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Daily Drinking Water Allocation Increased to 15 Litres Per Person
The daily drinking water allocation for communities affected by shortages caused by the prevailing dry weather has been increased from 6 litres to 15 litres per person, according to the National Disaster Relief Services Centre (NDRSC).
NDRSC Senior Assistant Secretary Prageeth Danansooriya said at a media briefing today (24) that water distribution to affected communities is continuing without interruption.
He said the increase in the daily allocation was made on the instructions of the President.
Funds have also been allocated to clean and restore wells and other water sources required to support the ongoing supply of drinking water, Danansooriya said.
Financial allocations have already been provided to the District Secretaries of the affected districts to carry out the necessary work, while additional funding will be provided if required.
Relief operations are being coordinated through the respective District Secretaries.
Members of the public facing difficulties in accessing drinking water have been advised to inform their local Grama Niladhari (GN) officer. The information can then be communicated to the relevant Divisional Secretary so that the required assistance can be coordinated and provided.
Mother of detained ex-intelligence chief appeals to President for fair legal process
The mother of former State Intelligence Service (SIS) director Major General (Retired) Suresh Sallay has written to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, requesting that her son’s detention period not be extended.
In a letter delivered to the Presidential Secretariat, she clarified that she was not asking for an end to any ongoing investigations into allegations against her son.
She urged authorities to ensure that all inquiries are conducted strictly on the basis of evidence to establish the facts, while appealing to the President to allow Sallay the opportunity to face the law freely.
PM Calls for Broader Approach to School Nutrition and NCD Prevention
The Prime Minister made the remarks during a meeting with representatives of the World Food Programme (WFP) at Temple Trees today (24).
Discussions focused on strengthening school nutrition programmes while addressing broader health and nutrition challenges.
Amarasuriya said the rising prevalence of NCDs remains a significant concern and stressed the need to examine the factors contributing to the continued increase in such diseases.
She said the Government’s school nutrition programme should not be limited to providing free meals to selected communities. According to the Prime Minister, the programme should also encourage healthier eating habits, improved dietary practices and greater awareness of nutrition across the school system.
She further highlighted the importance of linking efforts to promote healthy diets with stronger primary and preventive healthcare, noting that nutrition remains a key concern.
Public support shifts over Govt. corruption and policy failures, says Ajith P. Perera
The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) reported strong public participation during its ongoing grassroots re-organisation drive in the Anuradhapura District, claiming widespread opposition is mounting against the government's economic policies and governance track record.
Speaking to the media, SJB MP Ajith Perera acknowledged that while party activists faced a setback following losses in the last three elections, public sentiment has shifted due to growing concerns over government mistakes and alleged corruption.
Under the direction of Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, SJB parliamentarians and electorate organisers spent the past two days conducting small-scale meetings across every polling division in Anuradhapura to establish branch committees and electoral bodies.
During these outreach sessions, local farmers voiced strong discontent over the lack of fair pricing for paddy.
Perera noted that although the government announced a purchasing price of 120 rupees per kilogramme, farmers are receiving significantly less and are being forced to either store their harvests at home or sell at a loss.
He said that agricultural producers require a fair price of at least 135 to 140 rupees per kilogramme to remain viable.
Perera also accused the government of interfering with the judiciary and eroding public faith in legal fairness.
He challenged the NPP government to test the proposed 22nd Constitutional Amendment through a national referendum rather than relying on its two-thirds parliamentary majority, predicting that voters in Anuradhapura—where President Anura Kumara Dissanayake previously secured heavy support—would decisively reject the government's legislative push.
Dry Weather Damages Nearly 8,000 Acres of Farmland, Affects 7,000 Farmers
Board Chairman Pemasiri Jasingarachchi said crop damage has been reported in several districts, including Monaragala, Polonnaruwa, Hambantota, Anuradhapura and Puttalam.
Inspections and assessments are currently underway to determine the extent of the damage to the affected farmlands.
