Ceylon Today Editorial

Let us pray for peace and harmony with nature

26 December 2016

President Maithripala Sirisena urged all Catholic Bishops in the country to pray for rain to get rid of the prevailing drought situation in the country when he participated at the State Christmas festival held in Negombo last Friday.

The drought situation has worsened in several parts in the country forcing people, particularly the farmers to hold prayers in the places of worship. A special prayer was held in a temple in Jaffna where the farmers had cooked milk rice and offered to the deities to bless them with rain.

If the drought situation continues, the prices of rice and vegetables are expected to escalate manifold next year. So the Head of State who generally speaks on peace and reconciliation and on political matters has made a fervent appeal at the State Christmas festival in Negombo to pray for the much needed rain.

The climatic conditions are changing rapidly in various parts in the world. A couple of weeks ago the Tamil Nadu capital Chennai in South India was devastated by cyclone Vartha. The cyclone had uprooted a countless number of trees which were more than fifty years old.

The Northern and Eastern Provinces were in a tensed state when the Meteorological Department alerted over cyclone Vartha. But fortunately the terrific cyclone which had passed the Bay of Bengal didn't touch the coastal areas of the North and the East. In the backdrop President Sirisena urging to pray for rain, it is important to remember the massive destruction due to the 'Boxing day' tsunami which devastated the coastal areas of Sri Lanka twelve years ago on 26 December 2004.

The massive natural disaster causing a massive loss of human lives in the Northern and Eastern Provinces and in the coastal belt of down south in the Island had emphasized to the countrymen to be alert on the incidence of natural calamities and even led to the creation of a Disaster Management Centre in the country.

As a result of the long-drawn-out civil strife in the country, the natural resources were neglected in a big way. The deforestation not only in the lower areas, but even in the hill country region continues unabated threatening the forest cover of the country. Recent reports from the North and the East have indicated that several coastal areas in the two provinces have been threatened with acute sea erosion.

Sea waters have entered into several hamlets particularly in the South East areas threatening the coastal hamlets such as Pottuvil and Oluvil. In the recent past the civilians from several coastal villages in the Eastern Province were forced to become internally displaced due to rough sea waves infiltrating deep into the inland areas.

Civilians affected by the sea erosion in the East had even staged demonstrations in the recent past highlighting their plight and urging their Parliamentarians to take proper action to save their places from sea erosion. Therefore proper strategies should be in place to protect the Island from all sorts of natural calamities.The Disaster Management Ministry should actively workout plans to strengthen the precautionary measures to protect the Island instead of running about after the disasters stuck the Island.

By adopting stringent measures deforestation should be stopped introducing effective plans to protect and expand the greenery throughout the country. The environmental experts have warned frequently on the dangers faced by the country due to the negligence of our natural resources.

Action plans should be worked out from grassroot level even to educate the people on the need of safeguarding the Island nation's natural resources. So the President's appeal for payers to have rain, at the State Christmas festival, has outlined the need of the entire country focusing on peace and harmony with nature.

Daily News Editorial

Boxing Day Tsunami: 12 years on

26 December 2016

Just a few days ago, our region received another tsunami warning after an earthquake occurred off Papua New Guinea. Although a tsunami did not materialise and no warning was issued for Sri Lanka itself, the news kept everyone on edge, exactly 12 years after the Boxing Day Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004.

For a nation that did not even know the word ‘tsunami’ existed before 2004, we are now a nation that is fully aware of the dangers posed by these massive tidal waves. It was a truly horrific event that will live in our collective memory for generations to come. More than 40,000 Sri Lankans perished in the disaster which affected 11 Indian Ocean countries, killing nearly 300,000. There have been a few tsunamis in later years, most notably the one in Japan in 2011, but nothing can come close to the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami in terms of the sheer devastation and loss of life.

One of the main reasons for the massive loss of life in the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami was the lack of an early warning system. Although the US geological Survey tried to warn the Indian Ocean countries, a combination of missteps prevented the message from going to the right eyes and ears. The result was a tragedy of huge proportions. Today, the situation is much different and better.

The Indian Ocean region has a sophisticated tsunami information gathering and distribution network that cost billions of dollars. All cellular operators have tested their capability to mass broadcast SMS messages on tsunamis to their subscribers. Warning siren towers have been erected in all coastal areas, with paths to safety clearly marked. Television and radio stations are under instructions to broadcast any warning messages, for those who may not have access to phones.

Worldwide, scientists are beginning to unravel more details and secrets about tsunamis. Sophisticated computer modeling programmes can pinpoint how a particular tsunami would unfold. Although earthquakes and tsunamis cannot be predicted with any degree of accuracy with the currently available technology, scientists now have a better understanding of how a tsunami wave would behave depending on its origin intended destination and type.

For example, experts recently said that waves up to 80ft (25 metres) high could destroy New York and Miami in a mega-tsunami if a landslide takes place in Spain, on the other side of the ocean. They say the mega-tsunami could be triggered if there is a landslide in the Canary Islands – an archipelago belonging to Spain located in the Atlantic Ocean just 100 Km from Morocco’s west coast. New York, Boston and Miami, as well as the Caribbean, could be wrecked by the killer wave that could also hit Central and South American countries.

