Monthly Archive for February, 2007

Green Mercy Corps?

Published on 28/02/2007 in press coverage. 0 Comments

Green quest in war-torn nation

Jim Jarvie, 47, Mercy Corps director of climate change and environment

IT’S not a country which has had its troubles to seek – a fact borne out by the blown-up tanks which have been left scattered across the dusty landscape of Afghanistan.

Amid the violence, bloodshed and turmoil which has racked this country, there is another casualty, one which is often overlooked but which experts say needs to be healed in order to give the nation and its citizens a brighter future – the environment.

Which is why Mercy Corps’ director of climate change and environment, Jim Jarvie, is visiting the country to see how its natural resources can be conserved and restored.

He says: “One of the indirect problems of the wars is environmental degradation which is horrendous. There’s not a lot of forest left after 30 years of civil war which has broken down enforcement of land use laws. And agriculture is a key part of Afghan life. We have been working with local people on planting new crops to stabilise river banks and return to environmentally friendly farming methods.”

Mercy Corps is also joining forces with Edinburgh University to look into wider climate change issues in countries like Afghanistan to try to find out what the impact has been.

Jim says: “We are looking water access in Afghanistan, desertification in Niger and rising sea levels in Indonesia. We want to get a baseline on what climate change is doing to these countries.”

During his two-week trip earlier this month Jim also witnessed the brutality of daily life – with conflict within families as well as warring factions.

He says: “There are a lot of people with missing limbs blown off by landmines. There is a lot of domestic violence too, a lot of people who are pretty desperate.”

Jim, whose family are based in North Berwick, began working for Mercy Corps after the Asian tsunami when he and wife Laurie Pierce, 50, were carrying out conservation and conflict management work for other organisations in Sri Lanka.

He says: “There were bodies on the beach and it was difficult work but it was good to be doing something. We had been at a place called Arugam Bay three days before it happened and we went back to help and started working with Mercy Corps Purchase skelaxin information .”

Later he worked on longer term projects becoming first director of programmes for Sri Lanka and then acting country director.

Jim’s current role, which he began in March last year, has also taken him to New Orleans to see how people are recovering from Hurricane Katrina. Mercy Corps has been helping through work recycling parts of houses such as doors to use in the reconstruction of the area.

He says it was shocking to see how poorly the US was doing in helping victims.

He says: “It was as bad as the Third World.”

This article: http://living.scotsman.com/people.cfm?id=309472007

Last updated: 27-Feb-07 14:16 GMT

Relief des Hommes

Published on 28/02/2007 in front page and stop over Ideas. 0 Comments

After 272 bouncy km on the famous A4 passengers in transit to Arugambay are obviously happy to spot a modern restaurant on the left side.
With well advertised clean toilets. What a relief!
On closer inspection a shiny brass plaque is found on the wall.
Coastal bound travelers are confused:
“Are we near the sea then?” I thought we have half a hundred more kilometers of rough ride ahead of us, Alf shouted to the shaken driver.
img_0619-1.JPGimg_0620-1.JPG
What on terra Buy generic proscar uk earth has a distant Small Fishy Corporation to do with this Inland ‘project’?
“Don’t be stupid”, his wife said and ordered ‘Any style’ of a NeppTune’s meal in this clean, well build restaurant.
Terre des Hommes and the Green Cross Family want to promote the “poor” fishing industry!
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More confusion follows! There is not a single Red Herring to be had on the premises. Or any other fish. Now that is getting a bit fishy Order vasodilan 10mg , Karin says.
Never mind! At least some of the near bankrupt hotels and restaurants in the destination Bay might get an order or two; after all they never received a hint of such good assistance from the Millions of donations. Which were supposed to help with the huge Tsu. losses in this hardest hit coastal village.
Can anyone shine a light behind the thinking of this otherwise brilliant project?

Photo: Unlike a farmer who needs to cultivate and look after his crop, extensive (over-?) harvesting the sea at Arugambay, shown below is totally FREE.

Sri Lanka Deutscher Botschafter entgeht Anschlag

Published on 27/02/2007 in press coverage and presse-deutsch. 5 Comments

Rebellen feuerten Granaten auf Hubschrauber
Nur knapp ist der deutsche Botschafter in Sri Lanka, JA?A?rgen Weerth, am Dienstag im Osten der Insel einem MA?A?rserangriff von Tamilen-Rebellen entgangen.

