Indus Valley Times

By Mahendra Darjee

Jharsuguda, March 24 :Vedanta Aluminium, India’s largest producer of aluminium, observed World Water Day 2023 by undertaking water conservation and awareness initiatives in Jharsuguda, Odisha.The company also undertook pond restoration and cleaning activities in Baghiamal pond, Jharsugudawith the active participation of employee volunteers and professional experts.

On the occasion, the company also conducted the ground-breaking ceremony for a new Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) at its operations. With a processing capacity of 440 kilo litres per day (KLD), the STP will reduce freshwater consumption of the plant by around 15 crore litres per year, taking a significant step towards becoming Net Water Positive by leveraging advanced technologies for efficient water utilisation.

Encouraging community members to work towards water conservation in their individual capacities, the company organized Nukkad Natak– street play sessions at local educational institutions and Maa Samleshwari Nagar, reaching out to more than 800 students and community members. Further, to create awareness on the importance of freshwater and biodiversity conservation, the company arranged a Birdwatching and Nature Photography session for employees and their family members at Singhabaga, the wetlands of Jharsuguda.

Speaking on the company’s commitment towards water conservation, Mr. Sunil Gupta, CEO – Vedanta Jharsuguda, said,”At Vedanta Aluminium, we firmly believe that our business growth must go hand in hand with environmental sustainability and that a sustainable future depends on responsible water management. Our aim is to increase water reutilization, reduce freshwater consumption, and strengthen community water infrastructure. As we celebrate World Water Day, we recommit to our mission of becoming net water positive and making more water available for local communities and biodiversity, ensuring positive ecological footprint and excellence in ESG.”

Vedanta Aluminium has taken several steps within its operations and in the community to ensurecreating a positive water footprint, which involves:

Working with local communities:

·   Through Jeevika Samruddhi,Vedanta Aluminium’s sustainable livelihood project in agriculture, the company has been helping farming communities across Jharsuguda adoptadvanced agricultural mechanisms like drip-irrigation, treadle pumps, solar powered water pumps, rainwater harvesting structures like percolation tanks, etc. to boost irrigationand reduce dependency on monsoons for cropping

·    Construction of community water infrastructures likeMinor River Lift Irrigation Points (MLRP), Drip Irrigation, Check dams, Lift Irrigation (LI) Points/ CRLP (Community River Lift Irrigation points), and Solar irrigation pointsto help communities get perennial access to water for household and irrigation purposes to 226 acres of land with approximately 5250 CuM water storage capacity

·     Restoration and rejuvenation of over 19 community waterbodies in the vicinity of its operations in Jharsuguda, Odisha

Water management efforts at the operations:

Automated water management through cutting-edge technologies like Internet of Things (IoT)

Ensuring zero discharge operations by adopting stringent control measures and technologies

·         Partnering with TÜV SÜD, a global leader in sustainability solutions, to create the roadmap for Vedanta Aluminium to become net water positive

·         Creating Rainwater harvesting infrastructure and On-site water reservoirs for water sourcing during contingency scenarios