Bhubaneswar: NTPC Ltd, India’s largest power producer, has stepped up it’s vigil against global pandemic of COVID-19 by providing over 14,000 face masks , 900 gloves , 250 litres of sanitisers to contract labourers and to the people living around its projects in Angul and Sundargarh district in Orissa.
Efforts are on to help the neighbouring population around NTPC power plants and to contract labours in providing with grocery (Rice , pulses, onion, potatoes, soap & detergent through NTPC employees voluntary contribution. Quarters have been earmarked for quarantine / isolation purposes .
In Talcher Kaniha in Angul district , a yoga centre and a multi skill centre have been furnished for quarantine. In Talcher Thermal in Angul district 6 beds isolation facility in the project hospital and 11 bed quarantine facility have been created in township. Like wise in Darlipali project in Sundargarh district facilities for quarantine have been created in Shivalic Guest House with 32 beds and in Aravali Guest House with 16 beds.
In addition to the above NTPC Darlipali has handed over One Wing of the presently under construction Sundargarh Medical College & Hospital in three floors, consisting of 200 nos. of Bed Spaces complete with electricity, toilets, water, fan etc. to the district administration , to convert it to Isolation Wards for suspected COVID-19 patients. These facilities include 14 nos. of wards (each with capacity to accommodate 12 beds), 18 nos. of rooms with attached Toilets and another 15 nos. of rooms.
Furthermore, the requirement of contractor workers has been rationalised at NTPC’s projects /stations in terms of the GOI Guidelines. NTPC has asked its agencies to treat the workers’ absence in these extraordinary circumstances as on duty. As far as wages are concerned, there will be no hindrance and they will be given timely.
Accommodation, food and medical facilities for the contractor workers have been arranged at many of NTPC’s projects/stations. At some locations, distribution of food packets/ daily essentials for nearby elderly/pregnant and lactating mothers / physically challenged and other marginalised sections of the society including poor families has been taken up.