News

Lanka awash with face masks a new headache

Published

5 years ago

2020/12/14

by Ifham Nizam

The government was concerned about the importation of 140 million face masks weighing more than 495 tonnes between March 17 and October 31, Environment Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said.

Amaraweera told the media yesterday if those masks were not properly disposed, that would lead to serious environmental issues.

The health sector has reported that about 100 companies have approved the import of 15 million KN 95 masks by the end of November, the Minister said.

Amaraweera also said the Covid-19 pandemic was likely to get worse in the future and the virus could spread to water sources, thus the manner of disposing face masks was of great concern.

He also noted that a number of face mask factories had been set up in the country and all those could add to serious environmental problems.

Environment Ministry Secretary, Dr. Anil Jasinghe, said that the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) had submitted a series of guidelines to local government institutions on the proper disposal of face masks.

The matter should be regulated by the Ministry of Health, but in the future the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Health would take steps to put in place a mechanism to tackle the issue, he said.

Himantha Randiva Wimalaratne, a Grade Nine student of Ananda College, Colombo, presented to the Minister a new invention which could destroy contaminants including face masks.

Minister appreciated the interest shown by the media in new inventions, and presented a certificate of appreciation to the student for introducing a useful new invention to the country without wasting time when schools are closed due to Covid-19.

The Minister was the first to appreciate the child’s talent. Ananda College Principal, S. M. Keerthiratne expressed his gratitude to the Minister and to Dr. Anil Jasinghe, the Secretary to the Ministry, who is an old Anandian.

The Student’s mother Anoma Ranjani Jayatilake and the teacher in charge of the class, Darshani Perera were also present.

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Navy seize an Indian fishing boat poaching in northern waters

Published

8 hours ago

2026/01/3

Priyan

During an operation conducted in the dark hours of 01 Jan 26, the Sri Lanka Navy seized an Indian fishing boat and apprehended 11 Indian fishermen while they were poaching in Sri Lankan waters, off Kovilan of Kareinagar, Jaffna.

The Northern Naval Command spotted a group of Indian fishing boats engaging in illegal fishing, trespassing into Sri Lankan waters. In response, naval craft of the Northern Naval Command were deployed to drive away those Indian fishing boats from island waters off Kovilan.

Meanwhile, compliant boarding made by naval personnel resulted in the seizure of one Indian fishing boat and apprehension of 11 Indian fishermen who continued to engage in illegal fishing in Sri Lankan waters.

The seized boat (01) and Indian fishermen (11) were handed over to the Fisheries Inspector of Myliddy, Jaffna for onward legal proceedings.

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Tri-Forces donate LKR. 372 million, a day’s pay of all ranks to ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund

Published

14 hours ago

2026/01/3

Priyan

Members of all ranks from the Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Navy and Sri Lanka Air Force have collectively donated a day’s basic salary to the ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund, which was established to restore livelihoods and rebuild the country following the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah.

Accordingly, the total contribution made by the Tri-Forces amounts to LKR. 372,776,918.28.

The cheques representing the financial contributions were handed over on Wednesday (31 December) at the Presidential Secretariat to the Secretary to the President, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake.

The donations comprised LKR. 250 million from the Commander of the Army, Major General Lasantha Rodrigo; LKR. 73,963,879.71 from the Commander of the Navy, Rear Admiral Kanchana Banagoda and LKR. 48,813,038.97 from the Commander of the Air Force, Air Marshal Vasu Bandu Edirisinghe.

Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha, was also present on the occasion.

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CEB demands 11.57 percent power tariff hike in first quarter

Published

16 hours ago

2026/01/3

Thilina Walpola

The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) has submitted a proposal to the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) seeking an 11.57 percent increase in electricity tariffs for the first quarter of 2026, citing an estimated revenue shortfall and additional financial pressures, including cyclone-related damages.

According to documents issued by the PUCSL, the proposed tariff revision would apply to electricity consumption from January to March 2026 and includes changes to both energy charges and fixed monthly charges across all consumer categories, including domestic, religious, industrial, commercial and other users.

Under the proposal, domestic electricity consumers would face increases in unit rates as well as fixed monthly charges across all consumption blocks.

The CEB has estimated a deficit of Rs. 13,094 million for the first quarter of 2026, which it says necessitates the proposed 11.57 per cent tariff hike. The utility has noted that any deviation from this estimate whether a surplus or a shortfall will be adjusted through the Bulk Supply Tariff Adjustment (BSTA) mechanism and taken into account in the next tariff revision.

In its submission, the CEB said the proposed revision is aimed at ensuring the financial and operational stability of the power sector and mitigating potential risks to the reliability of electricity supply. The board-approved tariff structure for the first quarter of 2026 has been submitted to the PUCSL for approval and subsequent implementation, as outlined in Annex II of the proposal.

The CEB has also highlighted the financial impact of Cyclone Ditwah, which it said caused extensive damage to electricity infrastructure, with total losses estimated at around Rs. 20 billion. Of this amount, Rs. 7,016.52 million has been attributed to the first quarter of 2026, which the utility said has a direct bearing on electricity tariffs.

The CEB warned that if external funding is not secured to cover the cyclone-related expenditure, the costs incurred would need to be recovered through electricity tariffs in the second-quarter revision of 2026.

Meanwhile, the PUCSL has said that a decision on whether to approve the proposed tariff increase will be made only after following due regulatory procedures and holding discussions on the matter.

By Sujeewa Thathsara ✍️