Tokyo Cement partners Ministry of Environment to plant 200,000 trees on Mahaweli riverbanks

Tokyo Cement Group stepped forward to fulfil its National duty by signing a far-reaching MOU with the Ministry of Environment. Through this memorandum of understanding, Tokyo Cement Group will fully sponsor a program by the Ministry to plant 200,000 Kumbuk and Bamboo trees in the Mahaweli River basin, with the objective of conserving this invaluable natural gift of national significance.

The program “Ivura rakina Pawura” was symbolically kicked off recently at the Ministry of Environment under the auspices of Hon. Mahinda Amaraweera, Minister of Environment and Mr. S.R. Gnanam, Managing Director of Tokyo Cement Company (Lanka) PLC, in conjunction with the National Tree Planting Program “Husma dena Thuru”. The national program is directly linked with the Government’s manifesto to increase the forest cover by planting 2 million trees, with a focus on sustainably managing sensitive river reservations.

The 3-year project aims to plant Kumbuk and Bamboo saplings sourced from regional plant nurseries on the banks of Mahaweli River along its scenic path of 335 kilometers, under the full patronage of Tokyo Cement Group while the Ministry will overlook and coordinate on-ground activities. As part of the plan, the two Tokyo Cement Forest Tree Nurseries situated in Trincomalee and Mahiyangana will contribute the required number of Kumbuk saplings each year during the project. The Ministry will garner the support of provincial state institutions and the Sri Lanka Army for the tree planting operation. The project partners also undertake to protect and look after the plants that will eventually form an intrinsic part of the water catchment areas of the Mahaweli River.

Tokyo Cement in this long-term engagement looks forward to getting the support of local farming communities and school children in the respective areas to become patrons of the trees that are planted. By engaging the local community groups the Company envisions creating a forest belt comprising of native flower and fruit-bearing trees that benefits our farming culture and will boost the natural biodiversity in each climate zone.