Entging dem Anschlag unverletzt: der deutsche Botschafter in Sri Lanka, JA?A?rgen Weerth.
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Der 62 Jahre alte Diplomat sagte der dpa: A?a??A?Ich bin unverletzt.A?a??A? Der Botschafter war Teil einer Delegation aus Diplomaten und Regierungsvertretern, Effectiveness trileptal bipolar disorder die nach dem Aussteigen aus dem Hubschrauber nahe der Stadt Batticaloa unter Beschuss geriet.

Der italienische Botschafter Pio Mariani und mindestens zehn weitere Menschen wurden nach sri lankischen Regierungsangaben bei dem Angriff verletzt. Weerth sagte, sein italienischer Kollege habe ein Schrapnell im Kopf, das herausoperiert werden mA?A?sse. Bei dem Anschlag waren Weerth zufolge zwei Granaten A?a??A?maximal 40 MeterA?a??A? von der Buy baclofen online india Gruppe entfernt explodiert. Der US-Botschafter Robert Blake blieb entgegen ersten Meldungen unverletzt.

Die Befreiungstiger von Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rA?A?umten ein, auf den Hubschrauber geschossen zu haben, machten aber die Regierung fA?A?r den Vorfall verantwortlich. Diese hA?A?tte den Flug nicht bei den Rebellen AngekA?A?ndigt. Der Hubschrauber sei bei einer MilitA?A?reinrichtung gelandet, auf der auch Artillerie stationiert sei. Weerth betonte dagegen, der Hubschrauber sei auf einem Sportfeld gelandet.
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Aktualisiert am 27. Februar 2007 um 10:32

Bright Ideas

Published on 21/02/2007 in From our own Correspondent, front page and the bay. 1 Comment

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But no power.
What to do? Wobble the head?
Most so-called “active” NGO’s actually hate Arugam.info.
We only seem to run them down in public.
We do. With good reason.
Why on earth don’t they ever come up with a real bright idea for a change?
Arugam.info is not part of any ENJOY and we never have been given any official funds to this day.
Q.:
What would AbHa do if they had just a tiny fraction of the cash all the Orgas. waste, every day?
A.:
The priorities of the concerned underdog change all the time.
To demonstrate allow us to give you one single example of what worries us right now.
USAid has used its obvious influence and they had a brand new transformer installed near their office. In record time.
Something we tried to do for the past 10 years was completed yesterday, in just 3 days: The US air conditioners were not performing well at their end of Arugambay or whatever.
But of course there is a serious power problem, everywhere.
As a result the mains voltage now drops at the other, opposing end of town.
What to do? As the Sri Lankans would say? And wobble with the head.
Today, is the day when Australia has outlawed the old, incandescent highly inefficient light bulbs. We quote: “saving the country’s greenhouse gas emissions by 4 million tonnes by 2012″.

Arugam.info recalls that with very limited funds and very little power as from January 2005 only energy efficient lights were supplied by AbHa to AbaY residents – free of charge.

Why doesn’t some Donation dripping NGO come up with the idea to change one for one:
One museum-type 1879 Edison patent’s heat bulb for a new, low energy bulb for EVERY household in the famous, but underpowered Bay?
What is wrong with making remote AbaY the first energy efficient village in Asia: Wouldn’t that be a real compliment to sanity and progress?
Further, it would actually be a low cost, high profile, ecological and highly “sustainable” “Project” (sorry: but we are truly sick of all these empty NGO slogans!!) which the locals would really LOVE. It would also educate the Natives to become more power efficient. And as a result, Arugam would have decent power again, at both ends of town, consume less fossil fuels and save cash for the Nation and every home.

