Siddhalepa Ayurveda Health Resort wins big at EU-SWITCH ASIA Greening Awards

Wednesday, 20 November 2013 10:08 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Siddhalepa Ayurveda Health Resort won the runners-up award at the Annual Greening Awards Ceremony conducted by EU SWITCH ASIA at Colombo Hilton on 14 October 2014. The award was received by Hettigoda Group of Companies Director Vidyani Hettigoda. With this

achievement, Siddhalepa is expecting to strengthen its efforts towards the green concepts. In a fitting tribute to their long commitment to Eco policies and green practices, Siddhalepa Ayurveda Health Resort was the proud recipients of two prestigious awards at the EU SWITCH- Asia Greening Hotels Awards 2012, winning the Best Green Hotel in the SME category, as well as being adjudged the overall Energy Conservation Champion in the SME category. The award ceremony was organised by The EU-SWITCH Asia Greening Hotels Awards and recognises the enhanced environmental performance of hotels registered with the project. The Chief Guest of the event was Ambassador Head of Delegation of the European Union to Sri Lanka and Maldives David Daly. The key note speech was delivered by International Monetary Fund Resident Representative Dr. Koshy Mathai. Environmental efficiency Greening Sri Lankan Hotels is an European Commission funded project under the Switch-Asia program targeted at enhancing the environmental performance of Sri Lankan hotels through improvement of energy, water and waste management systems; reduce cost of operations and increase the market acceptance of Sri Lankan hotels through promoting them as low carbon footprint green hotels. Winning these vital and significant awards serve to confirm the deep, ongoing commitment Siddhalepa Ayurveda Resort to eco practices at every stage of their operations. A sought after resort on the west coast, it is owned by the Hettigoda Group, a name synonymous with ayurvedic healing in Sri Lanka; and enjoys global recognition for excellence in the field. The family has a history of Ayurveda that goes back over centuries and the brand Siddhalepa is a renowned and trusted entity that offers the most authentic Sri Lankan ayurveda experience. With such a heritage as their backbone, the hotel has, from its inception, been dedicated to being green, right from their architectural design to their day to day operations. Stringent policies on monitoring and recording energy usage are maintained and audited through internal audits as well as through the EU SWITCH – Asia project. The practices come under three categories; energy conservation, water management and waste management, and are strictly maintained by all staff. They also undergo continuous training and the projects are monitored by a special team regularly. Total refurbishment The recent total refurbishment made to the resort in August 2011, ensured further introductions of eco friendly means and methods; for instance, the entire hotel is designed to maximise the benefit of direct sunlight, reducing the need for artificial light during daytime with exceptional savings on energy. A 100% solar power system for hot water, inverter type air conditioning, 100% CFL bulb usage (now being replaced by even better LED bulbs), programmed timer switching, LED TVs and automatic power switching in rooms as well as a maximum use of own generator which reduces consumption off the main grid are just some of the energy saving initiatives in place. All the waste water is recycled, purified and reused for the gardening purposes, and the rainwater is also collected and utilized to fulfil the water requirement of the hotel. All bathrooms also use a special low-flow system to minimise water wastage wherever possible. Waste management methods are also in place with all waste separated at source. All kitchen waste is used in a composting project and utilised in the organic cultivation which has a good combination of vegetables, fruits, spices and herbs. The collection of herbal plants allows the visitors to touch more than 400 varieties in the resort premises. The guided tours are conducted for the visitors by the qualified ayurveda doctors aimed at increasing the awareness on Sri Lankan herbs and Sri Lankan authentic Ayurveda. Siddhalepa has committed to promote Sri Lanka as medical-tourist-destination emphasising the potential for ayurveda healing. Commenting on this achievement, Siddhalepa Group Chairman Deshabandu Dr. Victor Hettigoda stated: “Ayurveda depends on the green environment as we get all of our herbs from nature and preserving it is our duty. Our dedication to this cause has always been deep our commitment towards the conservation of green environment grows even stronger for the future.”