The Business Bytes
TBB BUREAU
BHUBANESWAR, MAY 20, 2021
As part of its support to the fight against the second wave of COVID pandemic, Vedanta Aluminium has supplied 2000 filled medical oxygen cylinders to the Government of Odisha on Thursday.
The medical oxygen cylinders were handed over to the state government here today in presence of Industrial Promotion & Investment Corporation of Odisha Limited (IPICOL) Managing Director Nitin Jawale, and Odisha State Medical Corporation Limited (OSMCL) Managing Director Yamini Sarangi. Senior officials from the state government and Vedanta Ltd were also present on the occasion.
On this occasion, Vedanta Ltd Deputy CEO (Aluminium Business) Rahul Sharma 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, Nitin Jawale 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.”
Vedanta plans to further augment COVID management efforts by the state government by setting up about 300 beds 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. The company is also helping 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.
It has provided 92,000 units of highly specialised Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to the Government of Odisha. Over 2 lakh masks made by women of Vedanta-supported self-help groups, soaps and safety kits were distributed to the needy free of cost by the company. Thousands of daily wage earners and under-served families were provided with rations and meals. Hundreds of awareness sessions on COVID-19 were conducted across remote villages. 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.
