National Farmers Day: Vedanta Aluminium commits to bolstering agricultural infrastructure across rural India
23rd December 2023
- Over 10,000 farmers have benefitted from the company’s initiatives, which are focused on nurturing sustainable farming practices and economic empowerment
New Delhi; 23rd December 2023: On National Farmers Day, Vedanta Aluminium, India’s largest producer of aluminium, reiterates its commitment to creating wider avenues in socio-economic growth for the advancement of India’s rural communities. The company is actively engaging with the farming community through several initiatives designed to ensure dignified livelihoods, enhance knowledge of farming techniques, boost sustainable agriculture practices and build circular economy. Over 10,000 farmers have benefitted from these efforts, which are catalysing positive transformation among rural communities in Odisha and Chhattisgarh.
Recognizing the pivotal role farmers play in the nation’s holistic progress, the company is also augmenting the infrastructure available to the members of the farming community through grassroot initiatives such as the Jeevika Samridhhi program deployed at Jharsuguda, Odisha and the Mor Jal Mor Maati initiative in Korba, Chhattisgarh. In addition, Vedanta Aluminium has also conducted trial runs of biodiesel, which helps create additional revenue for farmers as it is commonly derived from organic matter such as crop residue. These initiatives are strategically designed in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly ‘No Poverty’ (SDG 1), ‘Decent Work and Economic Growth’ (SDG 8), ‘Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure’ (SDG 9), and ‘Climate Action’ (SDG 13).
The Jeevika Samridhhi program has been deployed in the vicinity of Vedanta Aluminium’s mega aluminium operations in Jharsuguda, Odisha. It aims to introduce small-scale farmers to more efficient methods of farming. The third phase of the project was launched recently, cumulatively impacting nearly 1000 rural households through a focus on climate-smart practices and integrated organic farming practices for enhanced agricultural yield.
The Mor Jal Mor Maati initiative has been implemented by BALCO, India’s iconic aluminium producer based in Korba, Chhattisgarh, to help revolutionize farming in its nearby communities. The project has reached a total of 32 villages and positively impacted the lives of over 3600 farmers. Nearly 30% of these farmers constitute a young demographic of 18-35 years, encouraging youths to embrace farming as a viable profession. It centres on advancing sustainable and contemporary agricultural practices, improving water management practices by constructing and renovating water structures, endorsing horticulture and non-timber forest produce initiatives, and institutionalizing farming practices through a Farmer Producer Organization. Additionally, the project includes establishing a dedicated Vedanta Agriculture Resource Centre equipped with training and demonstration fields for farmers.
Furthermore, at its Lanjigarh alumina refinery in Odisha, the company has successfully conducted trial runs for using biodiesel as a sustainable fuel alternative for commercial vehicles. It will foster the productive cultivation of biofuel feedstocks and a sustainable market for biofuel crops. The company has also integrated biomass briquettes made from agricultural residue as per the guidelines of Ministry of Power, Government of India into its energy mix. It will help curb the burning of agricultural residue which has a serious negative impact on the environment. Such initiatives help augment the income of farmers through the creation of additional revenue streams, and thereby circular economy.
Moreover, the company is playing a pivotal role in establishing crucial infrastructure such as tubewells, borewells, ponds, and percolation tanks, ensuring that local communities have access to water round the year for both household and irrigation purposes. In FY23 alone, Vedanta Aluminium restored over 40 water bodies near its operations. These efforts have been enabled by a remarkable 45% surge in the company’s community investments in FY23 compared to the FY21 baseline.
Vedanta Aluminium, a business of Vedanta Limited, is India’s largest producer of aluminium, manufacturing more than half of India’s aluminium i.e., 2.29 million tonnes in FY23. It is a leader in value-added aluminium products that find critical applications in core industries. Vedanta Aluminium ranks 2nd in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) 2022 world rankings for aluminium industry, a reflection of its 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.
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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