Multi Finance PLC will launch Phase II of their national level reforestation campaign ‘Each One Plant One’ (EOPO) on 6th July 2018 at the chosen 7-acre land area at Ilukpathakanda.
Affected by continuous and heavy deforestation, pinus tree plantation as well as various other human activities, Ilukpathakanda is a land area classified as degraded, located adjoining the Sinharaja World Heritage Rain Forest in the Ratnapura District, under the Kalawana Divisional Secretariat. In 2003, the site experienced the largest landslide ever to occur in the district, and has since been declared a landslide prone area.
With a pledge to plant 10 trees for every single transaction, Multi Finance PLC (MFPLC) launched their mega eco-sustainability campaign EOPO in March 2018 by planting 1000 saplings along the Southern Expressway from Kottawa towards Matara. Phase II of the project at Ilukpathakanda will be launched by MFPLC in collaboration with the Rainforest Protectors of Sri Lanka, a year-long initiative that will be complemented by awareness programs on the importance of ecosystem rehabilitation for communities in the area.
The main objective of the project is to enhance the stability of the mountain slopes by restoring the affected area back to its natural habitat.
Ilukpathakanda is also located in close vicinity to the proposed Hapugoda Forest Reserve, and this reforestation aims at creating a new biolink between the two areas to further strengthen and stabilize the biodiversity of the region.
“We are eager to launch the Ilukpathakanda project in July, since the area was already affected by heavy rains during the recent few weeks,” stated Multi Finance PLC Executive Director/CEO – Pushpike Jayasundera.