By Manjari Peiris

Colombo, 19 June, (Asiantribune.com):  “We should improve the status of transport, especially make the railway to use mostly as the mode of transport; the public bus transport in urban areas too should be improved by making it more efficient and comfortable for passengers so that flooding of private vehicles into the traffic jam could be prevented.” Professor Tissa Vitarana, Minister of Science & Technology said so addressing a seminar to discuss on the status of sustainable energy in Sri Lanka and the potentials and the policy gaps, held recently at the Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science at Colombo 7

Minister Vitarana also disclosed that the government has appointed an inter-ministerial committee to look into the possibilities of meeting these challenges.  He pointed out that a country couldn’t be developed without finding a solution to the question of energy crisis.  “Depending on fossil fuel petroleum gas and coal is increasingly going to cause problems of shortage of supply of energy with the increased demand for it.  Therefore we have to find sources of creating alternate energy for our needs while cutting down the wastage of fuel consumption. “ 

He stated that a policy to use the sun’s energy hopefully would be a viable system to be developed practically applying it in the period ahead. “The cabinet has identified Glyricedia plantation as the fourth plantation in Sri Lanka which is also being planted as an under-crop of coconut plantation. But there should be more active drive to propagate on this plantation which could be used as a source of alternate energy.  The dairy and agriculture sectors too could be highly benefited through this plantation. 

The Minister suggested the wind energy system to be used as another source for creating alternate energy which resource is available right through the year. “We have to explore new avenues and ways of creating alternate energy such as the wave energy.  Also there are novel ways of exploring into other modes of using sun’s energy. “he said. 

 - Asian Tribune -