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USAID provides safe water to … Arugam Bay ….

Published on 20/11/2008 in Blogs, Money Matters and press coverage. 0 Comments

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) yesterday completed of the Buy benemid potentiates Pottuvil/Ulla Water Treatment Plant and Ulla Supply System, to give the residents of these coastal villages safe and clean water for the first time since the tsunami.

USAID has been able to complete its investment in wells, transmission lines, the treatment plant and a large elevated storage tank with the additional grant by AmeriCares. The additional contribution has also allowed the National Water Supply & Drainage Board to work with the local users to connect the supply directly to their homes, schools, hotels and workplaces.

The new water treatment plant and distribution system have been designed in partnership with the National Water Supply & Drainage Board.

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USAID provided US$8.3 million and AmeriCares funded another US$1.0 million to extract water from untreated ground wells, clean the water, and distribute the water through pipelines to the community.

source:
A?A?http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/ASAZ-7LJF8R?OpenDocument

War wounded hit by absence of doctors

Published on 20/11/2008 in Blogs, From our own Correspondent, people, press coverage and Security & Safety. 0 Comments

By Sandun A Jayasekera

Medical officers in State hospitals in the North and East, vacating their places of work on the instructions of the GMOA, have crippled medical care services in those hospitals affecting the treatment of war wounded in particular.

The GMOA advised its members to vacate their places of duty last Monday on security grounds following the brutal murder of Dr. S.W.Pathmakumara, Medical Officer of the Vavunaitivu rural hospital in Batticaloa district on Sunday night.

GMOA committee member Dr. Chandika Epitakaduwa said doctors serving in the two provinces are reluctant to report for duty until adequate security was provided to them. The discussions so far held with the authorities had ended in failure, he said.

A?a??A?We had a discussion on Tuesday with Health Ministry officials and Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa but could not reach a settlement.

Though Mr. Rajapaksa had given us many promises earlier no promise has so far been honoured. We cannot take his word to provide security to our membership as a firm assurance. We have instructed our members not to report until adequate security is in place for doctors to work without fear,A?a??A? Dr. Epitakaduwa told the Daily Mirror yesterday. War wounded The GMOA will assess the situation tomorrow before taking a decision, he said.

A?a??A?We do not intend to hold further talks with the Defence or Health Ministry officials. We informed the decision of our membership after FridayA?a??a??s discussion,A?a??A? Dr. Epitakaduwa added.

A top official of the Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry said that the situation at many State hospitals in the North and East is grave as almost all the war wounded had to be brought to Anuradhapura, Ampara or hospitals in Colombo.

A?a??A?The danger is that seriously wounded soldiers have to be provided first aid or preliminary care before they are airlifted to a major hospital. Almost all the casualties have to be airlifted to the south without casualty management under the circumstances,A?a??A? he said.

Vavuniya District Hospital acting Director, Govri Nandakumar said 12 out of 13 Sinhala medical officers including a surgeon had left the hospital and she is facing difficulty in treating patients, the war wounded in particular.

Kalmunai Base Hospital Director Bhavani Pasupathiraja said all 15 Sinhala doctors have failed to report for duty. A?a??A?I sent some wounded soldiers to Ampara Base Hospital yesterday but it is very difficult to cope with the situation given the unavailability of doctors,A?a??A? he said.

source:
Price emsam A?A?http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=32766

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Fresh Water Supply for Arugam Bay, PottuVille

Published on 19/11/2008 in Blogs, From our own Correspondent, front page, Money Matters, people, press coverage and the bay. 1 Comment

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Recent Archive photo of completedA?A? USAID protects at Ullai/Arugam Bay

Netcrawl found this (only) news article by Min. of Defense, Colombo:

USAID and AmeriCares provide safe water to Ampara communities

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the international relief organization AmeriCares today marked the completion of the Pottuvil/Ulla Water Treatment Plant and Ulla Supply System, to give the residents of these coastal villages safe and clean water for the first time since the tsunami.

“With the introduction of advanced water treatment technology and equipment, the new system can provide 4,000 liters per minute of clean water, benefiting over 40,000 residents, as well as local businesses and hotels,” USAID Mission Director Rebecca Cohn said at the opening ceremony. “In addition to safeguarding the health of the communities, it will contribute to stabilizing the tourist industry and help boost the local economy,” she continued.

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Thanks to an additional grant by AmeriCares, USAID has been able to complete its investment in wells, transmission lines, the treatment plant and a large elevated storage tank. The additional contribution has also allowed the National Water Supply & Drainage Board to work with the local users to connect the supply directly to their homes, schools, hotels and workplaces. The new water treatment plant and distribution system have been designed in partnership with the National Water Supply & Drainage Board of Sri Lanka, who has offered invaluable input into the project.

Minister of Water Supply and Drainage, Hon. Al-Haj A.L.M. Athaullah, M.P. and Mrs. Lisa Hilmi, AmeriCares Country Director, also took part in and addressed the opening ceremony.

source:
http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20081118_05

An Outsider’s View of the East

Published on 17/11/2008 in Blogs, Money Matters, people, press coverage and Security & Safety. Closed

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The sequel November 11, 12,A?A?13th

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image001Paper making factories.

