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Monthly Overview on State of Environment, Sri Lanka, December 2013

Monthly Overview on State of Environment, Sri Lanka, Dec 2013

The Transport Ministry has formulated the draft Urban Transport Master Plan for the Colombo Metropolitan Region and the suburbs to address issues in the transport sector including heavy congestion in the Colombo city within the next 20 years. Read more in this December 2013 edition of the Monthly Overview on State of Environment, Sri Lanka

LAND, AGRICULTURE, GRAZING LANDS AND ANIMAL CARE

In Sri Lanka, the Wayamba Provincial Agriculture Ministry has been allocated Rs.68.98 million for paddy cultivation and Rs.41.98 million to uplift the fisheries industry from the 2014 budget. Sri Lanka Hadabima Authority has launched a project to cultivate chilies in 1,000 acres in Anuradhapura, Vavuniya and Ampara targeting 1,000 farming families. Five hundred and twenty eight farmers in Sri Lanka, were compensated at the Ministry of Economic Development, under the crop insurance scheme of the National Insurance Fund for paddy farmers who suffer crop losses.

WATER RESOURCES AND FISHERIES

The Sri Lanka Aquatic Life Authority has launched a fresh water prawns and fish breeding project in resevoirs in the Hambantota district. The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce with their partners, AB Partners AS in the Sri Lanka-Norway Business Matchmaking Progamme (BMMP) organized a workshop at the CCC Boardroom.The focus of the workshop was to invite all stakeholders to discuss about the future developments in Aquaculture in Sri Lanka.

HABITAT

The Sri Lankan government will build 60,000 houses to relocate the slum dwellers in the capital city of Colombo, a government minister said in parliament. The Transport Ministry has formulated the draft Urban Transport Master Plan for the Colombo Metropolitan Region and the suburbs to address issues in the transport sector including heavy congestion in the Colombo city within the next 20 years. The Sri Lankan government has decided to purchase over 2,000 new buses for the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) fleet.

WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION

Funds have been allocated to set up a purified water project in Jaffna and the islands surrounding the peninsula, Sri Lankan Water Supply and Drainage Ministry Secretary Amarananda Abeygunasekara said. The Sri Lankan government has awarded a US$ 74 million contract to the California-based US engineering firm Tetra Tech to set up a new water treatment plant. The Sri Lankan government plans to construct seven water supply projects and sewage systems in the country next year, Water Supply and Drainage Ministry Secretary Amarananda Abeygunasekera said. The garbage recycling project in Sri Lanka, commenced by the Thihagoda Pradeshiya Sabha has made remarkable progress. The project is in progress at Maharawalauwatta off Thihagoda town.

HEALTH

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa will launch the country's National Nutrition Action Plan on December 6th at Moneragala, the National Nutrition Council announced. The Sri Lankan government had allocated about Rs 155 billion for 2014. The Health Ministry of Sri Lanka will implement the much awaited National Drug Policy from March next year.

ENERGY

The Sri Lankan government has taken measures to relax the obstacles that hampered the process of obtaining new electricity connections, in a bid to expedite the process in keeping with the aim of providing electricity to all by the end of 2014, Power and Energy Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi said. A new Petrol-Gas bi-fuel injection technology has been introduced to Sri Lanka, which can be installed in any Petrol vehicle, significantly reducing fuel expenses by 40%.

LIVING RESOURCES

Elephant corridors will be restructured to minimize the human-elephant conflict on a proposal by Sri Lankan Wildlife Conservation Minister Vijith Vijithamuni Soysa. Forests and forest reserves in the North East and Southern region will be brought under the project. Sri Lanka Minister of Wildlife Conservation Vijith Vijayamuni Soysa says that a sanctuary will be set up for the wild horses in the Delft island in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka.

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