Archives for May 26, 2017

Due to floods and earth slips as the monsoon sets in 91 people have lost their lives. The Deputy Director of the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) Pradeep Kodippili says110 people are missing and more than 53,000 have been affected.
38 deaths were reported dead due to earth slips from the Kalutara District alone. District Secretary U.D. Jayalal says more than 70 people are missing in the district. Meanwhile, DMC states 28 deaths have been reported from Rathnapura district due to floods and earth slips.
The Army states 300 troops have been deployed for rescue work. Army spokesman Brig. Roshan Seneviratna said more than 150 Navy men have been deployed for relief work.
He said two Bell 212 helicopters have been deployed for relief work and two MI 17 helicopters have been deployed to transport troops for relief work.

The death toll from floods and landslides caused by the torrential rain in Kalutara District is said to be 38 while the death toll in the Ratnapura District has climbed to 28 say reports.

According to Disaster Management Centre (DMC) a total of 7,856 individuals belonging to 2,811 families have been affected in the Sabaragamuwa, Western and Southern Provinces due to the torrential rains.
The DMC also advised the public to evacuate from unstable slopes to minimize disasters due to landslides, rock falls and cut slope failures in Kegalle, Galle, Kalutara, Matara, Hambantota districts, if the showers continue for the next 24 hours.
Meanwhile, the Met Department has said that rain and windy condition is expected to continue over the South-Western part of the country due to South-Western monsoon and Showers or thundershowers will occur at times in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Central and North-western provinces. Heavy rain falls of about 150 mm can be expected at some places it added.

Bodies of nine people who died when Bogahawaththa Kanda collapsed have been received at Pimbura Hospital says the doctor in charge Dr. G.D.R. Rodrigo.
Several other houses are on the verge of collapse due to the earth slip while more than ten villages in e area are undr water and Air Force assistance has been sought to send relief to the villagers say Divisional Secretry S.K. Senadheera.
Meanwhile people living along the banks of Kalu Ganga in Ratnapura, Elapatha, Pelmadulla, Kuruvita, Kiriella and Ayagama have been warned regarding possible major floods. Also, those living along the banks of Kalu Ganga in Ingiriya, Bulathsinhala, Palinda-Nuwara, Millaniya and Padukka are also advised to take measures from possible major floods.
A minor flood warning has been given to people living along the banks of the Kelani River in Kolonnawa, Biyagama, Kelaniya, Kaduwela, Dompe, Hanwella, Padukka and Avissawella.
People living in the lower levels of the Nilwala River inner dam area such as Kokduwa, Malimbada and Akuressa have been requested to evacuate as early as possible.
Meanwhile, a landslide warning has been issued for Ratnapura, Kegalle, Galle and Kalutara districts. The people living in vulnerable areas in these districts have been requested to be watchful for the possibility of landslides, rock falls and cut slope failures and be ready to move into safe places if the rain continues.
Motorists using the Southern Expressway have been warned that Kokmaduwa and Welipenna interchanges have been flooded and to use alternative exits.

Prof. Siri Gunasinghe, renowned author, Poet, Novelist, Art historian, and Critic passed away in Canada yesterday (25th). Siri Gunasinghe and Ediriweera Sarachchandra were involved in regeneration of national culture in the form of the arts at the University of Peradeniya in the 1950s.
‘Abinikmana’ and ‘Rathu kekula’ are considered gems among the books authored by him. His one and only novel was ‘Hewanella’ published in 1960. His one and only cinema creation was the film “Sath Samudura” which received a lot of praise from critics and a number of Sarasavi awards.
Prof. Siri Guansinghe will be remembered by the Sinhalese reader for his introduction of free verse into Sinhalese poetry with the publication of the collection of poems Mas Lea Nati Ata (Bleached Bones) in 1956.
He was born in Kegalle District, was educated at Mahinda College, Galle and University of Ceylon. Later Siri Gunasinghe became a university lecturer and taught at the University of Peradeniya.
He left to Canada in 1970 and was the Professor in the Department of History in Art at University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

The General Secretary of Lanka Teacher Services Union Mahinda Jayasinghe says a complaint was filed at the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption yesterday (25th)against the Minister of Education Akila Viraj Kariyawasam for violating circulars to admit children to principal schools.

The Union states the complaint they filed further states the Minister of Education had taken bribes to admit children to schools.