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Railway Engineers are going through the preliminaries for the
extension of the double line from Kalutara to Payagala. This will be a
boost for the coast line service, which was improved with the
rehabilitation carried out by IRCON of India.
Proceeding beyond will be a little problematic due to sharp curves
and gradients. Payagala will remain the terminus for sometime. I would
suggest that a long siding be provided to stable a power set which would
be helpful to improve the suburban service during the rush hours.
I would like to make a suggestion to the Minister of Transport the
political authority, to initiate building a new station with better
facilities with platform rooms replacing the old building which was
badly damaged during the tsunami. Payagala is a fast developing town.
B.B. Perera Katubedda
Language is a great invention of mankind. People are able to
communicate their thoughts through their mother tongues with ease.
Hence, the mother tongue plays a crucial role in human life. The
language issue in our country led to an ethnic problem and it finally
became an armed conflict. Former Premier SWRD Bandaranaike introduced
the Sinhala Language Act in 1956 and made it the official language. The
Tamil speaking people considered themselves neglected as a result.
A language-war was started in 1952 between West and East Pakistan and
that led to form a separate country called 'Bangladesh'. The ex-Chief
Minister of Tamil Nadu Raajaji, forcibly tried to implement the Hindi
Language Act in Tamil Nadu in 1952. People protested violently against
it and many Tamil youth sacrificed their lives by setting fire to their
bodies. A language is a symbol of a nation. It is mixed with the souls
and feelings of the people. Many countries in the world have launched
measures to improve their mother tongue. The Jews lost the usage of the
Hebrew Language long ago. Yet now, they have taken action to revive and
modernize it from pre-school to university level.
We all should understand our responsibilities to protect our mother
tongue.
F. Sakeela Farwin , Eravur
Intensified raids conducted on eateries, hotels and food vendors by
Public Health Department officials of the CMC in the city and suburbs to
improve their hygienic standards are laudable. This action has resulted
in dealers of essential food items as well as hoteliers becoming quality
and health conscious of what they sell and serve to the public.
However, it is appalling to see a number of small scale papad or
papadam manufacturers operating in the Thotalanga area, within the city
limits violating almost all mandatory basic hygienic rules that a food
manufacturing industry is supposed to adhere to.
Thousands of commuters, including high officials of the health
sector, the PHI of the area and those travelling to Colombo crossing the
old Kelani bridge, cannot deny having seen how papadams are spread out
on jute materials for drying on old asbestos roof tops, which is
believed to emit cancer causing toxins, on top of disused garbage dumps
and alongside waste/toilet water drains, where at times stray animals
also freely roam. Preparation of dough, flattening and sizing is a
process carried out mostly by child labour and workers, sweating and
toiling inside built-in enclosures which is also a hiding area for
geckos, cockroaches and all kind of insects and rats.
A large number of down trodden-families make their living in this
industry operated on a small scale by businessmen. Many distribute their
products directly to shops while some supply to distributors who pack
and market them under popular brand names.
To improve the overall condition of this industry the concerned
authorities should step in to provide quality raw material, mainly Urid
Dhall (Black gram), flour and common infrastructure facilities like
clean areas for sun-drying and driers for use during wet seasons. The
authorities should also conduct regular health checks to ensure that the
workers are free of communicable diseases. Health officials should
closely monitor this industry mainly for food safety. It cannot be
simply ignored, like cottage industries manufacturing beedi and
Josticks.
Naheer Taip , Wattala
This is with reference to Premasara Epasinghe's article on Abu Fuard
in the sports page of the Daily News of the 9th of February 2013. It is
correct that Abu Fuard was a devout Muslim following the religion of
Islam to the letter.
Epasinghe describes Islam as a religion founded by Prophet Muhammed
in the 7th century and the Holy Quran is considered as the divine
revelation of God Muhammed.
Islam is a religion that has been in existence from time immemorial
and Prophet Muhammed was not the founder of Islam.
Prophet Mohammed was the last and final Messenger of Allah (God) to
whom the Holy Quran was revealed. In Islam, Allah is never referred to
as God Muhammed because Allah is different from Prophet Mohammed.
M.B.M. Zubair , Kandy
Pedestrian crossings have been designed and marked, for pedestrians
to cross the roads safely from one side to another. However certain
pedestrian crossings on the Galle Road in Moratuwa are found to be
located in wrong places. Firstly, the authorities should ensure that the
yellow coloured lines are visible and if not, immediately get them
painted.
Pedestrian crossings have been painted in wrong places in the
Katubedda Town, near Polkotuwa Road, at Rawatawatte near the two
Colleges, near Mendis Lane and at Holy Cross Junction.
The crossings in front of Geoffreys Studio at the junction where the
old/new Galle Road meets is wholly wrongly positioned.
The lines should be moved at least 20 yards towards Colombo, as once
the green light is on for the public to cross over vehicles which come
to the Galle Road from the St. Joseph's Church Road, could easily knock
down people right on the yellow line. The lines near Mendis Lane should
be shifted at least 20 yards towards the south, as the people crossing
over from the land side to the seaside cannot see vehicles approaching
from Mendis Lane. Recently, there were many accidents on the yellow
lines here.
The lines near Prince of Wales' College are drawn right near the bus
stand. Children may be safe when there is a police officer on duty here
or else their lives are at danger. The lines should be drawn at least 10
yards towards the south as at times buses stop for passengers right in
the middle of the yellow lines. Near Polkotuwa Road the same problem is
encountered. Buses stop on the yellow lines making it difficult for
pedestrians to cross over.
Colombo bound buses stop at the Katubedda halt right on the yellow
lines, as always there is a line of buses parked here.
In the evenings and in mornings at this junction, it is extremely
difficult to cross over. People coming from Thuduwanmulla Road trying to
cross over, experience the difficulty very much.
Then the yellow lines near the Technical College Road are also
wrongly placed and people who arrive from Piliyandala have to say
'Grace' before crossing over, as the instant the green light is on for
people to cross, vehicles on the Piliyandala road gear up towards
Moratuwa.
Simultaneously, people crossing over to the North side should say
their prayers before crossing over towards Mallika Bakery from the
stadium side as vehicles from Colombo turn to the Piliyandala road.
Both yellow lines at Thuduwanmulla road are more than 30 metres
whereas it should be 20 metres.
Malathie Perera , Moratuwa
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