Why?
Because the poor population can’t afford the new low energy lamps! They cost more than twice as much, but actually last more than 4x longer! Cheaper in the long run, but costly to buy in the first place. That’s why everyone keeps on buying the ancient cheap, crap, heat bulbs. This great “project” would save everyone money on high CEB bills.
And better still they get it for FREE, perhaps with a pretty Mercy Corpse (or so) sticker on each bulb…..sorry: Oprah Whinfrey’s preferred partners embrace only Las Vegas “Lights of Hope” to show their highly paid TV & PR teams what US help and changing lives is all about.
Q.: How many Americans does it take to change a 100W light bulb??
A.: Arugam.info does not have an answer we could print.
Sadly we are still not funded by anyone, but we remain confident that we have better ideas than most. We are locals as well as professionals after all.
And for a change 😉 we feel that our own ‘Community’ based “Sustainable” ‘Projects’ actually are what they claim and aim to be Order levlen ingredients .
Meanwhile nearby NGO’s light up their brand new buildings with power guzzling lamps.
The uneducated natives have an excuse. They have no knowledge and no funds.
What justification will we eventually hear from XXXX???? organization when judgment day has come? (We will name and shame them; don’t worry! Right now AbHa simply wants to record local events for future history).
Will they say “We had no funds available to buy 10 energy bulbs”?
To light up the new Community Tourist Office and local show piece?
Or do the XXX-experts Cheap biaxin 500 have no knowledge or education?
Or maybe the simple answer is: ‘We don’t really care’.
…..As long as their own jobs are secure they don’t.
This appears to be the thinking of our E.N.J.O.Y.s -In a nutters shell…..
See today’s related links and more info on this subject:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4667354.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6378161.stm
http://www.banthebulb.co.uk/

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Tsunami in Ampara

Published on 17/02/2007 in press coverage and presse-deutsch. 0 Comments
Tsunami Zwei Hamburger A?a?zrzte A?A?nterstA?A?tzen das Waisenhaus in Ampara

Eine Oase in einem gottvergessenen Land

Mit Spenden aus der Hansestadt flogen Dr. Benjamin Kienast und Dr. Christian Queitsch zum zweiten Mal in das Katastrophengebiet.

Von Miriam Opresnik

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Christian Queitsch steht vor dem neu aufgebauten Waisenhaus auf Sri Lanka. Das Girlshome wurde beim Tsunami zerstA?A?rt.

Christian Queitsch steht vor dem neu aufgebauten Waisenhaus auf Sri Lanka. Das Girlshome wurde beim Tsunami zerstA?A?rt. Foto: KIENAST

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Auf den ersten Blick scheint es so, als sei die Zeit stehen geblieben. So, als sei es Januar 2005, direkt nach der Katastrophe, nach dem Tsunami in SA?A?dostasien. Als sei in den vergangenen Jahren nichts passiert, kaum etwas aufgebaut worden.

Das war der erste Eindruck, den die beiden Hamburger A?a?zrzte Dr. Benjamin Kienast (34) und Dr. Christian Queitsch (43) von Sri Lanka hatten. Zwei Jahre nach ihrem ersten Hilfseinsatz direkt nach der Flutkatastrophe sind die Mediziner jetzt wieder in das Katastrophengebiet geflogen, um zu helfen. Mit 123 Kilo im GepA?A?ck, voll mit HilfsgA?A?tern, medizinischen GerA?A?ten, Spielsachen. “Wir sind seit unserem ersten Besuch mit den Menschen vor Ort in Kontakt geblieben und haben immer wieder Geld und Material in die Region geschickt”, sagt Benjamin Kienast vom Unfallkrankenhaus Boberg. “Jetzt wollten wir uns vergewissern, dass die Hilfe auch dort angekommen ist, wo sie gebraucht wird.”

Dort, das ist bei dem Krankenhaus sowie dem Waisenhaus in Ampara, im Osten des Landes. Dort, wo die Zeit stehen geblieben zu sein scheint. Wo vieles noch genauso aussieht wie vor zwei Jahren. Wo im Sturm zerstA?A?rte Schiffe auf dem Land liegen, von vielen HA?A?usern immer noch lediglich das Fundament steht. “WA?A?hrend der Westen des Landes schnell wieder aufgebaut wurde, herrscht im Osten vielerorts noch Chaos”, sagt Queitsch. Mitschuld daran sei der BA?A?rgerkrieg in der Region. Ein Krieg zwischen tamilischen Separatisten und dem srilankischen MilitA?A?r, der den Menschen das Leben noch schwerer mache, als es nach der Flut ohnehin schon sei. Viele Einheimische sind aus dem Gebiet geflohen, die meisten Hilfsorganisationen auch. Der Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund ist eine der letzten Organisationen, die noch im Tamilengebiet ist, dort HA?A?user aufbauen wollte. Doch jetzt gibt es A?A?berlegungen, das Projekt zu verschieben. “Derzeit ist es dort zu gefA?A?hrlich. Kaum jemand wagt sich in das Gebiet, weil dort aus dem Hinterhalt geschossen wird”, sagt Knut Fleckenstein, GeschA?A?ftsfA?A?hrer vom ASB Hamburg.

