Sustainability Initiatives

The Comprehensive Investment & Master Plan for the water supply and sanitation sector issued by National Water Supply & Drainage Board (NWSDB) states that over 50% of Sri Lankans are provided with pipe-borne water. Given its extensive experience in the domain and its growing number of successful water projects, DIMO believes that there are ample opportunities to undertake water projects of any scale to help the government achieve its national development objectives. Today, DIMO is a highly reliable contractor that successfully executes total water projects on turnkey basis for the NWSDB by means of contributing to enhance the technology in the areas of water transmission, water treatment, water distribution, autonomation and many others. DIMO has tapped into its expertise while collaborating with principals such as KSB to provide the best energy efficient technology to get the desired outcome through low energy consumption. This has resulted in significant savings in terms of energy usage during the long-term operations of these water projects, thereby reducing the financial burden to the nation. Ambathale Energy Conservation project, the latest and the largest Energy Conservation project of NWSDB, is one of the examples for such ground-breaking initiatives. DIMO has also been involved in executing many rural waters supply schemes executed by Water supply and Sanitation Improved Project (WASSIP) in Orubandiwewa, Galigamuwa, Kilinochchi, Nikawewa, Bulathkohupitiya, Hangliella and Maskeliya.

Located just a few kilometres away from the world-renowned Jungle Beach in Unawatuna, Rumassala Sanctuary is indeed a paradise for those who love nature. In 2016 with the El Nino effect, the coral reef in the area was destroyed and around 95% of corals died in the incident – the reason for the project to commence. ‘Life to Reef’ a project proposed by Wildlife & Ocean Resource Conservation (WORC) attempts to restore the reef as naturally as possible – giving space for the coral polyps to regenerate on their own and colonise by accommodating the natural environment and space it needs to grow. The main objective of the project, started in 2017, is to clean the reef and to restore the reef by re-planting broken corals. The sanctuary belongs to the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC), and they monitor the project and site regularly. Corals like Acropora sp and Montipora sp are used the most as they are corals that can grow much faster (1 cm per month). These types of corals enhance the ecosystem and bring in a diversity of other species of fish and sea life. We have re-planted around 3 hectares, and in some, natural colonisation has already started. Once the reef is a healthy ecosystem, it will become an ideal ecosystem for fish production and will act as natural barriers for many coastal natural disasters. Through the project we have been able to educate the community of the importance of the ecosystem and how they may contribute towards restoration and protection of the sanctuary as it is a source of income generation and a great tourist attraction.

Biodiversity Sri Lanka (BSL) in partnership with the Forest Department, IUCN Sri Lanka and selected private sector partners, undertook a pilot project to establish the biodiversity baseline in a 10 hectares block of degraded land, in the Kanneliya rainforest in 2018. The site is best described as a degraded rainforest which has been cleared for cultivation and subsequently abandoned resulting in the colonisation by the pioneer fern species Dicranopteris linearis (Kekeilla). The project objective is to restore the degraded rainforest by improving its ecological functions, habitat enrichment and diversity in species by following scientific methodologies and efforts from expertise in the field and with the support from the community. The project has completed 4 years and will continue to show a positive impact that can be an excellent case study for future restoration projects in the country.

DIMO recently embarked the ‘Life to Our Beaches’ project with the collaboration of Biodiversity Sri Lanka (BSL) and Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA). Under this project, DIMO funds two beach cleaning sites in Dikovita area. BSL and MEPA provide directions to make the best use of the collected waste of these sites while beach cleaning initiatives will open opportunities for the nearby communities to recycle the trash while also generating an income. The initial technical training on collecting and identifying different types of plastics and other waste was conducted by BSL to the community with the support from MEPA, on 28th of June 2022 at Dikovita (Ela-kanda).

