'Go Green' at Hambantota

Lanka IOC successfully completed its innovative, eco-friendly 'Go Green' community initiative which enlisted the support of underprivileged school students from diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds in many areas of the country, to plant 1500 saplings within a year.

The company, ranked Sri Lanka's No.1 corporate entity among listed companies by the LMD magazine, achieved this milestone with the completion of the final phase of the project involving 87 school children from four schools in the Southern Province.

Each of these underprivileged children will receive Rs.100 per month for a period of three years in return for taking care of their saplings bringing the total number of beneficiary children from the initiative to 1500.

Saplings recommended by the Forest Department based on the soil and climate of the area were planted in this phase. MP for Hambantota Namal Rajapaksa planted the first sapling at the commencement of the final phase of the program at the Nayakawatte Rajapaksa Model School at Getamanne.

Senior LIOC officials including Managing Director K.R. Suresh Kumar were present. "We started the Go Green program last year to promote the habit of caring for nature by actively engaging a large number of members from the younger generation in planting and nurturing saplings," Kumar said. "After witnessing the energy, passion and dedication of the young participants we are confident that a strong foundation has been laid for a brighter and 'greener' future."

Lanka IOC has introduced many environment friendly enhancements including eco-friendly lighting to its network of 153 fuel stations in the country.

The company's Go Green program for which more than Rs. 8 million has been committed, was initiated in February 2010, under the patronage of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources.

The program has been carried out with the participation of 29 schools in the Mullaitivu District, 12 schools in the Jaffna District, six schools in the Colombo and Trincomalee Districts, five schools in the Gampaha and Kandy Districts, four schools in the Hambantota District, two schools in Moneragala and Kurunegala and a school in Moratuwa.