A brighter future

The demand for power in Sri Lanka is rising exponentially as the population rises and people move up the economic ladder.

Sri Lanka has been lagging behind in the power sector as successive Governments dilly dallied on major power projects, leading to a crisis in power generation. Another result is that electricity is very expensive in Sri Lanka compared with most other Asian countries. The next few years will be crucial for this sector.

The Mahinda Rajapaksa Government is expeditiously addressing this critical issue, with foreign assistance and expertise. It is in this context that all progressive persons will welcome the move to expedite the US$ 500 million thermal power project of Indian power behemoth NTPC Ltd in Trincomalee. Work on the plant will begin early next year.

The plant will generate 500 MW in three years time, which will be a very welcome addition to the national grid which simply cannot cope with the present demand. Last week, Power and Energy Minister W.D.J. Seneviratne revealed to Parliament that the Government has succeeded in providing electricity to nearly 78 per cent of all households in the country.

This is a very creditable achievement, given the existing capacity of the national grid and economic constraints.

This still means that more than 20 per cent of households do not have electricity. One should also take into account the rising demand from the newly liberated Eastern Province, which will be developed virtually from scratch under the Eastern Resurgence Programme.

The Government has embarked on a massive power generation programme to meet this shortfall, launching projects such as Norochcholai and Upper Kotmale which have been on the drawing board for a long time.

One of the aims of this drive is to reduce the country's dependence on hydro and thermal power. The latter is particularly taxing on the economy, as fossil fuel imports require a massive amount of foreign exchange every year.

However, power planners should be aware that it may not be possible to extend the physical infrastructure of the national grid to some of the remotest villages in the country.

Even if it can be done, the cost-effectiveness will be minimal. The authorities should seriously consider alternatives such as solar power for these villages.

The initial investment is high, but there is no virtually no maintenance cost and the system is self-contained. Renewable, no-polluting energy sources are the future and we have to start now.

Sri Lankan English

English is a living language that evolves with time. The so-called Olde English is now no longer in use. We use a more modern version of the language. Five hundred years hence, it will be another story.

English has the ability to absorb many words from other languages. Over the centuries, English has been enriched by numerous words 'borrowed' from French, Italian, Latin, German and other languages. Some of these words and terms survive in their original form while others have been 'corrupted' over time to become truly English words. The process is still continuing.

The English language was one of the lasting legacies of the British administration in Sri Lanka. It has become one of the official languages, widely used as a 'link' among various communities that call the island their home. Inevitably, English has also become 'Ceylonised' or 'Lankanised' much to the horror of purists.

In other words, there are English words and phrases which are used only by Sri Lankans. A native speaker would be flummoxed by some of these expressions, but for Sri Lankans it is part of their daily lives.

Some of these are straight Sinhala or Tamil words, but many others have a Dutch or Portuguese origin. Many of these words and phrases are so common that editors and journalists of all local English newspapers use them without having second thoughts and without providing any explanation for non-native readers.

If you are among the latter, help is literally at hand: Someone has at last published a 'Sri Lankan English' dictionary to unravel the mysteries of these words which we use every day. That someone is Michael Meyler, who knows all about Sri Lankan English.

The dictionary cover depicts a Miris Gala, a stone used to crush chilies to make pol sambol, in effect conjuring up two words which are not used anywhere else. The book covers a whole gamut of words of Sinhala and Tamil origin, from Achchaaru to Muspenthu to Rasthiyadu with examples of usage and complete sentences.

We take our hats off to Meyler for his effort to bring together these words and phrases and explain them to a wider audience.

The newly-launched dictionary not only shows the ingenuity of Lankans but also reaffirms our faith in the English language as a truly globalised language that can be nurtured by languages and peoples around the world.