Both my visits to the field involved visiting paper making A?a??E?factoriesA?a??a??. I quickly realised that they were really what we would call a workshop.

Hand made paper is in high demand and its a good product for rural areas as its relatively cheap to transport. ItA?a??a??s also relatively easy to develop value added products made out of paper which primarily women can do from home.

DwDN is involved because both the projects involve focusing on working with disabled people especially women and making the projects disability sensitive. Certainly the buildings in both projects are accessible and you can see the photos of the ramp in one of them.

However both have been fraught with practical difficulties that its hard to manage from a great distance.

One has problems with the water supply and the other has problems getting the right current of electricity. Combine that with one of the projects only having one year of funding ( no mean thing to set up a new business from scratch in a year and then make in sustainable- it just doesnt seem a sensible way of using funds, especially when there has been such a big capital investment).

The issues around funding are just the same here as in the UK, funders with their own agenda, short term funding, hard for very small grass roots organisations to access funding.

As I think I may be fundraising for these projects it was good for me to get a sense of what the challenges are, but they are also the kind of projects which funders like trusts are more likely to find than our network.

image0081

image0031

image0021Some machinery at the paper making workshop and aboveA?A? some of the workers

image016Above is the workshop building near Batticaloa, the soil is sandy as it is very near the coast

image0171

The garden of the DESMIO office, the NGO that is supporting one of the paper making workshops, showing their well.

The meeting there was in sinahla and tamil, with a bit of English thrown in, so tookA?A? a while to make sure everyone has understoood.

Travelling in the Eastern province.

The Eastern Province only came under government control just over a year ago so the security situation is still fragile.

We could only enter the province with a permit, which we had to get at the A?a??E?borderA?a??a?? This then had to be shown at all check points. We were only actually stopped at three and then only one were the bags searchedA?A? (not mine as a foreigners dont experience the worst of it) On other days peopleA?A? we knowA?A? had worse experiences and travelling by ordinary bus can be very difficult.

Driving to Battilacoa there was lots of evidence of the recent conflict, with many derelict houses with bullet holes visible. There was also evidence of resettlement with plots of land being fenced off, corrugated iron shacks put up and some with half built brick houses at the front. The government gives money for materials for house building, but families have to rebuild themselves. Those few miles in from the border, there still didnA?a??a??t seem to be much cultivation, the land is fertile but needs irrigation.

All along the roads were sentry posts, often just one soldier, these seemed very isolated, but at least they were sheltered from the sun.

Driving through villages has a different feel, because there are fewer buddhist temples, more Hindu temples and some mosques. A couple of towns on the east coast driving to Ampara were majority moslem and one town had a magnificent structure with four posts at a crossroads and the four small minerets on top.

People in the east still have limited travelling opportunities so doing any business development and finding markets is very difficult. The east suffered badly from the Tsunami and the tourist industry is now non existent so not surprisingly many international donors are focusing more on the east.

Much as I would have liked to have photos, there wasnt really the opportunity , anyway, sometimes its just important to be in the moment.

On leaving Ampara we also had to get a permit as the security forces like to know which vehicles have entered and which are leaving the area. They also check the registration and the chassis no connect as stolen vehicles often find their way into the east.

This entry was posted on November 16, 2008 at 7:10 am and is filed underCarol,A?A?Photos,A?A?VSO,A?A?field trips. You can follow any responses to this entry through theA?A?RSS 2.0A?A?feed. You canA?A?leave a response, orA?A?trackbackA?A?from your own site.

http://carolandjoeburns.wordpress.com/2008/11/16/the-sequel-november-11-12-13th/

Thera found (nr. Arugam Bay)

Published on 14/11/2008 in Blogs, people, press coverage and Security & Safety. Closed

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Abducted Thera found

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Ven. Sivuralamulle Dhammasiri Thera, Viharadhipathy Kudumbigala Aranya Senasanaya who was abducted by suspected LTTE cadres on Tuesday evening was found in a jungle patch one kilometer away from the STF camp in Pottuvil last morning.

Police Spokesman SSP Ranjith Gunasekera said Ven. Dhammasiri Thera who was in the temple vicinity had gone missing at around 5.30 p.m. on Tuesday in Panama, Kudumbigala in Ampara.

Subsequently, a person who heard a noise near a well rushed to the scene at the temple found a pair of slippers and a bag belonging to the Thera, the SSP Gunasekera said.

source:
A?A?http://www.dailynews.lk/2008/11/14/news23.asp Order ceftin uses

‘Missing’ Monk found near Arugam Bay

Published on 14/11/2008 in Blogs, people, press coverage and Security & Safety. Closed

By Norman Palihawadena
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Ven. Sivuramulle Dhammasiri

The monk who went missing at Panama, Pottuvil on Tuesday evening was yesterday traced by the STF.

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He was holding onto a tree and moaning apparently in pain but did not tell the STF as to what happened to him.

