Monaragala District Research Articles

Identification of Deep and Shallow Groundwater Potential Zones using GIS Techniques; Case Study: Monaragala District, Sri Lanka

One of the most crucial steps in the management of groundwater sources sustainably is the delineation of the zones with potential for groundwater. However, in addition to taking a lot of time and money, groundwater investigations can be difficult and complex in many locations. To get sufficient results, it needed to demarcate shallow and deep groundwater potentiality separately. Sri Lankan districts have various problems due to a lack of water. With population growth and urbanization, surface water is insufficient to meet the water requirement. This study focused on groundwater potential mapping in Monaragala district covered with the total are 5708 km2 in Sri Lanka. The fuzzy overlay and weighted overlay method integrated with GIS were mainly used to determine potential zones for deep and shallow groundwater. The final results from the two overlaying methods were compared to identify most accurate locations. Six parameters, namely aquifer type, soil depth, soil group, rainfall, proximity to surface water bodies, and slope, were evaluated for the shallow groundwater studies. Proximity to lineament, geology and shallow groundwater parameters were assessed for profound groundwater potentiality. The final output resulting maps were categorized into five main categories such as extremely low, low, moderate, high and extremely high by considering obtained potential values. The deep groundwater potential map demonstrates that the high groundwater potential areas are located around the lineaments, prominently areas having mountain ranges. Therefore the effect of the lineament is very high for deep groundwater availability. High shallow groundwater potential areas are located in smaller regions from Katharagama, Thanamalwila and Siyambalanduwa. Obtained results were validated using existing 220 tube well data and 100 dug well data. 
 Keywords: Fuzzy overlay, Geology, GIS, Groundwater, Weighted overlay

Preliminary Analysis of Air Conditioner Condensate Water Generation in Buttala, Monaragala, Sri Lanka

In tropical countries like Sri Lanka, a significant amount of air-conditioner (A/C) condensate water is often discharged into the environment without being utilized. Although considerable number of reports available for South and East Asia, research related to AC condensate in Sri Lanka is scanty. The aim of this research was to analyse the quality and quantity of the discharged condensed water after understanding the potential environmental concerns. Monaragala district was chosen for this study due to its dry climate and the widespread use of air conditioners in most shops, resulting in a substantial discharge of condensed water into the environment. Water samples were taken from 31 institutions within Buttala area. These samples were collected in triplicate, and the mean value was used for analysis. When considering all parameter values, pH, TDS, Turbidity, Electrical Conductivity, and color showed good compliance with the SLS 614:2013 and NEA standards. (Mean values were 7.317, 28.37 ppm, 1.47 NTU, 54.21 µS, 10.74 and standard deviation values
 were 0.1138, 13.46, 0.1961, 26.01, 5.047 respectively). Therefore, the condensed water from air conditioners is unlikely to have environmental impacts and can be safely used for irrigation and agricultural purposes. In the case of potable water, all the parameters analyzed in this research were well-fitted with the potable water standards. However, if it is intended for drinking purposes, further analysis for heavy metal contamination is required. By considering 11 number of A/C units, an amount of condensed water 0.97L/h/ton is released to the environment; equivalent to approximately
 7.76 L/ton per day. The values were taken in duplicates. The volume of condensate water, while considerable, doesn’t need to be released into the environment without purpose. Instead, this water can be efficiently utilized for various applications, including garden irrigation, toilet flushing, cooling applications, cleaning, fire suppression, and construction. This suggestion is imperative, not only for the Buttala area but for the entire country of Sri Lanka, as this approach can yield several positive effects on both the environment and the economy.
 
 Keywords: Air conditioners, Condensed water, Quality analysis, Quantity analysis

Exploring the relationship between the food environment and preferences among schoolchildren in a low socioeconomic community in Sri Lanka: A GIS-based assessment.

