Jharsuguda: With the mercury rising, Vedanta Aluminium, India’s largest producer of aluminium, has resumed its annual ‘Jal Sewa Shibir’ initiative to help local public beat the summer heat.
Water kiosks have been set up at Bhurkamunda village, Sarbahal Chowk, Prasanna Panda Chowk, Badheimunda Chowk, Jharsuguda Railway Station and Bus Stand, to provide free drinking water, ORS, lemon water and buttermilk to travellers.
The kiosks attend to about 8,000 people on a daily basis. Vedanta Aluminium has also deployed water tankers to provide drinking water to communities in 17 locations across 11 wards of Jharsuguda that are facing acute water shortages currently. This is helping nearly 25,000 people access clean drinking water daily.
Earlier in the year, the company undertook its annual endeavour of cleaning and deepening ponds and other local water bodies, preparing them to harvest water during rains to ensure post-monsoon water availability in villages.
In addition, the company has created several water infrastructures in its peripheral villages, like ponds, tube wells, dug wells, percolation tanks, etc. to ensure water availability round the year.
Additionally, the company is also working to retain the green cover in the region, by ensuring regular watering of the saplings planted along the State Highway, which will eventually provide shade to travellers during summer.
Dedicating water kiosks to the public, Sunil Gupta, CEO, Vedanta Ltd, Jharsuguda, said, “The wellbeing of our communities is of utmost importance to us, and our developmental initiatives in the region are aimed at improving their quality of life. It is heartening to see our Jal Sewa Shibir helping thousands of citizens in Jharsuguda during these extreme weather conditions. Water is a critical shared resource between us, our communities and the ecology. We are committed to creating a sustainable water footprint in Jharsuguda, through efficient water management and by working with local communities to make them climate resilient.”
PNN
