Sri Lanka Army in Jaffna leads coast conservation effort

Troops of the Security Force Headquarters – Jaffna (SF-J) together with the Coast Conservation Department and the Lions Club District 306 B2 launched a mega coast conservation project at the Myladdi Fishing Harbour premises in Jaffna recently.

The project initiated by the Coast Conservation Department together with the Lions District 306B2 in the peninsula received the full backing of Major General Dharshana Hettiarachchi, Commander, Security Forces – Jaffna (SF-J) who instructed the 51 Division Headquarters and the 515 Brigade Headquarters to support the project.

Shyama de Silva, Governor of Lions District 306 B2, commended the initiative taken by the Army to assist a national project of this nature in the peninsula.

The brief inaugural ceremony on 21 October included the symbolic planting of 150 coconut plants in the area surrounding the Myladdi Fishing Harbour and erecting a signboard to inform the public that it is a protected beach. 

Each planted coconut sapling has been entrusted to a soldier and a civilian in the respective place for maintenance for about three years. The project is expected to plant around 10,000 coconut saplings covering the Jaffna peninsula.

S. Muralidaran, Additional District Secretary for Jaffna, Coast Conservation Department officials, Major General Dharshana Hettiarrachchi, Commander, SF-J, Major General Mervyn Perera, General Officer Commanding (GOC) 51 Division, Shyama De Silva, Governor of Lions District 306 B2 together with officials and Lions of District 306B2, the Divisional Secretary of the Thellipalai Division, several State officials and officers and other ranks of the Sri Lanka Army participated in the event.

The project was coordinated by the Brigade Commander 515 Brigade, on the guidelines given by the General Officer Commanding 51 Division together with Lion Kaushal Rajapaksa, Chairman, Environment Committee of Lions District 306 B2 and its Green Team.