World Environment Day celebrations in Ratnapura tomorrow cancelled over disaster situation

• President orders to use the money meant for celebration in disaster management operations

By Kurulu Koojana Kariyakarawana   

The national ceremony to mark the World Environment Day, which was scheduled to take place tomorrow in Ratnapura under the auspices of President Ranil Wickremesinghe, will be held in low key due to the prevailing disaster situation, the Daily Mirror learns.   

The event which was to be held at the Sinharaja Forest Reserve Ratnapura entrance at Kudawa under the patronage of the President has been decided to be shifted from there to the Presidential Secretariat owing to the adverse weather conditions.   

Meanwhile, the President had instructed to use the money to be spent on the celebrations of the state event of the World Environment Day on June 5 in disaster management operations and to compensate the victims of the natural calamity, State Minister of Environment Janaka Wakkumbura told a press briefing yesterday.   

The Ministry of Environment was making preparations to celebrate the event in low key at the new venue of the Presidential Secretariat tomorrow due to floods and heavy rains prevailing in Ratnapura presently, the ministry sources said.   

When contacted, a spokesperson from the Presidential Secretariat told the Daily Mirror that the event scheduled to be held in Ratnapura will be shifted to Presidential Secretariat due to practical reasons.