Jasingarachchi said compensation for the affected crops is expected to be provided before the end of the current cultivation season.
The Government has allocated Rs. 3 billion for crop-damage compensation. The Board will take steps to compensate farmers whose cultivations have been affected by the dry weather once the damage assessments are completed.
Poverty could hit 40% amid impending water and agriculture crises - Opposition Leader
Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa says the government has betrayed Sri Lankan farmers by failing to implement a promised guaranteed price for paddy, despite being in office for two years.
Speaking at an event in Devahuwa, Galewela, to donate a water purification system to a local community organisation, Premadasa pointed out that while the Agriculture Minister stated in Parliament that producing a kilo of paddy costs Rs. 137, the government fixed the guaranteed price at just Rs. 120 per kilo, imposing a Rs. 17 loss on farmers for every kilo produced.
The Opposition Leader criticised the government for importing 382,000 metric tonnes of rice despite the country producing 3.2 million metric tonnes against an annual requirement of 2.5 million metric tonnes.
He stated that while paddy, maize, and potato farmers were left destitute, the NPP government prioritized raising the retirement age of judges over addressing the immediate economic hardships of the public.
Warning of future environmental challenges, the Opposition Leader highlighted that extreme weather events like El Niño and La Niña could dry up water sources, pushing national poverty levels to between 30 and 40 per cent and threatening factory closures.
Addressing his party's record, Premadasa claimed that the Samagi Jana Balawegaya remains the only political party to serve the public using non-state resources while in opposition since independence, expressing confidence that political truth would prevail by 2029 despite social media campaign attacks.
Landslide at Guinea landfill kills 30
A landslide at a landfill in Guinea's capital killed 30 people, the government said on Sunday, after heavy rains overnight prompted the collapse of a massive mound of waste that engulfed nearby tents and shacks.
The incident occurred less than a week after the government announced plans to close the site and relocate the waste because of the threat it posed, especially during the ongoing rainy season, which causes landslides and fatal flash floods each year in crowded, underdeveloped cities across parts of West Africa.
The landslide took place at around 2 a.m. (0200 GMT) in the Gbessia commune of Conakry, according to a government statement. The death toll was 30, with six people seriously injured and 16 more lightly injured, the statement said.
Rescue workers were using excavators and other tools to clear the site of the landslide, which witnesses said was large enough to bury an apartment building along with more precarious dwellings.
One woman, Cire Diallo, told reporters at the scene that her five children were killed. "I have lost all my children. All I can do is put my trust in God," she said.
Guinea holds the world's largest bauxite reserves and richest untapped iron ore deposit at Simandou, where a massive mining project was launched in November. But the West African country has poor infrastructure and widespread poverty, with 3.7 million of its 15.1 million people living on less than $4.20 per day, according to a World Bank report published in April.
Guinea's minister of territorial administration, Djenab Toure, announced on Thursday that the government was closing the landfill because it was unsafe and said the waste was to be relocated outside Conakry.
Prime Minister Amadou Oury Bah visited the landfill on Sunday to assess the damage and supervise the response, the government statement said, adding that people should "remain calm, show solidarity, and strictly follow the instructions of rescue services and the competent authorities."
Source: Reuters
Three-Year-Old Dies After Tractor Accident in Kilinochchi
A three-year-old child has died after being run over by a tractor in the Murasumoddai area of Kilinochchi, police said.
The incident took place yesterday (21) at the child’s home, where the child and his brother had reportedly been playing on the trailer of a parked tractor.
Police said a relative later started the tractor and attempted to turn it around within the yard, while the children were still on the trailer.
The three-year-old fell from the trailer during the manoeuvre and was subsequently run over by the tractor’s rear wheel.
The child suffered serious injuries and was rushed to the Kilinochchi District General Hospital for treatment. However, the child later succumbed to the injuries.
The tractor driver has been arrested in connection with the incident, while Kilinochchi Police are continuing investigations.
