand sprayer (that sprays instead of pesticide leaking
all over the floor)? This will reduce sales of wicks, tablets, coils and
aerosol cans. Would they lobby against it?
We the victims must flood the media with our appeals and lobby the
administrators.
D. L. J. SENEVIRATNE - Colombo 6
does it make me a 'terrorist'?
Despite the gloom on the war front, America and its bloodthirsty
allies are well on their way in weakening Iraq through ethnic and
religious divisions for easier control of its oil riches.
The hanging of Saddam Hussein by a kangaroo court created by a puppet
Government of a Western-occupied Middle-Eastern country is only the
latest event in yet another tragedy visited on a poor country where
nearly a million of its citizens have now been slaughtered under the
auspices of the 'beacon of democracy', America.
In its long trail of infamy and injustice, creation of mayhem and
destruction of entire terrorised (shocked and awed this time) societies,
the Western alliance has again betrayed one of its former third-world
lackeys and killed him for crimes committed while he was their friend.
I was not a fan of Saddam Hussein. To me, he was just another tin-pot
dictator like so many of his contemporaries around the world. But seeing
the cruel injustices perpetrated on an entire people in a matter of
three years and demonising him to boot, makes me mourn his passing.
The perpetrators of vast crimes against humanity will live to a ripe
old age in comfort, revelling in the suffering and subjugation of
foreign peoples.
Like for many others silently witnessing injustice, this vile act
disgusts me. It merely reinforces our view that the lives of
dark-skinned people in the third-world are inconsequential in the moral
calculus of the west. Many of today's resistance movements are directed
against this shameful attitude. I hope they prevail.
Lasantha Pethiyagoda - Australia - via email
Taladuwa is a village not far away from the city of Negombo. There
are 1,520 families residing in this area. Due to the various duties
entrusted to the Grama Niladari, residents find it difficult to meet him
in office.
The authorities concerned should appoint an additional Grama Niladari,
so that the needs of the residents could be attended to, in a more
efficient manner.
J. T. MIRANDO - Negombo
The print media reported that the SLMM's plan to curtail its
monitoring activities for a 'short period' as it re-groups and
reconsiders its operations in the wake of continuing hostilities between
the Government troops and the LTTE.
The patriotic Sri Lankans want the SLMM to pack up and go as their
presence in Sri Lanka in this conflict had done more harm than good.
It' s a fact known to every one that from day one of the
establishment of the SLMM under the CFA, they have been mollycoddling
LTTE terrorist outfit ignoring and whitewashing the thousands of
atrocities committed including murders, abductions, recruiting child
soldiers etc,.
There are many instances where SLMM has been very quick in making
falsified statements against the legitimate Government. It appears that
the SLMM follows suite of the LTTE's strategy looking for breathing
space to regroup and consolidate.
The million dollar question is whether they are regrouping to discuss
how to intimidate the legitimate Sri Lankan government more aggressively
or how to help the recalcitrant LTTE to achieve their goal of Eelam? Of
course, more obvious is the latter.
There is no secret that all those who served and currently serving
the SLMM made eulogies at Anton Blasingham's funeral services who had
blood in his hands as much as the LTTE leader Prabhakaran. Hence, can we
expect impartiality from SLMM members? Surely, our forces can handle
LTTE better without SLMM's presence albeit Peace Secretariat thinks
otherwise.
Malin Abeyatunge - Australia - via email
The Road Development Authority is taking more than three years to
construct the Marine Drive Roadway from Bambalapitiya Station Road to
Adamally Place which is a distance of 50 yards.
To build a road of 50 yards it takes more than three years.
Can anybody beat this record? This kind of happenings can only take
place in our Mother Lanka. I think this record should go into the
Guinnes Book of World Records.
P. V. S. RANJAN - Dehiwela
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