August 09, Colombo (LNW): The Indian High Commission, in collaboration with the Sri Lanka–India Parliamentary Friendship Association and the Urban Development and Housing Ministry, inaugurated the ‘Sri Lanka–India Friendship Arch’ at the National Sandalwood Garden in Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte on August 8.
The event began with the unveiling of the arch by Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana, who served as the chief guest, alongside Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha. Prominent attendees included Minister Prasanna Ranatunga, and members of the Sri Lanka–India Parliamentary Friendship Association, such as Parliamentarians M.A. Sumanthiran, Dr. V. Radhakrishnan, and Jagath Kumara Sumithraarachchi. They participated in the planting of murutha tree saplings in an arch-shaped tract within the garden.
The inauguration was part of the #Plant4Mother campaign, initiated by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on World Environment Day 2024. The campaign, launched with the planting of a Bodhi Tree sapling at Buddha Jayanti Park in New Delhi, aims to plant 800 million trees across India by September 2024, and 1.4 billion trees by March 2025.
