Landscapes are definitive land areas that stand apart from each other. They are classed under different physical elements; mountains, hills, deserts, ices-capes, water-bodies, rivers, lakes, ponds and seas. They also vary on living elements as land-cover and vegetation. Human elements also create landscapes though land use practices; architecture, building construction, large scale farming and agriculture. Man’s association with natural landscapes has created different lifestyles and cultures.
Sri Lanka too has varying landscapes from the low-country dry-arid shrub jungles to the centrally located montane cloud forests. Human activity in recent times has its impact on the serenity of such pleasing landscapes. Information Technology and the Telecom Industry has changed our montane skyline with the numerous communication towers built by competing agencies. Roadside bill-boards block the vista of the Kadugannawa-pass on the way to Kandy.
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| Pidurutalagala and many other montane skylines are now an eyesore |
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| Bible rock or Batalegala with a Buddhist Temple on a rock out crop in the foreground - a marvelous vista in Kadugannawa |
I was very much disappointed on a recent trip to Horton Pains via Ambewela.
Ambewela a locality beyond Nuware-Eliya is famous for milk production in Sri Lanka with a climate that suite New Zealand breeds. A unique rolling landscape carpeted with velvet like grass, isolated stunted trees with gyrating foliage shaped such by the heavy gales and winds in a foggy climate.
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| A rolling landscape, a green velvet, stunted trees, gyrating foliage, unique to Ambewela |
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| A landscape unique to Ambewela |
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| Gracing 'Holstein Friesians' an identity for Ambewela |
This unique picture in one’s memory of grazing “Holstein Friesian”cows in the landscape described above, was an identity to Ambwela. This identity is now changing to a different skyline with technology in the milk industry. The high cost of energy today is compelling the industrialist to generate his own. Today the skyline of Ambewela is far from natural,,,,a row of wind-turbines dominate the skyline.
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| A new skyline with wind turbines,- away from nature |
Disappointed over the new skyline ………..I give hearing to two academics discussing the subject of enhancing milk production. A zoologist and an animal science graduate.
Gracing alone will not suffice to produce sufficient milk quantities in commercial farming. They need to be supplemented with corn based feeds to enhance milk production. These corn based feeds on the other hand produce harmful gut parasites due to digestive implications. Thereby causing significant production losses that result in substantial economic losses. Diseases may be subclinical and unnoticed but severe infestations can cause even death. They definitely affect in reduced milk production, delayed puberty, decreased fertility and reduced pregnancy rates in mature cows.
The danger is said to be in the treatment of disease ………… heavy doses of antibiotics given to counter disorders finally end up in substantial quantities in the precious milk that all of us consume………..?
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