Lanjigarh, Kalahandi (Odisha): Vedanta Limited, Lanjigarh, India’s premier producer of metallurgical grade alumina, conducted a week-long program to sensitize the communities around the plant area and beyond, on the importance of handwashing and hand hygiene. The program which started on 15th October marking the celebration of Global Handwashing Day concluded on Wednesday.
The programme covered around 200 beneficiaries of 50 Nand Ghars, Vedanta Group’s flagship corporate social responsibility project, in Kalahandi and Rayagada districts. The program highlighted this year’s Global Handwash Day theme – ‘Hand Hygiene for All’, with special focus on sanitation and hygiene in the backdrop of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Vedanta Nand Ghar and Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) teams collaborated to organize various programs to sensitize local communities about the importance of handwashing with soap, as a preventive measure to stop the spread of corona virus as well as other potential diseases. Along with the frontline workers, members of local Panchayat Raj Institutions (PRI) and community influencers, they conducted door-to-door campaigns in villages, including demonstrations on proper handwashing steps and public awareness sessions to educate about the importance and benefits of washing hands.
Speaking about the week-long program, Vedanta Limited, Lanjigarh unit CEO Rakesh Mohan said, “Vedanta is committed to the betterment of our communities through structured interventions aimed at transforming their lives. At Lanjigarh, we have championed various facets of public health, hygiene and sanitation, from making the region malaria-death free to bringing quality healthcare to the doorsteps of people through Vedanta Hospital. Celebration of the Global Handwashing Day marks such an occasion, which sets a strong base for people to understand basic but crucial things about their health and well-being. This is yet another step towards building a better future for the community, and Vedanta shall continue to take more such steps in the future.”
Appreciating the public awareness campaign by the company, Anganwadi Worker of Karadabandh Nand Ghar, Rayagada, Swadesi Biswas said: “Vedanta has always been at the forefront when it comes to educating people in our communities about health and hygiene, helping and supporting them in the process. Thanks to the knowledge shared during this week-long program, our villagers have been sensitized about taking precautions for safeguarding themselves from infections and diseases by practicing good hand hygiene.”
Vedanta’s social interventions in the domains of sustainable livelihood, women empowerment, quality education, health, water and sanitation, bio-investment and community infrastructure reach out to a total of 59 villages in Lanjigarh and nearby areas, benefiting about a lakh people in a year. It empowers more than 3000 women from 305 self help groups (SHGs), provides healthcare services to about 60,000 people annually, gives educational support to more than 2800 students, has planted more than 5.4 lakh trees in the community, and built 500 plus infrastructural projects at community level.
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 (Kalahandi district, Odisha), India since 2007 and an associated 90 MW captive power plant.