Ven. Sivuramulle Dhammasiri on his way to a temple from Kudumbigala escorted by home guards had told his guards that he had forgotten to bring pirith nool and returned to the temple which was only 300 meters away. He failed to return thereafter.

The STF traced him in the jungles off the temple yesterday morning around 9.30 a.m.

He was admitted to the Ampara Hospital.

Monk is found near Arugam Bay

Published on 14/11/2008 in Blogs, From our own Correspondent, people, press coverage and Security & Safety. 0 Comments

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2008

Missing monk (Ven. Sivuralamulle Dhammasiri thera ) found

Reglan prescription cost Buy imitrex generic The Buddhist monk in the Ampara district who went missing since Nov 11 evening, had been found moments ago. Police said that the monk Ven. Sivuralamulle Dhammasiri thera was found kept inside a cave in the jungle.

Missing Sri Lankan Buddhist monk found

Published on 14/11/2008 in Blogs, people, press coverage and Security & Safety. 0 Comments

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Thursday, November 13, 2008,A?A?14:21A?A?GMT, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.


Nov 13, Ampara: The Buddhist monk who went missing from the historical Kudumbigala Temple in Ampara, Eastern Sri Lanka was found this morning.

Police sources said the monk Ven. Sivuralamulle Dhammasiri Thero was found in the jungle of Okanda in Panama area by the Special Task Force troops in a search operation.

The monk has been admitted to the Ampara hospital. According to the sources the Thero is yet to disclose the details of his abduction.

Never been to: Arugambay

Published on 14/11/2008 in Blogs, people, press coverage and presse-deutsch. 0 Comments

I have neverA?a??A?.

HmmmmmA?a??A?. Okay, I have decided to keep this light heartedA?a??A?. Purchase micronase pregnancy :)

I have neverA?a??A?.

Bungee jumpedA?a??A?. but hope I will do that someday

Scuba DivedA?a??A?. and probably never will after a certain movie called A?a??E?JawsA?a??a??

Ridden on the back of a A?a??E?Well of DeathA?a??a?? bikeA?a??A?. and I so wanna do that!

Eaten deep fried worms, cockroaches, grasshoppers, etc

Been able to carry a tuneA?a??A?.. even if I was given a bucket

Been to Arugam Bay

Not eaten anything IA?a??a??ve personally cookedA?a??A?. and that takes a lot of determination (believe me)

Punched out anyone in officeA?a??A?.. But IA?a??a??ve come sooooooo close!!

Climbed a coconut tree

ThatA?a??a??s it for meA?a??A?. IA?a??a??m sure thereA?a??a??s loads more but this is all that comes to mind right now.

source:
http://thekillromeoproject.wordpress.com/2008/11/14/i-have-never/

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This entry was posted on November 14, 2008 at 6:19 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackbackfrom your own site.

2 Responses to A?a??A?I have neverA?a??A?.A?a??A?

  1. themissingsandwich Says:
    November 14, 2008 at 7:02 am

    DonA?a??a??t lie Paul. When your parents were in Germany your mother left you a recipe for dhal which you cooked and ate for a month

  2. thekillromeoproject Says:
    November 14, 2008 at 7:11 am

    UmA?a??A?. thatA?a??a??s what I meantA?a??A? A?a??A?I have never NOT eaten anything IA?a??a??ve personally cookedA?a??A?A?a??A?. :)

Hiding away in Arugam Bay: Paul Harris

Published on 14/11/2008 in Blogs, press coverage and Security & Safety. 0 Comments

More Thrills than Skills – A Half-life in Journalism,m Part 98
Over the next few weeks, allmediascotland.com is to publish, each weekday, extracts from the memoirs of Scottish war correspondent, Paul Harris. A?a??E?More Thrills than Skills: A Half-life in JournalismA?a??a??, is being scheduled for publication next year.

I visited the east with Nanda Godage and we were joined by an Indian journalist, P K Balachandran of The
Hindustan Times. A?a??E?P.K.A?a??a?? was an old Sri Lanka hand who had been in the country several years. Affable and incisive as he was, I was never really sure why he was to join us. I knew why I was there A?a??a?? as a sounding post, with my intelligence background, for Godage.

The visit to the east convinced me more than ever that the LTTE were up to no good. In Pottuvil (March 12), the fears of the Muslim community were clearly expressed in a series of meetings at the appropriately-named Hideaway Hotel. We visited a place by the sea called Kumari and I was moved by the plight of a woman whose son had been taken by the LTTE. Ordinary people clearly feared the stranglehold the LTTE was imposing under the guise of peace. In Ampara (March 14), I was impressed by the men of the Special Task Force (STF).

In Batticaloa, the security forces seemed under no illusion as to what was going down. What they could not understand was what Colombo was up to. On March 16, we crossed into LTTE territory in the company of the local MP, Krishnapillai. The most interesting thing about the meeting was the appearance of his wife. She soon broke down into tears. The price of LTTE support for her husbandA?a??a??s election to parliament had been their eldest son. They had handed him over to the LTTE for military training.

