Caravan for seeds and Food Sovereignty -2014

On the World Food Week (10^th to 16^th of October) Movement for Land and Agricultural Reforms , National Fisheries Solidarity Movement, Praja Abhilasha Network , People's Alliance for Right to Land (PARL)  and number of other civil society organizations have organized the ‘Seed Caravan for Food Sovereignty’. This Caravan traveled for 6 days from North to South of the country, mobilizing farmers and consumers on three major themes.

1.       Right of food producers for their resources should be ensured
2.       Regenerative agriculture practices should be promoted
3.       Consumers right to have a safe and nutritious food needs to be ensured

Caravan which aims to mobilize around 4000 small scale producers, culminated in a large gathering of farmers, fisheries and plantation workers on 16^th of October in Colombo. On 16^th these small scale producers  handed over their demands for a fair and sustainable food system to the Government and other policy makers

Advocacy program on VGGT and SSF guidlines in Negombo -22nd August 2014

PA and NAFSO has conducted an awareness meeting on VGGT guideline and SSF Guideline which is published by Food and Agriculture Organization(FAO). Mr.Herman Kumara-The convener of National Fisheries  Solidarity Movement explained about the guideline and its importance to the participants. People are ready to have a dialogue with the government for the implementation process. Sri Vimukthi Women organization has organized the program at the Jubilee Hall , Grand Street in Negombo

Dialogue on Sampoor Issue on 16th August 2014 - held in Trinco

Right to expression is in danger - Protest was prevented in Jaffna on July 15th 2014

NAFSO and PA have organized the demonstration on 15^th July 2014 in Jaffna to highlight the land grabbing issue and Resettlement issue of IDPs. However the government of Sri Lanka used its maximum power and prevent the protest by an court order. therefore we organized a meeting on the same day at the Weerasingam Hall in Jaffna and pressure the government to resettle the people as well as stop the Land grabbing.

A thousand people of all ethnicities and religions participate in a meeting to denounce the conditions in which the North’s Tamils are forced to live. Police desperately try to prevent the rally, even threatening some IDPs.thus we conducted the Mass rally at Weerasingam hall and delivered the message to the world.

31,000 people affected by floods

Four persons have been killed and around 31,000 people affected due to floods and torrential rains during the last few days, the Disaster Management Centre said yesterday.

Assistant Director of the Disaster Management Centre Prdeep Kodippili said the rains have affected 8,268 families in the Kalutara, Colombo and Gampaha districts.

Out of them 4,160 families are in the Gampaha district, 4,000 families in the Colombo district and 108 families in the Kalutara district. Two farmers in Embilipitiya, Sevanagala had died due to lightning on Saturday while lightning also struck a woman in Elpitiya while plucking tea leaves. One person from Mahagastenne, Nuwara Eliya too had died due to lightning on Friday.

Disaster Management Coordinator of the Gampaha district Ajith Nishantha said 3,600 families in Wattala, 30 families in Biyagama, 102 families in Mahara, 200 families in Negombo and 220 families in Katana have been badly affected by floods.

He said in these areas most of the houses were under water for the last two days. In Wattala due to 14 houses going completely under water the families were stationed at a welfare centre in Wattala, Kerawalapitiya, he said.

He said cooked food was supplied to the affected families through the Divisional Secretaries in the Gampaha district. Colombo District Disaster Management Coordinator H.KC.L. Pathirana said the flood waters inside houses in Nawagampura, Bloemendhal, Grandpass and Maligawatte have subsided yesterday.

In Rajagiriya, Buthgama there were about 15 houses under water. Those families were staying at Rajagiriya Sudarshanarama Temple, he said. He said that providing cooked food for the affected families was being continued.

In the Kalutara district though the number of families affected was 108 there was fear the number might increase since heavy rains continued to lash the area, Disaster Management Coordinator Major Sanjeewa Samaranayake said.

More rain, thunder and lightning

The Meteorology Department said the country was going through a pre-monsoon phase with the monsoon proper or South-West monsoon expected to break this week.

Therefore, more rains accompanied with strong winds, thunder and lightning could be expected to continue for the next few days as well.

A rainfall of 59 mm was recorded from Ratmalana according to the Disaster Management Centre. The Met Department has warned the public to be vigilant against thunder and lightning as their electrical appliances could be damaged.

Beware of water borne diseases

By Indika Sri Aravinda

The threat of water borne diseases including dengue spreading has resurfaced with the heavy rain over the past few days and the onset of the monsoon expected this week, health officials told Daily Mirror online.

Health Ministry official Dr Risintha Premaratna also said that people should be extra cautious when consuming food from outside as the recent floods in Colombo and its outskirts could have affected the vegetables sold in the market.

The official urged the public to avoid purchasing food from the pavements including vegetables and also urged parents to ensure their children take boiled drinking water from home when going to school instead of drinking tap water.

Health officials also urged the public to keep their surroundings clean in prevent mosquito breeding grounds.

Source from: Dailymirror.lk
MONDAY, 17 MAY 2010 00:00
By Thilini de Silva

Gathering Illegal sea sand at Breakwater of Ma-Oya

Near to Kochchikade, the illegal activity of gathering and taking sand is being carried out in the breakwater area of the Ma-Oya River. This activity is usually carried out by many people during the night, as some politicians turn a blind eye to their actions, supporting this exploitation. One well-wisher has complained to the police and the Coastal Reservation Authority regarding these activities, though no action has yet taken place. Instead, this same person was transferred, so s/he does not like to publish his/her name. This illegal activity decreases sand in the breakwater area, and as currents do not have enough sand to take to the other side, an increase in sea erosion occurs. The government has used huge, stone fences in the coastal area to try to protect the sea erosion from the currents, but the government, instead, needs to stop this illegal activity, otherwise the sea erosion will never cease. Therefore, the Authority should come forward to save this area.

Sea Erosion from Nainamadama to Thoduwawa in Sri lanka

sea erosion caused From Nainamadama up to Thoduwawa, it damaged the road which is located near these sea shore. 12 families were displaced. read the whole story above mentioned.

Source : Lakbima dated 11-12-2008