Quick Look

Development projects mark Tourism Day

Jauffer Khan, Batticaloa group corr

Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa opened several new tourism development projects costing Rs 100 million in Batticaloa to mark World Tourism Day.

They included the lagoon area which has been transformed into a tourist attraction, facilities including pathways, tourist huts, canteens and children’s parks built at a cost of Rs 29 million and a training facility costing Rs 33 million at Palameenmaduwa.

Resettlement Deputy Minister Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan and Eastern Province Chief Minister Sivanesaturai Chandrakanthan were also present during the opening ceremonies.

Vegetable, fruit transportation:

New laws from next year

Ishara Mudugamuwa

The Agriculture Ministry will introduce new laws before December 31 to prevent serious losses caused to fruits and vegetables during post harvest operations from farmers to consumer, said Agriculture Minister Mahinda Yapa Abeywardane.

“Transporting vegetables and fruits after packing in sacks will be banned from next year as farmers lose four to 12 kilos per sack during transport. According to latest statistics more than 0.2 million tons of vegetables are lost annually. The loss incurred is valued at Rs 8,000 million,” the Minister said.

The Post Harvest Technology Institute is conducting a number of researches to identify problems in the post harvesting field and introduce new techniques, specially for farmers.

According to them 30 to 40 percent of post harvest losses of fruits and vegetables occur annually. The Post Harvest Technology Institute has introduced plastic crates for farmers, collectors and wholesale traders at subsidized rates to transport vegetables and fruits.

“The Agriculture Ministry has already given 80,000 crates to farmers and the nest will be provided before the end of this year,” said the Minister.

The Institute also conducts training programs for farmers to provide technologies to minimize post harvest damages. Value addition and dehydration are other ways to solve this problem.

The institute has introduced technologies to produce value added food products such as cordials, chutneys and toffees.

Wrong turn killed Lankan in Qatar fire

A Sri Lankan hotel employee aged 35 who died in Friday’s fire in Doha, Qatar could have been saved had he not split from his other colleagues and moved in a different direction after they woke up from sleep due to suffocating smoke that billowed from the blaze.

The employee was fast asleep with his colleagues in a room of the hotel, Golden Coast, when the fire took place in the wee hours of Friday. All of them woke up due to smoke and headed in a safe direction but soon the deceased separated from the group and went in another direction alone, sources told The Peninsula

“His colleagues tried hard to look for him when he suddenly split but they failed to sight him due to thick clouds of smoke. Absolutely nothing was visible in the darkness,” a source said.

The Peninsula

Death ride

Jaufer kahn - Batticaloa Group Correspondent

A motorcyclist died when the motorcycle he was riding hit an electric pillar at Kalawanchikudi along the Baticaloa - Kalmunai Road on September 27 evening.

Kalawanchikudi Police say the deceased Sinnaiya Waraden (29) is a father of three.

Convocation

The convocation of Aquinas University College will be held at its auditorium on September 30 from 4 to 6pm.

Archbishop Dr Malcolm Ranjith will be the Chief Guest.

Higher Education Minister S B Dissanayake will be the Guest of Honour.

Blood donation

A blood donation campaign organized for the third time by the "Kalyana Mithrayo Yovun Sabahawa" will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on October 3, at the Amawathura Asapuwa Pittugala Malambe.

Mobile Library in Jaffna

The European Union in Sri Lanka will launch a Mobile Library Service in the Jaffna Peninsula to mark International Children’s Day which falls on October 1. The Mobile Library Service funded by the European Union will be launched on October 7 by Jaffna Mayor and European Union Attache, Wim Prud’homme at the Public Library, Jaffna.

This mobile lending library will be the first of its kind in Jaffna and will benefit thousands of children from over 100 schools.

Mysterious death for huge croc

Puttalam group corr.

A carcass of a 12 ft crocodile was found in the Inginimitiyaya tank by residents in the area recently. The residents informed the Karuwalagaswewa wildlife office about the death of the crocodile.

They said they suspect the amphibious reptile to have been poisoned by some group of inland fishermen since it had caused constant damage to fishing nets spread by them in the tank.

Roads to be developed

Several roads in the Moneragala and Badulla districts in Uva province and Hambantota districts will be developed in parallel to Dayata Kirula development program.