NDB conducts clean-up project at Maharagama railway station

Maharagama is a highly populous city in Colombo with a population of over two million. Trains are the popular mode of transportation in this area and the Maharagama Railway Station is a busy place during peak hours. The waste generated at the railway station by the commuters and the improper waste disposal by the business entities in the region has polluted this area.

It also provides a breeding ground for mosquitoes. The pollution in this area has led to many environmental and social issues and also poses a dengue threat.

Volunteers from the NDB Greater Colombo Region selected this as their Employee Volunteerism Project, working for several months to clean the area and beautify the station and the environs. Over 160 volunteers from NDB joined together with the Railway Department, Sri Lanka Police, Maharagama Municipal Council, Central Environmental Authority as well as the Dengue Eradication team, to implement this project.

The clean-up included garbage removal as well as the painting of the station and educating the community on proper waste management. The NDB team also distributed 1,000 plants which repel dengue mosquitoes, to the community. The team also visited the residents and the business entities in the area together with the Central Environmental Authority and the Dengue

Eradication team, educating the people on dengue prevention and the importance of keeping the city clean.

The event concluded with National Dengue Prevention Unit Medical Officer Dr. Indika Weerasinghe and Central Environmental Authority Chairman Isura Deshapriya addressing the public and educating them on the proper methods of dengue prevention, environmental conservation and pollution mitigation.

As a responsible corporate citizen, NDB believes that ‘community involvement’ goes beyond core business activities and with an objective of creating value through employee participation, the bank encourages its employees to volunteer their time and effort to give back to the community. Sustainability is a strategic priority at NDB and the bank continuously endeavours to foster it across all its business decisions and activities.