February 10, Colombo (LNW): Plantation and Community Infrastructure Samantha Vidyarathna has announced plans to provide immediate housing for families still residing in temporary relief camps after being displaced by landslides in recent months.

Speaking at a meeting held at his ministry today (10), the Minister confirmed that the construction of permanent homes for these families would commence in the first week of March.

The meeting, which included Ministry Secretaries and officers from the tri-forces, focused on urgent measures to address the plight of those still living in makeshift shelters.

Minister Vidyarathna revealed that, in the Kegalle District, 22 families have been forced to live in relief camps following landslides that destroyed their homes.

In addition, 51 families in Haldummulla, situated in the Badulla District, have been living in a disused tea factory in Kabaragala for the past five years, with many of them raising children in the inadequate facilities.

The Minister stressed that the Ministry of Plantation and Community Infrastructure would allocate the necessary funds to build permanent homes for these displaced families.

The construction work will be overseen by the tri-forces, with the Sri Lanka Army managing the projects in Haldummulla and Kabaragala, while the Sri Lanka Navy will lead the efforts in Kegalle.

To ensure that the process moves swiftly, Minister Vidyarathna outlined that government officials would visit the Kabaragala camp on Saturday (15) and the Kegalle camp on Monday (17).

These visits aim to expedite the housing construction process and provide much-needed support to the affected families.

The Minister assured that the government is committed to resolving this longstanding issue and giving these families the stable, permanent homes they desperately need.

February 10, Colombo (LNW): The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) has announced that scheduled power outages will continue across Sri Lanka on Monday (10), and Tuesday (11).

These outages are expected to last for one and a half hours during each of the two days, between the hours of 3:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., and will be implemented island-wide.

The electricity supply disruptions will be staggered across different zones to ensure a more manageable distribution of available power.

These temporary outages are part of ongoing efforts to balance the grid following a series of unforeseen technical issues that have affected the national power system.

A significant event unfolded on Sunday, 9th February, when a nationwide power failure struck at approximately 11:15 a.m.

The outage, initially caused by an incident at the Panadura grid substation, was triggered by a monkey entering the facility, resulting in an imbalance that knocked out the system.

This disruption left the entire island without power for a period of time.

The restoration process was slow and faced complications due to the lower electricity demand typical on a Sunday. However, by 6:00 p.m., most areas had their power restored.

Unfortunately, just as power began to return, another problem emerged at the Norochcholai Coal Power Plant, where an automatic safety protocol led to the disconnection of all three generators.

This further intensified the already critical power shortfall, as the national grid lost an additional 900 megawatts.

By late evening, demand for electricity began to rise, especially as people returned home from work. This led to more regional blackouts, and the CEB was forced to draw additional power from thermal plants to fill the gap.

Despite the team’s best efforts, the entire island did not experience a full restoration of electricity until 9:45 p.m.

In light of these ongoing challenges, the CEB has confirmed that it will take around four days to fully restart the three generators at the Norochcholai plant. Until then, power cuts will continue as the plant is gradually brought back online and integrated back into the national grid.

The CEB assures the public that efforts are underway to resolve the power crisis and stabilise the supply as soon as possible.

Visit here to see the time periods and zones for the power cuts scheduled by the CEB: https://lankanewsweb.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/CEB-Press-Release-2025-02-10.pdf

February 10, Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka has driven itself into being an amusement show before the international eye over the recent islandwide blackout to which the interference of a monkey was attributed.

The outage, which struck at approximately 11:30 AM local time (0600 GMT) yesterday (09), was triggered when the mischievous primate entered an electrical grid substation and caused a disruption in the power system, according to reports.

Initially believed to be the result of a technical failure, Energy Minister confirmed later that the outage was in fact the result of the monkey’s interference with the infrastructure.

Efforts to restore power began immediately, and authorities worked tirelessly for nearly 5 to 6 hours to bring electricity back online.

As the power supply was gradually restored, regions across Sri Lanka began to regain electricity, bringing relief to millions of affected residents.

Despite the chaos, the peculiar nature of the incident quickly gained international media attention, transforming the Sri Lankan monkey into an unlikely global sensation.

The unusual cause of the blackout has sparked widespread curiosity, with many across the world now looking to Sri Lanka as the site of one of the most bizarre power failures in recent memory.

February 10, Colombo (LNW): Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya has unveiled the “Clean Sri Lanka” programme, a comprehensive national initiative aimed at clearing the nation’s environment of litter and creating a more hospitable, civilised living space for all Sri Lankans.

During her speech at the inaugural event, titled “A Beautiful Beach, an Attractive Tourist Destination,” which took place this morning at Mattakkuliya Beach Park, Dr. Amarasuriya underscored the deeper purpose of the programme.

This ambitious initiative involves large-scale beach cleaning efforts, with simultaneous activities taking place at 124 locations across the Western and Southern Provinces.

The cleaning efforts will span a remarkable 1,740 kilometres of coastline, with volunteers working from 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM to help restore the pristine beauty of Sri Lanka’s beaches.

