Internet: The good and the bad
Dear children,
Today we have access to many technological devices which were not
even heard of during the time of our parents or grandparents. All of you
have benefitted from modern inventions. Especially the computer has made
our work much easier. It takes you only a few minutes to browse the
world wide web in order to get any information you require -may be of
latest world news, of memorable events of the past, of historic figures,
medical information, latest fashion trends or in short simply
information about anything!
You can get the electronic (e) version of books that you read in
print. I am sure most of you make use of internet facilities to enrich
your
knowledge and for your educational purposes. Electronic mail has made
communication a thousand times easier than it used to be. I am sure all
of you enjoy these benefits. Even though some of you may not have a
computer of your own, you must be using it either at your school or at a
relative’s place.
Remember that it is a must to have computer skills as it makes your
work easier. However it is with great care that you have to use the
internet. Make sure that you use it always for your own good. As is the
case with anything, Internet too has a bad side as well. There are many
instances where young children have fallen into trouble by using this
facility without proper guidance. If you communicate with people via
Facebook, Twitter, or any other similar sites, you have to be very
careful. Make sure that you keep contact with reliable friends.
Similarly there are websites which are not suitable for
children.There may use several tricks to entice you and make you get
attracted to them. You have to be careful of them. The best way to
minimize such unpleasant things from happening is by seeking your
parents or teachers guidance whenever necessary. Also you have to be
mindful too.
From your very early days you should know how to look after yourself,
to know what is good and what is bad.. But remember that as your
guardians we are always there to help you when necessary!
Bye for now, Sanju ([email protected])
[Great Minds]
Father of Hydro Power in Sri Lanka
D J Wimalasurendra:
Have you ever looked at a waterfall and loved the sounds and the
power of the pounding water? Have you ever wondered what it would be
like to harness the power of this water and use it to light the bulbs in
your house? Lucky for us, long before we were born, someone already
tried to figure if the water in our country could be used to generate
electricity. He was Devapura Jayasena Wimalasurendra. His name goes down
in history as the father of hydro electricity in Sri Lanka.
Born on September 17, 1874, D J Wimalasurendra was the eldest son of
a master craftsman known as Mudliyar Don Juan Wimalasurendra of Galle.
He had his early education at Ananda College, Colombo and continued his
studies at the Ceylon Technical College.
He later became a Corporate member of Electrical Engineers and Civil
Engineers of the United Kingdom. After he joined the Public Works
Department (PWD) first as a head overseer soon to be promoted as Junior
Engineer, he was sent to the area along the Kelani river called the
Kelani Valley to look for minerals. He not only identified mineral
deposits but also saw tremendous potential in the Laxapana falls.
Looking at the cascading water of the Laxapana falls it is recorded that
he described it as “white coal.”
Since that day, in 1901, his interest was to harness the water of the
Laxapana falls and other waterfalls in the country in order to generate
hydro electricity.
In 1913 he was involved in the construction of the first ever, small
hydro electric power station at Blackpool to supply electricity to the
Nuwara Eliya town, using the town water supply scheme. Among his other
feats was his design of “looping the loop” railway track at Demodara
railway station, which still remains as an edifice for his creativity.
In 1918, D J Wimalasurendra read a paper titled Economics of Power
Utilization in Ceylon to the Engineering Association. He described to
the members of the association the benefits of developing hydro power
projects in Sri Lanka. He estimated that 114.5 MW could be developed
from Kehelgamuwa Oya. But the Englishmen of the association, for this
was during the rule of the British, doubted his plans would work. They
also wondered what the country would do with 114.5 MW of power. He
answered them by explaining how valuable cheap power would be for heavy
industries needed for the development of the country. He also suggested
electricity could be used to operate the railway system.
According to an article in the website of the Ministry of Power and
Energy, when they heard him, D J Wimalasurendra’s colleagues laughed at
him. His supervisors smiled at his ideas. Others disrespected him for
what they called his “Journeys into the realms of fantasy.”
Despite negative campaigns, however, work on the Aberdeen-Laxapana
scheme commenced in 1924, only to be suspended in 1927. It would take
another 12 years for the work to resume. The first stage of the scheme
was harnessing the Kehelgamu Oya to generate 25 MW of power.
By the 1950s when the project was nearing completion, D J
Wimalasurendra was a retired electrical engineer in his mid 70s.
Determined to see for himself the progress of the scheme he had started
he visited the project site at Kehelgamu Oya and said that although he
was not so fortunate as to supervise the completion of the project, he
was glad to witness others completing the work he had begun.
“Although it was not my fortune to execute the scheme I have
originated, I am happy that I lived to see it brought to fruition by my
countrymen, and that I should have, in the evening of my life, able to
see in reality the dawn which I saw in the mind’s eye over half a
century ago” he said looking at the Hydro Electric Scheme of Laxapana
Stage I. “Now, if I leave this world, I leave fulfilled.”
Today, with 40% of the annual electricity generation in Sri Lanka
coming from hydro power which is considered one of the cleanest and
cheapest sources of energy in the world, he could undoubtedly rejoice
his dream has come true.
-Aditha ([email protected])
A dream
In my bed room one day
I saw what I had never seen
My bedroom was full of roses
where I used to sleep everyday
And I saw many birds flying
and singing songs for me,
And many colourful
butterflies sucking
nectar from the flowers
And filling my heart with pleasure
and wonder.
Suddenly somebody knocked
at my door. I woke up,
Then I understood it was only
a wonderful dream.
Mohammad Ishad Izween,
Grade 10 A,
Sailan International School,
Negombo
65th Independence Day celebrations
of Anderson Park Montessori
Students of Anderson Park Montessori, Kalubowila celebrated
the 65th
Independence Day with a parade promoting
unity and harmony among all races under the theme ‘We are
Sri Lankans.’
Here are some highlights of the event. |
Barn Burning (2004) will be screened on March 16 at
3.30pm at the American Centre, No 44, Galle Road, Colombo
3. (Running Time: 40 minutes) An adolescent boy in post
Civil War Mississippi must reconcile his innate sense of
justice and his loyalty to his father. Please contact the
American Center at [email protected] or at (011)
2498100 with any inquiries. |
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