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Sundays will be holiday in Puttalam

M U M Sanoon Puttalam correspondent

“Sundays will be Mercantile holidays in Puttalam town too.” Puttalam Urban Council unanimously adopted at its monthly meeting a resolution to declare Sundays as Mercantile holidays in Puttalam town with effect from January 2013.

For centuries, Sundays are bustling business days in Puttalam town that people all over the villages invade Puttalam to buy and sell commodities in the Sunday Fair in the town and shops, even banks remain open on Sundays while the towns of the rest of the country remain deserted.

Puttalam Urban Council Member M T M Ameen, voiced at many Council Meetings for the declaration of Sundays as Mercantile Holidays and the Sunday fair that has been conducted for centuries be rescheduled for Saturdays.

Puttalam Urban Council Opposition Leader A O Alikhan told the Council that people of Puttalam town have no time to be with their families and sanitize the home environment periodically, they always glued to their business. The only way to improve the situation is to declare Sundays as Mercantile Holidays in Puttalam town and make people stay at home on Sundays.

It was resolved unanimously that the Sunday Fair be rescheduled to Saturday.

Kirindi Oya sluice gates opened

Kirindi Oya sluice gates opened

Bandula Gunasekera and T K Ariyadasa, - Malimbada Group Corr

Water level in Kirindi Oya reservoir has arisen exceeding 183,000 acre feet following heavy rains in catchment areas. Two of the sluice gates of the reservoir have been opened, Tissamaharama Irrigation Engineer, Amarajeewa Liyanage said.

He said that with the opening of two sluice gates around 800 square feet of water released to the low lying areas in the reservoir and warned the residents in low lying areas to be vigilant.

Woman arrested for selling illicit brew

Amila Prabath Wanasinghe

A 68-year-old woman was arrested by Mihintale Police for selling illicit brew in her house. Police also seized 81 litres of goda stocked in the suspect's house at the time of her arrest. She was due to be produced in Court. Further investigations are continuing.

Heavy vehicles damage roads

M I M Azhar Maligaikadu group corr

The Nainakadu-Kuduvi Road in Ampara district, had turned into a deplorable state due to sand loaded heavy vehicles plying.

transport activities had come to a standstill, causing hardships to the public.

Book launch

A book of poems titled Hemamali will be launched to mark the third month religious rites conducted in connection with the death of Hemamali Wijesinghe, wife of lyricist Rathna Sri Wijesinha at the poet's residence at 118/35, Sri Priyarathane Mawatha, Bope, Galle. Hemamali passed away three months ago. The book is a collection of somber poetic expressions. The collection of poems has been edited by journalist Saman C Liyanage and poet Thusara de Silva.

Poster exhibition

A poster arts exhibition "Volunteering for Water" and an award ceremony will be held on December 5 at the Disaster Management Centre in Vidya Mawatha, Colombo, to mark International Volunteer Day (IVD). Social Services Minister Felix Perera and United Nations Resident Coordinator in Sri Lanka, Subinay Nandy will participate.

Worker buried alive

Jayantha de Silva

A worker had been buried alive when a deep shaft in which he was installing a tube had caved in at Navagamuwa in Ranala.

Three others had also been extricated and admitted to hospital.

This had been revealed at the inquest held into the death of Mudiyanselage Jayawardana (43), held by City Coroner Edward Ahangama yesterday.

Witness Mahes Kumara said that they had been digging a pit to install a steel tube. At a depth of about 12 1/2 feet the the shaft had caved in. There had been no protective steel sheets to prevent the incident.

The cause of death was attributed to asphyxia.

The Coroner ordered both the Mines and Geology Bureau and the Labour Department to be informed.

Further inquiry was postponed for December 16.