Vedanta Agnivahini launches fire-safety program in Jharsuguda
5th December 2020
Jharsuguda, Odisha; 05 December, 2020: Vedanta, India’s largest producer of aluminium and value-added products, has rolled out fire safety awareness program for Jharsuguda residents under the banner of Employee Volunteerism Program (EVP), a unique initiative through which employees of the company use their skillsets for social good. Members of Agnivahini, Vedanta’s all-women firefighting squad, are sensitizing the community on various facets of fire safety, such as identifying causes and types of fire, precautions, emergency measures in case of fire, basic do’s and don’ts, and so on.
This program is aimed at increasing awareness levels of general public on the various facets of fire safety and equip them with the knowledge to foster a safety-first culture at grassroots. So far, more than a hundred people from Debadihi, Brundamal and Kurebaga villages have already participated in the sessions. Over the next few months, Vedanta Agnivahini plans to reach out to as many people in Jharsuguda as possible, through the initiative.
Talking about Agnivahini and its purpose in building a fire safe culture in the region, Mr. CN Singh, CEO – Vedanta Ltd., Jharsuguda, said, “Agnivahini is one of our dream projects and a pioneering effort in the realm of safety in India, especially in terms of strengthening grassroots safety culture. Our women employees undergo rigorous and exacting training for months before qualifying as members of Agnivahini. Besides their role in supplementing the safety efforts at our operations, it is a matter of great pride for us that these women are equipping communities around us with the knowledge and basic skills required to be fire-safe. As India’s largest aluminium producer, we are cognizant of our social responsibilities and strive to fulfil them with utmost dedication and a commitment to the greater good of all.”
Agnivahini was conceptualized by Vedanta with the idea that women are integral to building a fire-safe culture. Given the rising incidence of fires all over the world, it is crucial that people are aware of and adequately trained to first prevent and then combat fires. Although conceived to support the plant’s Fire Safety team in improving safety quotient of the operations, within a year of its inception, Agnivahini had evolved into a social change agent as well, working with the Jharsuguda community to make the district fire safe. Last year, they had sensitized nearly 1000 community members via on-ground training sessions and demonstrations on usage of fire extinguishers. This year, due to the ongoing pandemic, team Agnivahini is conducting the sessions virtually.
Residents of Debadihi village namely, Ashwini Pandey, Shanti Patel, Pratima Patel, Kulamani Nayak and Anita Sahu, penned a letter of appreciation on behalf of their community stating, “The fire safety awareness session organized by Vedanta was very informative and beneficial for all residents of our village. The biggest takeaway from the session was that instead of panicking during a fire hazard, prior knowledge of do’s and don’ts can help us save lives and valuables. We are very thankful for the session and hope that Vedanta continues to conduct more such awareness programs for us.”
Vedanta’s social interventions in the domains of sustainable livelihood, women empowerment, quality education, health, water and sanitation, bio-investment and community infrastructure reach out to a total of 72 villages in Jharsuguda and nearby areas, benefiting nearly 80,000 people in a year. It empowers more than 4000 women from over 335 SHGs, provides doorstep healthcare services to about 32,000 people annually, gives educational support to more than 6400 students, has planted more than 1.48 lakh trees in partnership with the community, and built 570 plus infrastructural projects at community level.
Vedanta is India’s largest producer of the green metal, aluminium, operating a world-class 1.6 MTPA aluminium smelter and 3615 MW thermal power generation facility in Jharsuguda, Odisha. The only Indian smelter in the global ‘1 Million Tonne’ production and export club, Vedanta Jharsuguda is a leader in value-added aluminium products that find critical applications across core industries. With one of the largest technically qualified and diverse workforces in the country, the company is working towards a sustainable and greener future for all by spurring emerging applications of aluminium, the ‘Metal of the Future’.
About Vedanta Limited:
Vedanta Limited, a subsidiary of Vedanta Resources Limited, is one of the world’s leading Oil & Gas and Metals company with significant operations in Oil & Gas, Zinc, Lead, Silver, Copper, Iron Ore, Steel, and Aluminium & Power across India, South Africa and Namibia. For two decades, Vedanta has been contributing significantly to nation building. Governance and sustainable development are at the core of Vedanta's strategy, with a strong focus on health, safety, and environment. Vedanta has put in place a comprehensive framework to be the ESG leader in the natural resources sector. Vedanta is committed to reducing carbon emissions to zero by 2050 or sooner and has pledged $5 billion over the next 10 years to accelerate the transition to net zero operations. Giving back is in the DNA of Vedanta, which is focused on enhancing the lives of local communities. The company’s flagship social impact program, Nand Ghars, have been set up as model anganwadis focused on eradicating child malnutrition, providing education, healthcare, and empowering women with skill development. Under the aegis of the Anil Agarwal Foundation, the umbrella entity for Vedanta’s social initiatives, the Vedanta group has pledged Rs 5000 crore over the next five years on social impact programmes with a thrust on nutrition, women & child development, healthcare, animal welfare, and grass-root level sports. Vedanta and the group companies have been featured in Dow Jones Sustainability Index, and was conferred Frost & Sullivan Sustainability Awards 2020, Golden Peacock Award for excellence in Corporate Governance 2022 and certified as a Great Place to Work 2022. Vedanta Limited is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange.
For more information, please visit www.vedantalimited.com
About Vedanta Aluminium Business:
Vedanta Aluminium, a business of Vedanta Limited, is India’s largest producer of aluminium, manufacturing more than half of India’s aluminium i.e., 2.37 million tonnes in FY24. It is a leader in value-added aluminium products that find critical applications in core industries. Vedanta Aluminium ranks 1st in the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment 2023 world rankings for the aluminium industry, a reflection of its leading sustainable development practices. With its world-class aluminium smelters, alumina refinery and power plants in India, the company fulfils its mission of spurring emerging applications of aluminium as the ‘Metal of the Future’ for a greener tomorrow.
For more information, please log on to www.vedantaaluminium.com
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