The food environment in school neighborhoods plays a crucial role in manipulating the food choices of schoolchildren. This study investigated the relationship between the food environment in neighborhoods and the dietary practices of government school students in a low socioeconomic setting in Sri Lanka. This cross-sectional study surveyed the neighborhood food environment of selected schools (n = 30) in the Monaragala District, Sri Lanka, using geographical information system (GIS) data and collected dietary information from a representative sample of schoolchildren (n = 603). Chi-square and Spearman correlation tests were performed using SPSS version 23.0 to estimate the associations between the food environment and BMI, while ArcGIS 10.4.1 was used to analyze the GIS data. The majority of the students (35.5%) were 15 years old, and approximately 51% were females. The mean BMI of the study participants was 18.14 (±3.28). More than 90% of outlets within proximity sold unhealthy foods. Consumption of confectionaries was 72.3% of the students, whereas healthy food choices ranged from 5% to 12%. A positive correlation between consuming unhealthy food and distance to outlets from school was observed (p<0.05). The risk of consuming low-nutrition food doubled (OR = 2.47, 95% CI: 1.52-3.89) among the students studying in schools where a larger proportion of energy-dense food was sold in closer proximity. In conclusion, the density and proximity of outlets that sell food with low nutrients in the school neighborhood environment were positively associated with students' unhealthy food item choices.

Disability-adjusted life years due to leptospirosis in Monaragala District of Sri Lanka.

Leptospirosis is a zoonotic infection with significant morbidity and mortality. As an occupational disease, it has become a global concern due to its disease burden in endemic countries and rural areas. The aim of this study was to assess disease burden in terms of Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) of leptospirosis.A hospital-based descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using 450 clinically diagnosed leptospirosis patients admitted to base and above hospitals in Monaragala District, Sri Lanka, using a pre-tested interviewer-administered questionnaire. The patients were followed up until normal day-to-day life after discharge. Estimation of DALYs was done using laboratory-confirmed leptospirosis patients. Leptospirosis disease burden in Monaragala District was 44.9 DALYs per 100,000 population, which includes 33.18 Years of life losts and 10.9 YLDs. The incidence of leptospirosis in Monaragala District during the study period was 59.8 per 100,000 population, and the case fatality rate (CFR) was 1.5% and 75% of deaths were among males.The disease burden of leptospirosis in Monaragala District was significantly high and urgent efforts to control and prevent leptospirosis should be a priority.

Factors Influencing Consumer Buying Decision towards Herbal Products in Monaragala District, Sri Lanka

Appeal towards herbal products is increasing these days, because consumers become conscious about natural ingredients and harmless offers. This study aims to identify the influencing factors on consumer buying decision towards herbal products. This is a quantitative study which gathered data from 200 customers from Monaragala district, Sri Lanka using snowball sampling technique. The data were analyzed by using descriptive, correlation and multiple regression analyses. Findings of the study show that there is a strong positive relationship between independent variables (health conscious, social influence, product price, perceived value, trust) and consumer buying decision. Also, highlights that health conscious, social influence, product price, perceived value, and trust have significantly impact on consumer buying decision. Among the independent variables, social influence is the most influencing factor on consumer buying decision. This study will be helpful to the consumers to make effective decision during the consumption process and to the companies to place their strategies effectively.

The Media Impact on Sri Lanka's Indigenous People; Wannilaeto (“Vedda”) of Dambana

This research examined the media impact on Vedda people in Dambana Village, Monaragala district, in the Uva province in Sri Lanka. The Vedda community is also known as Adivasi (Original inhabitants) or Wannilaeto, indigenous people in Sri Lanka. The Vedda people of Dambana are also in the process of modernization failing to maintain their identity. Some of them hide their identity by absorption into neighboring Sinhala or Tamil communities. Wannilaeto have a community radio station called Dambana Radio but it is not fully operational and the programs do not match their needs. The number of listeners is at a minimum level. The Dambana Vedda community has access to media. The younger generation has cellular phones and Tablet PCs. One hundred Vedda members have been interviewed onsite. Snowball sampling method implied. Snowball sampling method (the sample grows like a rolling snowball) is also known as network sampling. It is a non-probability sampling. Some of the Vedda people preferred to use their mother tongue (Wanniyalaththo language) and was assisted by a translator from the Vedda community. The research found that media has become one of the main factors influencing the Vedda people of Dambana, especially the younger generation. They change their lifestyles willfully and quickly adopt to alien cultures, especially, neighboring Sinhalese culture.

