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The Urugoda junction having eight roads is being controlled by
traffic lights. The traffic movement is such that pedestrians have to
waste 5 to 10 minutes to cross one road and then requires the same time
to cross the other roads. Workers and schoolchildren are greatly
inconvenienced as the flow of vehicles continues for many minutes.
Therefore, it is suggested that an overhead bridge (at least of four
feet width) be constructed so that pedestrians will find it easy to
cross the roads. Priority needs to be given by the Urban Development
Authority, Road Development Authority or the Colombo Municipal Council
in considering this suggestion.
The overhead bridges at Maradana need urgent repairs and require the
attention of the authorities concerned. The steel edges of the steps are
broken and protruding, causing foot injuries.
Sometime back the advertisement boards hung on either side of these
bridges were removed as women were harassed within this closed narrow
path. Displaying such boards should be stopped to avoid snatch thieves.
Nazly Cassim
The other day I had the good fortune of attending a magnificent
violin recital by the young Indian maestro Danish Ali, at the Lumbini
Theatre. The audience sat spell-bound by the sheer beauty of the
performance. When the presenter announced the name of the violin player,
we expected to see a matured person with the suitable Indian look; but
the small-made teenage-looking artist who came on stage, could not have
been more than 25 years. In fact we thought that the real player was to
come behind him. But no. He was the violinist himself.
The performance was brilliant, with the violin notes cascading like a
waterfall, and the sound emanating akin to a human voice. Throughout he
sat calmly, with the occasional smile towards the tablist. (Chandralal
Amarakoon who gave the perfect accompaniment).
Now the question arises as to why we cannot produce such performers
as Danish Ali although we profess to appreciate Indian classical music.
Nobody bothers to devote the time and energy to develop such skills,
although we have a handful of musicians such as Pradeep Rathnayake,
Nirmala Rodrigo and Rashmi Sangeetha. We seem to be confined to the
usual three minute song for as long as we can remember. None of the
singers over here, has gone beyond it.
For one thing, our people have never had proper exposure to good
Indian Classical Music over the TV or the radio although we had some
programmes way back in the 60s.
Even the few young players of instrumental and vocal talent who pass
out of the Universities are never given the opportunity over the media,
to inspire them to greater heights.
It is the hope of everyone that in the not too distant future, we
would also have young local musicians performing live in the media. If
not, we will have to be satisfied with the occasional visit of Indian
musicians who would let us have a glimpse of rich music.
R. Wickramasinghe
We refer to the article titled “Radioactivity testing of imported
food items” by M C S Seneviratne and P S Shanaka Paranahewage of the
Atomic Energy Authority which appeared on June 29, 2012. We wish to
comment on certain inaccuracies and also to put on record certain facts.
The authors claim that the only institution having gamma ray facility
to measure the radioactive level of food items in Sri Lanka is the
Atomic Energy Authority (AEA).
This is factually incorrect as a facility is also available at the
Nuclear Science Department, Colombo University.
We wish to further elaborate that the Department has been
participating in inter-comparison exercises in various matrices
conducted by the International Atomic Agency for gamma ray nuclides
since 1993 and our results have been scientifically accepted.
The article also states that since 1997, the AEA has launched a
project to determine the radioactive levels of imported milk food items
to protect the public from undue exposure to radiation by consumption of
contaminated milk food products.
This raises the question as to what happened in Sri Lanka after the
Chernobyl accident in 1986.
It has to go on record that from 1986 for a period of over 10 years a
variety of imported food items, particularly milk food was tested for
radioactive contamination at the then Radioisotope Centre, RIC.
It was in and around 1997 that this task was transferred to the AEA
as the Department of Nuclear Science needed time and resources to be
spent on research and other academic activities.
As such, at a time of need, when the entire world was beset by panic
after the Chernobyl accident, the then RIC, University of Colombo
provided this valuable service to the nation.
Prof Rohini Hewamanna and Prof Palee Mahawate
These days almost all newspapers carry news on the dreaded dengue. I
am a septuagenarian. As children we knew only the common flu and those
days drinking of corriander boiled with other ingredients got us back to
good health. Back then chikengunya, avian flu, swine flu etc were
unheard of.
With giant strides in the advancement of medicine, the population has
boomed and environmental pollution has caused the surfacing of new
strains of viruses.
Over the years, medicine has found effective antidotes to overcome
the black plague, small pox, cholera, malaria etc. These dreaded
diseases are almost non-existent in the world today. No doubt medicines
will find cures for the present strains in time but at what cost?
Mahendra Samarasinghe
During the rush hour in the morning, long lines of vehicles can be
seen at every junction on Galle Road, heading towards Fort. Tempers of
drivers fray as they wait at traffic signals. Traffic jams often occur.
Idling vehicles burn thousands of litres of fuel and hours are wasted.
The same situation occurs during evening rush hours.
Widening the road is one suggestion to solve this. Double the road
width to have a four-lane highway. To expand the road, buildings and
properties on one or both sides of the road will have to be demolished.
Also, an underground railway will carry many passengers at high
speed. However, it should be expanded to the entire city.
Monorail is another option. Having a railway above the ground will be
less expensive than an underground system. It will need to be expanded
to the entire city to provide maximum benefit. A faster railway is also
a need. The present rail track should improve to run fast rail cars and
trains. A single train can carry the load of many buses.
Bullet trains from Colombo to Galle and another to Puttalam is
another option.
Muhammad Abd al-Hameed
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