Scientists have also found that a massive tear in the Earth’s crust could cause massive tsunamis and mega-quakes. The rip in the sea floor runs through the Ring of Fire – a treacherous spot in the Pacific Ocean known for deadly quakes and volcanic activity. The discovery of just how big the new fault – 60,000 square kilometres in size and off the north coast of Australia – has confirmed fears that a huge tremor is imminent. On the other hand, scientists now believe that an asteroid that hits the ocean may not result in the kind of destruction portrayed in Hollywood blockbusters such as Deep Impact and Armageddon.

While Japan, from where the very word “tsunami” (Big Wave in Japanese) comes, leads the world in tsunami research, many other countries are actively engaged in the field. Sri Lankan universities and research labs must take a more pro-active interest in tsunami research, given Sri Lanka’s increased vulnerability to earthquakes and tsunamis. Several tremors have been felt in Sri Lanka post-2004. Thus we must be prepared for bigger earthquakes and possibly tsunamis. Eternal vigilance is the answer.

Technology is racing ahead in the quest to predict tsunamis at least a few hours ahead. Scientists plan to use multiple navigation-satellite constellations such as EU’s Galileo, China’s BeiDou and other systems from India which will be operational by 2020 to vastly improve measurements of ocean wind speeds, sea-surface roughness and the height of waves. This should benefit tsunami research.

However, focusing on the technology and research aspect alone will not address the problem. A tsunami is a very human problem. A large number of people from fishermen to hotel employees depend on the sea and coast for their bread and butter. They cannot be separated from the sea. But there should be better regulations and laws to minimize the damage and loss of life that could be caused by a tsunami. The then Government imposed a 100 meter buffer zone for constructions in 2005 following the tsunami, but it is not clear whether this law is being implemented now. We cannot afford to take chances with another tsunami. Nature cannot be stooped, but we can be prepared to minimize the effects of its fury.

The Island Editorial

Misdiagnosis

26 December 2016

 

A well-known economist cum seasoned political commentator, in an article published in this newspaper today, makes some interesting observations on the draft Development (Special Provisions) Bill, which has run into opposition in some quarters. Pointing out that the proposed ministerial post is not unparalleled he cites instances where the bigwigs of UNP and SLFP governments used such powers to develop the country decades ago. His arguments are cogent and he deserves thanks for infusing some sense into the ongoing debate on the issue.

The main problem with the draft Development (Special Provisions) Bill, popularly known as the Super Ministry bill, in our book, is that it has been introduced by the very politicians who claim to abhor the executive presidency because it is vested with so much of power. They have, in fact, succeeded in pruning some of the executive presidential powers in keeping with their election pledges. So, their efforts to create an extra powerful ministry run counter to their campaign against the concentration of too much of power in a single institution. If their argument that a powerful ministry is necessary to achieve development holds water then they cannot fault their rivals for claiming that the executive presidency with undiluted powers is a prerequisite for safeguarding national security.

Interestingly, almost all MPs and Provincial Councillors of the SLFP-led UPFA are opposed to the Super Ministry bill. They are apparently unable to stomach the fact that the powers of President Maithripala Sirisena, who is also the SLFP leader, are being curtailed while attempts are being made to vest more powers in another government big gun.

Today, the devolution of power has thrown up problems and challenges which were non-existent in the pre-1987 period. There has been stiff resistance from the Provincial Councils (PCs) to the Super Ministry bill. Several PCs have already voted against it. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is reported to have indicated to a group of Chief Ministers, at a recent meeting, his willingness to consider amending the draft bill. This kind of flexibility is most welcome. The Rajapaksa government came down like the Wall of Jericho because it lacked flexibility, which prevents public resentment from welling up and finding expression in a massive protest vote.

UNP and SLFP governments until 1977 never sought to sell the family sliver on the pretext of development. Government leaders and bureaucrats were above suspicion like Caesar’s wife and, therefore, nobody made an issue of the powers they exercised in times of yore. But, most of those currently at the levers of power and their officials have a history of selling national assets for a song. People’s memories of the illegal sale of the Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation and the Lanka Marine Services property under the UNP-led UNF government (2001-2004) are still fresh. The recent Hambantota Port deal is also a case in point.

Efforts being made to create a super ministry are also detrimental to the interests of the country at a time an international campaign is underway to crank up pressure on the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe government to go beyond the 13th Amendment to make devolution ‘meaningful’. The Super Ministry bill shot down by some PCs can be construed as a move to enable the centre to take back some of the powers devolved to the periphery. That claim can be used to bolster the argument being peddled in favour of federalism.

True, most of the critics of Super Ministry bill did not make an issue of Basil Rajapaksa’s extraordinary ministry under the previous regime, which was, as we have pointed out in this space umpteen times, a government of the Rajapaksas by the Rajapaksas for the Rajapaksas. That Basil became too powerful as a minister is all the more reason why the proponents of yahapalanaya must oppose the Super Ministry bill if they really feel for the wellbeing of the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe government. For, Basil’s super ministry was one of the main reasons why the Rajapaksa government became highly unpopular and collapsed. It will certainly be the kiss of death for the government if its leaders are allowed to indulge in self-aggrandizement.

What actually prevents the current administration’s development programme from getting off the ground is a lack of funds and certainly not powers. Even if the government were to succeed in creating the most powerful ministry on earth here, it wouldn’t be able to achieve its development goals without the required funds. A disease has to be properly diagnosed before a remedy is administered.