Features

Diesel and tear gas,could be made with ‘Kassippu technology’

Published

4 years ago

2022/07/21

Sahan Weerasooriya

by Chandre Dharmawardana

chandre.dharma@yahoo.ca

A common tale of woo today is that “…people… have been waiting in queues to buy petrol, diesel and cooking gas, not just for hours but for days, some of them skipping meals, sleeping on pavements, not for fun, but for survival. Some have lost their lives in the process. Others have almost lost their livelihoods, wasting hours on the streets”

Instead of wasting hours in line-ups, let these people organize, in each community, or street, and form a do-it-yourself group and make their own substitute diesel, using nothing but “Kassippu technology”, as discussed below. In effect, vegetable oils can be extracted from all types of crushed seeds, and leaves, using the simple steam-distillation techniques, used by the bootlegger! Furthermore, there are enough potential sources of inedible vegetable oil to consider this seriously.

Energy is the life blood of modern societies, and any society that fails to consistently supply itself with energy will end up in shambles.

Meanwhile, a news report (The Island) says that the police forces are “thirsting for tear gas” after their heavy use in the failed defence of public properties. There is no need to import teargas when Sri Lanka has potent forms of chillies to source the teargas.

Tear Gas

Very potent forms of teargas can be made, using Sri Lanka’s chilli peppers and “kochchi peppers”. Here again the “Kassippu technology” of steam distillation, and other techniques of oil extraction, using solvents, apply.

The effectiveness of teargas, or the “hotness” of chilli, is measured using the “Scoville Index”. Ordinary sweet peppers (maalu miris) may have an index of less than 100, while “Kochchi Miris” types may reach 50,000 to 100,000 in hotness. A form of tear gas, known as OC, is an oily extract from hot pepper plants. It is emulsified in water, and propylene glycol, or dissolved in organic solvents to make aerosol pepper spray. They may also compound it into a powder. The Army engineers, or the technical branch of the Army and Police, linked to the government analyst, can surely advise on Police needs, instead of using forex to import tear gas. Here, too, what is needed is an adaptation of the technology of the Kassippu man!

Substitute Diesel

This can be made from (i) previously used “waste” cooking oils, (ii) any nuts that can be found in the neighbourhood, be it mee aeta (Madhuka seeds), erandu aeta (Castor seeds), rubber seeds, cachew nut “leli”, tea seeds, domba seeds, kranda seeds, croton seeds, (iii) paengiri leaves, eucalyptus leaves, orange peel, lemon peel, animal fats, etc.

Edible oils, like coconut oil, palm oil, etc., are NOT to be used as they are food.

The oil in the seeds and leaves comes off using the steam distillation part of the Kassippu man’s technology. However, if it is waste rancid cooking oil, no steam distillation is needed; follow the instructions given in the article:

These vegetable oils can usually be directly used in diesel engines, especially if diluted with kerosene, alcohol, or better with ethyl acetate. How to make ethyl acetate using “Kassippu” technology is given below.

Ethyl alcohol and ethyl acetate

The government should legitimize Kassippu making, allowing them to make alcohol from old potatoes, old tubers and other perishables and starchy bio-waste. The Scottish whisky industry came into being when bootleggers were decriminalized!

The modern concept of the precautionary principle is based on control rather than banning noxious substances.

Clean Kassippu is essentially ethyl alcohol in water; it can be re-distilled to concentrate and blended with gasoline (gasohol). However, the correct path is to approve the many attempts to redevelop Sri Lanka’s sugar cane industry and use it partly as a source of industrial alcohol and substitute fuel. The main barrier to the development of the sugar industry has come from Marxist politicians who have joined hands with Buddhist and ecologist zealots who have misread the ecological impact of such industries, by failing to take account of the progress in modern agriculture that provides new green cultivation practices.

Vinegar is weak acetic acid. If acetic acid is cooked with ethyl alcohol the product is ethyl acetate and moisture. However, when it is shaken with the vegetable oil, the ethyl acetate passes into the vegetable oil and the water separates out.

Such a blend of vegetable oil and ethyl acetate can have the right viscosity needed for a substitute diesel, and can be directly used in Diesel engines without any further treatment (e.g., trans-esterification to yield what is known as biodiesel).

Is inedible vegetable oil an insignificant source of Diesel substitute?

Some observers have claimed that Sri Lanka’s non-edible vegetable-oil resources are too small to be relevant. This is incorrect. I will not give my detailed calculations here, but there is strong potential to replace all the diesel needed for Sri Lanka (about one barrel/year per head) if inedible oil outputs are increased using better agronomy. Even now there is easy potential for replacing 30-40% of the needs within one or two planting seasons, even without improved seeds, etc.