An Analysis of Covid-19 Global Pandemic and Sri Lankan Aboriginal Community with Special Reference to Bourdieusian Approach

It seems that Sri Lankan aboriginal community had to go through significant hardships during the Covid-19 outbreak. This particular research was conducted in Rathugala aboriginal village in Monaragala district mainly as a qualitative research. The whole research was driven by four major objectives; investigating the social burdens that Rathugala aborigines had to undergo in the pandemic outbreak, the efficacy of the government-sponsored redressing mechanism towards the Rathugala aborigines, the coping strategies employed by Rathugala aborigines to face the unexpected pandemic and its consequences and understanding aforesaid factors through a Bourdieusian perspective. A sample comprising 20 respondents (N=20) was selected under the purposive sampling and sample size was determined by the data saturation point. Data analysis was predominantly carried out as a thematic analysis with a Bourdieusian Approach. The research revelations are as follows; Closing the entrances to the aboriginal village seemingly brought most of the income earnings of the Rathugala aborigines to a halt. Subsequently, it caused the proliferation of the decades-old chronic poverty in Rathugala aboriginal village. Some aboriginal youth have been involved in illegal means of income-earning for their survival as government subsidizing was late and not systematic. The lack of social capital in the Rathugala aboriginal community has made them more deprived of gaining social support from outside of their community. Being aborigines has created a pathetic social perception in the mindset of both the general public and state officials and it might have been a barrier for Rathugala aborigines in the pandemic time when gaining state support.

Socio-economic Context of Rubber Growing in Non-traditional Rubber Cultivating Areas

Monaragala is one of the main non-traditional rubber cultivating areas in Sri Lanka, where majority of rubber is cultivated by smallholders. This is an attempt to identify the socio demographic characteristics, rubber cultivation characteristics, and rubber processing characteristic of smallholders in Monaragala district. The data used in this study were gathered through a field survey using a sample of 150 smallholders and the data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The results of the survey showed that the knowledge of smallholders regarding rubber processing was around 70% and the processing standards was at a lower level. Majority of the smallholders are producing Ribbed Smoked Sheet (RSS) or sell raw field latex, which resembles that there is a potential to diversify the processing sector by introducing other processing techniques such as crepe rubber and technically specified rubber. Majority of the sample population which was around 63% were attracted towards high cost group processing centers than processing RSS at household level by using low-cost simple techniques such as using carpets for milling and chimney for smoke drying.

Significance of Mg-hardness and fluoride in drinking water on chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology in Monaragala, Sri Lanka

The epidemic of chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology (CKDu) that contributes significantly to morbidity and mortality rates among dry-zonal farming communities has become a public health priority in Sri Lanka. Though a large number of hypotheses were introduced as causative factors, none of them have been confirmed so far. As drinking water quality is among the most suspected causative factors for the emergence of CKDu, a detailed hydro-geochemical investigation was carried out concurrently with the population screening in the Monaragala district of Sri Lanka where high incidences of CKDu are reported. A population screening was performed selecting 46,754 people using both dipstick proteinuria test and Albumin-Creatinine Ratio (ACR). The results revealed that the disease prevalence is about 6.7 % in the district. A total of 60 groundwater samples, 30 each, were collected from CKDu-prevalent locations and control locations where there are no CKDu cases reported. The samples were analyzed to identify any possible linkage between water quality and disease prevalence. Concentrations of hardness, F−, Na+, and Mg2+ in groundwater revealed a statistically significant difference between CKDu and control wells at a confident level of p = 0.05. The study revealed that alkali (Na++K+) and alkaline earth cations (Mg2+, Ca2+, Sr2+, Ba2+) were relatively higher in drinking water sources used by CKDu patients, compared to the well waters used by healthy individuals. Nearly 87 % of the wells used by CKDu cases showed higher fluoride levels that exceed the threshold level (1.0 mg L−1). Contents of nephrotoxic trace elements such as As, Cd, and Pb were found to be comparable in both types of wells and were well below the WHO permissible levels, thus negating their prime influence on the CKDu prevalence. It is obtrusive that the elevated fluoride levels together with water hardness associated with higher Mg2+ levels have a possible relation with CKDu and may influence the disease progression.

