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The foul smell emanating from the garbage heaped up by the Matara
Municipal Council on the bank of the Nilwala river causes a great
inconvenience to the people of Piladuwa, Uyanwatta and Weragampita. We
are aware that this is not a problem that could be easily solved, your
experience, ability and desire to work for the people would have been
able to stop this public menace in near future.
P Kalpage
It was reported in the ‘Daily News’ on January 27, 2012 that
President Mahinda Rajapaksa will not accept a code of media ethics
imported from the UK but will accept a code of media ethics to match
local requirements. This is a step in the right direction.
The same criterion should also apply to our legal system. Now law
reform bodies and lawyers in this country including Justice Ministry,
follow UK Laws when making new laws for this country. We still could not
disassociate from colonial mindset. Now, laws are drafted in English and
later translated into Sinhala and Tamil as if those are meant for a
British Colony.
But sad to say the bureaucratic hierarchy and some lawyers who
learned only in English, still follow the colonists and behave with an
assumed greatness.
A Patriot
In spite of the construction of the overhead bridge at Dehiwala
junction, there are heavy traffic jams could be noticed during the three
peak times,i.e., morning, school closing -time(afternoon) and late
evening. These traffic-jams could be considerably eased if the Dehiwala
overhead bridge is declared one-way towards Colombo in the morning and
one-way towards Ratmalana during school closing- time and late evening.
Traffic jams have become acute in the Ratmalana area, too, since the
closure of Attidiya Road for laying of the sewer line. Traffic from the
Galle Road at Maliban junction is diverted through Sri Dhammadara Road .
Buses to Nugegoda and Maharagama, as they turn off to Sri Dhammadara
Road, are kept waiting for 10 to 20 minutes to collect passengers until
the next bus arrives at this halt.
Sometimes two buses are kept waiting. This practice must stop. Buses
should stop to collect the passengers who are already at the halt.
This does not only cause traffic jams but also delays the passengers
who have commenced their journey from Ratmalana Railway Station to
Maharagama. Unlike C T B buses, private buses have this practice of
waiting at every halt and start calling for passengers. That is why
passengers prefer to travel in CT B buses. In order to mislead the
passengers, some private sector buses also have painted their buses in
red. The police should stop this practice of waiting at bus halts in
this manner and public expect the Dehiwala and Mount Lavinia police to
take immediate action on these matters.
Ranjith DODAMPEGAMA
Kotagala has become a fast developing town. As a result, the inflow
of people is quite large from the nearby estates and villages but it is
sad that there is no facilities in this part of the town to cater to the
needs of the visitors.
In fact, I was shocked to hear that tourists and pilgrims pollute the
main road when they stop over during night time for meals.
I hope the authorities concerned will take necessary steps to provide
sanitary facilities at Wootton Bazaar which would bring additional
income to the local government and also provide employment opportunities
for unemployed youth in the area.
David Williams
Several years ago a milk man in the North carried his fresh cow milk
in an aluminum container for sale. He was checked by the local public
health inspector and prosecuted in the Jaffna Magistrate Court for
selling adulterated milk and fined Rs.15/- a pricely sum at that time.
Further questioning revealed that he had plied his trade for a long time
and the irony of it was that he did not own a single cow.
Except for improved marketing styles, our big time milk importers are
also doing the same thing. One can travel to any part of this country
and purchase packeted powdered milk .It is sad to observe the vast sums
of foreign exchange wasted on this imported product which arrives in one
vessel and discharged to the local importers, marketing under different
brand names though the milk cows can't be any different.
Though fertile land are available in this country not much effort is
made to promote this industry. Recently there was a gift of animals from
India for promotional purposes but they were all bulls.
The farm in Sri Lanka equipped with the latest high tech machinery
and transport facilities. It has imported the most expensive hybrid milk
cows but has yet to capture a fraction of the market controlled by the
importers..
If only the local giant conglomerates can put their heads together in
a concerted effort with all the resources at their disposal inclusive of
State support and current infrastructure developments, not forgetting
the varied employment opportunities and start a massive animal husbandry
project, I am sure Sri Lanka could be made self sufficient in milk.
MELVILLE PERERA
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