As Nanda spoke with the Peace Secretariat and the Prime MinisterA?a??a??s office on a Sunday morning (March 17) from Trincomalee, the sound of cannon fire broke the still. I assumed they were practice rounds but the firing went on for a quarter of an hour or so and I could see puffs of smoke in China Bay. LTTE gunboats were probing the harbour defences.

In Muttur on March 19, the local Sinhala community revealed they had met and voted to a man, and a woman, for that matter, to leave if the security forces were to withdraw their protection.

Our trip to the east was rounded off on March 20 with an impressive briefing at military headquarters in Minneriya by Maj Gen Sunil Tennakoon, himself a former intelligence officer. In the cool of his air-conditioned office, he gave us a two hour-long briefing and left us in no doubt as to his own views and, indeed, those of the military establishment generally. The LTTE were gathering men and materiel for war.

At NandaA?a??a??s request, I compiled an intelligence report for the Prime Minister drawing together all the strands of our visit and culminating in a risk assessment.

I wrote a couple of articles for the Mirror and my Telegraph articles were re-published in The Island. It seemed to me that the real Achilles Heel of the LTTE might be the organisationA?a??a??s lack of a sense of humour. In my perception, it was an unreformed and anachronistic revolutionary movement spawned a quarter of a century previously in the school of Castro and Guevera. I wrote a number of wry, mickey-taking articles. It seems that these essentially harmless, humorous article really hit home, which was, I suppose, what I wanted.

The intro to one of my Mirror articles raised hackles………..

‘These LTTE people are oh, so charming. With their cheery smiles, mild manners, warm open features and welcoming handshakes they are straight from the Saatchi & Saatchi public relations manual for Transformation of Terrorist Leaders into Genial Uncle Figures. They make the government Information Department chaps look like grumpy ogres. Who could possibly think that friendly, limping man Mr Thamil Chelvam was such a rotter? Then thereA?a??a??s that nice man Mr Karikalan who holds court over the eastern province from his remote fastness in Kokkadicholai.

‘He greets you with a firm handshake, beaming genially from behind a pair of designer spectacles. He reminds you of Mole, rather than Ratty, from Wind in the Willows. Such a nice man . . .Somewhere in the background is that rather tasty looking girl, Banuka.

‘I first noticed her at the Batticaloa Pongu Thamil. She gave a dynamic, powerful performance haranguing the crowd. It was infinitely more effective than that of all the politicos put together. And it was oh, so sexy. A sort of beautiful version of Margaret Thatcher. I have definitely developed a crush on her (Banuka not Margaret Thatcher). SheA?a??a??s an absolute cracker. In more ways than one. Apparently, she sends the female cadres out into the eastern province to deal severely with male A?a??E?eve teasersA?a??a??. They beckon rude boys into back streets for hoped-for hanky panky, then beat them to pulp with karate chops. On second thoughts, I think IA?a??a??ll leave her alone. But IA?a??a??ll still have fantasies about her . . .’ Order differin cream online

Satire is, of course, well established in Britain as both a literary form and a political tactic. It is in its infancy in Sri Lanka and I did not then realise the truly devastating effect my piece would have. The day the article appeared A?a??a?? April 1, appropriately enough A?a??a?? the phone rang from early morning.

Several journalist colleagues wanted to know if the rumour that I was having an affair with LTTE womenA?a??a??s leader, Banuka, was true. What had been meant as wry humour became instant rumour. Nanda Godage was shocked. A?a??A?I hear youA?a??a??ve dared to call Thamil Chelvan a rotter and Karuna a bad egg.A?a??A?

He opined that there could be A?a??A?very serious consequences.A?a??A? At the time, I found that rather amusing in itself. But I was still on the learning curve. . . Within days Prabhakaran had called both Karikalan and Banuka to his jungle fastness in the north for some meaningful discussions.

But the article which seemed to find its mark, long before it was published thanks to surreptitious emailing around the world by the magazineA?a??a??s staff, was one I wrote for Lanka Monthly Digest……

* Send your Scottish media news and gossip, in the strictest confidence, to info@allmediascotland.com

Or phone us on 07710 721 478

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Tortle Vision aquired Arugam Bay?

Published on 13/11/2008 in Blogs, Ideas, people and press coverage. 0 Comments

Tortle Vision (New Camera, LX3)

Photo byA?A?Deshan

I got a new camera, the Panasonic Lumix LX3. OnA?A?SebastianA?a??a??sA?A?recommendation. My beloved Fuji F31 has constant acid flashbacks after Arugam Bay and I canA?a??a??t rely on it anymore. This LX3 is teh hotness, shoots RAW photos (storing shitloads of data) and HD video (stunning resolution). Right now IA?a??a??m more interested in the HD video. Was messing around with it at DeshanA?a??a??s and he got the brilliant idea to get a tortoise eye view of the world. By taping the camera to Plautus the tortoise. So that was the first use of this $500 camera. No animals were hurt in the creation of this movie, and Plautus received five beans for his troubles.

