Citizens' Mail
There are a set of beggars hanging around traffic lights harassing
motorists and disturbing their attention. They criss cross amidst
traffic lanes knocking at the windows of cars asking for alms. I have
noticed that they operate on shift basis. Sometimes pregnant women
carrying babies can be seen.
The worst affected place is the traffic lights at Williams Grinding
Mills Junction in Dehiwela. Sometimes they abuse the motorist in filth
if no money is doled out.
There is a musician beggar operating near the lights at the end of
Dickmans Road. Any serious accident can happen. The beggars can be run
over. Also there is another security risk. Any suicide bomber can dress
like a beggar and can hang around near the traffic lights awaiting their
prey.
Why is the Traffic Police taking no action in this regard. The DIG
Traffic must give strict instructions to his men not to tolerate this
nonsense which is also an obstruction for the smooth flow of traffic.
And finally a word to all motorists. Please refrain from giving any
alms to beggars at traffic lights. Do not encourage this practice. There
is a place and time to give alms.
P. V. Ranjan
Dehiwala
May God bless the President and the Government of Sri Lanka and give
him the wisdom and courage to govern our motherland for another long
period of time.
Eradicate the menace of terrorism and unite the country. This hasn't
happened in the past 500 odd years. We love Sri Lanka! and we love you
all. Please don't give into the pressure imposed by the IC or any other
Western power. You have the people power and our overwhelming support
and confidence. Complete the mission you have started, Sir. Once that is
done, we will convey the message 'Mission Accomplished' to the IC and
the Westerners.
Francis Kurukulasuriya
Australia
A number of articles on the topic of Sigiriya hornets and their
danger to tourists have been appearing from time to time in the
newspapers. Hornets are large wasps which are venomous arthropods
belonging to the family Vespidae. Another arthropod belonging to this
group in the bee.
Apart from severe pain following the hornet's sting, allergic
reactions to the sting are common. Toxic reactions resulting from many
stings are rare. Venom allergens include hyaliromidase, phosphatase and
antigen 5. Non allergic compounds include histamine, kines and toxic
peptides.
Hundreds of people die in England and Wales and United States every
year following hornets' stings. I am not aware of annual death rate
following hornets stings in Sri Lanka.
The deaths following hornets' stings are said to be due to secondary
phenomena such as myocardial infraction (heart attacks) and
cerebrovascular accidents (strokes). A hornets' sting introduces about
50 micro grams of the venom which will rapidly produce a hot, red,
painful swelling which persists for a few hours and these stings are
dangerous if the airway is obstructed e.g. following sting on the
tongue. As few as 30 stings can kill children and adults and stings
cause vasodilation, hypotension (low blood pressure), vomiting,
diarrhoea, throbbing headache and coma. Other features include
haemolysis, (breaking down of red blood cells), passing haemoglobin in
Urine, acute nephritis and nephrotic syndrome.
A patient may die within minute of the sting due to anaphylaxis
(severe allergic reaction) following hornet's sting. Systemic symptoms
include tingling of scalp, dizziness, fainting attacks, wheezing,
abdominal colic and diarrhoea.
Over the next 15 to 20 minutes angioneurotic oedema, oedema of the
glottis, profound hypotension and coma usually develop. Some patients
develop serum sickness one to two weeks after the sting if they survive.
Asthmatics are usually more prone to above reactions than normal people.
The barbed stings of hornets remain embedded at the site of the sting
and should be removed by scraping with a blade or finger nail. Domestic
meat tenderizer (papain) diluted roughly 1.5 with tap water is said to
produce immediate pain relief. Ice packs and aspiring are effective.
Systemic antihistanes such as piriton or phenergan can be used for
more severe local reactions or these may be treated with a course of
corticosteroids such as prednisolone.
Systemic anaphylactic shock should be treated with 0.1% (1.000)
adrenaline given by subcutaneous injection. If the patient is
unconscious or pulseless adrenaline should be given by intravenous or
even intra cardiac injection and very serious patients whose blood
pressure does not respond to large doses of adrenaline should be given
cardio - pulmonary resuscitation (CPR); Salbutamol, dopamine and
intravenous antihistamines are of use in the case of very ill patients.
In more developed countries such as UK and USA, people with allergy
wear identifying tags and are trained to give themselves adrenaline
subcutaneously and they carry preloaded syringes of adrenaline. The
cause of death in the victims are respiratory tract obstruction. As far
as I am aware no antivenon is available to hornets sting.
Wasps congregate where sweet things are consumed. Wasps are attracted
by brightly coloured floral patterns and perfumes. In other countries
hornets nests are removed in tourist sites.
Only way to make Sigiriya a safe tourist attraction is for the
authorities to remove the hornets' nests as soon as possible, as,
hornets' sting can kill, mainly due to anaphylaxis, before some
catastrophe occurs. Sigiriya should be made a safe place for tourists by
removing the hornets nests as Sigiriya is the most popular tourist
attractions in Sri Lanka for foreigners. It is high time that the
authorities removes these hornets nests from the vicinity of this
historical tourist site. It is our duty to safeguard the safety of the
tourists before some catastrophe occurs.
D. P. Atukorale
Colombo 7
Keep the city clean! Well said indeed. All concern - say, pray or
rede, most oblige. Yet, the problem remains as it is.
The private sector, who took over as contractors proved to be
failure. Just as the Municipality or the Urban Councils. The worst is
all collected garbage is dumped within the city limits again. The
Bloemendhal dumping ground is an example. These garbage mounds reach
sky-high without proper attention of authorities. The Health Ministry or
the environmental authorities cannot save face by pointing at the
contractors. Due to the population growth there are no vacant spaces in
city limits. Even the present dumping grounds made havoc in polluting
the area. My proposal is, all garbage should be transported out of town
as fast as possible. Set up a railway yard close to the town, say at
Hunupitiya or Enderamulla. Find barren lands in a remote area. Put up
bio-gas or fertiliser plants with the help of private sector. All
garbage should be transported at night under close surveillance of
security, due to present atmosphere. It is compulsory the Government's
duty in transporting. If the cleaning schedule breaks in midway, within
a day whole plan will go upside down.
New railway yard with garbage containers, special rail line to
dumping area, night transport with security. All needs money. Private
sector could provide their own wagons. Their company names displayed at
the yard. Government could find aid from foreign countries.
There should be no patch-work. This for the present and for the
future! No more garbage mounds at Bloemendhal!
Ashley Lal Jayasekera
Ragama
|
