HFC girls set new meet record at Relay Championship

Holy Family Convent produced an impressive performance at the 4th Hiru Relay Championship 2026, with their Under-12 girls’ 4×100 metres relay team clinching the gold medal while establishing a new meet record.

The championship, held at the Diyagama Stadium on August 2 and 3, saw the HFC quartet race to victory in an impressive 56.94 seconds.

The successful squad comprised Fiona Botheju, Shenumi Fernando, Saasha Perera, Nicola Garninghe, Divinita Joel and Finoli Botheju.

The athletes were guided by HFC Athletic Head Coach Roy Samantha, Primary School Athletic Coach Thushara Fernando and Assistant Athletic Coach Ms. Lalana Iranganie.

Also supporting the team were Sports Coordinator Shavini Silva and Sports Teacher Indika Wijesekara, while the school administration was represented by Principal Rev. Sr. Charitha Thandalge and Primary School Principal Rev. Sr. Celina de Silva.

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Desilt reservoirs, learn from our ancient irrigation systems

by Prof. O. A. Ileperuma

Silting of reservoirs is a major problem today affecting our hydropower production and irrigation systems. The main Mahaweli reservoirs are silted to a considerable extent reducing the water holding capacity of them. Due to poor soil management practices, floodwaters deposit large amounts of silt in these reservoirs. When the Polgolla reservoir was fully drained about two years back, one could see mountains of silt in the lower reaches of the reservoir. A rough estimate is that 50% of the total capacity of these reservoirs has been lost to siltation. This is a serious issue which affects not only power and agriculture but also flood control.

Our ancient irrigation systems ensured that desilting of reservoirs took place under royal decree where all users of the reservoirs were ordered to carry out desilting of reservoirs during the dry season. The clay thus collected was used in making bricks for the construction of great stupas which dot the landscape of our ancient kingdoms. This ensured that the reservoirs had their full capacity filled with water for the next cultivating season. Our ancient kings were clever enough not to construct reservoirs by blocking main rivers such as the Mahaweli. A classic example is the Minipe left canal where they tapped only the surface water of Mahaweli. Even the bigger tanks such as Nuwara Wewa and Parakrama Samudraya were fed with minor rivulets. There were also other ingenious features in the cascade irrigation systems built by the ancient kings, such as mud sluice canals and forest reservations between the reservoirs in the cascade system. These reservations helped trap silt and remove excess nutrients, which could otherwise contribute to increasing salinity as water flowed from one reservoir to another.

Victoria

Moragahakanda

A classic engineering marvel is the former Yoda Ela, which carries water from Kalawewa to Nuwara Wewa and Tissa Wewa. It is 87 km long although the straight distance between these points is only about 40 km. The gradient of this canal is about 10 cm per km or 6 inches per mile. Yodha Ela functions as a moving reservoir and feeds about 4,600 hectares of paddy lands. It is a winding canal with about 120 smaller reservoirs on its way. It was constructed during the reign of King Dhatusena around 459 AD and later expanded by King Parakramabahu by connecting more reservoirs to the network. Unfortunately, during the Mahaweli project our modern-day engineers constructed a concrete canal replacing the winding path of this Yoda Ela also called Jaya Ganga. This effectively removed the ability of the old Yoda Ela to remove silt and nutrients. The bank of this Ela has wet zone trees such as jak and areca nut growing well. They take up the nutrients from the flowing stream making the water suitable for irrigation later.

Ancient Mesopotamian civilisations depended on dams constructed along the two main rivers, Euphrates and Tigris. After continuous irrigation of their fields over several thousand years, salinity of the irrigated lands increased making them unsuitable for agriculture. People died due to famine and this clearly illustrates the danger of blocking main rivers for agriculture. There is scientific evidence that the salinity of paddy soils in the Mahaweli C area is increasing.

We saw the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah. The sluice gates of the Kotmale Reservoir were opened, and Kandy and Peradeniya were flooded. If the reservoir had had greater storage capacity, couldn’t the opening of the gates have been delayed? This may not be an argument that modern-day engineers would readily accept, and I am not an irrigation expert. These ideas may well be naïve. But most of us tend to think of reservoirs mainly in terms of hydropower generation and irrigation, while their role in flood control receives much less attention. The question therefore deserves serious consideration. Could restoring lost reservoir capacity through desilting help improve our ability to manage extreme rainfall and reduce flood risks?

Desilting our reservoirs should be considered a national priority.