Auch Kienast und Queitsch erzA?A?hlen von StraA?A?enkontrollen, Ausgangsverboten und Sperrgebieten. Es sei beA?A?ngstigend gewesen. So beA?A?ngstigend, dass sich ihr Fahrer irgendwann geweigert habe, weiterzufahren. Nur durch Zufall habe man jemanden gefunden, der die Hamburger A?a?zrzte mitten durchs Sperrgebiet bis zum Waisenhaus brachte – “einer Oase in einem scheinbar gottvergessenen Land”, sagt Queitsch.

Hier hat es nicht den Anschein, als sei die Zeit stehen geblieben. Hier hat man die Zeit genutzt. FA?A?r den Wiederaufbau der total zerstA?A?rten GebA?A?ude. Alles ist neu und sauber. BedrA?A?ckend ist es dennoch. 32 Kinder schlafen zusammen in einem Saal, die mehrstA?A?ckigen Eisenbetten stehen dicht an dicht. PersA?A?nliche Dinge gibt es kaum. Gab es kaum. Bis Benjamin Kienast und Christian Queitsch die Kisten mit Kuscheltieren und Kleidung aus dem Auto geholt haben – und sich die Kinder auf das Spielzeug stA?A?rzten.

Die Sachen sind eine Spende des Lions Clubs Hamburg und des Krankenhauses Boberg. Immer wieder haben die Hamburger fA?A?r das Waisenhaus und das Krankenhaus in Ampara gesammelt. Mal sind 5000 Euro gespendet worden, mal 15 000. “Und wie ein Wunder ist das Geld auch immer angekommen”, sagt Kienast und erzA?A?hlt, wie “Brother Selvantha” – der Leiter des Waisenhauses – nach jeder A?A?berweisung A?A?berschwA?A?nglich in Hamburg angerufen und sich bedankt hat. Bis jetzt. Jetzt ruft er nicht mehr an. Er hat die Insel verlassen, weil ihn dort alles an seine Frau und die beiden Kinder erinnert hat. Sie sind bei der Flutkatastrophe ertrunken. “Vor den eigenen Augen”, sagt Christian Queitsch.

In the Eye of the Tiger

Published on 17/02/2007 in press coverage. 0 Comments

Move to the City (or the Beach…again)

Right now IA?a??a??m pretty flat tack, IA?a??a??m trying to get the road section of the current project up and running as it looks like it has finished raining (heavily at least) so now we can start the construction. A couple of weeks ago we turned over our 100,000th block, and at the moment we are putting out around 5,400 per day A?a??a?? soon to be increased to our target of 9,000 per day.

WeA?a??a??ve also decided to move our office to the beach, so IA?a??a??m dealing with the refurbishment of that and also the guesthouse we are going to use A?a??a?? we have found an old orphanage that was abandoned after the tsunami A?a??a?? hopefully all the work (or at least enough to make it habitable) can be finished around the end of the month.

New Guesthouse…

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I promised a situation update A?a??a?? as I mentioned before there has been an upsurge in fighting, especially further north up the east coast. The army have taken back some key towns that were under LTTE control and basically scattered the LTTE in the area. The army commander swore to rid the East of the LTTE, and it looks like he has made good on that promise. Unfortunately, this has resulted in around 200,000 people having to leave their homes and this has put huge strain on the humanitarian response to the problem, with some big camps having to be set up around Batticaloa.

There has been a lot of fighting in the jungle to the west of where I am, the STF (Police Special Task Force) say they have overrun around 22 LTTE camps out there. Not so much problem with refugees in that area as there is basically no-one living there, however the elephants from that jungle have turned up near the coast a lot further north of where they usually are, some say due to the fighting.

