Vedanta Aluminium conducts ‘Suraksha Sarathi’, a mega road safety awareness drive

It reached out to over1500 drivers working in the manufacturing industry

Jharsuguda:Vedanta Aluminium, India’s largest producer of aluminium, conducted amega road safety awareness initiative- ‘Suraksha Sarathi’ at Lakhanpur Mines in Jharsuguda, in partnership with Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) and major transporters’unions, including Maa Samleswari Truck Owner Association (MSTOA) and Ayush Road Lines.Theevent saw participation from more than 1500 drivers, recognizing them as ‘Sarathis’(Charioteers)to highlight the indispensable role they play in road safety.

As part of theawareness drive, Vedanta Aluminium orchestrated several initiatives aimed at underscoring the paramount importance of road safety which included a compelling ‘Nukkad Natak’ (street play) performance featuring actors embodying the mythical characters Yamraj and Chitragupta, complimentary health check-ups, a road safety quiz, and the distribution of road safety kits, all of whichdrew appreciation from the drivers.Through these initiatives, the companyemphasized the importance of adhering to traffic regulations and safety standards.

Esteemed officials who graced the occasion and actively participated in the initiatives included Mr. Dinabandhu Sundhi, Road Transport Officer, Jharsuguda; Mr.  Loknath Meher, Motor Vehicle Inspector, Jharsuguda; Mr. Sanjay Jha, General Manager, MCL,Lakhanpur; Mr. Akhil Swain, President, MSTOA; Mr. Santosh Mohanty, General Secretary, MSTOA; and Mr. Chandan Agrawal fromAyush Road Lines.

Reiterating Vedanta’s safety- first culture, Mr. Sunil Gupta, COO, Vedanta Aluminium said, “At Vedanta Aluminium, safety of our people and partners is our foremost priority and we believe in extending our culture of care beyond our operations. It gives us immense pride to pioneer initiatives like ‘Suraksha Sarathi’, leading to more safeguards for our communities. The safety of our partnersis of utmost importance to usand we plan to conduct similar initiatives to bolster the safety quotient at our operations as well as beyond.”

Acknowledging the company’s efforts,Mr. Dinabandhu Sundhi, Regional Transport Officer, Jharsugudasaid,“I strongly believe that through the shared efforts of the district administration and VedantaAluminium, we can achieve our goal of making Jharsuguda a district free from road accidents. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to Vedanta for this initiative.”

Vedanta Aluminium has undertaken several initiatives to strengthen its safety-centric culture, including:

• Sankalp, a Safety Culture Transformation Programme implemented by Vedanta Aluminium across all its operations
• Augmented and Virtual Reality TrainingCentre to enhance safety training and offer an immersive and engaging experience
• Extensive digitalization of operations and processes to minimize human interaction with machines and Manufacturing Execution System to ensure 360-degree visibility of critical plant operations, allowing for remote decision-making through mobile applications.
• Video analytics for immediate detection of fire events and monitoring of employee adherence to safety standards, ensuring continuous plant safety
• An all-women fire-fighting team ‘Agnivahini’at Jharsuguda, who have been meticulously trained to act efficiently and effectively in event of an emergency, offering off-site response support to the local administration and community
• Safety Stand Down, a programme wherein leadership teams engage with employees and business partners on various facets of health, safety and environment, to build a holistic safety-first culture
• Regular Mock Drills & Safety Awareness Sessions organized in collaboration with National Disaster Reduction Force (NDRF) and Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA)

Fire, electrical & household-safety training sessions for school students and community members by employee volunteers of the company

Vedanta Aluminium, a business of Vedanta Limited, is India’s largest producer of aluminium, manufacturing more than half of India’s aluminium i.e., 2.29 million tonnes in FY23. It is a leader in value-added aluminium products that find critical applications in core industries. Vedanta Aluminium ranks 1st in the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment 2023 world rankings for the aluminium industry, a reflection of its sustainable development practices. With its world-class aluminium smelters, alumina refinery and power plants in India, the company fulfils its mission of spurring emerging applications of aluminium as the ‘Metal of the Future’ for a greener tomorrow.