Ceylinco Life restores rural tank in Ampara

A farming community in the Ampara district has been given new hope with the restoration of an ancient irrigation tank by Ceylinco Life.

Built by King Saddhatissa, the Kohombagasthalawa tank near Aranthalawa was the main source of water in the area in ancient times.

The renovated Kohombagasthalawa tank and the unveiling of a commemorative plaque in the presence of Ceylinco Life’s, Senior Manager- Events and Commercials H. A. Suraweera (left)

Conducted as one of the corporate social responsibility initiatives of Ceylinco Life, the reconstruction of the Kohombagasthalawa tank began in August 2008. The reconstructed tank was handed over to villagers at a ceremony.

"This was an area affected by the conflict, and now it is imperative to help boost local agriculture and uplift farmers' living standards," Ceylinco Life's AGM - Marketing Samitha Hemachandra said.

"The villagers in Kohombagasthalawa had to depend on rain water for drinking as well as farming and this initiative has given them a new lease of life."

Along with the handing over of the tank to the community, Ceylinco Life released 10,000 fish to the tank to further support the villagers.

The villagers of the Kohombagasthalawa had to walk long distances to fetch water or had to dig deep into the earth to find water. The village owns nearly 150 acres of land that can be used for the cultivation of paddy, maize, manioc and chillies.

"Paddy cultivation was done only in the Maha season when we received enough rain.

Many farmers had obtained loans for their cultivation but then faced problems in repaying them as they were not able to go ahead with their cultivation due to lack of rain," a villager of Kohombagasthalawa said.

"Thanks to Ceylinco Life, we can now cultivate the Yala and Maha seasons without praying for rain." The total cost for the restoration project was Rs.2.5 million.

The project was executed under the supervision of staff from Ceylinco Life's Head Office, the staff of the Ampara branch and the Irrigation Department.

Ceylinco Life defines its Social Responsibility as "The continuing commitment of the company to create a sustainable business environment even in the remotest areas of the country through meaningful interventions in areas such as healthcare and education for needy people, while providing protection and financial security of the highest quality."

One of Ceylinco Life's key CSR initiatives is 'Waidya Hamuwa,' a series of free medical camps conducted each year.