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Sri Lankans wish for success of green agriculture policy – President
It is the wish of all Sri Lankans to see the national policy of green agriculture reach fruition, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has said in his Thai Pongal Day message.
“We must achieve prosperity by adhering to a lifestyle that is in harmony with nature and based on green agriculture. Therefore, it is the aspiration of the majority of Sri Lankans to see the success of the national policy for a green agriculture. I firmly believe that this Thai Pongal season will provide much inspiration towards achieving this,” he said.
The President has said that Thai Pongal is a festival where Hindu devotees pay homage to the Sun God for safeguarding their agricultural fields and providing a bountiful harvest. He added that he is pleased to extend his best wishes to Hindus who celebrate Thai Pongal.
“It is the belief of the Hindu people that holding the Thai Pongal festival in a traditional and successful manner will bring blessings and protection from the Sun God for an abundant harvest in the future. The rituals performed by the Hindu devotees wishing prosperity would have always been ingrained in Sri Lankan society since time immemorial. All Sri Lankans who inherit a culture based on an agrarian economy look forward to Thai Pongal with great respect,” he said.
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Advisory for severe lightning issued to the Districts of Kaluthara, Rathnapura, Galle and Matara
Advisory for Severe Lightning
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre
at 12.30 p.m. 13 December 2025 valid for the period until 11.00 p.m. 13 December 2025 for Kaluthara, Rathnapura, Galle and Matara Districts
The public are warned that thundershowers accompanied with severe lightning are likely to occur at some places in the Kaluthara, Rathnapura, Galle and Matara Districts.
There may be temporary localized strong winds during thundershowers.
General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by lightning activity.
ACTION REQUIRED:
The Department of Meteorology advises that people should:
Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
Avoid open areas such as paddy fields, tea plantations and open water bodies during thunderstorms.
Avoid using wired telephones and connected electric appliances during thunderstorms.
Avoid using open vehicles, such as bicycles, tractors and boats etc.
Beware of fallen trees and power lines.
For emergency assistance contact the local disaster management authorities.
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.
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Advisory for severe lightning issued to the Districts of Kaluthara, Rathnapura, Galle and Matara
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