Dry Weather Affects Over 81,000 People Across Seven Sri Lankan Districts
Dry weather conditions linked to the El Niño phenomenon have affected more than 81,000 people across seven districts in Sri Lanka, according to the Disaster Management Centre (DMC).
The DMC said 23 Divisional Secretariat divisions have been affected, with a total of 81,865 people from 25,628 families impacted by the conditions.
In response, authorities have begun supplying drinking water to communities in 20 affected Divisional Secretariat divisions.
The water distribution programme is currently providing drinking water to 72,153 people from 23,048 families.
Monaragala has recorded the largest number of people receiving drinking water. Supplies have been provided to 33,023 people from 10,264 families across seven Divisional Secretariat divisions in the district.
In Batticaloa, drinking water is being distributed to 28,523 people from 9,547 families across eight Divisional Secretariat divisions.
Meanwhile, 7,882 people from 2,537 affected families in two Divisional Secretariat divisions in Ampara are receiving drinking water supplies.
The DMC continues to coordinate the distribution of drinking water to communities affected by the dry weather conditions.
Final Rites of Veteran Singer Nanda Malini to Be Held Today
The final rites of veteran Sri Lankan singer Dr. Nanda Malini will be held at the Borella General Cemetery today (22).
Her remains are currently lying at the Nanda Malini Sangeetha Ashramaya (Music Academy) at No. 30, Vijayaba Mawatha, Nawala Road, Nugegoda, where members of the public have been given an opportunity to pay their last respects.
According to Professor Sunil Ariyaratne, the funeral rites (Pansukula rites) will commence at 10.00 a.m. Public visitation will be temporarily suspended for approximately one hour during the rites and will resume afterwards, continuing until 3.30 p.m.
The funeral procession will depart from the Nanda Malini Sangeetha Ashramaya at 3.30 p.m. and travel via Parliament Road in Rajagiriya to the Borella General Cemetery.
The cremation is scheduled to take place at 5.00 p.m., with no ceremony planned at the venue.
Dr. Nanda Malini, one of Sri Lanka’s most celebrated singers, passed away at her home in Nawala on August 20 at the age of 82.
Missing doctor attached to Badulla Hospital found dead
The body of a doctor attached to the Badulla Hospital, who had earlier been reported missing, has been found in the Mapakadawewa area of Mahiyanganaya.
The body was discovered on a rock in the area, according to initial information.
The circumstances surrounding the doctor’s death have not been disclosed.
X Press Pearl disaster: Sajith demands transparency over $1 billion compensation recovery
Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa questioned the government in parliament regarding the current status of compensation due for the destruction of the X Press Pearl ship in Sri Lankan waters in 2021.
The opposition leader raised these concerns under Parliamentary Standing Order 27(2), noting that the public lacks official and transparent information despite a Supreme Court ruling establishing the legal framework to recover the funds.
He inquired whether the government had received the initial installment of the USD 1 billion compensation ordered by the Supreme Court.
He noted reports indicating that only Rs. 300 million has been received so far, calling it a fraction of the expected installment.
He demanded that parliament be provided with accurate data on the total funds received, the paying entities, the credited accounts, and the remaining amounts due.
Clarification was also sought on whether received funds were directed toward fisherfolk welfare or ecosystem restoration.
The opposition leader asked what steps had been taken to assess the total long term economic and environmental damage to secure additional compensation.
He also requested an update on the recovery of damages from the MT New Diamond disaster off the eastern coast.
The opposition leader asked whether the court ordered criminal investigations and prosecutions had been completed, calling on the Attorney General's Department to provide a timeline of actions against non compliant parties.
Referring to the proceedings before the Singapore International Commercial Court, he requested full disclosure on expenditure incurred for foreign legal counsel and the strategy moving forward.
He also questioned the progress of the X Press Pearl Compensation Commission and how the government plans to address the administrative, legal, and constitutional issues raised by its chairman.
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