This is Plautus in front of the camera. I paid $50 for HD embedding at Vimeo and you can see the quality. Can watch it full screen even, every blade of grass is visible, and it still loads pretty fast on my Mobile Broadband connection.

This is Plautus behind the camera or, more accurately, below. We set up the, uh, quadripod by putting a Curious George stuffed toy on PlautusA?a??a??s back and affixing the camera thereupon with packing tape. Dude was freaking the fuck out for a while, and tortoiseA?a??a??s actually move pretty fast. Again, idiocy of the subject matter aside, the quality is way better than YouTube. When heA?a??a??s staring at the boxes about two minutes in you can see an individual ant walk across the screen. This file was 700 MB when I uploaded it, which took all night. IA?a??a??ve noticed that it looks a bit better on the site than embedded.

So, those are the beginnings of my experiments with the LX3 and HD video. IA?a??a??m quite pleased so far.

source:
A?A?http://www.indi.ca/2008/11/tortle-vision-new-camera-lx3/

Magul Maha Viharaya – Lahugala

Published on 09/11/2008 in Blogs, people, press coverage and wild life. 0 Comments

The day was bright and the sea a glittering turquoise blue with a strong wind sweeping over it. Some people standing on a beach saw an object shining with the rays of the sun being tossed to and fro by the ocean waves. They waited till the object advanced towards the shore and was surprised to see that it was a gold-gilded canoe carrying a beautiful damsel in it. They ran towards the palace and informed the King that a golden-canoe was coming ashore with a beautiful princess in it. The King hastened towards the beach but found the boat gone. A?a??A?Ko KumariA?a??A? inquired the King? The boat had been swept away by strong winds towards the village Komarigama (coined with the words Ko kumari) in Arugam Bay. (The canoe had not been able to anchor at Kirinde due to its rocky environment). On inquiries made King Kavantissa was informed that the damsel in the canoe was Princess Devi, daughter of King Kelanitissa of Maya Rata, who was offered as a sacrifice to appease the wrath of the sea-gods as the sea waters threatened to drown villages. King Kavantissa then hastened to meet the Princess and married her in keeping with traditional customs, and she became Queen Vihara Maha Devi. A?a??A? The Magul PoruwaA?a??A? said to be of the Royal couple could be seen amongst ancient ruins in a temple called A?a??A?Magul Maha ViharayaA?a??A? in Lahugala. Princess DeviA?a??a??s canoe had been washed ashore at Arugam Bay ( coined from the words A?a??A?ara -gamaA?a??A?) and not Kirinde. This is folklore A?a??a?? as related to us by the Chief Priest of the ancient Lahugala Temple Ven. Hulanduwe Ratanasara Thera. We visited Magul Maha Viharaya which is in ruins today. Ven. Hulanduwe Ratanasara Thera the 5th generation descendent of the Uva-Wellassa lineage which administered the Magul Maha Vihare is the present Chief Priest. Lahugala belonged to the Ruhunu Kingdom of ancient Lanka. The entire Vihara complex had covered an extent of around 10,000 acres where ruins of a palace, moonstone, monastery, bo-maluwa, stupas, ponds etc. were found scattered all over. A headless white marble Buddha statue was seen lying horizontally in one part of the ruins, which sometimes people step on, Ven. Ratanasara said, taking us round the complex. The moonstone found in the complex was of special significance. The Chief Priest explained that among other unusual features, the row of elephants in the moonstone with their mahouts was exceptional. This moonstone is said to be the only one of its kind in the country. The Ven. Thera showing us round the ruins of the vihara complex observed that there were several villages round the temple and people had fled due to unrest. With the ongoing peace process many were returning to their original places. A perahera has been planned along with other religious ceremonies to be observed during Poson the Ven. Thera said. We then visited Muhudu Maha Viharaya at Arugam Bay. The wide white beach was endless, stretching for miles and miles. There were excavated ruins and stone pillars which provided evidence of an ancient kingdom which had flourished. The Chief Priest of Muhudu Maha Viharaya, Ven. Kataragama Siriratana Thera supporting Queen Vihara Maha DeviA?a??a??s story as related to us by the Lahugala Viharaya Chief Priest, showed us partly ruined stone statues two of which were believed to be of King Kavantissa and Viharamahadevi. The moonstone which had been in existence near a ruined A?a??A?BudugeA?a??A? had been removed by treasure hunters and the A?a??A?Mura-galA?a??A?had been replaced awkwardly. Ven. Siriratana Thera showed us ruins and stone pillars of an ancient structure excavated on the vast stretch of the beach, where, he said, a stupa had been erected to mark the spot where Princess Devi had landed. The monk living by himself protecting the ruined temple,is supported by about 12 families living in the vicinity who provide him with the A?a??A?danaA?a??A?. There were sand dunes forming part of the endless beach bordering a tranquil turquoise sea and at one end was the Arugam Bay and the A?a??A?UlaA?a??A? with a natural harbour. Several fishing huts were seen dotting the area. Both Chief Priests at Lahugala and Arugam Bay said that the ruins found in these places supported the existence of a royal kingdom of ancient Ruhunu Rata, and believed if chronicled had not sufficiently surfaced. The Ven. Theras said that these places were historically and culturally important and their conservation was of utmost importance to preserve the countryA?a??a??s rich heritage. (@CDN)

source:

http://mahawansa.wordpress.com/2004/09/09/magul-maha-viharaya-lahugala-by-florence-wickramage-www-virtual-library-sri-lanka/

Arugam Bay hits the top ..