Speaking passionately about the programme, Prime Minister Amarasuriya said, “Today, we are undertaking a collective action to clean not just the physical spaces but to foster a cleaner mindset. The ‘Clean Sri Lanka’ programme is not merely about tidying up; it’s about removing barriers to leading a civilised life and advancing a fundamental social transformation.“

Dr. Amarasuriya went on to highlight the broader, more meaningful aim of this initiative: to create a positive shift in the country’s social and political fabric. “The transformation we seek must start within our homes, communities, and the spaces we inhabit daily. It is not a task that the government can tackle alone—everyone’s participation is vital for the success of this initiative. Today, we stand together, not in our official roles, but as fellow citizens committed to making a tangible difference,” she remarked.

The Prime Minister further emphasised the importance of creating a society built on the pillars of security, education, cleanliness, and social justice. She noted that these factors are integral to building a sustainable and livable environment for the people, especially in urban areas like Colombo.

“Through the Clean Sri Lanka programme, we aim to unite people from all walks of life in our collective goal of transforming the island into a cleaner, more beautiful place. This is the transformation our citizens expect and deserve,” she concluded.

The event saw the attendance of several key figures, including Deputy Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs, Attorney-at-Law Sunil Watagala, Western Province Governor Hanif Yusuf, Chairman of the Colombo District Development Committee Lakshman Nipunarachchi, as well as local community leaders and representatives from various organisations.

The presence of officers from the Sri Lanka Police and the Tri-Forces further underscored the broad support for the initiative, while the active participation of the local community demonstrated the shared commitment to restoring the nation’s natural beauty.

February 10, Colombo (LNW): Energy Minister Eng. Kumara Jayakody has made a statement blaming the lack of foresight and planning by past administrations for the ongoing instability in Sri Lanka’s national power grid, which led to the nationwide power outage experienced earlier today.

According to the Minister, no strategic plans were put in place by previous governments to ensure the stability and reliability of the country’s electricity supply system.

In his remarks, Minister Jayakody revealed that an emergency situation at the Panadura grid substation this morning had caused a significant imbalance, which subsequently resulted in the widespread power cut.

Early investigations into the incident have suggested that the power outage was, in part, the consequence of long-standing issues with the management and oversight of the national grid.

“The failure of past governments to prioritise the national power grid’s stability, combined with poor decision-making and a lack of technological understanding, has led us to this point,” Jayakody commented.

He added that the short-sighted approach of previous leaders, who did not address key infrastructure and technological concerns, contributed heavily to the current crisis.

Minister Jayakody assured the public that the current government was taking immediate steps to rectify the situation. A comprehensive investigation will be launched to fully understand the causes behind the power disruption, and corrective measures will be implemented to prevent similar occurrences in the future.

He also expressed his sincere apologies to the citizens who were affected by the outage and thanked the dedicated teams who worked tirelessly to restore power to the nation.

The Minister reiterated the government’s commitment to ensuring that the country’s energy infrastructure is modernised, sustainable, and capable of meeting future demands, stating that the current incident would serve as a wake-up call for much-needed reforms in the sector.

February 10, Colombo (LNW): In a major scam uncovered in Bengaluru, the Basaveshwara Nagar police have arrested Ramakrishna Rao, a man accused of defrauding a local businessman out of Rs 25 crore under the guise of a lucrative casino investment opportunity in Sri Lanka.

The accused, a resident of Banashankari, is the father of Rahul Thonse, who had previously been implicated in a notorious sandalwood drug case.

Ramakrishna Rao, identified as the primary suspect in the First Information Report (FIR), was taken into custody by the police, while his son Rahul remains at large.

Authorities suspect Rahul may have fled to Sri Lanka, where he is believed to be hiding.

The investigation has also brought in Rao’s wife, Rajeshwari, their daughter Raksha Thonse, and son-in-law Chetan Narayan, who are all named as co-accused in the case.

The charges against them include criminal breach of trust and cheating, with violations of the Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Act also being applied.

The scam began in February 2023, according to the complaint filed by Vivek P Hegde, a businessman and resident of Basaveshwara Nagar. Hegde claims that he was manipulated into investing Rs 25.5 crore in a fictitious casino venture.

The accused allegedly convinced Hegde and his business associates that Raksha and Chetan owned casino tables at a prestigious location in Colombo, Sri Lanka, with Rahul overseeing operations.

During an initial meeting on 7th February 2023, Ramakrishna Rao reportedly provided details about the business opportunity, further adding to the allure of the scheme.

Hegde, following several discussions with Chetan, transferred Rs 30 lakh to Rahul on 18th March 2023 as part of the supposed investment.

However, it soon became apparent that no such casino business existed, and the funds had been misappropriated.

The police are continuing their investigation, with the authorities focusing on tracking down Rahul and the remaining suspects involved in the fraudulent scheme. Investigators believe that this elaborate scam involved meticulous planning, as the accused worked together to create a network of deceit aimed at exploiting the victim’s trust and financial resources.

February 10, Colombo (LNW): In a recent operation conducted by the Sri Lankan Navy off the coast of Mannar, 14 Indian fishermen were arrested for engaging in illegal fishing activities within Sri Lankan waters.

The Navy, which has been actively monitoring the region for unlawful fishing, also confiscated two vessels used by the suspects during the operation.

The fishermen, who are believed to have been operating without proper authorisation, were detained and are now in the custody of the authorities.

The vessels they were using have been seized for further inspection and investigation.

Following the arrests, the suspects will be handed over to the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in Kilinochchi, where legal proceedings will be initiated.

The department will determine the appropriate course of action based on Sri Lankan fisheries laws, which have been put in place to protect the country’s maritime resources.