Page 45 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - February 2014 Edition

Sri Lanka Red Rain Mystery Solved Sri Lanka red rain mystery solved Residents of Sevenagala and Indikolapelessa in the Moneragala District, area in the southeastern parts of the island, witnessed an unusual phenomenon on November 14/15, 2012. Rare showers of red rain fell for over 15 minutes in Sewanagala, Monaragala and Manampitiya and Polonnaruwa. Initial report from a senior official from the Department of Meteorology said the red rain was not a natural phenomena and the reason could be some chemicals that had been released from the factories, getting mixed with the clouds. South bound winds could possibly carry pollen grains or spores to Sri Lanka from South India, but the wind was flowing in a different direction. Furthermore, attributing the colour to chemical pollution would not be a satisfactory explanation, as Sri Lanka does not have much in the way of chemical factories according to Sri Lanka Department of Meteorology. It was possible to experience a similar phenomenon when a tornado passes low over a waterfall, Lorica is possessed by this organism, which can these occurrences, including the ‘red rain’ of Sri taking up soil particles, which would later fall have a colour ranging from yellow to reddish- Lanka, have been given sufficient explanations with the rain. brown, depending on the concentration of the by scientists, some isolated incidents remain a Some of the usual reasons for red rain iron salts found within it. The Medical mystery. The DNA-less structures observed by are increase in the acidity of the air and sand Research Institute (MRI) said there was no them had allegedly displayed a number of material from dust storms. However, there are health hazard for people from the red rain remarkable characteristics, atypical of those no sand storms in Sri Lanka. India had red rain experienced in Manampitiya, Sevanagala and displayed by any known micro-organisms. last year in Kerala and most recently in June Indikolapelessa. These properties had included the ability to 2012, and Indian scientists discovered a variety According to Ministry of Health, the replicate and multiply at extreme temperatures of micro organisms as a reason for the red rains. local phenomenon had no relationship of up to 300 degrees Celsius, and the ability to Since the micro organisms had no DNA, they whatsoever to the ‘red rain’ of Kerala which be cultured in unconventional substrate materia guessed it had to be a strange phenomenon. was very thick, almost blood like. The local red ls. rain does not bear any resemblance to it in “As far as the Kerala red rain is Mystery solved texture. Professor Chandra Wickramasinghe, concerned, there is a mysterious microorganism Director of the Astrobiological Center at the that has defied identification so far. We have not Medical Research Institute (MRI) Buckingham University, England said the been able to convincingly extract any DNA from Director Dr Anil Samaranayake was deployed recent phenomenon of red rain in Sri Lanka is them and Prof Louis has maintained that there by The Health Ministry Secretary to conduct a reportedly similar to the red rain in Kerala in is no DNA, but it can multiply at very high study to ascertain the reasons for red rain by 2011 and 2009 which definitely had some temperatures under high pressure conditions. I taking water samples from Monaragala and cosmic connection. Director General of the , think there are all the signs of an alien bug! The Polonnaruwa. The Ministry of Health reported S.H. Kariyawasam, also said the ‘red rain’ Kerala red rain was preceded by a sonic boom the red rain experienced in certain areas is due witnessed in Sri Lanka most probably did not that was heard, probably indicating that a to the presence bacteria of the trachelomonas have the same origin as the Kerala rains, as the fragment of a comet exploded in the atmosphere algae species. Medical Research Institute in current direction of wind flow was towards the and unleashed the red cells that became Borella and Sri Lanka Institute of west. incorporated in rain. I suspect the same could Nanotechnology conducted laboratory tests be true of the Sri Lankan rain, but I would like which indicated that the change in the ‘Extraterrestrial origin’ theory to have samples to confirm this. I should also rainwater’s color was caused due to the say that reports of red rain are found throughout presence bacteria of the ‘trachelomonas’ algae During testing of the ’red rain’ of Kerala, history all the way back to biblical times. I think specie. Most commonly found within soil, the microscopic, spherical, cellular structures were this could be more evidence for cometary bacteria are said to diverse between red and noticed in the water, which were apparently panspermia theory.” Professor Chandra green colors. Experiments carried out at the Sri lacking in DNA, a fact which has baffled Wickramasinghe, Director of the Lanka Institute of Nanotechnology (SLIN) scientists. This lack of DNA lead to the Astrobiological Center at the Buckingham proved conclusively that the cause for the ‘extraterrestrial origin’ theory, formulated by University. [] unusual colour of the rain was the presence of a scientists Godfrey Louis and Santhosh Kumar, unicellular micro-organism belonging to but no conclusive proof regarding their Kingdom Protista, of the Phylum Euglenozoa, hypotheses have been obtained. known as Trachelomonas. Trachelomonas was the main cause of reddish downpours in other “We are not going to lean towards an regions of the world as well. ‘extraterrestrial origin’ theory regarding this rain. Additional tests of a biochemical nature “The testing, which has been done confirms the are being done, and we hope to learn more from presence of living organisms in the water. It was these tests.” media spokesman for the Ministry observed that these organisms stopped all of Health (MoH) W.M.D. Wanninayaka. movement when exposed to light.” media spokesman for the Ministry of Health (MoH) Incidents where water bodies all over W.M.D. Wanninayaka. the world have been turning red have been reported for some time now. While most of An outer shell-like covering known as a