The Business Bytes
TBB BUREAU
BHUBANESWAR, JULY 14, 2022
Water scarcity is a perennial issue in Rengali Block of Sambalpur District, and shortage of irrigation water poses a grave threat to the agricultural economy of this area, given the erratic rainfall.
To provide relief from water scarcity, Aditya Birla Group company Aditya Aluminium has come forward to restore water bodies and conserve runoff water, rainwater and wastewater in the township and villages under Rengali Block. It has largely benefited the ecosystem and the farmers.
“Our teams have been working relentlessly to contribute towards biodiversity management. The result is reflected in the Aditya Township which has a vibrant flora and fauna. We have developed a 60,000m3 capacity rainwater harvesting pond in the Township. Over 180,576m3 capacity rainwater harvesting structures have been renovated/constructed in the last five years,” said Sameer Nayak, Unit Head of Aditya Aluminium. The Company developed more than 50 ponds for the benefit of the community which helped 178 farmers who can now cultivate 352 acres of land and grow multiple crops, he added.
The irrigation facility provided by the government and facilitated by Aditya Aluminium augmented the local farmers’ income manifold from Rs.11,000 in the year 2013-14 to Rs.50,000-Rs.1 lakh per annum now. In Dhorropani, over 50 acres of land is cultivated by using water from these ponds.
Nayak informed that Aditya Aluminium has partnered with the Government to dig and renovate 5 of the 9 Amrit Sarovars (ponds) allocated to Rengali Block as part of the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ celebration.
Sriram Padhan, a progressive farmer from Dhorropani village, has been growing multiple crops over many years with Aditya Aluminium’s proactive interventions, such as capacity building, implementation of best agriculture practices, agri-input, drip irrigation and ensuring insurance. He draws water from the ponds that have been developed by Aditya Aluminium. He earns over Rs.1.5 lakh per annum now.
As a responsible corporate citizen and driven by the constant motivation to give back to society, the Aditya Birla Group reaches out to more than 5 lakh people touching more than 2 lakh lives in the 128 villages in Odisha. The Group’s CSR is conducted under the aegis Aditya Birla Centre for Community Initiatives and Rural Development chaired by Rajashree Birla. Her vision is to actively contribute to the social and economic development of the communities in which we operate. In doing so, build a better, sustainable way of life for the weaker sections of society. And raise the country’s human development index. The group’s CSR vision is aligned with UNSDG goals to eliminate poverty and ensure freedom from hunger.