Quality and Price Variation in the Dairy Value Chian: A Case Study in &lt;em&gt;Monaragala&lt;/em&gt; District, Sri Lanka

Low value addition, quality and price variations have been recognized as common problems of value chains in developing countries. Objective of the present study was to examine the quality and price variations throughout the dairy value chain in a less developed region in Sri Lanka. Wellawaya divisional secretariat of Monaragala district was purposively selected as the study area. Primary data were collected by using pre-tested, structured questionnaires. Laboratory tests of milk and curd samples were carried out to check the quality variation using standard methods. Milk samples were collected from three levels including farmer (10), processor (10 from each, milk and curd) and retailer (10) to determine the quality variation. According to the results, price of curd and yoghurt at consumer level was increased by 36% and 77% compared to the farm gate price. Farmer received the highest profit per liter of milk (68.00 LKR) in the shortest value chain (D) out of four main chains identified. The markets’ margin was estimated at 36%. Farmer had the largest share of 64% followed by processor (20%), retailer (8%), collector (4%), and wholesaler (4%). It was evident that farmers received fair profit through all four dairy value chains. However, solid non-fat percentage, specific gravity and pH of analyzed samples through the value chain were not comply with the standards. In conclusion, the prices of dairy products have increased while deteriorating the quality along the chain. It is therefore important to educate and train actors throughout the dairy value chain on quality management.

Assessing soil quality and soil erosion hazards in the Moneragala District, Sri Lanka

This study was carried out in order to assess physicochemical properties of soil and to develop a predictive soil erosion hazard zonation map based on the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST)—sediment delivery ratio model (SDR) of the Moneragala District which has been recognized as a highly spreading district of chronic kidney disease of uncertain etiology (CKDu) in Sri Lanka. A total of 68 soil samples were purposely collected from cultivation areas from CKDu prevalence and non-prevalence areas representing the entire district in three soil depths of 0–7, 7–14, 14–21 cm using a soil core sampler for the analyses of moisture content and bulk density. Another subset of soil samples was collected from the depths of 0–15, 15–30, 30–45 cm for the analysis of pH, electrical conductivity (EC), soil texture, major cations, and heavy metals. According to the results, the soil textural triangle shows that the study area consisted of 11 types of soils and the topsoil layer consisted of mainly 4 soil types as sandy loam soil, sandy clay loam soil, loamy sandy soil, and sandy soil, whereas 52 of the soil samples have belonged to the group of sandy loam. Furthermore, the results disclosed that with the increasing depth, the soil pH and EC are increased, the moisture content is decreased, and bulk density is gradually increased. Fe and Mg were found to be the dominant cations in the study area, whereas Cu, Ni, Zn, and Pb were within the tolerable limits, whereas Cd exceeded acceptable levels. Moreover, according to the developed soil erosion hazard zonation map, the predicted mean annual soil loss rate in the study area is 27.8 t/ha/yr and a total of 3.7 t/ha/yr sediment is exported to the stream by erosion. Moreover, the overall study gives an insight that there is no distinct relationship between the spatial distribution of physicochemical properties and the prevalence of CKDu in the Moneragala District. Moreover, the number of CKDu patients recorded is high in the southern part of the study area where soil erosion is found to be low due to its flat low elevated topography where 71% of groundwater quality is poor. However, the ultimate outcomes of this study possibly would be directly used for soil and water conservation (SWC) programs in the Monaragala District.