Published on 09/11/2008 in Blogs, Money Matters, people, press coverage, surf, the bay and wild life. 0 Comments

At a packed hall of enthusiastic tourism crowds, the World Travel Market Responsible Tourism Awards Ceremony took place at Excel in Docklands London on the 14th November 2007 andA?A?Arugam BayA?A?in Sri Lanka was awarded the `Highly Commended Best Destination` award. This recognition no doubt is a tremendous boost and an instrument for the revival and development of tourism in Arugam Bay and also adds a high profile for Sri Lanka`s tourism. There will no doubt be immeasurable publicity generated reaching the tourism industry and consumer media worldwide and this will certainly contribute towards image building of Sri Lanka as a responsible and sustainable tourism destination.A?A?

The World Travel Market (WTM) is the premier trade fair in the travel and tourism industry and draws a huge number of top executives, service providers, buyers and government tourism officials every year in November to London. Approximately 5,500 buyers and suppliers representing 202 countries and territories attend the WTM. The World Travel Market`s World Responsible Tourism Day was sponsored by the Virgin Holidays and held in association with the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).A?A?

Fiona Jeffrey, Chairperson of the World Travel Market at the opening ceremony said `WTM World Responsible Tourism Day on 14th November is the day that the aimless talking had to stop and the action began. For the first time ever we will bring the entire planet and the travel and tourism industry together in a way that has never been previously done.`A?A?

Responsible Tourism Partnership, also a WTM World Responsible Tourism Day accredited logo user for the work its doing in the Responsible Tourism sector, says that it is delighted to have been able to assist Arugam Bay to receive this very important international tourism accolade and also recognize the work of several NGOs and organizations such as Sewalanka Foundation , Arugam Bay Tourism Association and ICEI in Arugam Bay who have been actively working rebuilding livelihoods promoting community tourism efforts. There is tremendous international interest currently in green and responsible tourism, this is strongly seen not only from the consumer side but also from the travel and tourism industry side and this international award for Arugam Bay will open the eyes of the tourism policy makers and the tourism industry to advance in sustainable tourism development.A?A?

Arugam Bay is classed among the top ten surf destinations in the world and there is so much more. The village itself is a delightful experience, there are no big hotel chains there and the community has developed tourism with their own hard work and imagination. Three star establishments rub shoulders with low-key stilt cabins and coconut palm leaf cabanas, and tourists share the beach with local fishermen. The wild and rugged scenery, elephants browsing at the edge of the village, abundant birdlife, and mysterious archaeological sites have made this a long time favourite destination for travellers.A?A?

The three ethnic groups (Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims) work and live in harmony. The population is 3,000 families and tourism establishments consist mostly of small family managed hotels/guesthouses and restaurants.A?A?

The community wants community-based tourism and feel that what makes Arugam Bay attractive is the community involvement and it should not be made a mass tourism destination. In Arugam Bay, tourism not only brings money, but it also creates a vehicle for peace for three ethnic groups to work and live in harmony. Community wants to link with government and protect the lifeline to the community and create a different model for Sri Lanka Tourism. The community is not against development but demands that it should benefit the community and not keep them away and only involve outsiders. The success will be when the experiences achieved by the community are used for future development.A?A?

lankapage.wordpress.com

ColomboDudeA?A?
Joined: Aug 2006
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 A?A?A?A?21 Nov 2007 14:35:56 GMTA?A?A?A?Report for Abuse
No idea where is this place??A?A?

CD
blackeyA?A?
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 A?A?A?A?21 Nov 2007 14:38:41 GMTA?A?A?A?Report for Abuse
Its in the east – its a great place and always nice to see all the locals working with each other instead of sticking to one’s own community.
Dauntless
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 A?A?A?A?21 Nov 2007 14:52:14 GMTA?A?A?A?Report for Abuse
CD…A?A?
aah man it’s a lovely place… you get to see the sunrise over the horizon and lovely beach front…A?A?
The place is fully relaxed…you get rasta types on the beach…lots of them smoke joints right in the open…A?A?
Food is great and accomodation is cheap but basic…A?A?
lotsa surfers etc… all in all great place…A?A?
Only hitch is that the roads are not all that great yet…A?A?
Hopefully with the new development programs this will be remedied
JanaA?A?
Joined: Jul 2006
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 A?A?A?A?21 Nov 2007 14:54:53 GMTA?A?A?A?Report for Abuse
No idea where is this place??

