There had been various estimates regarding the number of participants expected for the 10-day Siri Dalada Vandana exposition of the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha in Kandy, Central Province Governor Professor Sarath Abhayakoon said.

Addressing a press conference at the Governor’s Office on Tuesday, Prof. Abhayakoon commended the Institution of Engineering Technology of Sri Lanka as the only body that had provided consistent and accurate data on the number of devotees attending the Dalada exposition. In contrast, he noted that other institutions had reported inconsistent figures, which led to confusion during key decision-making moments.

He said that the unexpectedly high number of devotees who arrived midway through the event had placed a significant strain on resources and planning, highlighting the need for better predictive tools and scientific data methods to manage such religious festivals in the future.

Prof. Abhayakoon said that the event had generated nearly 625 tonnes of unsorted garbage. The waste, currently stored at the Gohagoda dump site under the Kandy Municipal Council, is scheduled to be incinerated using a burner at the Colombo Municipal Council.

Much of the waste was generated through informal disposal across Kandy town and was collected during the clean-up operation that followed the large influx of pilgrims.

He stressed the importance of integrating modern technology into event planning, noting that while this year’s event had been planned with support from Sri Lankan engineering technologists, several logistical challenges had arisen during implementation.

A final report on the event is currently being compiled, incorporating feedback from all stakeholders involved in organising the exposition and associated religious activities. The Governor said the report would help identify the shortcomings and improve future operations, particularly in the areas of crowd management, data collection, and waste disposal.

By Samanti Weerasekera

The Colombo High Court on Tuesday sentenced a 37-year-old father of two to life imprisonment on two counts of heroin possession and trafficking.

Delivering the verdict, High Court Judge Navaratna Marasinghe found Gayan Buddhika, a resident of Kotahena, guilty of possessing and trafficking 6.95 grams of heroin. The charges were filed by the Attorney General, and the court imposed two separate life sentences for each offence.

The accused was originally arrested on 07 April, 2013 by Kotahena Police at Hettiyawatta, where he was found in possession of narcotics.

During the proceedings, court-appointed Attorney-at-Law Sanju Sri Weerasekara, who represented Buddhika, pleaded for leniency on the grounds that her client is the father of two young children.

However, Deputy Solicitor General Chathura Dissanayake and State Counsel Keshani Wijesinghe argued for the maximum sentence, citing the grave social harm caused by drug trafficking and the need for a strong deterrent.

As per court protocol, the sentence was read out aloud to the accused in open court by High Court interpreter T.D. Thuwan Saddam.

By A.J.A. Abeynayake

Anuradhapura police are investigating the validity of a warning received via the police hotline (119) on Monday, stating that a person would trigger an explosion at the historical Ruwanweliseya premises.

On Sunday, the police, along with STF and military personnel, launched a joint search operation at the Ruwanwelisaya Temple following the bomb threat received through an emergency call.

According to police sources, the call, which was made around noon, warned that an individual carrying a bomb was heading toward the temple. The call was reportedly placed by a woman from Kurunegala. Authorities immediately initiated a security operation, thoroughly inspecting the temple premises and surrounding areas.

Despite the extensive search, no suspicious individuals or objects were found, and the situation was deemed clear.

A senior Police officer said on Tuesday that no evidence of a bomb threat or dangerous materials was discovered at the site.

An investigation into the phone call is ongoing, with authorities working to determine whether it was a hoax

Security around the site remains tight, and police continue their inquiries into the origin of the false alarm.

By Ranga Chatu