Effectiveness of ‘Mother Supportive Group’ intervention on childhood nutrition improvement in Monaragala District of Sri Lanka

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Economic appraisal of iron ore deposit in Buttala, Sri Lanka: Preliminary mineral and chemical evidences

Iron ore deposits have greater industrial significance since they supply raw material for steel based industries and such applications are majorly based on their mineral and chemical characteristics. Therefore, initial clear understandings on mineralogy and geochemistry of these ores would be advantageous. Present study aimed to investigate the mineral and chemical composition of the iron ore deposit exposed in Buttala, Monaragala District, Sri Lanka and to assess its economic potential. Sampling was carried out systematically along the ridge of ore containing mountain and from the host rocks. Textural and weathering characteristics of the ore samples were determined in hand specimen scale. Detail mineralogy was analyzed on X-Ray Diffractrometer (XRD) analyzer while elemental characterization was performed on X-Ray Florescence (XRF) spectrometer. Spatial distributions of iron and gangue elements of the ore were mapped using the Quantum GIS software. The deposit is mostly exposed as fresh ore bodies along the ridge of mountain and is hosted in garnet biotite gneiss. As indicated by the XRD results, common minerals of the ore deposit are magnetite and hematite with minor amounts of spinel, ilmenite and goethite. Average Fe2O3 content of the ore deposit is 78.84 wt. % with 55.14 wt. % of calculated Fe content. The spatial distribution of iron is higher at the northern and southern parts of the ridge than its middle part. The resulted Fe content of the ore is greater than many of the other iron ore deposits in Sri Lanka and comparable to the high grade iron ore deposits found elsewhere in the world. Concentrations of common gangue constituents of Al2O3, SiO2, TiO2 and MgO are 7.54 wt. %, 4.40 wt. %, 3.6 wt. % and 2.54 wt. % respectively. Contents of S and P, which are considered as common deleterious elements are negligible. Therefore, the Buttala iron ore deposit is magnetite and hematite containing, high grade iron ore deposit with greater economic potential.

Evaluating Implementation Fidelity of “Mother Supportive Group” Intervention to Improve Childhood Nutrition in Monaragala District of Sri Lanka

A higher level of implementation fidelity of nutrition interventions is required to make a significant impact on nutrition promotion especially among children of age under five years. Mother Supportive Group is a community empowerment programme of the Ministry of Health, which has been operating in Sri Lanka since 2012 for promotion of nutrition among under five years in the community. The objective of this study was to assess the implementation fidelity of Mother Supportive Group intervention in a selected community. A series of key informant interviews were conducted with nine middle-level healthcare managers and six focus group discussions were conducted with programme supervisors and members of the Mother Supportive Groups. Implementation fidelity of this intervention was assessed giving emphasis to adherence, dose & exposure, quality of delivery, participants’ responsiveness and programme environment. According to the results, adherence to key components of the implementation fidelity of this intervention in Monaragala district was unsatisfactory. Activities within Mother Supportive Groups have been delivered to a lesser extent than expected and the quality of delivered components was also found to be poor. Acceptance of Mother Supportive Group intervention by its primary target population was also unsatisfactory because of various programme issues and unconducive environment existed in the community for its implementation. As reported in number of other studies, relationship between implementation fidelity and outcome of the intervention has a positive correlation. In this study it was clear that, the implementation fidelity of Mother Supportive Group intervention was low and it has led to less effective coverage of primary target population, giving rise to no tangible impact on the nutrition of children in the study group. Therefore, measures need to be taken to increase the implementation fidelity of Mother Supportive Group intervention to achieve the expected level of nutrition and growth promotion.

