Hayleys Group’s Puritas Sath Diyawara celebrates 10th anniversary

Hayleys Chairman and Chief Executive Mohan Pandithage (right) and Haycarb Managing Director Rajitha Kariyawasan (first from right) at Ananthapuram

Hayleys Chairman and Chief Executive Mohan Pandithage (right) at Maithreepura  

One of the water distribution bowsers

•  Sath Diyawara initiative provides purified clean drinking water to communities affected by the deadly Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) in Sri Lanka
• Over 190,000 litres of purified clean drinking water supplied to 44,000 individuals in 21 villages in North, North Central and Uva provinces
• Sath Diyawara, “Going Beyond” initiative aiming to elevate socio-economic status of the villages, provide school essentials to over 3,700 students in these villages each year

 The renowned diversified conglomerate Hayleys, recently reaffirmed its commitment to its flagship social sustainability initiative, ‘Puritas Sath Diyawara.’ 

Celebrating its 10th consecutive year, this initiative recognises the critical importance of access to clean drinking water and aims to enhance the socio-economic well-being of rural communities.

Puritas Ltd., the environmental engineering arm of Haycarb Group, which is a key sector of Hayleys group, used its expertise and experience as a purification systems provider and launched Puritas Sath Diyawara in Padaviya in 2014, to supply clean drinking water to a rural community impacted by the Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) in the village D10 Maithripura, by installing a Reverse Osmosis (RO) water treatment facility and distribution system. This initiative has since expanded significantly sponsored by several companies within the Hayleys Group. As they mark the 10th anniversary of this initiative, 19 Purification and Distribution systems, built at a cost of Rs. 95.5 million, continue to provide over 190,000 litres of drinking water daily benefiting 44,000 individuals, uplifting health and providing hope for a safer and secure tomorrow. 

This essential life-giving initiative has extended beyond to sustainable community development projects under the extension of ‘Puritas Sath Diyawara – Going Beyond.’ This encompasses sustainable community development projects in education and livelihood development, including the establishment of fully equipped libraries and internet access centres. At the beginning of each school year schoolbooks and essentials are sponsored by Hayleys Group Companies, to the schools in villages adopted by them under the Sath Diyawara initiative. In 2024, the seventh year of engagement with schools, over 3,700 school children benefited from these donations. 

The impact of ‘Puritas Sath Diyawara’ has garnered local and international accolades such as Asia’s leading SME CSR Project at the Asia Responsible Entrepreneurship Awards in 2015 and the World’s Best CSR Project in the “Water” category at the Energy Globe Awards in 2017/18.

“ESG has always been a part of our ethos at Hayleys, and our purpose, to inspire an inclusive world and a thriving planet, resonates through initiatives such as ‘Puritas Sath Diyawara’. From providing purified clean drinking water through reverse osmosis plants to communities affected by CKD in North, North Central and Uva Provinces, to empowering schoolchildren through providing infrastructure, facilities and school books, we’ve witnessed the transformative power of collective action. The Hayleys family continues to rally together to safeguard lives and livelihoods, fostering sustainable progress,” said Hayleys PLC Chairman and Chief Executive Mohan Pandithage.

“As we celebrate our 50th anniversary, Haycarb is proud to showcase ‘Puritas Sath Diyawara’ as a flagship project where we harnessed Puritas’ expertise in water purification systems, to provide access to clean drinking water to rural communities that were facing immense hardships and threats by the lack thereof. Our long-term commitment to the projects, through our contribution and support to the maintenance of the Water Purifications Plants and continued support to the schools have positively impacted health, education and economic inequalities in these communities. We are confident that the results will resonate across generations, with its ripple effect spreading out amongst the communities and regions,” Haycarb PLC Managing Director Rajitha Kariyawasan said.

Puritas Sath Diyawara program has established Community-Based Organisations (CBOs) in villages, empowering residents to manage their own water purification systems. Once the Purification Plants are operational, these facilities are entrusted to the CBOs that ensure access to clean water in the village and are responsible for operation and maintenance of the Water Purification and Distribution system, supplemented by Puritas’ ongoing support through regular site visits and technical assistance.

Speaking on the success of the first project and how it has paved the way for further expansion, CBO at Maithreepura, Padaviya Head A.T. Kumaradasa said: “When Puritas commenced the installation of the Sath Diyawara water tanks, many villagers did not buy into this decision since they already had personal water filters in their homes. However, Puritas continued to advocate for purified water. By the time we laid the foundation for this Sath Diyawara water purification plant, I was delighted to say that everyone in the village had bought into this concept. Our village committee agreed to sell one litre at Rs. 1 to the villages for drinking purposes and a 10% commission fee for operations running substations in the vicinity.”

Haycarb continues to make strides in its efforts to provide clean drinking water and foster sustainable community development, reflecting its dedication to improving the lives of those in need.