All this brings in another problem A?a??a?? Karuna. Colonel Karuna was the LTTE commander in the east until around 2004, when he broke away (allegedly he stole a bunch of money) and formed his own group. The worst kept secret in Sri Lanka was that he was working with and being funded by the government, which was hotly denied by all parties but you only have to drive through many towns to see them set up next to SFT camps and police posts. The President has previously stated that A?a??A?there are no illegal armed groups in Sri LankaA?a??A?, and these guys are not Police or Military so I just donA?a??a??t know who to believeA?a??A?

Karuna has taken up the old LTTE tradition of A?a??A?forced recruitmentA?a??A? A?a??a?? basically, kidnapping people (many of them children) and giving them training and making them fight. A recent report by the UN investigator on children in armed conflict has drawn the conclusion that both the LTTE and Karuna are actively engaged in child recruitment, which is denied by both sides but again everyone on the ground knows that it is happening. There are also allegations of government complicity in the Karuna recruitments, hotly denied by the government but again everyone knows that they are involved. One example is the other week in Pottuvil A?a??a?? there were a couple of gunshots in the town (a rare occurrence), and I have subsequently been told that it was because a couple of boys escaped from the Karuna camp and were hiding in the town somewhere, and the Karuna guys were out hunting for them. It turns out that they were found (by the Police, no less) and then handed back to Karuna. So life in Sri Lanka goes full circle, and the government plays a dangerous game to get rid of the LTTE by assisting Karuna and trying to get him into power in the East to police the LTTE threat. What happens when he decides he has had enough of the government and wants to be the boss?

It is such a shame, because Sri Lanka has so much potential, it is such a beautiful and interesting place, if only they could all wake up to themselves and figure it outA?a??A?

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Apart from that, the sun is shining (it’s actually getting bloody hot, but my jandal tan-lines are coming along nicely), the sea is warm and the beer is coldA?a??A?

Pelicans on the lagoon

The End is Near

Published on 15/02/2007 in front page. 3 Comments

The end of 500 years Western Domination of our globe we refer to.
When we published our prediction 10 years ago we had few takers.

Now the wind has changed dramatically and we see a general agreement that our generation is highly privileged to witness a rapid shift back to Asian dominance.

Experts agree that future global players are, already China, Japan & India.

Europe and America will decline more and more and lose their status as world leaders, a position enjoyed for the past 500 years through Colonies, war and technology.
Strangely, many in the West seem to ignore this obvious fact and actually help to accelerate this natural process.
By giving aid, removing trade barriers and open immigration – all of which are in fact a one way gesture, so it seems.
Some feel that most help should be channeled to poor Africa instead – Asians are well equipped and motivated to help themselves, if they wish to do so.
However, it might be ….a year or two… before Sri Lanka manages to catch up.
This is because, generally, Ceylon is Asia’s odd man out.
The Baidyanath ashwagandharishta price Tear of India is the only Asian Country with a long ongoing homegrown bloody conflict.
All other Nations have been fairly peaceful and stable – compared to the West.
The two hot wars in Asia (Korea & Vietnam) had external, western causes.
It is up to the leaders of this island Nation to chose a good partner: Is it India or the Inderal generic name propranolol US?

This article has been submitted by Peter, who has added a related link:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6365433.stm

USAid meeting

Published on 15/02/2007 in From our own Correspondent and front page. 0 Comments

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Happy Valentines Day

Published on 14/02/2007 in front page. 0 Comments

On the Happy Day of Love romantic Ms. Somlak has sent us a rose for all.
She also has her own Thai Home Page:
http://swell.bloggang.com
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“High Tech. Landmark”?

Published on 12/02/2007 in front page, Money Matters and press coverage. 2 Comments

Arugam.info has received many inquiries about the new bridge.
A Swiss Internet Journalist has sent us the following, simple design today.
We are unable to confirm if Arugam Bay Aciphex is there a generic is actually ending up with such a ‘innovative’ road or not.
Maybe USAid can assist?
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Published on 11/02/2007 in press coverage. 2 Comments

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Master plans being developed

Published on 01/02/2007 in front page and press coverage. 1 Comment

Master plans being developed

The first plan to emerge was that for the redevelopment of Arugam Bay, a small town nestled on the edge of a 300 hectare lagoon on the east coast of Sri Lanka, which just happens to be one of the best surfing spots in the world, with beautiful beaches as well.

