Bank of Ceylon signs MoU to grow 100 Ha forest in Galoya under ‘BOC Haritha Arana’

Bank of Ceylon Signs a MoU to Grow a Hundred Hectare Forest in Galoya as “BOC Haritha Arana”. 

As part of assisting improving forest cover up to 32% in Sri Lanka by the year 2020, in accord with the agreement made with the United Nations to assist prevention of global climate change, the Bank of Ceylon (BOC) has formulated a project to reforest 100 Ha of Galoya Forest Reserve, in a stretch close to the Habarana Colombo-Trincomalee main road. The Bank signed a MoU with the Mahaweli Development and Environment Ministry and the Department of Forest Conservation on 5 September at the Sobhadam Piyasa, Battaramulla. This important event took place in the presence of Mahaweli Development and Environment State Minister Ajith Mannaperuma. BOC Chairman Ronald C. Perera, PC, CEO/ General Manager Senarath Bandara, DGM (Sales and Channel Management) C. Amarasinghe, and DGM (Retail Banking - Range 1 and Range 2) E.M. Jayaratne represented the Bank, and Mahaweli Development and Environment Ministry Secretary Anura Dissanayake, Mahaweli Development and Environment Ministry State Secretary M.P.D.U.K. Mapa Pathirana, and Department of Forest Conservation Conservator General W.A.C. Weragoda.   

The Galoya Forest Reserve owns grounds totalling 14,000 Ha, of which almost 6000 Ha have been deforested due to various reasons. BOC ensures that this project has comprehensively looked into improving this land scale and contributing to improving the quality of the country’s environment. It will eliminate the growth of invasive plants such as Shrub Verbena (Gandapana), Speer grass (iluk plant) and Ceylon citronella plant (Mana plant); reduce chances of wildfire and the spread of such; will limit feeding cattle inside the forest reserve; and will regenerate natural growth of plants that form the forest. 

Being a genuinely concerned partner in protecting the environment in the country, the Bank of Ceylon takes responsibility by actively engaging in causes that deliver sustainably good results for society, its people and the environment as a whole.