Caritas Sri Lanka (CSL) conducted a major cleanup and tree planting Campaign Island wide to commemorate the World Environment Day on 05th of June 2022. Around 2000 adults, youth and children participated in these events.
The 2022 World Environment Day campaign under the theme, “Only One Earth” calls for collective, transformative action on a global scale to celebrate, protect and restore our planet. In Sri Lanka too, we commemorated the day in all the 13 Dioceses covering the entire island.
There were cleanup campaigns at beaches, wetlands, marshy lands, public places and religious places. CSL and its 13 Caritas Diocesan Centers (DC) organized the cleanup campaigns. CSL National Centre (NC) coordinated the overall events under the “Stepping Stone to Safeguarding Sri Lanka’s Natural Environment Project” (SSEP) funded by Misereor, a German Organization comes under the Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Germany. The summary of events organized by each diocesan center is as follows:
Caritas Badulla cleaned Badulla town areas with the coordination of the members of the Municipal council. Apart from this major event, village-level cleanup and shramadana campaigns were organized. Around 300 people participated in these events.
Caritas Batticaloa organized a cleanup campaign near the Batticaloa Lagoon on the Environment day. The SSEP village level group members and the staff of Caritas Batticaloa office participated in this event.
Caritas Jaffna marked their Environmental Day commemoration by cleaning Chaddy beach. Religious leaders, Government officers and SSEP adult, youth group members along with Caritas staff of more than 300 people were present on the day.
Caritas Trincomalee conducted a cleanup campaign in Subra Public Park which is 2Km at length in Trincomalee. With the active participation of the SSEP adult group, Youth group, and parish members, the clean up campaign had been carried out. Further, officers from the 22nd Army Brigade, the environment authority, the MOH, and the Headquarters of the Police also participated. More than 300 people attended the event.
Caritas Kandy conducted a cleanup campaign at Delthota town on the same day and 300 people participated in the event.
Caritas Vanni completed their beach clean up campaign in Mullaitivu with the generous support of the government officers,
Environmental village group members, Caritas Active Civilian Youth group members, children group members and catechists as well as the youth of Mullaitivu parish. Around 150 members participated in that event.
Caritas Mannar commemorated the World Environmental Day with a beach cleanup and a tree planting at the Keery beach. DS office staff
Urban council staff, Valvuthayam Caritas staff and SSEP group members participated in that event.
Caritas Anuradhapura conducted the cleanup event on the Nachchiduwa embankment, which is one of the most polluted tourist places in Anuradhapura. SSEP youth groups, Caritas staff and government officials participated in this event.
Caritas Colombo conducted the environmental day cleanup campaign and tree planting event in Bopitiya. During that day, 100 trees were planted by the SSEP youth and conducted several activities parallel to the Environmental Day. Around 350 SSEP group members participated in this event.
Caritas Chilaw conducted a beach cleanup campaign at Induruwa and Medawatta, while a tree planting campaign was conducted in Nagaraja temple in Mahawewa. During that day, SSEP group members cleaned the beach and surroundings near the Buddhist temple. The group also planted trees in the temple garden.
Caritas Galle conducted a cleanup and tree-planting programme at Deniyaya Fatna. Fatna is a tourist destination where approximately 1000 people visit the famous Broos gala waterfall (sliding stone) daily. Unfortunately, the visitors are polluting the place. Around 150 SSEP members participated in this Environment Day cleanup and planting campaign.
Caritas Kurunegala conducted the cleanup and tree planting programme at Dikkele rain forest reserve in Pannala. Government officers, Environmental village group members, Caritas Active Civilian Youth, children group members, and catechists as well as the youth of Kurunegala parish participated in the event.
Caritas Rathnapura conducted a cleanup campaign to commemorate the Environmental Day on 2nd July 2022 with the Eheliyagoda Youth Group at Marabe Purana Rajamaha Viharaya. Twenty-four members of the youth Group participated at the cleaning campaign. The youth cleared one acre of land area, which belongs to the temple. The land area cleared by the youth is to be developed as a demonstration plot in future. Ven. Purijjala Pranchasara Thero participated at this activity.