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Price of war keenly felt by investor community

By Hiran H. Senewiratne

The escalation of tensions in the Middle East and the surge in oil prices are continuing to negatively impacted investor sentiment, market analysts said yesterday.

The All Share Price Index went down by 93.55 points, while the S and P SL20 declined by 23.8 points.

Turnover stood at Rs 1.45 billion with five crossings. Those crossings were; Sampath Bank 3 million shares traded to the tune of Rs 428 million; its shares traded at Rs 142.50, Commercial Bank 256,000 shares crossed for Rs 49 million; its shares traded at Rs 204.50, Digital Mobility Solutions 190,000 shares crossed to the tune of Rs 30 million; its shares fetched Rs 158, Overseas Realty 493,000 shares crossed for Rs 26 million; its shares sold at Rs 53 and Royal Ceramics 469,000 shares crossed to the tune of Rs 23 million; its shares traded at Rs 48.50.

In the retail market companies that mainly contributed to the turnover were; Commercial Credit and Finance Rs 38 million (376,000 shares traded), Renuka Agri Rs 33 million (2.8 million shares traded), Sierra Cables 32 million (925,000 shares traded), Singer SriLanka Rs 31 million (359,000 shares traded), Dialog Axiata Rs 31 million (637,000 shares traded) and Access Engineering Rs 30 million (383,000 shares traded). During the day 35 million share volumes changed hands in 13380 transactions.

It is said that banking sector counters, especially Commercial Bank, led the market,which contributed close to half of the total turnover. Apart from that other sectors, including manufacturing, telecom and construction counters performed well.

Meanwhile, Melstacorp (down 1.32 percent at Rs 187.00 ), Royal Ceramics Lanka (down 1.22 percent at Rs 48.50 ), Hemas Holdings (down 1.27 percent at Rs 31.20 ), and Dipped Products (down 1.50 percent at Rs 59.00) were top negative contributors.

Yesterday the rupee was quoted at Rs 328.60/70 to the US dollar in the spot market from Rs 328.60/80 the previous day, while bond yields were quoted steady to lower, dealers said.

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Govt. asks UNHRC to do away with country-specific mandate targeting SL

Sri Lanka has urged the Human Rights High Commissioner, Volker Türk, to end the country-specific mandate in respect of Sri Lanka where national processes demonstrated progress.

Addressing the 63rd Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, on 08 September, 2026, during the General Debate under the Agenda Item 2, Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations in Geneva, Ambassador Sumith Dassanayake emphasised that no Council mandate should be regarded as indefinite.

The written update on human rights situation in Sri Lanka was presented to the Council on 08 September and the General Debate was attended by the United Nations Human Rights High Commissioner, Volker Türk.

Dassanayake emphasised that at a time when the international community is confronted with grave and urgent human rights situations, including armed conflicts, displacement, and humanitarian crises, the Council must ensure its work and resources are directed towards the most pressing global challenges.

Dassanayake also emphasised to the High Commissioner that all mandates, particularly country-specific ones, should be subject to periodic review against clearly defined objectives and measurable outcomes. He called for sunset clauses and phase-out provisions to be explicitly incorporated into country-specific resolutions where appropriate.

Dassanayake stressed that when a country demonstrates progress through national processes, dialogue, cooperation, and technical assistance, the Council should provide a credible pathway towards concluding the relevant mandate.

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Toronto-based fashion brand Arvénoir expands into Sri Lanka

Toronto-based fashion brand Arvénoir, founded by designer and entrepreneur Anamica Mithila, is expanding its international presence with the launch of its official e-commerce platform, www. Arvénoir.com, in Sri Lanka.

Known for contemporary design, effortless tailoring and conscious craftsmanship, Arvénoir is introducing its premium European linen collections to Sri Lankan consumers. Featuring breathable fabrics, refined silhouettes and versatile pieces suited to warm-weather living, the collection reflects the influence of Sri Lanka’s tropical lifestyle.

Although Arvénoir was founded and developed in Toronto, its design perspective is informed by a range of cultures, environments and lifestyles. For founder Anamica Mithila, the relaxed elegance and tropical character of Sri Lankan life have provided an important source of inspiration for creating collections that balance sophistication with comfort.