I have argued (since 2009) that all of Sri Lanka’s electricity needs, and even double that are potentially available, via the use of floating solar panels on Sri Lanka’s many aquatic bodies (now mostly covered with salvinia and other weeds). The panels cut down evaporation to increase the available water and the hydroelectricity output by 30-40%, in addition to their normal solar electricity output.

King Parakramabahu said, let not a drop of water flow to the ocean without being used. Today, we must say, let no wisp of water evaporate without being used.

Furthermore, you don’t need batteries to store this solar power, because, when the sun shines, you shut off one or two turbines corresponding to the solar energy that is being generated. This energy may be generated in solar panels on Yodha veva, Mannar (a very long shallow veva where evaporation is very high), but even though there no turbines there, it does not matter as the solar energy is fed to the national grid, and so in effect a turbine at Victoria can be shut off to correspond to the energy generated from panels on the surface of the Yodha veva. The advantage of floating solar is that we don’t need to negotiate with private individuals to rent their roofs or upgrade them to hold the weight, etc., or look for suitable land.

All this is has been said before, but to a nation who prefers the easy turn-key solutions that are in the end inappropriate for Lanka. I spoke at length to a group of Presidential advisors and administrators at the Presidential Secretariat, in 2009, and the power point I used can still be viewed, where I had outlined all this and much more.

At that time, floating solar was a new and contested idea and solar modules themselves were very expensive, unlike today. The CEB does not have a research arm to run pilot projects and be a leader in the energy industry. Instead, it has followed the most conservative of approaches to energy planning.

Readers may also find the following links to be of interest:

In effect, there is enough electricity, and potential for much higher energy outputs in Sri Lanka. It should set up its own Bosch-Harber urea plant to be run on solar energy!

The “Diyaw, Diyaw, naethnam Kaerali karaw” culture

Sri Lankans have developed a “let the government give, give, or else we rebel” attitude. The culture of innovation and improvisation is applied only for destructive ends or for achieving illegal ends. A country cannot wait for foreign handouts or IMF loans. At least when in dire need it must go for self-help, and eventual achieve a high degree of self-sufficiency in some key sectors, like energy and food.

Every economic plan for a small island nation must include at least partial self-sufficiency in food and energy production. Sri Lanka is not a city state, like Singapore,where a single highly authoritarian government has ruled for decades. Most of its workers live outside it and have no “Singaporean rights”. Singapore is not a paradigm to be followed by Sri Lanka although there are many aspects in their social organisation that can be copied.

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Features

Proactive peacemaking becomes a paramount need

Published

9 hours ago

2026/06/4

Sahan Weerasooriya

Wasting wars: Some war-displaced people in Lebanon. BBC

It may be some time before the full impact of food inflation is felt in the West. Until such time the world would continue to keep itself in suspense over whether the Trump administration is in earnest when it seeks to convey the impression that it is backing a negotiated solution in West Asia.

As is usually the case, consumer stress would be one of the final determinants of political change. To the degree to which the average US consumer somehow ‘muddles through’ and puts the food on the table, to the same extent would the Republican sections of the US public in particular be tolerant of the Trump administration’s inconsistent handling of the West Asian war and the main issues stemming from it. That is, there would be no grave popular disaffection and a demand for political change in the short term.

However, the indications are that the Trump administration’s support base is suffering some erosion in the wake of the current economic crisis. While reports indicate that Democratic sections are firming-up their opposition to the political centre, Republican support for Trump is also showing signs of waning, we are given to understand.

The above developments are probably why Trump is on record as having given Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a ‘dressing down’ recently on his seeming intransigence on the question of giving negotiations a chance in West Asia. The show of displeasure could be really aimed by Trump at containing the impatience of the American public.

However, the current ground situation in the Middle East, particularly the uncontained bloodshed, is likely to impress on the thinking sections of the world that more than temporary political change is needed in West Asia and the US.

A well thought out political solution that addresses all the contentious issues at the heart of the Middle East conflict is what enlightened opinion would demand, and very rightly. Right now, the ‘peace efforts’ initiated by the Trump administration give the impression of being piecemeal solutions at best.

There have been, of course, numerous initiatives in the past aimed at bringing permanent peace to the Middle East. These failed mainly because they did not address in full the root causes of the conflict.

At bottom the Middle East conflict is mainly about race and religious hate bred by socio-economic and material inequalities. For instance, if the Palestinian people were not displaced and deprived of land occupied by them at the time of the founding of the Israeli state, ethnic enmities would not have grown to the current unmanageable proportions.