Development of a product quality index for the value chain of the dairy industry: a case study in Monaragala District, Sri Lanka

Value chain management is immensely important to the management of a network of interconnected businesses involved in the eventual provision of the highest quality product and service packages required by end customers. Dairy and dairy products are highly attached by microorganisms and products are damaged due to inappropriate methods of packing, storage and transportation. Insufficient information flow; low productivity, low GDP contribution from the dairy sector; poor processing capacity and lack of chilling centers are other major handicaps. Therefore, this study aimed: to assess the different quality maintenance practices for developing a Product Quality Index (PQI) for a dairy product and to make suggestions for improving quality through the quality index of the dairy value chain. Wellawaya Divisional Secretariat (DS) division was purposively selected out of 11 DS divisions of the district for the study since dairy production is the main occupation in that area. Stratified random sampling method was used to select 20 small scales, 10 medium scales, and 10 large scale farmers while the purposive sampling method was used to select, 10 collectors, 10 processors, 15 marketers and 15 consumers. Primary data were collected using a pre-tested structured questionnaire through a field survey. The PQI was developed for this study which is varied from 1 to 100 values. The result showed that all the practices in the Wellawaya area were shown medium standard based upon the mean marks. Animal nutrition management (6.0) was the best practice and farmer level hygienic and quality practices (3.45) were the practices with lower marks in the area. PQI of locally produced different dairy products were compared with the most popular dairy brand available on the market. According to the newly developed PQI value for this study, locally produce curd and yoghurts marks were varied from 29.5% to 64.6% and the PQI of the most popular branded curd and yoghurt products was 77.8%. So, locally produced curd and yoghurt products which are produced at the Wellawaya belong to medium and low-quality levels whereas the quality of the branded dairy products was high. In conclusion, it can be sid that Hence we concluded that the quality standard of locally produced dairy products were low as compared to branded dairy products. Therefore, it’s important to train actors in the value chain to develop products with high-quality practices and suggests expanding the PQI value as an indicator for the quality of the dairy value chain.

Social, Economic and Environment Sustainability of Food Crop Production Systems: Sugarcane vs. Maize Production

Knowledge and technological inputs have played a significant role in the process of agrarian transformation of low input subsistence farming to high input commercial systems. The said transformation took place at a varying degree and nature owing to policy interests of successive governments though succeeded in meeting the growing food demand it eventually led to serious socio-economic and environmental implications and made food crop production systems (FCCPSs) more unsustainable. Many of them are irreversible and restoring the lost socio-economic values and degraded eco systems are challenging. Therefore, it has been a greater challenge today to achieving key sustainable development goals - Zero Poverty and No Hunger- while making FCPSs of small farmers sustainable. Identification of and encouraging wide-spread adoption of sustainable FCPSs is a must for that reason where policy directives could play a significant role. This study analyses and presents how effective are the agricultural sustainability indices as decision tools in the above mission. Primary data collected from two rain-fed FCPSs –maize and sugarcane- in the South East Dry Zone of Sri Lanka (SEDZ) in 2016 were used to assess the sustainability indices based on ten variables representing social, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainability of the FCPSs. The sample involved 149 farmers from Pelawatta sugarcane settlement scheme in Monaragala District and 130 maize farmers from Monaragala and Ampara districts. Additional data were collected through key informant interviews, focus group discussions and field observations. The results of the study showed that, both crops demonstrates approximately equally in social (SSI: maize - 0.566, sugarcane – 0.562) and environmental terms (ESI: maize – 0.260 and sugarcane – 0.259). Use of agrochemicals for weed control and fertilizer to compensate depleting soil fertility has become inescapable in both crops. Crop yield reduction owing to poor quality planting material is a major implication too. However, sugarcane is financially better off (FSI: 0.491) than maize (FSI: 0.342). Among the contributing variables were; higher contribution to family income (70 percent) and considerably high productivity (18850 kg/ac/yr) in compared to that of maize – 38 percent and 1764 kg of maize/ac/yr respectively. Currently there is a growing interest towards the expansion of croplands for both crops yet, the government is indecisive on the allocation of precious land resources. Therefore, the implications of the study contributes further dimensions to face the challenge of ending hunger and poverty through allocating land and other resources towards promoting sustainable FCPSs. Keywords: Agrarian transformation, Food crops, Sustainability, Policy directives, Resource allocation

