Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that the upcoming 2027 Budget will place priority on waste management, waste reduction and recycling, emphasising that what should be left for future generations is not contaminated soil or seas filled with plastic, but a clean and green environment where they can breathe freely and live healthy lives.

The Prime Minister made these remarks while delivering the keynote address at the 3rd International Conference on “Plastic, Innovation and Environmental Sustainability”, organised by The Open University of Sri Lanka, held today (30 September) at the Cinnamon Lakeside Hotel, Colombo.

Held under the theme “Eco-Friendly Innovations,” the conference focused on minimising environmental damage caused by plastic waste, introducing environmentally friendly alternatives, developing circular economy models and promoting sustainable waste management. Addressing the conference, the Prime Minister further pointed out that plastic pollution is not merely an environmental issue, but a global challenge directly linked to the climate crisis.

The Prime Minister emphasised that the uncontrolled accumulation and disposal of waste poses a serious threat to both public life and the environment, and that the destruction of natural resources in the name of economic development cannot be considered meaningful development. The Prime Minister stated that several major projects are planned to be implemented under the Clean Sri Lanka national programme, including the “Pivithuru Purawara” National Waste Management Project, which will be implemented during the 2027–2029 period at a cost of Rs. 34 billion.

The Prime Minister further stated that the project aims to minimise the disposal of non-biodegradable waste, including plastic, into the environment, while expanding recycling and compost production. She also emphasised that laws and regulations alone are insufficient to ensure environmental protection, and that a sense of responsibility towards the environment must be cultivated through the education system itself. The Prime Minister also stated that steps are being taken through the new education reforms to practically integrate environmental education, plastic and waste management, and circular economy concepts into the school curriculum. She added that the “Green Schools” concept will be promoted at school level, encouraging children to adopt “Zero Waste” practices from an early age. In addition, the Prime Minister called on universities and researchers to adopt an interdisciplinary approach, bringing together fields such as engineering and social sciences, in order to develop practical and innovative solutions to these challenges.

The occasion was attended by the Vice Chancellor of The Open University of Sri Lanka Senior Professor P. M. P. C. Thilakarathne, Professor J. M. A. Manathunga, Professor Banduni Athapattu, Professor Alex Lin, members of the academic panel, local and international researchers, officials of the Ministry of Environment, and a group of university students were also present at the occasion. Prime Minister’s Media Division

[Prime Minister’s Media Division]

After six abandoned matches, five of them without a toss, because of incessant rain – Shreyas Iyer called it a “torrential downpour” – in Nisshin, we might finally get some cricket again at the men’s Asian Games.

The timing couldn’t have been better because the four remaining games will decide the positions on the podium. Pakistan and Bangladesh still don’t have a gold in this edition (as of Wednesday morning); Sri Lanka have just one; India have seven but that’s well behind the 28 they finished with in 2023.

‎by Reemus Fernando
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‎The Sri Lanka Automobile Association in Japan (SLAAJ) has awarded a brand-new Honda Vezel to gold medallist Rumesh Tharanga at a felicitation ceremony for the Sri Lankan team that competed at the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan.

‎The gift was announced at the ceremony, held on the eve of the team’s departure from Nagoya.

‎”We decided to reward every Sri Lankan athlete who wins a gold medal with a brand-new vehicle. We invited all the Sri Lankan athletes taking part in the Games to the felicitation, and at the time of the event, only Tharanga had won gold,”

Nishantha Meegalla, Vice President of the Nagoya Prefecture of the Sri Lanka Business Council of Japan, told ‘The Island’.

‎Tharanga, the world’s top-ranked javelin thrower this season, won Sri Lanka’s first-ever javelin medal at the Asian Games on Monday, sealing the historic victory with a throw of 88.55 metres.