Indus Valley Times

By Payal Banarjee

Bhubaneswar, June 13: ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India (AM/NS India), a joint venture between ArcelorMittal and Nippon Steel, two of the world’s leading steel makers, has observed Sustainability Week with a series of impactful events across its Odisha locations, with the theme of “Land Restoration, Desertification, and Drought Resilience” under the hashtag of #GenerationRestoration.

At Paradeep, the events aimed to raise mass awareness about environmental protection specifically, challenges related to land. Various competitions such as debate, quiz, poster making and recording video messages were organised for the employees and their families. On the occasion, Shri Suresha G, Executive Director, Odisha Operations, AM/NS India said, “We all have immense responsibility to protect our environment.

We have implemented Natural Gas for Pellet Production in Paradeep which is very environment friendly in nature. We have planted more than 30,000 saplings inside the plant premises in the last two years, totalling the greenbelt development from 33% to 42%. This year we aim to plant 10,000 more trees inside the plant and distribute more than 1,000 trees outside our plant boundaries to reduce the carbon footprint and have a greener environment”.

At the beneficiation plant in Dabuna, Keonjhar, quiz and poster competitions were organised for employees and contractual workers.

The campaign also included housekeeping drive and plantation drive in the plant premises. On the occasion, the senior leadership delivered keynote speeches, led environment oath-taking ceremonies, and distributed prizes to the winners. Saplings were also distributed to employees and local communities.

 Training on environmental sustainability was provided by external faculty on June 6th and 7th. At the Tailing Dam Project in Sankari, Keonjhar, a mass awareness program and a sapling plantation event were also held. The event focused on educating participants about environmental conservation.

Celebrations at Sagasahi and Thakurani mines included an awareness march targeting truck drivers and shopkeepers, educating them on the hazards of plastic use and promoting eco-friendly alternatives. There was a plantation drive in the vicinity of the mines.

 Community engagement was emphasized with villagers taking an environmental oath and participating in awareness campaigns. Activities such as quiz and poster competitions, further reinforced the importance of environmental sustainability.

As part of AM/NS India’s CSR initiatives in Paradeep, the company collaborated with local villagers to plant fruit-bearing trees in the Upper Primary School and its surrounding area in Chakradharpur village, aiming to create green belts and raise environmental awareness. The team emphasized on the importance of environmental protection for future generations, highlighting AM/NS India’s ongoing commitment to sustainability.