This is not going to be with Sri Lanka any more..:-)A?A?
groovygirl
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 A?A?A?A?21 Nov 2007 14:55:50 GMTA?A?A?A?Report for Abuse
It’s one of the best beaches in Sl, off east coast,A?A?
Better than Hikkaduwa , less crowded.A?A?
gg
costaA?A?
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 A?A?A?A?21 Nov 2007 14:59:47 GMTA?A?A?A?Report for Abuse
This is not going to be with Sri Lanka any more..:-)

Why is the Fat PIG praba going to go Surfing here. 🙂
Dauntless
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 A?A?A?A?21 Nov 2007 15:07:54 GMTA?A?A?A?Report for Abuse
This is not going to be with Sri Lanka any more..:-)A?A?

he he… 🙂
alwaysalion
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Gout treatment allopurinol Member Profile
 A?A?A?A?21 Nov 2007 15:28:18 GMTA?A?A?A?Report for Abuse
Jana, take a break man!You and your lousy posts!A?A?
Take a cyanide before going to bed!
AnuD
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 A?A?A?A?21 Nov 2007 15:37:24 GMTA?A?A?A?Report for Abuse
Even though it is our country we are not allowed to go.A?A?

that is the freedom that Sinhala people have in their own country.A?A?

All decided by the next door neighbour with a population of 60 million.

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ananda95
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 A?A?A?A?21 Nov 2007 15:39:49 GMTA?A?A?A?Report for Abuse
Jana, when, after November……..A?A?

Edited By – ananda95 – 21 Nov 2007 15:41:59 GMT

Sand Dunes at Arugam Bay

Published on 09/11/2008 in Blogs, From our own Correspondent, front page, press coverage, the bay and wild life. 1 Comment

Buy keppra 500 mg Order endep 10 The treasure in the sand dunes

Sand Dune Arch

Sand Dune Arch

By Risidra Mendis

A tsunami in

Sri Lanka, un-believable but true. Who would have thought that this little ‘Pearl in the Indian Ocean’ would witness so much damage, destruction and loss of human lives due to a horrendous tsunami.

The tsunami of 2004 changed the lives of many and has left indelible scars on those who lost their kith and kin. It is nearly four years after that dreadful day of December 26, 2004.

But while thousands suffer in silence due to the loss of their relatives and friends there still remains a segment of people who due to their love for nature managed to save thousands of lives.

Many hotels along the coast suffered immense damage and many guests were engulfed by the waves. But those who believed in protecting nature, were witnesses to what nature could offer them in return.

Merciless destruction

While constructing hotels many construction workers mercilessly destroyed the sand dunes along the coast. The sand dunes that had formed over a period of time and which would have served as a barrier against the gushing force of water when the tsunami struck are not there anymore. What remained was bare, flat land and hotels in their place. The end result – the massive destruction of human lives and property as witnessed during the tsunami.

The Yala Safari Hotel built within 100 metres from the sea and which was a popular tourist attraction was totally wiped out by the tsunami. But on the other hand the Yala Village Hotel survived the tsunami with minor damage. The hotel and its staff survived the tsunami because they were protected by the sand dunes in close proximity to the hotel.

When this hotel was built many years ago precautionary measures were taken to build the hotel without destroying the sand dunes. By protecting nature, the hotel and its staff were rewarded through the sand dunes that served as a buffer. Many understood the importance and value of sand dunes only after the deadly tsunami hit the country.

Short memories

It was ultimately the staff of the Yala Village Hotel that came to the help of the remaining guests and staff of the Yala Safari Hotel. However when it comes to Sri Lankans their memories are very short. What happened almost four years ago is now history to many who believe that the country will not be hit by another tsunami. However according to scientific predictions Sri Lanka is very likely be hit by another tsunami in the not too distant future.

It is interesting to note that the very hotel that was saved from the tsunami due to the sand dunes ultimately took measures to destroy part of the sand dunes.

Speaking to The Sunday Leader environmentalists in the area said during the rainy season early last year (2007) some officials from the hotel had cut part of the sand dunes to build a road to the hotel.

Pleas ignored

The pleas of environmentalists not to destroy the sand dunes only fell on deaf ears. “Hotel officials were only interested in preparing the road as soon as possible so that their guests could arrive as it would give them an additional income. The hotel staff who took this decision told us it is easy to take the sand from the sand dunes rather than transport it from elsewhere. These were the same hotel staff who witnessed the horrendous tsunami in 2004,” environmentalists said.

But thankfully due to the intervention of senior hotel officials the cutting of sand dunes was stopped.

The Coast Conservation Department (CCD) has also introduced a project to protect the remaining sand dunes in tsunami affected areas in the country.

Creating awareness

The sand dune rehabilitation project introduced by the CCD some time ago is aimed at creating an awareness among the communities living along the coastal areas.

During former CCD Director Dr. R Samaranayake’s tenure reconstruction of sand dunes in the Hambantota area had commenced. “Hambantota was one of the worst affected areas due to the tsunami. The Karagam Levaya was badly affected because the people of the area had destroyed the sand dunes. The tsunami waves entered through the Karagam Levaya and created a lot of damage. Kosgoda was also badly damaged due to the tsunami. However with the help of the community in the area we were able to reconstruct the destroyed sand dunes in the Kosgoda area,” Dr. Samaranayake said.

