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ADB informed of harm caused by Moragahakanda and Upper Elahara Canal project funded by it
By Ifham Nizam
The Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) Director and Senior Advisor Hemantha Withanage has brought to the attention of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Masatsugu Asakawa destruction that elephants are wreaking due to the Moragahakanda and Upper Elahera projects built with ADB funds.
“We would like to bring to your attention the destruction of elephant habitats in the Minneriya and Kavudulla wildlife national parks due to the ADB-funded Mahaweli Water Security investment project in Sri Lanka,” the letter to the ADB chief says.
“The Upper Elahera Canal is the largest component in the Mahaweli Water Security Investment Programme Sovereign Project | 47381-001 (MWSIP), funded by the Asian Development Bank.The programme is building, or upgrading, more than 260 km of canals, reservoirs, and other irrigation infrastructure to deliver water to areas suffering from regular water scarcity and drought.
“The Moragahakanda irrigation reservoir, completed in 2017, released water to the Minneriya Tank, without considering the impact to the wildlife habitats in the Minneriya National park. Minneriya is known for the largest elephant gathering in Asia which is one of the tourism attractions in Sri Lanka.
“According to experts, elephant gathering in the Minneriya National Park is benefiting stakeholders of the region directly by about Rs. 1.25 billion each year. This equals the overall earnings of about Rs. 8.5 million per day from the ‘Gathering’.
“During the dry season, some 300 elephants feed on the grasslands in the Minneriya tank.
“However, these grasslands have been completely covered with water from the Moragahakanda reservoir and the elephants started suffering from food shortage, since 2018. Although they have moved to other locations, those habitats did not adequately support hundreds of elephants that lived in the Minneriya and the Kavudulla National Parks.
“Therefore, many elephants have started dying and, especially, baby elephants have become malnourished and eventually die. While the national economy lost millions of rupees due to the destruction of these habitats, the elephant herd was devastated by the water release to the Minneriya reservoir.
“We are well aware that the ADB resident mission and the project team have been informed of the situation by the experts. Unfortunately the situation has not been corrected to date.”
“According to the ADB project Data Sheet “the first tranche of the investment programme is categorized A for environment, in accordance with ADB’s Safeguard Policy Statement (2009). Individual environmental assessments have been undertaken for the three projects.
“Environment impact assessments for the North Western Province Canal Project (NWPCP) and Upper Elahera Canal Project (UECP), each categorized A, and an initial environmental examination for Minipe Left Bank Canal Rehabilitation Project (MLBCRP) were prepared. Since the investment programme is time-sliced and implementation of all three projects will begin under the first tranche, the environmental assessments cover the entire investment programme. All subsequent tranches will also be categorized A for environment.
“Unfortunately, he said that the Asian Development Bank failed to address this issue, during the project design and implementation stages, and had not looked for alternatives. This failure has resulted in loss of habitat for the elephants and many other wildlife living in the two National Parks. This failure has also resulted in loss of national income, especially during this debt crisis we are facing in Sri Lanka.”
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
