Zero drownings in Anuradhapura this Poson. 3 lives saved. - 24 June 2008
Eagle’s 15th Poson Safety Campaign a great success in raising awareness among pilgrims.
This year’s Poson season recorded the rescue of only 3 lives from drowning, a great reduction in the need for rescues and zero drowning-related deaths among the approximately 1 million pilgrims who visited the sacred city of Anuradhapura. Eagle Insurance conducted the Poson Safety Campaign for the 15th consecutive year with the support of Sri Lanka Police, Navy and the Life Saving Association by utilizing 630 professional lifeguards. The lifeguards of the Life Saving Association, who saved 3 individuals are, L.M.G.S. de Mel, K.M.A. Chamith Wasantha, Manjula Dinesh Bandara and Yaminda Chamil.
The focus of the campaign was to safeguard the lives of devotees, from drowning when bathing in nearby reservoirs. Eagle initiated a massive public awareness campaign prior to and throughout Poson to advice people against using unsuitable bathing places and highlighting the need to act with extra caution when bathing in tanks. Large billboards and warning signboards indicated unsafe-spots that should be avoided for bathing while guiding pilgrims to safer bathing areas. Leaflets, in both text and picture-form, were disseminated on practical information about maintaining proper safety procedures; and about 100,000 fact-sheets were distributed near major tanks and at official-monitoring terminals at selected locations before entering Anuradhapura.
In 1993, Eagle in collaboration with the Life Saving Association, Police Department and the Navy initiated the Poson Safety Campaign, which has continued ever since. This project has helped in reducing the rate of drowning victims during the Poson season to nearly zero. Through the committed efforts of Eagle, this campaign has so far helped rescue more than a 128 pilgrims as of 2008. Last year, during the campaign 9 pilgrims were rescued.
The Eagle Poson Safety Awareness Campaign is part of the Company’s comprehensive CSR strategy. At Eagle, being ethical and socially responsible is a way-of-life and is a fundamental core value of the company, which Eagle champions ardently.
This year’s Poson season recorded the rescue of only 3 lives from drowning, a great reduction in the need for rescues and zero drowning-related deaths among the approximately 1 million pilgrims who visited the sacred city of Anuradhapura. Eagle Insurance conducted the Poson Safety Campaign for the 15th consecutive year with the support of Sri Lanka Police, Navy and the Life Saving Association by utilizing 630 professional lifeguards. The lifeguards of the Life Saving Association, who saved 3 individuals are, L.M.G.S. de Mel, K.M.A. Chamith Wasantha, Manjula Dinesh Bandara and Yaminda Chamil.
In 1993, Eagle in collaboration with the Life Saving Association, Police Department and the Navy initiated the Poson Safety Campaign, which has continued ever since. This project has helped in reducing the rate of drowning victims during the Poson season to nearly zero. Through the committed efforts of Eagle, this campaign has so far helped rescue more than a 128 pilgrims as of 2008. Last year, during the campaign 9 pilgrims were rescued.