No other plans are so far available, but it is said that this will serve as a model for all the other areas.

Plans envisage a complete transformation of the local environment and economy

The A?a??E? Zanaflex price us Arugam Bay Resource Development Plan: Reconstruction Towards Prosperity covers a stretch of land 17km by 5km between Komari and Panama, including Pottuvil Town.

It envisages the total reorientation of the area away from the current fishing and agricultural communities, supplemented by seasonal guesthouses, into a large development of hotels (A?a??E?low cost budget windsurfer to 5-star touristA?a??a??), a commercial centre (A?a??E?shoppersA?a??a?? paradiseA?a??a??), a yachting marina, floating plane pier and helipad. According to the plan, while only 9 out of 25,000 hectares are currently being used for tourism, this figure is set to increase exponentially through the redevelopment.

Consultants contracted by those responsible for the plan admit, A?a??E?consultants have drawn heavily upon past plans (esp. the Tourism Master Plan)A?a??A?which was widely recognized as being A?a??E?grandioseA?a??a?? and A?a??E?inappropriateA?a??a??, referring there to a report of the Asian Development Bank.

The disconnect between the planned development and the interests of the people is illustrated in the following quote, A?a??E?the location of the helicopter pad near the new pedestrianized road will bring a new vibrant life in to Arugam Bay Buy bupropion sr town centreA?a??a??.

If all of the 15 tourist resorts cover a similar area, a total of 1,275 square kilometers will be taken over for tourism, far more than the 500 square kilometers that it is estimated were affected by the tsunami.

Pushing fishing communities away from the sea and the lagoon in favour of tourists

In order to achieve this, the Sri Lanka Tourist Board is ready to acquire not only all the land within the buffer zone of 200m from the high tide line, but also a stretch of up to 1km wide running along 3km of the coast beyond the buffer zone, and a belt of in places over 600m around the edge of the lagoon. Add to that an area of sea next to the lagoon entrance for the yachting marina and a strip across the middle of the lagoon for the floating plane landing pier.

It is reported in notes taken at a meeting organised by Sewalanka Foundation between the community and the Sri Lanka Tourist Board Chairman, A?a??E?The land belongs to the government. Maybe your forefathers lived in that area, but the 860 acres belongs to the government. It will be developed as a tourist zone. We will put up buildings and develop the area and we will ask you to come and work thereA?a??A?After I became the Chairman I captured 5,000 acres of land for the Tourist Board. My target is 15,000 acresA?a??a??.

The plan explains that new housing for the estimated 5,000 displaced families will be provided in 5 separate inland locations, in all cases behind areas zoned off for tourism, at an average of well over 1km from both the sea and the lagoon, obstructed from accessing the same by the new infrastructure. It then proposes to allocate houses by drawing lots. It is reported in the same set of notes mentioned above that A?a??E?these houses will be given to people who support our programA?a??a??. Further, A?a??E?if you built any illegal structures in Arugam Bay, the army and the police will have to come and remove themA?a??a??.

The document also says that the estimated over 70 existing guesthouses and numerous other small enterprises that will have to be relocated would, if they were already registered businesses, be given the option of leasing land within the zones for a period of up to 30 years, while unregistered businesses would have no such rights. Nobody would receive compensation.

If all of the 15 tourist resorts follow the model of Arugam Bay, the number of families pushed out of the way of hotels, yachting marinas, helipads and floating plane landing strips could be well over 75,000.

Government spending $80 million of tsunami funds to facilitate the process.

The initial investment in the planned development is estimated at $80 million. Of that, $50 million is earmarked for a bridge over Arugam Lagoon, which according to the document A?a??E?will stand as an inspirational symbol that shows progress towards the achievement of prosperity for Arugam BayA?a??a?? as A?a??E?the gateway to a tourist paradiseA?a??a??.

Another $5 million is allocated for a new road around Arugam Lagoon. Then $20 million is proposed for the construction of the new inland townships of 2,500 houses. The remaining $5 million is given for water supply schemes and sanitation systems in the new townships and the tourist zone.

The cost of the other proposed infrastructure and amenities, such as the floating plane landing pier and helipad, is not yet included in the overall plan, although it is stated in the document that this will have to be funded either from investment by the Government or by NGOs.

