News

Foods stalls at the Colombo Port City to be removed by March 2027

Published

1 year ago

September 14, 2023

editor

The Members representing the Colombo Port City Economic Commission stated that the foods stalls at the Colombo Port City falls under leisure activities and will be removed by March 2027.

This was stated in response to the questioning of the Committee on Public Finance as to the legality of the establishment of such food stalls whilst the Colombo Port City was designed mainly targeting foreign investments.

The discussion pertaining to the said was held at the Committee on Public Finance held yesterday (12) in Parliament, Chaired by Dr. Harsha de Silva. The Committee took into consideration the Regulations under the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Act, No. 11 of 2021 scheduled to be present in Parliament on Tuesday, 19th of September.

The Committee further inquired the Commission members on what legal basis have they decided to permit the establishment of such food stalls and on what grounds will they be removed by 2027. The Committee further questioned whether the Attorney General has been consulted on this regard.

The Committee instructed the Colombo Port City Economic Commission and the Attorney General’s Department to submit information on this regard to the Committee as soon as possible.

The Committee further inquired regarding the revenue received by the Government by the ongoing activities at the port city. The Committee instructed the officials to submit all details with regard to this for a better understanding prior to granting approval for the Regulations.

Furthermore, given that the Port City is being constructed as a separate land mass under a Smart City concept, the Committee questioned the Colombo Port City Economic Commission members present whether smart city concepts such as waste water management, renewable energy, proper sewerage mechanisms have been included. The Committee was of the view that issues experienced in other areas of the country pertaining to improper sewerage and waste water management should be avoided when developing the port city.

It was also disclosed that government institutions such as the Road Development Authority, Urban Development Authority, water board has spent a considerable amount of money to facilitate the construction and development of the Port City. Since all of this are tax payer money, the Committee questioned the Commission what gains do the tax paying citizens of the country would have from this.

Accordingly, the Committee on Public Finance instructed the Members of the Commission to submit a breakdown of the government expenses for the Port City and infrastructure and also to provide details of the streams of revenue.

State Minister – Dr. Seetha Arambepola, MPs Chandima Weerakkodi, Nimal Lanza, Dr. Major Pradeep Undugoda, Premnath C. Dolawatte, Madhura Withanage, U.K Sumith Udukumbura, were present at this Committee meeting held.

News

Fossils reveal head of ancient millipede that was biggest bug ever

Published

25 mins ago

October 11, 2024

editor

During the Carboniferous Period, Earth’s atmospheric oxygen levels surged, helping some plants and animals grow to gigantic proportions. One notable example was Arthropleura, the biggest bug ever known at up to 10-1/2 feet (3.2 meters) long, inhabiting what is now North America and Europe.While its fossils have been known since 1854, a large gap has existed in the understanding of this creature because none of the remains had a well-preserved head. The discovery in France of two Arthropleura fossils with intact heads has now remedied this, providing the anatomical details needed for scientists to classify it as a huge primitive millipede and determine it was not a predator but rather a plant eater.

The fossils, unearthed in Montceau-les-Mines, are of juvenile individuals, dating to about 305 million years ago. At the time, this locale was near the equator, with a tropical climate and a swampy environment lush with vegetation. While Arthropleura was this ecosystem’s behemoth, the fossils preserve young individuals just 1-1/2 inches (4 cm) long.The fossils showed Arthropleura’s head was roughly circular, with slender antennae, stalked eyes and mandibles – jaws – fixed under it. Arthropleura had two sets of feeding appendages, the first short and round, and the second elongated and leg-like.

The specimens each had 24 body segments and 44 pairs of legs – 88 legs in total. Based on its mouthparts and a body built for slow locomotion, the researchers concluded Arthropleura was a detritivore like modern millipedes, feeding on decaying plants, rather than a predator like centipedes.It could have served the same role in its ecosystem as elephants today or big dinosaurs like the long-necked sauropods in the past – “a big animal spending most of his time eating,” said paleontologist Mickaël Lhéritier of the Laboratory of Geology of Lyon at Claude Bernard University Lyon 1 in France, lead author of the study published this week in the journal Science Advances, opens new tab.

“I think it is quite a majestic animal. I think its gigantism gives it a peculiar aura, like the aura of whales or elephants,” Lhéritier said. “I love to imagine it as the ‘cow’ of the Carboniferous, eating during most of the day – but, of course, a cow with an exoskeleton and many more legs.”

Arthropleura was the largest-known land arthropod, a group spanning the likes of insects, spiders, millipedes, centipedes, lobsters and crabs.

(Reuters)

News

‘Amber’ landslide warnings issued for several districts

Published

31 mins ago

October 11, 2024

editor

The National Building and Research Organisation (NBRO) has issued landslide warnings to multiple areas in several districts, as heavy rainfall continues in parts of the island.

Accordingly, a Level 2 (Amber) warning has been issued for several Divisional Secretariat areas in Galle, Kalutara, Colombo, Kegalle, Ratnapura and Gampaha districts as follows:

Galle District: Elpitiya,Neluwa,Baddagama and Nagoda Divisional Secretariat Divisions (DSD) and surrounding areas
Kaluthara District: Bulathsinhala, Walallawita, Matugama, Dodangoda, Ingiriya, Horana DSD and surrounding areas
Colombo District: Seethawaka DSD and surrounding areas
Kegalle District: Ruwanwella, Warakapola, Dehiovita, Yatiyanthota Bulathkohupitiya DSD and surrounding areas
Rathnapura District: Eheliyagoda, Kiriella DSD and surrounding areas
Gampaha District: Attanagalla DSD and surrounding areas

Meanwhile, a Level 1 (Yellow) warning was issued for several areas in the following districts: