Litro Gas donates diving equipment and modern ‘Surface-Supplied System’ to Sri Lanka Navy

Litro Gas Lanka Director – Sales and Marketing/Corporate Affairs Chaminda Ediriwickrama, Commander of the Navy – Vice Admiral Sri Lanka Navy Ravi Wijegunaratne and Litro Gas Chairman Shalila Munasinghe

In line with its corporate responsibility objectives, Litro Gas, the largest importer and supplier of LP Gas in Sri Lanka donated an extensive stock of new diving equipment along with a state-of-the-art ‘Surface-Supplied System’ worth over Rs. 20 million to Sri Lanka Navy at an official handing over ceremony held at Light House Galley Colombo recently. The system will enable divers to be monitored from the surface or a team positioned in land. The constant and clear communication model will ensure increased safety for divers. 

“Our foremost inclination was to donate the equipment to Sri Lanka Navy. We know that they will be able to put the Surface-Supplied System to optimal use and we viewed this as our chance to contribute to nation building efforts. We are pleased to be able to be of some assistance in enhancing critical capabilities of Sri Lanka Navy,” commented Litro Gas Chairman Shalila Munasinghe. 

Surface-Supplied System puts divers in an advantageous position to undertake more effective diving assignment as they have more freedom in terms of movement, control, vision and communication. The monitoring team will be able to successfully guide the divers from dry land or above the water level. The system is more advantageous during period when water turns murky and unclear. The advanced technological edge in using the system will set to improve the resources enhance the capacity of the country’s naval force.  Sri Lanka Navy will be using the system during their regular operations in terms of development and building, other diving and salvage exercises as well as nation-building endeavours. 

Thanking Litro Gas for the contribution, the Commander of the Navy – Vice Admiral Sri Lanka Navy Ravi Wijegunaratne said , “We welcome this commendable gesture from a corporate entity. The Surface-Supplied System will enhance our capacity in terms of naval operations and enable us to serve the country in a number of ways. It would be our pleasure to continue our interactions with Litro Gas in future as well.” 

This particular donation is timely in nature as the Sri Lanka Navy diving and salvage unit is continuously engages in a number of critical diving assignments. Sri Lanka Navy’s diving and salvage unit is involved in numerous development activities taking place in the North of Sri Lanka as well as Trincomalee area which includes construction and development work in piers and jetties as well as various salvage and building requirements in other parts of the island or whenever the country calls for their expert intervention such as the one which occurred in late March 2017, where the unit successfully completed the cleaning of sleeves of the Ambatale Water plant. “The Surface-Supplied System gives Sri Lanka a definite advantage in terms of diving and salvage operations as it allows Sri Lanka Navy divers to be benefit from direct communication and monitoring d by the ‘surface’ or a team positioned in land. This will invariably result in increasing their safety at all times as they are effectively led and guided by an equally competent team from the surface,” commented Director – General Operations Rear Admiral Piyal De Silva.

“We are grateful to Litro Gas for their contribution,” he added. 

Litro Gas operates the country’s only import terminal and filling facility which has the capacity to cater to the LPG needs of the entire island. The company is also the oldest gas supplier in the country and has comprehensive coverage across an island wide network.