News

Water to Udawalawe Reservoir from Monaragala

Published

2 years ago

August 2, 2023

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The farmers of Monaragala have agreed to give some amount of water to the paddy fields cultivated under the Udawalawe Reservoir which are being wilted due to the lack of water, the Ministry of Agriculture said.

Ministry Secretary Gunadasa Samarasinghe said that according to a request made by the Director of Irrigation in Monaragala, part of the water from 11 lakes in Monaragala District would be directed to the Udawalawe Reservoir through Weli Oya Dam.

Accordingly, the Ministry said that 1,200 acre-feet of water is being released into the Udawalawe Reservoir daily.

The Ministry Secretary said that even though this is a small amount of water, it will be able to save some part of the paddy fields which are facing the severe drought.

Meanwhile, Minister of Agriculture Mahinda Amaraweera said that due to the drought, the water level of the Udawalawe Reservoir has decreased to two percent, and 65,000 acres of paddy fields are at risk of being damaged.

News

12-hr water cut in several areas of Colombo

Published

14 hours ago

May 23, 2025

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The National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) has announced a 12-hour water cut from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Sunday (May 25) in several areas, including Colombo, due to essential maintenance work at the Ambatale Water Treatment Plant.

Due to this, the public is urged to make prior arrangements and store an adequate supply of water to avoid inconvenience during the period of the suspension.

Accordingly, the water cut will affect the following areas:

Colombo 01 to Colombo 15
Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
Kaduwela
Battaramulla
Kolonnawa
Kotikawatta
Mulleriyawa
IDH (Infectious Diseases Hospital) area
Maharagama
Dehiwala
Mount Lavinia
Ratmalana and Moratuwa

News

Investigations underway to arrest 20 criminals hiding overseas

Published

14 hours ago

May 23, 2025

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The Ministry of Public Security states that investigations are underway to arrest 20 members of major organized crime gangs currently hiding overseas.

Minister Ananda Wijepala stated that Interpol has already issued red notices for their arrest and that the countries where these criminals are hiding have been identified.

He added that investigations into the group have been expanded in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Since the new government came to power, 11 members of organized crime gangs hiding abroad have been brought back to the island and produced before courts.

Meanwhile, operations to arrest members of organized crime gangs involved in various criminal activities, including murder and drug trafficking, within the country are also ongoing.

The Minister added that the Police Special Task Force and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) are jointly conducting investigations into the allegations against them.

News

Ex-Minister Duminda Dissanayake arrested

Published

14 hours ago

May 23, 2025

editor

Former Minister and Anuradhapura District Organiser of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) – Duminda Dissanayake, has been arrested in connection with the ongoing investigation into the discovery of a gold-colored T-56 assault rifle at a luxury apartment complex in Havelock Town, Wellawatte.

The firearm, found earlier this week, led to the arrest of 03 suspects, based on information revealed during interrogations conducted in connection with the incident.