Dialog Powers Sayuru to Safeguard Fishermen with Weather Forecasts and Emergency Alerts

With a keen focus on Empowering & Enriching Sri Lankan Lives, Dialog Axiata PLC, Sri Lanka’s premier connectivity provider launched “Sayuru”, a free, trilingual service that offers day-boat fishermen daily weather forecasts and emergency alerts, focused on keeping them safe while at sea.

This innovative and future-fit communication solution is a collaboration with the Department of Meteorology and the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources as Sayuru enables users to receive daily forecasts tailored to their locations along the coast of the island. Available free of charge for all Dialog subscribers, Sayuru was specifically created for the coastal community who are encouraged to take full advantage of the service as their livelihoods depend on the temperament of the skies and seas. Through Interactive Voice Response (IVR) and daily SMS alerts, subscribers will receive the weather forecast at a regular time each day, alerts on unforeseen weather/ disasters, and informative messages from the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Department in Sinhala, Tamil or English, as selected. Emergency messages, which are dispatched directly as Outbound Dialling calls to each subscriber, and SMSs are customised by the language and location of each coastal zone corresponding to major fishery harbours.

Within six months of its launch, Sayuru has safeguarded and bettered the lives of fishermen around the island with its daily weather bulletins. Building on this, ‘Sayuru TV’ was recently launched as a supplementary service where forecasts and emergency weather alerts are broadcasted on digital screens at major harbours along the coast, to raise awareness about the weather, safety, pollution and sustainable fishing among those going out to sea.

There are three simple ways to register for the Sayuru service to receive free daily weather alerts and emergency weather warnings. Dialog subscribers can register for the service by dialling 828 and following the prompts; by sending an SMS with the text “ACT” to 828 or the service can be activated via the MyDialog App.