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Maneka Gandhi requests GoSL to drop ‘pro-butcher bill’

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‘Learn from mistakes made by India’s Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (1960)’

World-renowned animal rights activist and environmentalist, Maneka Gandhi, has appealed to the government of Sri Lanka not to pass a supposed Animal Welfare Bill, which, she says, is in reality ‘a pro-butcher, anti-animal bill’. “I can understand this happening in any other country but Sri Lanka, which is gentle and so close to nature?” she has said.

Maneka, who is also a member of the Indian Parliament says, “This Bill should be one of the finest in the world because you could learn from the mistakes made by the Indian Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960. However, in the last six decades we have done much to improve it by bringing in additional acts.

“Instead, you are bringing in an Act which will increase the suffering of animals and make the Animal Welfare Movement which is growing fast, much weaker.

“None of the Amendments to the Act of 2022 are going to help animals. They are clearly going to help the lobbies that exploit animals cruelly.

“The Act exempts animals slaughtered for food from being in its ambit of protection. Anyone who has seen the way slaughterhouses treat animals, the way pigs are stabbed repeatedly  after being kept in miserable conditions and have their hair pulled out manually to be sold for paintbrushes before killing them, the way chickens are carried upside down and have their throats slit while their heads are squeezed under feet, to see calves crowded into trucks and repeatedly hammered to death, to  see cows being injected daily by a drug called oxytocin so that they go into labour pains twice a day and their milk gushes out …. It is useless to make an Act protecting dogs and cats and guinea pigs when 90% of the violence on animals is on farm animals. This is utterly retrograde.

“In India, all experiments on animals are forbidden in school and college teaching centres and the CPCSEA is a body that regulates any research that involves animals. Most experiments are now through computers. Your Act exempts live animals in experiments from protection, allowing them to be used in teaching or any experiment without any regulation or thought of their wellbeing. There are international guidelines for accepting any research and unless Sri Lanka adopts the three ‘R’s – Replacement, Reduction and Refinement – and switches to alternatives, most of your research will not be accepted as science anywhere in the world.

“India has banned the use of animals in cosmetics. We have even stopped cosmetics from being sold that have been experimented on abroad. But now you have, in this new Act, allowed the use of live animals in experiments on cosmetics. Are you going back 30 years? Do you want Sri Lankan monkeys to eat 50 lipsticks at a time till they die? Or rabbits to have hairspray put into their eyes in the Draize test till they break their neck struggling against the pain.

“I am told that the use of animals for cultural events has also been allowed. Cultural events in India mean whipping cows to death to make them run like horses, through rivers of water, it means animal sacrifices in temples, it means cock fighting, it means feeding animals alcohol and then jumping on them as they run crazed through the streets. Is this what you will allow? It also includes eating animals like dogs for food in Nagaland and cats by tribals in Chennai. Does any of this fit into a humane culture?

“Basically, this is an Act that allows and condemns animals to permanent suffering without legal address while pretending to do the opposite. Ultimately it is meant for people who bring in foreign dogs and cats and are sometimes mean to them.

“Any right-thinking government that represents the culture of this beautiful island will not do this. It will bring a huge backlash internationally.”



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Landslide Early Warnings issued to the districts of Kalutara, Nuwara Eliya and Ratnapura

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The Landslide Early Warning Centre of the National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) has issued early warnings to the Districts of Kalutara, Nuwara Eliya and Ratnapura from 1600hrs on 13th June 2026 till 1600hrs on 14th June 2026.

Accordingly,

LEVEL I (YELLOW) landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surounding areas of Palindanuwara and Agalawatta in the Kalutara district,  Ambagamuwa in the Nuwara Eliya and Ayagama, Pelmadulla,
Godakawela, Elapatha, Kalawana, Ratnapura and Nivithigala in the Ratnapura district.

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INS Sharda departs Colombo concluding replenishment visit

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The Indian Naval Ship (INS) ‘Sharda’ departed the island today (13 Jun 26), concluding her replenishment purposes.

On departure  the vessel was accorded a traditional naval farewell by the Sri Lanka Navy at the Port of Colombo.

The visit also paved the way for vibrant personnel interactions, fostering camaraderie and goodwill. The crew of INS Sharda and personnel from the Sri Lanka Navy participated in a
friendly volleyball match and a joint yoga session. A

dditionally, Sri Lanka Navy personnel had the opportunity to visit the Indian naval vessel, while the visiting crew took time to explore several culturally significant landmarks across the island.

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Special Dengue Prevention Week declared in Colombo District from June 15 to 21

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A decision has been taken to declare a Special Dengue Prevention Week from 15 to 21 of June by the Colombo District Dengue Control Committee to curb the spread of the disease in the Colombo District.

This decision was taken at the meeting of the Colombo District Dengue Control Committee held on Friday  (12) at the Colombo District Secretariat under the patronage of Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya.

Compared to last year, the number of dengue cases reported this year has increased significantly. According to the National Dengue Control Unit, approximately 39,100 dengue cases have been reported island wide to date, of which 25.8% have been recorded in the Colombo District. Following this situation, the Colombo District has been identified as a high-risk district.

Health authorities informed that the increasing spread of the disease has been influenced not only by the nature of circulating virus but also to the lack of sufficient immunity among the population. They further noted that the recent period of heavy rainfall has aggravated the spread of Dengue.

It was also identified that the current outbreak is being reported more frequently from public places such as government institutions, private establishments, schools, and religious venues rather than from residential premises. Observations have identified improperly managed solid waste and drainage systems in offices and other public locations as major breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

Accordingly, during the Dengue Prevention Week from 15 to 21 June, a series of measures will be implemented, including, organising community clean-up campaigns in government and private institutions, schools, residential areas, and other public spaces; Conducting inspections of high-risk premises by Divisional Secretariats and taking legal action, where necessary, followed by awareness programmes; Distributing informational leaflets, displaying banners, and carrying out public awareness campaigns through the media. Health authorities also requested school administrations not to involve students below Grade 10 in school cleaning programmes and to immediately notify the relevant Medical Officer of Health (MOH) office if a student is diagnosed with dengue.

The programme is expected to receive the active support and participation of the district’s political leadership, religious leaders of all faiths, public officials, local government institutions, the tri-forces, the police, and the general public.

The event was attended by the Chairperson of the District Coordination Committee, Members of Parliament, representatives of local government authorities, government secretaries, police officers, and officials representing the education and health sectors, among others.

[Prime Minister’s Media Division]

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