Exposition of Sacred Tooth relic Tech plan to manage crowds fails to launch - Governor

By Shane Seneviratne

Central Province Governor S.B.S. Abeykoon yesterday said that although there were proposals to use modern technology to inform devotees and manage their arrival during the exposition of the Sacred Tooth relic at Dalada Maligawa, it was ultimately not implemented.   

Had it been carried out, the public would not have faced such significant inconvenience, he added.  

Speaking at a press briefing held at the Central Province Governor’s Office yesterday (29), the Governor explained that since 95% of the country’s population now uses mobile phones, there was an opportunity to send notifications to devotees and implement a daily attendance management system through mobile devices.  

He further noted that although the Institution of Engineers, Sri Lanka, had used modern technology to count the number of devotees, discrepancies between their data and that gathered by other institutions suggested the need for further study.  

The Governor also highlighted that over 600 tons of mixed waste had accumulated in Kandy during the exposition period, creating a serious challenge for waste segregation. As the Kandy Municipal Council lacks sufficient personnel to handle the task, the Governor said they hope to deploy staff from nearby local government bodies.  

He mentioned that while there was a proposal to transport this waste to Colombo for incineration, the high cost of such an operation made it unfeasible.