Jharsuguda, (Kalinga Voice) : Vedanta, India’s largest producer of aluminium and value-added products,conducted a weeklong diabetes awareness campaign at Jharsuguda in partnership with National Health Mission (NHM).Starting on World Diabetes Day, the campaign continued until November end, covering 27 villages and more than 2500 beneficiaries over the course of the program.The company’s Mobile Health Unit (MHU) staff sensitized community members on various facets of diabetes, symptoms, diet, medication and general wellbeing. Besides that, information leaflets were shared and audio messages were broadcast through public announcement systems for greater awareness and information retention among the participating villagers.
Referring to the company’s community development endeavours, Mr. CN Singh, CEO – Vedanta Ltd., Jharsuguda, said, “As India’s largest aluminium producer, Vedanta is not only committed to the nation’s economic prosperity but also dedicated to socio-economic development of the communities around our operations. We are cognizant of our social responsibilities and strive to fulfil them through structured interventions attuned to the needs of the local communities. Health &Sanitation is a key dimension in our social outreach efforts, and we have undertaken several initiatives in that area, from the Mobile Health Unit, which provides doorstep primary healthcare services across the villages of Jharsuguda, to public awareness campaigns on various diseases.”
Mr. Bidhubhusan Mishra, District Vaccine Officer for Jharsuguda, appreciated the company’s efforts in carrying out the program saying, “The diabetes awareness campaign is commendable effort by Vedanta. Conducting this program with adherence to COVID guidelines, they have not only sensitised nearly 2500 people but also helped over 200 people get tested for the disease. On behalf of the district health department, I thank Vedanta for their dedicated efforts and encourage them to continue the good work and spread the message of ‘health is wealth’ in the society.”
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 72 villages in Jharsuguda and nearby areas, benefiting nearly 80,000 people in a year. It empowers more than 4000 women from over 330 SHGs, provides doorstep healthcare services to about 32,000 people annually, gives educational support to more than 6400 students, has planted more than 1.48 lakh trees in partnership with the community, and built 570 plus infrastructural projects at community level.
Vedanta is India’s largest producer of the greenmetal, aluminium, operating a world-class 1.6 MTPA aluminium smelter and 3615 MW thermal power generation facility in Jharsuguda, Odisha. The only Indian smelter in the global ‘1 Million Tonne’ production and export club, Vedanta Jharsuguda is a leader in value-added aluminium products that find critical applications across core industries. With one of the largest technically qualified and diverse workforces in the country, the company is working towards a sustainable and greener future for all by spurring emerging applications of aluminium, the ‘Metal of the Future’.