News
Authorities keep mum over plea not to build another Elephant Holding Ground
By Rathindra Kuruwita
Neither President Gotabaya Rajapaksa nor a government representative had responded to a letter sent by environmentalists requesting that the new Elephant Holding Ground (EHG) project at Lunugamvehera National Park be stopped, Supun Lahiru Prakash of the Biodiversity Conservation and Research Circle told The Island yesterday.
Prakash said that they had brought to the President’s notice that the project, funded by the World Bank, would be a colossal waste of money, at a time when the country was trying to reduce unnecessary expenditure.
“We pointed out that the existing EHG in Horowpathana had been a failure, and a recent report by the Auditor General proved that we were right. AG has said that future EHGs should be established only if the one at Horowpathana could be successfully run.”
However, Wildlife officials have already started work on the EHG in Lunugamvehera National Park and over 10% of the total park area encompassing 3,500 hectares have been earmarked for the project. The establishment of that holding ground would only lead to more elephant deaths and an increased human-elephant conflict in the surrounding areas, environmentalists have warned.
Prakash said: “The AG’s report says that according to the elephant census conducted in June 2019, out of all the elephants retained in the holding ground, 12 died; five died of malnutrition and lack of sufficient food. Another two elephants died due to being translocated to the holding ground. It was observed that the health condition of the elephants retained at the holding ground remained poor, and no follow-up action has been taken on the health of these animals.”
Prakash said that usually when elephants faced food scarcity, male elephants would raid homesteads in search of food; female elephants and calives remained in the EHG and suffered. A large number of other animals also lived in the Lunugamvehera National Park and the establishment of the EHG would also affect their habitat and survival, the environmentalist said.
“This whole concept that an elephant could be ‘rehabilitated’ by placing it in what is essentially an open air prison is ill-conceived. This idea is not based on science. Recently, a committee was appointed by the President and it submitted a report, which says the human-elephant conflict can only be solved by protecting the forests and home ranges of the elephants. Elephants are emotionally attached to the area that they are born and grow up in and there have been many instances where the animals sent to Horowpathana returned to their original habitat.”
Prakash said that over 50 elephants had been sent to the EHG at Horowpathana but only a handful were left there now and that Wildlife officials had no idea what had happened to the elephants that had left the Holding Ground.
“These animals then move through areas in which people have no experience in dealing with them. These encounters are deadly for both humans and animals. Hundreds of millions of rupees were pumped into making Horowpathana work and all that money was wasted. That is why we urge the government to stop doing the same thing in Lunugamvehera.”
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
