Quick Look
Awareness programmes for schoolchildren
Edward Weerasinghe, Kelaniya group correspondent
Awareness programmes on dengue, malaria, brain fever and chikungunya
will be conducted for schoolchildren in the Kelaniya Zonal Education
Division.
Kelaniya zonal education director M S Chandrasekara has instructed
Principals in the region to conduct awareness programmes.
Meanwhile, Principals have begun a programme to clean schools with
the assistance of parents by organising shramadana campaigns during
weekends.
More land for rubber cultivation
Raja Waidyasekera - Tissamaharama Special Corr.
Steps have been taken to bring 275 acres of land under rubber
cultivation in the Hambantota district.
The participation of lower income group families will be obtained to
make this a success.
There are plans to train rubber tappers and the youths to enable them
to find employed in the sphere. Spokesman for the Rubber Cultivation and
Development Board said that at present rubber cultivators in the
district derived benefits from rubber cultivation.
Tissamaharama sacred city plan released
Raja Waidyasekera - Tissamaharama Special Corr.
The Tissamaharama Sacred City plan has been released.
It consists of allocations of space for future development
activities, setting up of meditation centres, flower stalls, trade
stalls, museum, vocational training institutes, libraries and
landscaping.
All these development activities will be carried out under the
guidance and instructions of the Viharadipathi, Tissamaharama Raja Maha
Viharaya, Ven Devalegama Dhammasena thera.
Beware of rat fever
Raja Waidyasekera - Tissamaharama Special Corr.
The possibility of the spread of rat fever is imminent with the
oncoming rainy season, Health authorities in Hambantota said. They said
that those who fall victim to the disease, are those who work in paddy
fields and children who play in abandoned paddy fields. They said that
it was in these places that urine of rats stagnates. Health authorities
said that Penicillin tablets and injections are administered to patients
with rat fever as such, those allergic to penicillin should inform the
doctor about it.
Religious and social service programmes
A series of religious and social service programmes will be held in
Matara from today to June 9 to mark Acting Economic Development Minister
Lakshman Yapa Abeywardene's birthday which falls on June 7.
The programme begins with a Bodhi Pooja pinkama at the Matara
historic Pigeon Island today at 5 pm.
This will be followed by a Deva Pooja at the Devinuwara Sri Vishnu
Devalaya on June 7 at 5 am and a desettae Gnana Pooja pinkama at the
Danny Hittetiya playground at 7 pm.
The Makandura Suvisuddharama Viharaya renovated at a cost of Rs 2.2
million out of Acting Ministers personal funds will be vested with the
Maha Sangha on June 9 at 4 pm. The pinkama will conclude with a
dhammadesana delivered by Ven. Harispattuwe Ariyawansalakara Thera at
the same venue.
SAARC Artists Camp and Exhibition
The second SAARC Artists Camp will be inaugurated on June 7 at
Water's Edge. Artists from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Maldives and
Sri Lanka will participate.
Paintings of the artists will be displayed at the J.D.A. Perera Art
Gallery, from June 8 to 10.
The camp includes daily interactive sessions among participants to
provide a more interactive platform to exchange ideas.
‘Transit of Venus’ today
 Sri Lankans can witness of the rarest celestial phenomena known as
the ‘Transit of Venus’ today from sunrise until 10.22am.
The greatest of transit occurs at 7.03am Sri Lanka standard time,
Prof Chandana Jayaratne of the Colombo University Physics Department
said in a release.
He observed the transit will not require a telescope. However,
extreme precaution must be taken when observing the event or permanent
eye damage or blindness could occur, the release said.
Dr Jayaratne said Venus transit should not be observed with the naked
eye and the same protection used as during solar eclipses.
The next Venus transition will be on December 11, 2117. |
