Lanjigarh (Kalahandi Odisha): Vedanta’s alumina refinery in Lanjigarh,engaging with various stakeholders, has touched over 1 lakh people through its safety and prevention measures to fight against COVID-19.
Vedanta is taking extensive steps to ensure that the community, associate partners, employees, other stakeholders and all their families are equipped and sensitized to respond to COVID-19.
The plant is running operations with minimum workforce and limited resources, adhering to all the COVID-19 guidelines issued by the Central and State authorities.
However, the organization has marshalled all its resources to undertake preventive measures for its employees, business associates and community at large in, around and far beyond its plant area.
Vedanta CEO- Alumina Business Rahul Sharma said, “We have galvanized all possible resources to protect our communities from COVID-19and we seek their support to ensure social-distancing and all precautions, to collectively combatCOVID-19. We are firmly standing together in the face of this pandemic and the leadership teamat Lanjigarh is closely monitoring how we can be of even greater service at this time of need.”
The company’s initiatives undertaken with the support and guidance of the district administrationare varied:
Over 1,00,000 washable cloth masks are under preparation through local self-helpgroups of which 40,000 have been distributed free of cost to the communities intandem with the district administration.
Over 100 self-help group members are being provided free of cost training, sewingmachines and raw materials as required, so they have a regular source of income tosupport their families at this time, when sources of livelihood are scarce.
The district administration’s COVID hospital in Bhawanipatna has been given 60,000surgical gloves, 25,000 surgical masks in addition to surgical gowns, and 6,000 bottlesof sanitizers.
Over 20,000 soaps have been distributed to the villagers.
Vedanta’s CSR team, Mobile Health Units, employee volunteers along with aanganwadi workers and health workers are covering over 70 villages to spread awareness on COVID-19 prevention and social-distancing, in addition to distributingmasks and soaps.
Over 1100 workers are being provided meals twice a day along with other essentials.
Over 500 employees of Vedanta’s Lanjigarh refinery have voluntarily contributed oneday’s salary for COVID-19 relief.
The company’s 20-bedded hospital is in a state of preparedness to support the district administration. The hospital continues to serve about 7000 patients per month from thecommunity.
Fumigation and disinfection of all prominent public places, local areas, public offices and township are being undertaken.
Thermal-gun temperature screening and provision of proper Personal ProtectionEquipment (PPEs), social-distancing, frequent hand-washing and other preventivemeasures have been undertaken for all personnel entering and working in the plant.
Vedanta is the largest producer of aluminium in India and remains the premier manufacturer of metallurgical grade alumina. The company operates a 2 MTPA (million tonnes per annum) capacity alumina refinery in Lanjigarh.