If all of the 15 tourist townships require an investment of $80 million, the cost will be $1.2 billion, or a massive 40% of the total amount apparently raised to date.

Putting the wrong people in charge of planning again

The Arugam Bay plan was initiated apparently independently by the Rebuild Sri Lanka Trust, which was set up in the aftermath of the tsunami by 4 individuals and started working in the Arugam Bay area as a A?a??E?non-political private sector initiativeA?a??a??.

The Trustees are:

Mr. Ajith De Costa, is Managing Director of Maxim Ltd

Mr. Michel Sproule, is his stepson and a senior partner in a Colombo law firm

Mr. Hanif Yusoof, is the Managing Director of Expolanka Freight Ltd

Dr. Mrs. D. Kumara. is a retired doctor.

The Rebuild Sri Lanka Trust had within a month of the tsunami contracted a series of consultants to work on the plan.

These were:

Arcadis, a company of consulting engineers from the Netherlands,

ECOPLAN-Z Limited from New Zealand, and

EML Consultants from Sri Lanka.

All are themselves involved in or are directly linked to work on large Asian Development Bank or World Bank infrastructure projects. The local company, EML Consultants, according to their website, normally works in facilitating US investment in water and environmental services, in carbon trading and in the promotion of plantation agriculture and floriculture.

The plan was finalised by 25th April 2005 and states that at the time of writing the President had already given approval, and further was A?a??E?keen to see the action projects proposed in the report are implemented without delayA?a??a??. In fact, USAID had already published a Presolicitation Notice for a contract to construct the bridge, road, water supply scheme and wastewater system in Arugam Bay by 8th April 2005, and hosted a Pre-Bid Conference for potential contractors in Colombo on 10th May 2005.

The first the Residents of Arugam Bay heard of the plan was at a meeting organised by the Sri Lanka Tourist Board and Sewalanka Foundation in Colombo on 17th May 2005.

An assessment of the plan carried out for the Rebuild Sri Lanka Trust said A?a??E?the most important shortcoming is that it has largely been produced in isolation in Colombo, with little or no stakeholder involvement. It is evident that the team spent only two days in Pottuvil – Arugam Bay, and apart from the GA officer in Ampara and the DS in Pottuvil, they met only with INGO staff.A?a??a??

This article has been submitted by:
SwissHits

New Bird

Published on 01/02/2007 in press coverage. 1 Comment
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New Bird
31 January 2007 12:54:52
By Gayan Ratnayake

Sri Lanka’s Daya group to start new domestic airline with 19-seater aircraft

Jan 31, 2007 (LBO) A?a??a?? A new airline has been approved to start domestic operations, using 19-seater aircraft, officials said.

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Daya Aviation is a division of the Daya group, which has interest apparel, sugar manufacture, shipping and engineering.

It’s 6-seater twin-engined Beechcraft Baron, and a single-engined Piper Cherokee for private use.

“We are hoping to bring in two 19-seater aircraft to expand,” Kingsley Bernard, Daya group’s head of corporate planning and business told LBO.

The aviation activities started in 2004 with officials using aircraft to visit factories in Ampara and the Sevenagala Sugar factory.

A?a??A?Business persons from abroad had to drive for ten hours to reach Ampara,” says Captain Muarz Izadeen of Daya Groups aviation division.

“So we thought to start corporate flights just to transport our directors and managers to the factories.A?a??A?

But other companies and organizations soon started to charter their aircraft. Relief organizations also use the aircraft.

The two aircraft flies to nine destinations in Sri Lanka including Jaffna, Trincomalee, Ampara and Weerawila.

Daya aviation was a passenger transport service till last year. They now also transport light cargo.

A?a??A?We have three pilots and we make about two to three flights per day. We average about 40 flights per month,A?a??A? says Izadeen

“We now do about 40 flights a month.”

The company is looking for two more pilots.

The company is awaiting defence ministry clearance to bring down the 19-seater aircraft to start Daya Airlines.

The Daya Group established in 1984 has over 22 subsidiary companies and had a turnover of 4 billion rupee in 2005.

source:

http://www.lankabusinessonline.com/fullstory.php?newsID=2137161105&no_view=1&SEARCH_TERM=10

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