Vedanta supports Govt of Odisha with oxygen cylinders for COVID treatment
20th May 2021
Bhubaneswar, May 20, 2021: Vedanta Aluminium, India’s largest producer of aluminium and value-added products, is providing filled medical oxygen cylinders to the Government of Odisha as part of its support to the fight against the second wave of COVID pandemic. A total of 2000 oxygen cylinders will be supplied as part of this initiative. The medical oxygen cylinders were handed over to the state government on 20th May 2021 in Bhubaneswar in the presence of Mr. Nitin Jawale, Managing Director – Industrial Promotion & Investment Corporation of Odisha Limited (IPICOL) and Ms. Yamini Sarangi, IAS, Odisha State Medical Corporation Limited (OSMCL). Senior officials from the state government and Vedanta Ltd were also present on the occasion.
On this occasion, Mr. Rahul Sharma, Dy. CEO – Aluminium Business, Vedanta Ltd., said, “Vedanta stands firmly with the people of Odisha in the fight against COVID. As part of our efforts, we have supplied the oxygen cylinders to the state government so that uninterrupted oxygen supply is maintained for treatment of COVID patients. In the first wave of the pandemic, we made efforts towards controlling the spread of the disease across our operations by ensuring the safety and well-being of our employees and the communities and supported the government healthcare authorities in their efforts. We are committed to support the government in this critical situation and mitigate the health hazards posed by the second wave of the pandemic.”
Appreciating Vedanta’s initiatives, Mr. Nitin Jawale, Managing Director – IPICOL, said, “Oxygen is now a critical requirement in saving the lives of the COVID-affected people. In such a crucial situation, it is appreciable that Vedanta has come forward and has taken the efforts to supply the oxygen cylinders to the government. This reflects on the responsibility and commitment of Vedanta towards the people of Odisha. Vedanta has always been at the forefront to support the government authorities – both at the local operational level as well as the state level.”
The company has plans to further augment COVID management efforts by the state government by setting up about 300 bed COVID care facilities in Odisha. In its areas of operations, Vedanta is supporting the District COVID Hospital at Jharsuguda in treating the affected populace from the region. In Bhawanipatna at Kalahandi district, the company recently provided 10,000 RT PCR testing kits to the District Government Hospital. Vedanta is also aiding local administrations in carrying out vaccination drives in the periphery of its plants.
Over the past year, Vedanta has extended support to bolster the state’s COVID prevention effort in various ways:
- 92,000 units of highly specialised Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) were provided to the Government of Odisha.
- Thousands of daily wage earners and under-served families were provided with rations and meals
- Over 2 lakh masks, soaps and safety kits were freely distributed to the needy. The masks are being made by women of Vedanta-supported self-help groups, thus providing them a means of livelihood in these tough times
- Hundreds of awareness sessions on COVID-19 were conducted across remote villages
- Intensive fumigation and disinfection of public places, including public offices was carried out in the areas of Vedanta’s operations
- Extensive support was provided to local farmers to sustain their livelihood during lockdowns
Vedanta Aluminium & Power, a part of Vedanta Limited, is India’s largest producer of aluminium, producing half of India’s aluminium at 1.96 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) in FY21, and is also one of the largest private power producers in the country. It is a leader in value-added aluminium products that find critical applications in core industries. With its world-class smelters, alumina refinery and power plants and spread across 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., 2.29 million tonnes in FY23. 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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This press release contains “forward-looking statements” – that is, statements related to future, not past, events. In this context, forward-looking statements often address our expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “seeks,” “should” or “will.” Forward-looking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain. For us, uncertainties arise from the behaviour of financial and metals markets including the London Metal Exchange, fluctuations in interest and or exchange rates and metal prices; from future integration of acquired businesses; and from numerous other matters of national, regional, and global scale, including those of a political, economic, business, competitive or regulatory nature. These uncertainties may cause our actual future results to be materially different than those expressed in our forward-looking statements. We do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements.
