SLAF CONDUCTS 'SRI PADA' CLEANING PROGRAM FOR 4TH CONSECUTIVE YEAR
2:21pm on Sunday 14th March 2021
The Sri Lanka Air Force conducted the Sri Pada Route Cleaning programme for the 4th consecutive year. The two day clean-up programme was launched on 12th March 2021 to mark 70th Anniversary of Sri Lanka Air Force. The aim of the project was to clean up the paths leading up to the peak of the “Sripadasthanaya”, a religious site that has been subject to reverence by people both from home and abroad.
The “Siri Pada” season starts with the 'Siripa Karuna’ period which commences after the Uduvap Poya Day in December and this draws thousands of devotees who flock here from all over the country and world. These devotees however, also leave behind large amounts of waste, which threatens to destroy the beauty and the bio diversity in and around the holy site.
The team engaged in religious activities at the Maussakelle Saman Devalaya on the eve of the 11th before proceeding to the Peak. At dawn on the 12th of March, two SLAF teams of over 200 personnel who were at the peak started collecting waste along the paths leading down to Ratnapura and Nallathanniya. The campaign was hosted by the Commanding Officer of SLAF Combat Training School at Diyatalawa, Air Commodore PSN Fernando. Moreover, Deputy Chief of Staff Air Vice Marshal Lenard Rodrigo, Base Commander SLAF Base Katunayake Air Vice Marshal Udeni Rajapaksa, Commanding Officer SLAF Trade Training School Ekala Air Commodore Mahawattage and senior officials participated to this meritorious event. Also, with the leadership of Commanding Officer Regiment Special Forces at SLAF Station Morawewa, Wing Commander Priyadarshana Hettiarachchi, Regiment Special Force troops also joined in to make the campaign a success.
‘Manusath Derana’ of TV Derana join hands together with Sri Lanka Air Force this year as the official media partner of Sri Pada Route Cleaning programme. Disinfection of hand rails fitted to steps of both routes were also conducted simultaneously by SLAF teams and the sanitizing materials were provided by the ‘Manusath Derana’ Team.
The “Siri Pada” season starts with the 'Siripa Karuna’ period which commences after the Uduvap Poya Day in December and this draws thousands of devotees who flock here from all over the country and world. These devotees however, also leave behind large amounts of waste, which threatens to destroy the beauty and the bio diversity in and around the holy site.
The team engaged in religious activities at the Maussakelle Saman Devalaya on the eve of the 11th before proceeding to the Peak. At dawn on the 12th of March, two SLAF teams of over 200 personnel who were at the peak started collecting waste along the paths leading down to Ratnapura and Nallathanniya. The campaign was hosted by the Commanding Officer of SLAF Combat Training School at Diyatalawa, Air Commodore PSN Fernando. Moreover, Deputy Chief of Staff Air Vice Marshal Lenard Rodrigo, Base Commander SLAF Base Katunayake Air Vice Marshal Udeni Rajapaksa, Commanding Officer SLAF Trade Training School Ekala Air Commodore Mahawattage and senior officials participated to this meritorious event. Also, with the leadership of Commanding Officer Regiment Special Forces at SLAF Station Morawewa, Wing Commander Priyadarshana Hettiarachchi, Regiment Special Force troops also joined in to make the campaign a success.
‘Manusath Derana’ of TV Derana join hands together with Sri Lanka Air Force this year as the official media partner of Sri Pada Route Cleaning programme. Disinfection of hand rails fitted to steps of both routes were also conducted simultaneously by SLAF teams and the sanitizing materials were provided by the ‘Manusath Derana’ Team.
