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Following the recent fuel hike it is most likely that electricity
charges will be increased, which will be an added blow to everybody.
Just as water is essential for life, electricity drives the modern
economy and has been a public demand. The Power and Energy Minister last
week in Balangoda, promised to provide electricity to all Sri Lankans by
the end of 2014. Judging by the Ministry’s website, electricity supplies
in the North and East is low. Electrification in the Jaffna and Vauniya
Districts is 60%, Mannar 37%, Kilinochchi 4% and only 1% in Mullaitivu.
In the Eastern Province, Ampara, Trincomalee and Batticaloa Districts
stand at 67%, 56% and 54% respectively. Under the Wadakkin Wasantham
(Spring for the North) project, 400 electricity projects are to be
implemented in the Northern Province with US$ 6.5 m assistance from the
ADB providing 12,000 households with supply.
The NORAD has granted US $ 8.6 m to provide electricity to 9,000
additional households. The ‘Lighting Sri Lanka Eastern Province Project’
when implemented, is expected to light 30,000 houses.
965 MW have been added with oil-fired plants to cater to the demand
of electricity but electricity supplies generated by thermal power
plants are said to be costly. Nearly 60% of energy in the national grid
is sourced from oil fixed thermal plants. The Noroccholai coal power
plant was commissioned as ‘a cheap source’ as a solution to the cost of
thermal power but has failed to meet the expectation. Although nuclear
power is the cleanest and the cheapest, community concerns oppose it
citing disasters in Japan and potential radiation effects as happened in
India.
Everybody seem to have forgotten the renewable sources of energy
including solar power and small scale hydro power, which emerged as
economical and sustainable alternative sources to promote medium term
electricity generation to the rural populace. New renewables include
small hydro, modern biomass, wind, solar geo-thermal and bio fuels. At
present other than small hydro power plants, wind and solar are also
used. Of the total electricity requirements in 2010, 53.3% was produced
from renewable resources. No less than 350 villages are powered by
village micro hydro schemes and many other houses by pico hydro schemes.
There are 120,000 houses electrified by solar power and around 100
houses with a locally developed technology, using about 50 small
domestic units and 3 community based wind turbines. There are about 10
villages electrified by dendro power while about 30 homes use
electricity generated by bio gas.
The potential of building new large hydro-power plants in Sri Lanka
is low. The last major hydro power project is the Upper Kotmale project
which is almost completed. Wind, solar and biomass have been identified
as potential renewable sources. The potential of producing energy from
biomass is larger, as Sri Lanka is a tropical country. The potential of
solar and wind power is high in Sri Lanka. These and mini hydro plants
should be included in the new renewable energy development programmes.
Action should be taken to:
* Establish partnerships with countries which have high technologies,
to obtain latest developments in renewable energy technologies.
* Launch projects to popularize bio-gas and dendro power among rural
public engaged in agriculture.
* Acquire energy efficient technologies and promote them in the
industry sector.
* Promote off-grid community-based power projects to achieve
‘electricity for all’ target.
* Introduce new patters of consumption to prevent over consumption
and wastage of energy.
Harshi nadie perera Piliyandala
It is heart-rending to hear about the cruelties inflicted to wild
elephants in Sri Lanka since of late. It can be construed to mean that
the elephant is an wanted animal in this country.
TV programmes draw our attention to the unprecedented plight these
animals face. All atrocities caused to these animals are instrumental in
effecting a sharp decline in the elephant population in Sri Lanka.
Eventualities or circumstances that could be attributed to causing
the destruction of elephants could be listed us follows:
1. Shooting elephants which trespass habitable villages and damage
crops.
2. Poaching to extract tusks.
3. Elephants falling into deep wells.
4. Being run-over by trains.
5. Collision with electric wires
6. Negligence on the part of Veterinarians.
7. Consuming unwholesome food at garbage dumps.
8. Due to lightning bolts.
9. Neglect of duty by wildlife guards.
It is absolutely unjustifiable and cruel to threaten these animals
which exist in their natural habitats because of our expanding
population and encroachment into jungle land where these animals have
been living from time immemorial. The natural habitats of these animals
are the tropical jungles.
After a close scrutinity of predicaments this animal encounters
today, it can be concluded that the elephant is an endangered animal and
that in a few more years, it will be extinct in Sri Lanka. Thailand has
officially declared a National Elephants’ Day to honour the tusked
beast. On this day, elephants are cordened into a resort area, where
they are bathed with holy water and fed with food they relish.
It is pertinent to mention about the haul of ivory seized by Customs
officials recently, whilst being shipped from Kenya. These tusks had
been extracted from elephants by poachers, for purposes of ivory trade.
The elephant is today exposed to severe dangers and it is appropriate
to declare a national movement under the caption ‘Save/Protect the
Elephant’.
The authorities may give due consideration in this regard to save
this endangered animal from extinction or annihilation in this country.
R.l. Gurugamage Dodanduwa
Japan bombed the Pearl Harbour and sunk the two famous battle ships
‘HMS Prince of Wales’ and ‘Repulse’ in the East, and the shocked British
Parliament made an appeal to all British colonies for help. Ceylon being
one of the colonies within the Commonwealth had nothing to give, but
manpower. Immediate steps were taken to recruit men to the Army and Navy
at the Recruiting Office opened up at No. 399 Galle Road, Colpetty,
under Major L.V. Gunaratne, the father of Mayor C.V. Gunaratne of
Dehiwala.
Ceylon provided forty thousand men to the British Army during the
World War II period, and some of them fought side by side with soldiers
of the Royal Army in battle fronts in Burma, Italy and South Africa.
Lord Louis Mountbatten was summoned from India and was made the Supreme
Commander of the South East Asia Command. His Secret HQ was at the
Botanical Gardens at Peradeniya. A special air strip was opened at
Mawatagama. All facilities were provided to the British to fight the war
against Japan.
After the end of the war Lord Louis Mount Batten returned to the UK.
He was sadly assassinated in a terrorist attack in UK. Upto date
terrorists are operating all over the world. In Sri Lanka, the LTTE
terrorist organization operated for nearly 30 years. It was President
Mahinda Rajapaksa who eradicated the terrorists and brought peace to the
country. The whole nation salutes President Mahinda Rajapaksa who put an
end to terrorism.
It is sad to note that Britian has forgotten the help provided by
Ceylon, to fight the war against the Japanese.
Today all countries in Europe seem to be pumping oxygen to sustain
the LTTE diaspora. Is this the gratitude we receive from the British for
helping them to defend the British Empire against the enemy during the
Second World War?
H.G.P. Jayasekera - Ampitiya, Kandy
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