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| Tuesday, 19 February 2002 |
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Letters | |
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State plantations and development of dairy industry It was heartening to note that two ministers - the Minister of Agriculture and Dairy Development stating a policy of self sufficiency in milk in ten years and the Minister of Plantations speaking of diversification of plantation industry. There is tremendous potential for dairy development in the plantation sector as the climate in the hill country for high yielding cattle is conducive. Fodder for animals is freely available and could be grown where necessary in small acreages in the plantations to feed a reasonable herd of cattle, Guinea A and Guinea B varieties of grass Bracharia Brizantha could be grown on estates if not already available. Growing grasses will rehabilitate the depleted soil - this method is widely practised in the plantation sector - before replanting with new clones. The most important factor for soil resuscitation is the availability of compost and cattle manure in large quantities which is a biproduct of dairy farming. If dairy farms are established at higher elevations on the tea estates, compost and cattle manure could be spread at very low cost. Cattle should be stall fed and should be let out to a small and secure paddock for them to absorb the sunlight and loosen their limbs for a few hours in the morning. Animals could be fed with a mixture of grass and hay in the paddock provided with a through containing clean water. They could be brought back to the stall after about three hours. Large amount of cowdung and waste material available could be fed to a Biogas chamber which will provide sufficient energy for purposes of cooking or lighting. This is another valuable biproduct. The digested cowdung is better fertilizer than raw cowdung as all material including seeds of various grasses fed to animals will be fully digested and will not germinate as in the case or raw cowdung. This will eliminate excess growth of weeds. The most important aspect is that we will be self sufficient in milk which is the aim of the Minister of Dairy Development and Minister of Plantations will spend less on import of commercial fertilizer saving valuable foreign exchange. We could extend this process of dairy development to the coconut plantations if fodder is grown systematically. The expertise is available with qualified officers both in the public and private sectors but not made use of for the development of the country. A serious discussion between two ministries will reveal that over ten billion rupees could be saved for the country in a few years if a coordinated program is implemented. This proposal is entirely environmentally friendly and cost is minimal and could be absorbed by each plantation. PF -Mawanella From where can we get correct information? I am a green card holder in the US. Before returning from the US a little over a year ago. I obtained a re-entry permit which is valid till April 2003. Circumstances have made it necessary for me to accompany a family member to Canada. Several people told me that I do not need a visa to enter Canada if I have a permanent resident visa in the US. I telephoned the Canadian High Commission and was told though not very reassuringly that I do not need a visa. I went to the Canadian High Commission to verify my position. The person at the reception desk was obviously a security guard. I explained to him that I had a permanent residence visa in the US and inquired whether I need a visa to enter Canada. He said that all tourists to Canada had to obtain a visa and handed me an application form. He instructed me to come the following Monday with a certified cheque for payment. I could not make any further inquiries as only those with completed application forms were sent in. As the weekend was intervening, I rushed to the bank to get my certified cheque and to the photographers to get the photographs. With all the necessary documents I went to the High Commission on Monday morning. After a security check I was allowed to go in. Although numbers were given, I found people walking up to the counter as they pleased. So I went up and explained my position. I was informed I did not need a visa. When I inquired whether I needed an endorsement on my passport, I was told it was not necessary. I was also informed that US green card holders have been allowed to enter Canada, but rules could get changed.I was advised to go prepared to return to the US in case they did not permit me to enter Canada. Very reassuring indeed! I had to pay Rs. 125 commission for the certified cheque and another Rs. 125 for cancellation! Could someone help me, please. I am flying to Canada direct and later to US. I have a re-entry permit to US valid till April 2003. Am I eligible to enter Canada? I will be grateful for definite information from anyone who knows the position. S.G. Muslim-Tamil unity - a way forward to peace As the LTTE is the cardinal party to the peace process it is anticipated that the LTTE has to acknowledge its position in the light of the LTTE Muslim Accord (1988) so as to encourage the Muslims of the regions to express their solidarity with the Tamil people in the prospective Norway led peace initiative, thus obviating any interference by the parties with vested interests. We, Muslims need now to emphasise the development of facts that affected the Muslim-Tamil relationship in the North East since the so-called Tamil-Muslim Accord and redefine our place many future agreement with the LTTE which has to play a greater role in the overall peace process. Given the past experiences it would be more effective if the LTTE and the Muslims would make common proposals without Muslims' legitimate claim to nationality being subordinated to a generalised Tamil speaking category. The joint proposals should incorporate the aspirations of Muslims as they stand as an individual nationality. In that process, the views of the non-political Muslim organizations and religious institutions representing Muslims of the North and East should also be consulted with, if lasting peace is to be attained. At this point in time, it is worth recalling what Martin Luther King once said about peace "True Peace is not merely the absence of tension, but it is the presence of justice and brotherhood". S.M.M. BAZECR Dr. D. P. Atukorale is indeed a lone voice crying in the concrete jungle for the welfare of animals. He takes pains to describe cruel slaughter of animals and its carnivorous perpetrators - the meat easter. Dr. Atukorale regularly writes to newspapers about alternatives to red meat such as soya etc. As a physician he also warns people about the dangers of consuming meat and its grave consequence. The good doctor would have observed that media promotes, aids and abets the increase in the number of consumers of meat products nicely packed and given catchy names. The blood stained business thrives at spotlessly clean supermarkets too. The middlemen are the nursing homes and the final beneficiaries are the undertakers. The losers are the young spouses and children. The impact of Dr. Atukorale's crusade would be of academic interest only. Ban the slaughter of all cattle - going further than India as in the devolution of political power and import meat. Sri Lanka has enough space to look after aging cattle and such sanctuaries could produce fertiliser or bio gas for the generation of electricity. Light from dark blood - as D. H. Lawrence would have put it. SUNIL J. PEIRIS- Moratuwa Air pollution - biggest health hazard in city Over 50 per cent of residents in the city suffer from Respiratory Diseases, Health Ministry sources had told the "Daily News" (DN Feb 1). A large number of vehicles enter Colombo daily and over 75 per cent are diesel powered, and most of them use low quality diesel which contains a high percentage of sulphur and lead which cause severe damage to the respiratory system. The lead percentage in the city air space is 85 times higher than the normal acceptable level, and even acid rain could be expected in the city. How shocking. The long term solution is to build a coal power station and electrify the sub-urban Railways. In the short term, import of diesel vehicles other than lorries and buses should be restricted. The traffic Police should strictly enforce the Law on belching vehicles. Heavy vehicle should be checked to see if their Engines are properly tuned at their Annual Fitness Test. The Ministries of Transport and Environment should take joint action. LIONEL J. SENEVIRATNE -Mount Lavinia The Dehiwela-Mt. Lavinia Municipal Council has provided the residents with garbage barrels to put their garbage into and convert same to Compost but many residents throw their garbage onto the road creating problems unnecessarily for the authority. Burning of dirt on road sides also poses a danger for those driving with gas. L.A. -Dehiwela
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