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Containing the flood havoc

Our front page colour picture yesterday should have cogently conveyed the unsettling devastation brought about by flash floods in some provinces of the country. Floods are apparently triggering widespread destruction in the Ampara, Batticaloa and Killinochchi districts, while earthslips are incurring high human costs in some areas of the Uva Province including the deaths of some persons.

One of the most disheartening aspects of these "natural" calamities is that the highly deprived and impoverished sections of our population are invariably hit by them. Fortunately, the state mechanism for managing these disasters comes under the President and no pains are spared to bring succour and relief to those affected.

Nevertheless, the Department of Social Services too has activated itself and is currently helping the flood-affected in cash and kind.

Flood havoc of this magnitude reminds us of the immorality of lapsing into a state of complacency. At this time of year in particular, the tendency is great on the part of some sections to excessively partake of superfluous pleasures and to fall easy victim to the lures of the current consumerist culture.

This is tantamount to deadening their consciences to the travails of those badly affected by "natural" disasters and man-made disruptions to normal life. The least the unaffected could do is to reach out to the victims of these crises in an effort to ease their material and emotional burdens. It is our hope that this humane spirit would prevail among those who are unaffected by the current devastation.

Meanwhile, all systems need to be in place to continuously provide relief to the affected. Much would need to be done at the Divisional Secretariat level to identify the affected and to relocate them in physical locations where they could be fended for.

Students sitting the G.C.E. Ordinary Level Examination in the affected areas need to be particularly cared for. No time must be lost in providing them with alternative arrangements to enable them to go through with the examination. They shouldn't be allowed to be seriously affected by the current flood-related dislocations.

We are duty-bound to repeat that although these crises could be dismissed by some as being the work of Mother Nature, it is only too obvious that man too has played a destructive part in triggering them. Take the case of earthslips. These seem to be increasing with every passing year. At a superficial level they are "natural" phenomena but it is no secret that unplanned development has played a substantial role in their occurrence. When are we going to wake-up to the consequences of our greed and indiscretions?

Both the authorities and the people need to think long and deep on these issues.

A new Ray of hope

Forget X-Rays. The T-Rays are coming. They can see through clothing, plastic and packaging well enough to identify explosives, guns or even biological weapons instantly and accurately. They can penetrate bad weather, dust or smoke and even detect diseases like cancer.

TeraHertz Rays, or T-Rays, were discovered a century ago, but developed into a useable technology only within the last few years. T-Rays are basically emissions between infra-red and microwaves. One can find out much more about any substance with T-Rays than with optical, infra-red or X-Ray imaging.

Leading scientists from Australia, the United States, Europe and Asia will share the latest advances in the technology at a conference sponsored by the Australian government's Defence Science and Technology Organisation at Adelaide University today.

T-Rays have the potential to become a powerful new weapon in the fight against crime and the war on terror. Security considerations are paramount in our post 9/11 world. Simple metal detectors and X-Ray imaging systems cannot cope with some of the deadly new explosives favoured by terrorists. Most airports now employ additional security staff to go through passenger bags manually, a time-consuming, arduous task. T-ray equipment will make life easier for them and also for the passengers, who can be processed much faster sans security delays. Its all-weather capability will be useful for ensuring security at outdoor venues.

Another major advantage is that T-Rays are low energy, unlike X-Rays. They can thus be used safely around people and sensitive equipment. Frequent travellers will appreciate this aspect of T-Rays. T-Ray detectors, several devices rolled into one, could possibly eliminate the need for a host of detection equipment. Right now, airports and other venues have to maintain separate devices/methods for detecting weapons and drugs. Correctly-programmed T-Ray emitters will be able to detect both in one 'go'. Manpower can also be mobilised more rationally if T-Ray equipment are installed.

The medical fraternity should seriously consider the potential of T-Rays in medical applications. Early detection of diseases such as cancer is a matter of life and death. If T-Rays are used to detect such symptoms early, treatment can be expedited, saving countless lives.

The development of T-Ray equipment more than a century after its discovery highlights the fact that some technologies take a long time to be incorporated into practical applications. Some of the technologies that we take for granted today had been expounded in theory several decades, even centuries, back. It takes one visionary to imagine a future with an invention, but many others actually make it happen.

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