As a company that continuously strives to reshape the green energy landscape in Sri Lanka, DIMO provides advanced solutions for renewable energy sources in the country. Sri Lanka’s first comprehensive grid-tied renewable energy microgrid project was successfully completed recently at the University of Moratuwa (UOM). It is a well-equipped system that ensures an uninterrupted power supply for local industries. The UOM microgrid system supplied uninterrupted power supply during the power cuts experienced in the country. The implementation partners of the project are Lanka Electricity Company (LECO) and Asian Development Bank (ADB), which provided financial aid. The renewable energy solution provider was German off-grid experts DHYBRID. The project connects stand-alone grids to ensure an uninterrupted, renewable power supply throughout the distribution area at any given time. The completed system consists of 375 kW of solar PV, 418 kWh of battery storage, and a 1170kVA backup diesel generator. With this project UOM can generate power for its entire premises without depending on the national power supply.

70% of Sri Lankans live in rural areas; of these, a majority are agriculture-dependant farmers. DIMO is committed to partner and empower our farmers, with a special focus on enabling them to improve their productivity. DIMO Agri Business has recently ventured into biological fertiliser and biological crop protection, exploring the possibility of organic fertiliser and hybrid seed development with the Department of Agriculture. For years, farmers have been implored to reduce the volume of chemical usage by adding only the amounts necessary. Various methodologies have been used over time to educate and demonstrate how to cultivate successfully by using correct balances and protocols to achieve desired productivity levels, without wasting inputs and polluting our soil. At DIMO Agri Techno Parks, we display how farmers can reap the maximum of their inputs. Similarly, we have empowered the female farming community by introducing silage – the cultivation of fodder for animal husbandry. This has proven to have a positive impact on improving household income.

DIMO has always recognised the need to impart quality technical training to our customers, dealers, and staff as we believe the success of a company lies in the skill and competence of its people. Our training programmes at fully equipped modern training centres in Weliweriya and Jaffna are of the highest calibre. Our Automobile Mechatronics courses are conducted in conjunction with Daimler AG, the principal of Mercedes Benz – a global pioneer in automobiles. DATS courses are accredited by the Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission of Sri Lanka as NVQ level IV and V. DATS is also accredited by the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce AHK and is the only dual vocational training partner to offer category A certified VET courses in Sri Lanka.

IMO Nature Club volunteered at the Community Kitchen which was held on 14th of June 2022 at St. Josephs’s Church, Grandpass. The Community Kitchen is an initiative by Sarvodaya and Singularity Sri Lanka. DIMO Nature Club volunteers were able to serve dinner for around 1600 – 1700 community in the area.

Panama is a coastal village in the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka, The Kumana Bird Sanctuary and Heritage Park are located southwards from Panama. Sea turtles play a key role in the marine ecosystem at global level, because most of the species exhibit a migratory pattern traversing national boundaries of many countries. Turtles are facing many threats including illegal trading, as a bycatch, unsustainable coastal development, and climate change. The Panama Project was started in 2012 with Wildlife Ocean Resource Conservation (WORC) organisation. The first step of the project was to educate and train the community that was engaged in stealing the turtle eggs to become the patrol to protect the nests during breeding season. To protect the eggs from natural predators, cages were burrowed 1½ feet into the ground covering the nests, a harmless in-situ conservation method, that allowed turtle hatchlings to emerge through the gaps of the cage. The stretch at Panama (east coast of the island) hosts nesting ground mainly for Olive Ridley (90%), Green Turtle (5%) & Loggerhead (5%) turtles. Within 10 years of this project, we have been able to release more than 150,000 hatchlings to open water. Sri Lanka has only 3 project sites that conserve turtles according to in-situ conservation methods: Rekawa, Tangalle and Panama. It is important that conservation projects help enrich and develop the communities’ living standards and add value by generating income. DIMO has been able to support and build a complete house for Sugathapala – who is part of the community and a main contributor in taking care of the nests for DIMO. The goal of the project is to declare the stretch of beach at Panama as a protected sanctuary.