Lanjigarh, 16/9: : Vedanta Limited, Lanjigarh, India’s premier producer of metallurgical grade alumina, sensitized local communities on good nutritional habits and practices during the recently concluded National Nutrition Week 2022. Employees of the company volunteered to sensitize mothers on the nutritious benefits of local/indigenous food, assisted health practitioners in checking the height and weight of babies, and recording their immunization status. The initiative was carried out at the company’s Nand Ghars in Kendubordi and Harekrushnapur. Nand Ghars are modernized anganwadis that serve as centers of women & child development, with focus on pre-school education, nutrition and healthcare and women’s skill development.
Highlighting the advantages of farmers’ produce and local cultivation, different recipes focused on nutritional needs of pregnant and lactating women were shared with them. Many of the women also came forward to showcase their own recipes to others. A healthy baby show was also organized, where babies were rated on their BMI index and their immunization status. As a strong testimony to Vedanta Lanjigarh’s endeavours towards promoting women & children’s health in the region, all babies were marked in the green zone (healthy). The event was graced Shri Mugna Majhi, Sarpanch of Jagannathpur Gram Panchayat, Shri Lalit Kumar Sahoo, Nayab Sarpanch, and Srimati Jyothsna Rani Mishra, ICDS Supervisor.
Mr. GG Pal, Dy. CEO – Alumina Business, Vedanta Ltd., said, “Holistic development of our local communities is at the heart of our community development endeavours, which span the realms of health, education, skill development, women & child development, sustainable livelihoods, sports & culture. Programs such as these are a fundamental step towards improving the health of our local communities, especially from childhood. At Vedanta Lanjigarh, we are committed to working with the local administration, medical community and public to better the quality of life in the region.”
Lalita Majhi, one of the women who participated in the program, said, “I was very happy to be part of the nutrition exhibition and was proud to showcase my recipe. I was also quite inspired by the traditional nutrition recipes shared by other women.”
The healthy baby show was widely appreciated by participating mothers. One such mother, Sailaja Durga shared her thoughts on the event and said, “My baby is healthy today, completely immunized and breastfed. It is because of the various child development programs and awareness sessions by Vedanta’s Nand Ghar team and ICDS. My baby was ranked amongst the top healthy babies in the competition, and I couldn’t be happier!”
Vedanta Aluminium, a business of Vedanta Limited, is India’s largest producer of aluminium, manufacturing half of India’s aluminium i.e., 2.26 million tonnes in FY22. It is a leader in value-added aluminium products that find critical applications in core industries. Vedanta Aluminium ranks 4th in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) 2021 world rankings for aluminium industry, a reflection of its sustainable development practices. The company operates a 2 MTPA (million tonnes per annum) capacity alumina refinery in Lanjigarh (Kalahandi district, Odisha), India since 2007 and an associated 75 MW captive power plant. 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.