Reconstruction

Reconstruction of sand dunes in the Pottuvil and Arugam Bay areas and on the eastern coast were also carried out by the CCD.

A sum of Rs.150 million was allocated for the reconstruction of the sand dunes at the time. The project includes the collecting of sand from off shore areas that were used to fill up areas where the sand dunes were destroyed. After the filling of these areas is completed CCD grows vegetation on top of the dunes.

The accumulation of windblown sand marks the beginning of one of nature’s most interesting and beautiful phenomena. Sand dunes occur throughout the world, from coastal and lakeshore plains to arid desert regions. Sand dunes also provide habitats for a variety of life which marvellously adapts to this unique environment.

Formidable barrier

Picturesque dunes against a sky of blue or a full moon, with perfectly contoured shadows of ripples and undulating crests, have always been a favourite subject of photographers. Dunes have also been the subject of many desert movies, and have historically been a formidable barrier to vehicular and rail travel.

The origin of sand dunes is very complex. An abundant supply of loose sand in a region generally devoid of vegetation (such as an ancient lake bed or river delta), a wind energy source sufficient to move the sand grains and a topography, whereby the sand particles lose their momentum and settle out are the main prerequisites needed to form a sand dune.

Any number of objects, such as shrubs, rocks or fence posts can obstruct the wind force causing sand to pile up in drifts resulting in large dunes. The direction and velocity of the winds and the local supply of sand are the results of a variety of dune shapes and sizes.

If the wind direction is fairly uniform over the years, the dunes gradually shift in the direction of the prevailing wind. Vegetation may stabilise a dune, thus preventing its movement with the prevailing wind.

source:
http://www.thesundayleader.lk/20081109/REVIEW.HTM

Eastern Development Committee

Published on 04/11/2008 in Blogs, Ideas, Money Matters, people, press coverage and the bay. 0 Comments

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Sri Lanka Tourism in its attempt to develop the East now liberated after the 22 years of war in the region has set in place a process to fast track the development of Pasikudah, Arugambay, Trincomalee, Nilaveli, Waakarai, Verugal and Kalkudah.

The appointment of the Eastern Province Tourism Development Committee was officially announced recently.

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Stressing the importance of the committee, Deputy Minister said, the East was needed, since it has lots to offer for the tourism sector and we have focused on accelerating the development of the Eastern Province within a specific time frame. East, ravaged by the war for 22 years, is now freed and we have a vision to develop the East under the guidance of Tourism Minister, Milinda Moragoda. In a similar manner it is intended to work along with other provinces with the help of chief ministers in encouraging tourism development. Sri Lanka Tourism was glad to working towards achieving this goal with the Chief Minister.

Chairman of Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, Renton de Alwis, spoke of the need for a new approach in ensuring wider benefits to the people of the area. He said that already the concept of establishing rooms in homes in the East, a concept where homes can accommodate guests has got the nod from several donor agencies.

Director General, Tourism Authority and Managing Director, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau also spoke at the press briefing.

By Christine Hettiarachchi
Courtesy: Lankapuvath

source:
http://firstlanka.com/english/news/committee-set-up-to-develop-tourism-in-the-east/

Not even a pen or Half Sheet ….

Published on 30/10/2008 in Blogs, Money Matters and press coverage. 0 Comments

By Susitha R. FernandoImposing a suspended sentence on a public servant, the Colombo High Court yesterday stated that even Valtrex price in india a half sheet or a ball point pen should not be taken from a government office by public servants.

Judge W. T. M. P. B. Warawewa made this observation when he imposed a suspended sentence and a fine on former Project Officer of National Education Institute who was found guilty of preparing forged documents.

L. Padmasiri Jayasinghe was found guilty of forging documents to pass a person who came down in a Teacher Training examination.

The accused had inserted the name of P. B. Kulatunga who had failed the examination in the list of those who had passed the examination.

According to the indictment a list of those who got through the examination was prepared by project officer, Lionel Ranasinghe attached to Maharagama National Education Institute and the accused had fraudulently included the name in it. The offence was said to have been committed between November 9 1998 and August 1999.

Mohan Peiries PC appearing for the accused informed court that the trial had dragged on for a long time and if the accused had pleaded guilty by now he would have completed his sentence. The counsel also stated that the accused was interdicted in 1998 and he had to live without a job.

State counsel Shraminda Wickrema submitted that there should be a difference between the punishment imposed for minor offences and grave crimes similar to the one committed by the accused. The State Counsel said that the case had dragged because the accused did not appear before court on several occasions.

At this stage the judge observed that the accused would end his life in prison if a jail term was imposed. However the judge also noted that the accused had repeatedly lied and made a number of forged documents to cover up his original offence.

The court imposed three years imprisonment suspended for 5 years with a fine of Rs. 50,000 considering the accused age.

source:
A?A?http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=30684 Buy combivent respimat