Bhubaneswar: Water shortage is a major issue in Rengali block of Odisha’s Sambalpur district. Given the erratic rainfall, agricultural economy of the area is under grave threat.
Aditya Aluminium has come forward to provide relief to local people.
The Aditya Birla Group company has taken up the task of restoring water bodies and conserving run off water, rainwater and wastewater in the township and villages under Rengali block.
This will benefit the ecosystem of the area and the farmers.
“Our teams have been working relentlessly to contribute towards biodiversity management. The result is reflected in the Aditya Township which has a vibrant flora and fauna. We have developed a 60000m3 capacity rainwater harvesting pond in the Township. Over 180576m3 capacity rainwater harvesting structures have been renovated/constructed in the last five years,” said Sameer Nayak, Unit Head of Aditya Aluminium.
Over 50 ponds have been developed, which has helped 178 farmers who can now cultivate 352 acres of land and grow multiple crops.
Irrigation facility provided by the government and facilitated by Aditya Aluminium has augmented local farmers’ income manifold — from Rs 11,000 in 2013-14 to Rs 50,000-Rs 1 lakh per annum now, informed Nayak.
“In Dhorropani, over 50 acres of land is cultivated by using water from these ponds. This apart, we have partnered with the Government to dig and renovate 5 of the 9 Amrit Sarovars (ponds) allocated to Rengali block as part of the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ celebration,” Nayak added.
One of the beneficiaries is Sriram Pradhan, a progressive farmer from Dhorropani village who has been growing multiple crops over several with Aditya Aluminium’s proactive interventions, such as capacity building, implementation of best agriculture practices, agri-input, drip irrigation and ensuring insurance.
Pradhan, who draws water from the ponds erected by Aditya Aluminium, earns over Rs 1.5 lakh annually.
The Aditya Birla Group reaches out to over 5 lakh people, touching more than 2 lakh lives in 128 villages in Odisha.
The Group’s CSR is conducted under the aegis Aditya Birla Centre for Community Initiatives and Rural Development, chaired by Rajashree Birla.