When addressing the above questions, though, it must be remembered that the Israelis too were a displaced people who were entitled to land and a state of their own in the Middle East. Basically, out of these seemingly irreconcilable and conflicting demands have grown the Middle East imbroglio.

Middle East peace is considerably about reconciling these demands and arriving at a solution that would ensure the creation of two states that would opt for peaceful co-existence thereafter.

As long as the US does not see the need for a non-partisan solution that addresses the needs of both ethnicities and religions and goes all-out, as it were, to have it implemented, the Middle East would continue to bleed.

However, staunching the blood flow through the creation of two states would be only half the job done, though a very important part of it. More pernicious, pervasive and difficult to remedy are the inter-ethnic and inter-religious hatreds that have been unleashed over the decades.

However, if substantial, long-lasting peace is to be fostered in the region the latter ‘demons’ would need to be exorcised from the hearts and minds of the communities concerned. No doubt an uphill task but one that must be undertaken by those who wish the region well.

The UN would need to put its ‘best foot forward’ in such undertakings but it is time that it dawned on the international community and other caring quarters that Middle East peace, and all other such uphill challenges, require proactive peacemaking on the part of all civilized sections for their effective management. That is, public involvement in peacemaking too is a must.

Since hatreds are harboured in the human consciousness the enmities embedded in the latter need to be managed and defused judiciously alongside other undertakings in a peace process. In the case of West Asia, such enmities could be even spread globe-wide besides being multi-dimensional. For instance, it ought to be thought-provoking that Iran is insistent on a peace initiative that would also include Lebanon.

Besides security considerations it is also ethnic and religious affiliations that account for Iran making this demand. For instance, the Shias are a numerically important religious community in Lebanon and they provide a significant number of Hizbollah fighters, who are in a vital sense carrying out a ‘proxy war’ for Iran. It also needs to be factored in that Iran is a Shia-majority country.

Thus trans-border religious affiliations could add to the complexities and enormity of ethno-religious conflicts. However, the task of managing centuries-long enmities needs to be launched and prodded on with by peacemakers since a downing of arms alone would not guarantee substantive peace.

It is not realized sufficiently that the process of ending hatreds begins with mutual apologies by antagonists to a conflict for the harm inflicted on each other. This would be anathema in some ears but there is no getting away from the requirement. It is the vital first step to permanent peace anywhere.

In fact there could be no reconciliation worth speaking of without such mutual apologies. It is a point worth re-iterating in these times when even the government of Sri Lanka is voicing the need for national reconciliation. Well, without the words, ‘I am sorry’, there could be no permanent end to enmities – they would do well to remember.

The above requirements may not go down very well with governments, but they resonate in the hearts and minds of most people, since they are inheritors of religious traditions of some kind.

This is a principal reason why peacemaking works well when publics too are involved in them. The effectiveness of such campaigns increases several fold when they have a Mahatma Gandhi or a Jawaharlal Nehru at their helm. A strong proactive involvement by the public in peace could lead to the emergence of such leaders at some point in these campaigns.

Features

Dialog Brings Sri Lanka’s Largest Digital Vesak Experience to Matara

Published

9 hours ago

2026/06/4

Sahan Weerasooriya

From left to right: Hon. Saroja Savithri Paulraj, Hon. Sunil Handunnetti, and Lasantha Theverapperuma experience the Dialog 5G Ultra-powered VR tours.

Official Digital Partner of the 2026 ‘Dakshina Prabha’ National Vesak Zone

Dialog Axiata PLC, Sri Lanka’s #1 connectivity provider, collaborated with the Ministry of Buddha Sasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs to bring one of Sri Lanka’s largest and most technologically advanced Vesak experiences to the ‘Dakshina Prabha’ National Vesak Zone. The three-day celebration, in Matara attracted more than hundred thousand visitors, who engaged with a series of innovative digital activities powered by Dialog 5G Ultra, including Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Virtual Reality (VR) experiences, digital pandols and a Data Dansala. The opening ceremony was attended by Hon. Sunil Handunnetti, Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development and Hon. Saroja Savithri Paulraj, Minister of Women and Child Affairs, along with distinguished guests and Dialog’s senior management.

One of the key attractions at the venue was the Dialog 5G Ultra-powered Virtual Reality (VR) experience, which attracted more than 35,000 participants. The activation enabled devotees to virtually visit and pay homage to sacred Buddhist sites, including the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi in India and the Atamasthana in Anuradhapura, directly from the Vesak zone in Matara.