Importance of Underutilized Crops in Thanamalwila Divisional Secretariat Division in Monaragala District in Sri Lanka

Underutilized crops serve many purposes for a household. This study was conducted to study the importance of these crops for households in Thanamalwila divisional secretariat division in Moneragala District. The purpose of this research was to identify the importance of underutilized crops for farmers in Monaragala District of Sri Lanka. Data were collected from 120 farmers who cultivate underutilized crops, through a field survey with the help of a questionnaire during January- October 2015. Group discussions were also conducted to collect in-depth information. The findings reveal, a significant number of underutilized crop species are being cultivated by the farmers. Among them, some cereals, vegetables, legumes, fruits, yams and tuber crops and herbals are common. Farmers’ main goals of cultivation are to fulfill the food requirement of the family, find extra income and to use them as herbals for simple health disorders. When farmers’ attitudes towards the underutilized crops are taken into consideration, they have positive attitude towards economic benefits of cultivating underutilized crops, medicinal and nutritional values, low cost of cultivation, less water requirements, less pest and disease problems, etc. However, farmers have neither agreed nor disagreed upon three broad levels of importance of underutilized crops namely, contributing to the biodiversity, environmental protection and tolerance to climate changes. Most of the farmers have general understanding about the importance of underutilized crops. Moreover, farmers are still willing to cultivate these crops for selling if they can have necessary facilities and a good market.

Developing Students’ Information Skills based on Empowering 8 Information Literacy Model in The Siyabalanduwa Educational Zone, Sri Lanka

According to the statistics of the Examination Department in Sri Lanka, Monaragala is one of the lowest ranked educational zones of the at the General Certificate in Education (Advanced Level) Examination which is the final examination in school education. Siyabalanduwa division, a rural area located about 280 km away from the the capital of Colombo, has been obtaining the lowest rank in this examination during each year. Therefore, the researchers decided to carry out an action research as a pilot program, with the collaboration of principals, instructors and school librarians in this education division in order to remedy the above problem. Nine schools which were conducting courses of instructions for the advanced level examination in this division, were chosen for the research. Initially, a three day workshop was conducted for a group of 40 members which included principals, three advanced level teachers of the science, arts, and commerce streams and the school librarians. The concepts of information and learning, resource based learning, information literacy, empowering 8 information literacy model and information literacy skills were discussed during the first two days. The method of carrying out an action research was presented on the final day. As an outcome of this action research, each school decided to conduct a one month information literacy orientation program for newcomers to the advanced level classes. To identify the students’ prior knowledge, a common written paper was applied as a pre-test. After analyzing the students’ answer scripts, each school prepared an action plan which was conducted using the school library, audio visual room, and the computer laboratory, as a collaborative teaching learning process. Apart from that the NILIS research team conducted another three day workshop. On the First two days the research team visited each school and perused the students’ pre and post test marks, lesson plans, activity sheets, student work, and written reflections. In addition, discussions were held with each school principal, teacher, school librarian and the students participating in the research. On the final day writing an action research report was introduced. After conducting the action research, each school submitted its report to the National Institute of Library &amp; Information Sciences (NILIS) and the Director of the Zonal Education Office, Monaragala. On analyzing the reports, it was perceived that there was a considerable improvement between pre and post test marks in each school. The students’ reflections too elaborated the importance of this program for their future studies. In 2016 the Zonal Education office conducted a two day conference for all advanced level school teachers, and school librarians in the Monaragala District promote this program as a solution for the problem.