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Further evidence on 5 Oct

Corruption case against Kumara Jayakody:

Former Chairman of Lanka Fertilizer Company, Buddhika Ruwan Madihahewa yesterday (7) told the Colombo High Court hearing corruption case against former Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody that in his capacity as the Chairman had approved an advance payment of RS. 8.8 mn to D.S. Construction on the basis of confirmation made by the Procurement and Finance Divisions that procurement procedures had been followed. Jayakody had been the Procurement Manager at that time.

Jayakody resigned in April this year following controversy over the case and the exposure of alleged irregularities in the coal procurement process.

The case was taken up before Colombo High Court Judge Rasantha Godawela, who ordered that further trial of evidence in the case filed by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) against Jayakody be taken up on 5 Oct.

Madihahewa, who testified under the direction of CIABOC Deputy Director General Asitha Anthony, told court that a procurement process had been initiated in 2014 to select a bidder to carry out the carpeting of roads at the Hunupitiya warehouse complex of Lanka Fertilizer Company.

The witness said that Jayakody, had been serving as the Procurement Manager of the company at the time.

According to him following the procurement process, a company named D.S. Construction was selected to carry out the road carpeting project. An advance payment of Rs. 8.8 million had subsequently been made to the company against an advance payment guarantee, the witness said.

The witness stated that he had approved the payment after examining documents submitted by the Procurement and Finance Divisions confirming that the relevant procurement procedures had been followed properly.

However, the witness admitted that the company had failed to carry out the carpeting work. He further revealed that some materials, had been left within the company premises.

He further testified that subsequently, only Rs. 2.2 million had been recovered under the advance payment guarantee provided by the company.

The CIABOC had filed the case against the former Minister alleging that while serving as the Procurement Manager of Lanka Fertilizer Company in 2014, he had caused a loss of Rs. 8.8 million to the government by carrying out procurement activities relating to the carpeting of the company’s warehouse premises in a manner favourable to a private company.

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Systemic questions linger over NDB fraud inquiry

By Sanath Nanayakkare

The unfolding developments surrounding the massive internal financial irregularity at the National Development Bank PLC (NDB), valued at approximately LKR 13.2 billion, continue to demand rigorous public scrutiny.

As months have passed since the initial disclosure of the fraud in early 2026, questions regarding institutional accountability, regulatory oversight, and corporate governance remain central to discussions concerning the stability and transparency of Sri Lanka’s financial sector.

First coming to light through corporate disclosures and subsequent regulatory reviews, the LKR 13.2 billion incident represents one of the largest internal fraud cases recorded within a major commercial institution in recent times. Because NDB is a systemically important institution – with major state-backed shareholding through entities such as the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF), the Employees’ Trust Fund (ETF), Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation (SLIC), and the Bank of Ceylon (BOC) – the implications extend far beyond normal corporate missteps.

Public interest advocates and financial analysts have repeatedly emphasised that any major lapse in a bank of this magnitude warrants total transparency to maintain public confidence. Although the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) and bank management have publicly assured stakeholders that customer deposits remain secure and day-to-day operations unaffected, the broader governance questions regarding how such significant vulnerabilities went undetected remain a subject of intense public debate.

A focal point of concern among financial analysts and governance watchdogs is the framework surrounding the independent forensic audit commissioned to investigate the transactions.

Entrusted to international expertise via Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India LLP, the audit’s mandate includes examining the circumstances of the fraudulent operations as well as evaluating historical lapses in internal controls, oversight, and compliance.

However, critics, including public interest figures, have raised questions regarding the timeline for the finalisation and release of these findings.

Parliamentary oversight bodies, such as the Committee on Public Finance (CoPF), have previously engaged with regulatory authorities to review the matter.

Observers point out that timely public access to comprehensive audit findings – without compromising ongoing criminal investigations by entities like the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) – is vital to ensuring that systemic gaps are permanently closed.

The NDB case has also cast a sharp spotlight on broader corporate governance norms in Sri Lanka, bringing elements such as board oversight, the role of external auditors, and potential conflict-of-interest perceptions into sharper focus.

Critics argue that maintaining public trust requires strict adherence to ethical standards at every level of corporate leadership, from commercial bank directors to regulatory supervisors.

“As the country seeks to attract sustainable foreign direct investment, establishing an uncompromised standard of accountability is paramount. For the memory of this financial fraud to serve a constructive purpose, institutional watchdogs, lawmakers, and regulators must ensure that investigations are brought to a transparent, logical, and publicly accountable conclusion, ensuring that public resources and systemic financial integrity are robustly safeguarded,” keen observers of this massive brank fraud say.

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