Environment Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka, yesterday, placed concrete blocks in the Hikkaduwa Marine Park, to encourage coral growth and aid conservation.
The Marine Park was declared a sanctuary on May 18, 1979. It was declared a restored site in 1998 and a National Park in 2002. This site is 101 hectares in extent.

The Mayor of Kandy L.B.Aluvihare has ordered the closure of at least three water tanks in Kandy until they are completely cleaned.
He said that the tanks had been polluted owing to the dry season experienced in the area.
He added that leaves and other material had collected in the tanks and the water level in these tanks had receded resulting in the pollution of the water.

The Supreme Court yesterday (22) granted leave to proceed with the rights petitions challenging the four new environmental conservation levies on all bulbs exceeding 40w except CFL, motor cycles and motor cars with internal combustion engine, cellular phones and television broadcasting and telephone transmissions.

Environment and Natural Resources Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka said yesterday the volume of destruction caused by both terrorism and environmental hazards, is similar in the country.

By Hemanthi Guruge
The Ministry of Environment and Central Environmental Authority together with a private company has launched an environment friendly bag.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) yesterday announced plans to boost rice production in districts hard hit by recent floods or conflict and by the soaring cost of many basic foods in Sri Lanka.
Under the US$500,000 project, families in the four districts of north-central and eastern Sri Lanka

The Cabinet has approved a memorandum submitted by Minister of Transport, Dullas Alahapperuma to transfer Rs. 20 million from the budget for acquiring capital assets to meet the initial expenditure of the Vehicle Emission Testing (VET) Programme.
Accordingly a VET Fund will be created to credit income received by the Motor Traffic Department from testing and to incur expenditure for training, awareness and allied activities for the programme.

The Supreme Court today issued a warrant against a Buddhist monk from Rajagiriya when a fundamental rights violation petition in respect of noise pollution was taken up.
The Court directed the Officer-in-Charge of the Rajagiriya Police Station to arrest the priest and remand him till September 15 and produce him on that day before the court as he was not present in court today despite of the notice issued by the court on him.

The resettlement of Internally Displaced People and a Mine Free Sri Lanka by 2009 is our vision for the country, Japanese Ambassador Kiyoshi Araki said yesterday.
He was speaking at a press briefing at the Japanese Embassy after signing an agreement to fund humanitarian de mining activities in the North and East of Sri Lanka.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is calling for greater social equality as a way of evening out differences in health, both between different countries and within them.
A report, drawn up by the WHO's Commission on the Social Determinants of Health, says that although a country's wealth is an important factor in its people's health, issues of equality also have a significant impact.