Carbon Footprint of Rubber/Sugarcane Intercropping System in Sri Lanka: A Case Study

The global climate has been changing with the elevated CO2 in the atmosphere; hence identification of effective measures to mitigate or combat the adverse effects of climate change is at uttermost importance. The goal of Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) for planting 40,000ha of rubber (Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg.) in the Uva province may partly address this issue sequestering the key greenhouse gas (GHG), CO2. Farmers in the area usually practice intercropping sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) under immature rubber plants for extra income during the initial period of rubber cultivation. In the process of valuing rubber cultivation in mitigating the climate change effect, information on net greenhouse gas (GHG) emission from rubber/sugarcane intercropping system is required. Being scanty of such knowledge, this study was aimed to estimate the carbon footprint in the cultivation of rubber/sugarcane intercropping system in Sri Lanka.GHG emissions from the cultivation of rubber and sugarcane were calculated using the information available in the smallholdings having rubber/sugarcane intercropping in Monaragala district (IL2). GHG emission resulting from raw rubber processing, i.e. Ribbed Smoked Sheets (RSS) and Crepe Rubber (CR), was assessed using the data available in Kumarawatta Estate, Monaragala and Dartonfield Estate, Agalawatta, respectively. Also, GHG emission resulting from processing refined sugar was gathered from Palwatta Sugar Industries (Ltd), Monaragala. Carbon sequestration capacities of both crops were adopted from previous studies. Guidelines of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) were used in the estimation of carbon footprint. GHG emission in the process of cultivating rubber for its lifespan (30 years) was 65.15 CO2-eq ton/ha. When sugarcane was cultivated in rubber lands for four year period as a rubber/sugarcane intercropping system, GHG emission increased only by 9.72 CO2-eq ton/ha. Processing of RSS throughout the lifespan was responsible for additional 93.49 CO2-eq ton/ha emission whilst that for processing CR was limited to 50.14 CO2-eq ton/ha. Processing of refined sugar during four year intercropping period was accountable only for 0.62 CO2-eq ton/ha emission. In conclusion, carbon footprint (Net GHG emission) of cultivating rubber/sugarcane intercrop to produce CR and refined sugar was -1537.02 CO2-eq ton/ha/30yr whilst that for RSS and refined sugar was -1493.73 CO2-eq ton/ha/30yr. Increase in carbon footprint by intercropping sugarcane was only ca. 0.5% over mono cropping rubber. Potential application of this information in developing carbon trading projects is discussed.

Study on the Determination of Sri Lankan Timber with Least Shrinkage Movement for Furniture and Joinery Work

The moisture content of wood depends on the relative humidity and the temperature of air surrounding it. The cells of timber contain large amount of water in cell cavities as free water and in cell walls as bound water. Wood shrinks in three directions when it is dried below fiber saturation point (FSP). The least shrinkage occurs along the length of the piece, the greatest shrinkage occurs along tangential (T) direction to the growth rings and intermediate shrinkage occurs along radial (R) direction (perpendicular to the growth rings). When wood is used for furniture and joinery work it should be dimensionally stable with lower T/R shrinkage ratio. The present study was conducted to calculate T/R shrinkage ratios of commonly used local timbers for furniture and joinery work. Teak, Mahogany, Pine, Rubber, Kempus and Jak timbers. These timbers were collected at large scale furniture manufacturing factory at Dompe. It was found that Kempus timber had the highest T/R value of 2.989 and Jak timber had the lowest value of 1.086 among the species tested. The T/R values for Mahogany, Teak, Rubber and Pine were 1.213, 1.342, 1.352 and 1.5857 respectively. This indicates that Jak, Mahogany, Teak and Rubber which have T/R ratio close to 1 are better to use for manufacturing of furniture. Samples of Teak, one of the most common timber species used for joinery work were collected from four different locations: Anuradhapura, Kurunegala, Monaragala and Ampara. According to the results, Monaragala district Teak had highest T/R value of 2.2081 and Anuradhapura district Teak had the lowest T/R value of 1.246 indicating that Teak timbers in Anuradhapura are more dimensionally stable than Teak timbers in other regions. The T/R values for Teak in Ampara and Kurunegala were respectively 1.558 and 1.342. The results indicate that when selecting timber for furniture manufacturing it is important to select timbers with lower T/R such as Jak, Mahogany, Teak and Rubber to reduce cracks, gaps, and weak joints in usage of timber for furniture production. However, other properties such as density, durability, appearance and availability should also be considered. Keywords: Shrinkage, Moisture content, Commercial timber