News
Decision to file case in Singapore against X-Press Pearl owners raises eyebrows
By Ifham Nizam
The Attorney General’s Department yesterday said action would be filed in Singapore seeking compensation for environmental damages caused by the X-Press Pearl Disaster.
Centre for Environmental Justice Chairman, Attorney-at-Law, Dr. Ravindranath Dabare yesterday said the government authorities had not previously stated that legal action would be filed in Singapore and it was a recent development.
Dabare expressed concern over the AG’s decision and asked why it had been reached in haste and who would provide funds for legal action.
A research conducted by the Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) with the help of Professor Padmalal Manage of the Zoology Department of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura and the research team from October to December 2021, in 11 locations from the mouth of the Maha Oya estuary to Bentota, and around the X-Press Pearl ship sank, has revealed that there is a very high amount of nitrate in the sea. The amount of chlorophyll A near the shipwreck is very high compared to it in Bentota. The algal growth has increased due to the high levels of nitrate and phosphate released from the ship. There is a high growth of phytoplankton around the ship.
Environmental Scientist Hemantha Withanage said harmful biotoxins had also been found in areas such as Dikowita and Sarakkuwa. Oil and grease were also found around the ship, along with heavy metals such as lead, zinc, copper, and nickel in these samples. Those heavy metals were found in sea snails, shrimps, sardines, and herrings exceeding the level approved for human consumption and the amount of lead found in shrimp was 4.23 µg g-1.
“The CEJ believes that under Sri Lanka law the case to claim compensation has to be filed within two years of the incident, that is before 19 May 2023. We have only 44 days remaining.
If immediate action is not taken within the relevant time frame, Sri Lanka might lose their claim for the estimated 10 billion USD compensation for this incident. That would be a catastrophic failure on the part of the Attorney General’s Department and the Cabinet,” Withanage stressed.
Based on the prevailing disaster situation and the upcoming festive season, arrangements have been made to provide a nutrition allowance worth Rs. 5,000 to pregnant mothers.
This allowance, which will be provided only once, will be given to pregnant mothers who were registered at maternal clinics on or before 30 November 2025.
The distribution will take place through the Divisional Secretariat offices from 16 December, as a program of the National Secretariat for Early Childhood Development, which is affiliated with the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs.
The Situation Report released by the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) at 6:00 AM today (13th December 2025) confirms that 640 persons have died and another 211 persons are missing due to flooding and landslides that took place in Sri Lanka within the past two weeks.
A meeting between representatives of UNICEF and Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya was held on the 10th of December at the Prime Minister’s Office.
During the discussion, an initial review of the new digitalization policy draft was conducted, and it was emphasized that the new digital policy must be formulated to align with the ongoing education reforms.
The Prime Minister highlighted that the digital policy should be developed in a way that supports all five core pillars of the current education reforms, including curriculum reform, infrastructure development, and administrative restructuring.
It was further noted that the current draft is primarily focused on curriculum-related matters, and the digital policy should be structured to influence the overall education reform process.
Extensive discussions were also held on the importance of digital literacy, NEMIS, the provision of digital infrastructure, and minimizing the existing digital divide.
Attention was also drawn to the gaps in the current teacher training mechanisms , and the Prime Minister stressed the need to reduce paper usage.
The meeting was attended by the UNICEF representatives Dr. Emma Brigham and Deborah Wyburn, Secretary to the Prime Minister Pradeep Saputhanthri, Additional Secretary A.B.M. Ashraff, and several other officials.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
Pregnant Mothers to receive Rs 5000 Nutrition Allowance in December
640 deaths, 211 missing as at 6:00AM today (13)
New Digitalization Policy draft reviewed
The government is taking steps to streamline trade facilitation, customs processes, investment approvals, and improving export facilities – Prime Minister
Showers will occur in the Northern, North-Central, Eastern, Uva, Central and North-Western provinces.
Big fossil fuel companies are responsible for climate crisis but poor countries like Sri Lanka are battered by it – Greenpeace South Asia
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
Sunday Island 27 December – Headlines
#SundayIsland 17th December – Headlines
Sunday Island – 28th March
Sunday Island Headlines – 21 March
Sunday Island – 21st February – Headlines
-
Features3 days agoFinally, Mahinda Yapa sets the record straight
-
News5 days agoOver 35,000 drug offenders nabbed in 36 days
-
News4 days agoCyclone Ditwah leaves Sri Lanka’s biodiversity in ruins: Top scientist warns of unseen ecological disaster
-
Features6 days agoThe Catastrophic Impact of Tropical Cyclone Ditwah on Sri Lanka:
-
News5 days agoRising water level in Malwathu Oya triggers alert in Thanthirimale
-
Features3 days agoHandunnetti and Colonial Shackles of English in Sri Lanka
-
Business2 days agoCabinet approves establishment of two 50 MW wind power stations in Mullikulum, Mannar region
-
Business5 days agoSri Lanka betting its tourism future on cold, hard numbers