Visitors receive complimentary mobile data through Dialog’s QR-powered Data Dansala.

Dialog also conducted an AI Digital Vesak Greeting Card Competition from 21 May to 01 June 2026, attracting numerous entries from across the country. The shortlisted designs were showcased across 20 large LED screens throughout the venue and across Matara City, and were also made available for download via mobile devices. Further, through the use of AI, traditional Jathaka Katha were reimagined in a digital format, demonstrating how technology can be used to preserve and enhance cultural and religious heritage. Together, these initiatives blended traditional Vesak celebrations with emerging technologies, offering visitors a unique and immersive way to engage with Vesak traditions.

Extending the spirit of Vesak through connectivity, Dialog conducted a special Data Dansala powered by its QR Reload platform, enabling visitors to receive complimentary mobile data by scanning QR codes placed across the venue. In addition to the Matara National Vesak Zone, similar Data Dansala activations were also conducted at the Gangaramaya and Bauddhaloka Vesak zones in Colombo.Visitors also had the opportunity to create personalised Vesak-themed digital photos through an AI Photo Booth, generating AI-enhanced portraits using their own photographs and adding a contemporary digital element to the Vesak celebrations.

Visitors watch AI-generated Jathaka Katha

Commenting on the initiative, Hon. Sunil Handunnetti, Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development, said, “The 2026 Dakshina Prabha Vesak Festival marked the first time AI-powered digital innovations were incorporated into a National Vesak Festival in Sri Lanka. Presenting Buddhist stories and teachings through technology created a new and engaging way for visitors to connect with these traditions. We thank Dialog for supporting this initiative and for working closely with us to bring our vision to life. Their contribution played an important role in making this first-of-its-kind event a reality.”

Lasantha Theverapperuma, Group Chief Marketing Officer of Dialog Axiata PLC said, “We thank the Government of Sri Lanka for the opportunity to support the 2026 Dakshina Prabha National Vesak Festival and for embracing technology as part of this year’s celebrations. As the Official Digital Partner, we were privileged to contribute through our Dialog 5G Ultra and AI capabilities, creating new ways for visitors to engage with Vesak traditions while preserving their cultural significance for future generations.”

Beyond supporting the National Vesak Zone in Matara, Dialog also enhanced the Gangaramaya and Bauddhaloka Vesak zones through a range of digital activations during the Vesak season. The company additionally continued its sustainability initiatives, including the Thirasara Aloka Poojawa, which illuminated rural places of worship through solar-powered lighting solutions.

Features

Beauty, elegance and talent…for women

Published

9 hours ago

2026/06/4

Sahan Weerasooriya

Universal Woman is an international pageant focused on “beauty, elegance, and talent” for women, positioning itself as a platform to shape global ambassadors. The 2026 edition will be held in Cambodia, and Sri Lanka will be there, as well.

According to reports coming my way, contestants, at the international event, will work with industry trailblazers, under international standards.

Sri Lankan supermodel, runway and pageant trainer Chulpadmendra Kumarapathirana, is the National Director for Universal Woman Sri Lanka 2026.

With over two decades in the industry, Chula was crowned Miss Sri Lanka 2006, and has since shaped the next generation of titleholders through her Colombo-based Chulpadmendra Catwalk Studio, widely regarded as one of the country’s leading modelling academies.

The team behind Universal Woman Sri Lanka 2026

A former host of Derana Miss Sri Lanka for Miss World 2008 and a judge for Miss Universe Sri Lanka 2025, Chula now serves as National Director for Universal Woman Sri Lanka 2026, leading the franchise’s search for Sri Lanka’s delegate to the international final in Cambodia.

Applications for Universal Woman Sri Lanka 2026 are being taken, via WhatsApp: 077 659 4994, says Chula.

The judging panel for Universal Woman Sri Lanka 2026 includes Senaka De Silva, Pageant Aesthetic Advisor & Chairperson of the Judging Panel, Angela Seneviratne, Caroline Jurie, Rozelle Plunkett, and Suraj Mapa.

Universal Woman Sri Lanka 2026 officially began its journey with a first round of auditions, held in Colombo, marking the start of an exciting new chapter in Sri Lanka’s pageant industry.

Launching the first round of auditions

The platform aims to empower women while selecting an intelligent, confident, and inspiring representative to compete at the Universal Woman International Pageant 2026 in Cambodia, this September.

Universal Woman Sri Lanka now moves forward with the vision of creating one of the country’s most prestigious and empowering pageants while preparing to crown a queen who will proudly represent Sri Lanka on the international stage.