Thecsrjournal App Store
Thecsrjournal Google Play Store
May 30, 2025
Home Blog Page 938

CSR of Standard Chartered Bank and Bajaj Auto drought-proofing India

By
Kasmin Fernandes
-
More than 44% of India was under various degrees of drought conditions in 2019, according to the Drought Early Warning System (DEWS). The situation isn’t different this year. In Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan, there is a severe drought in 653 villages. Small and marginal farmers in drought-hit areas of the district have abandoned their cattle.
The overall decrease of seasonal summer rain in the last few decades has led to an increased propensity for drought over India. In particular, areas over central India, southwest coast, southern peninsula and north-eastern India have experienced more than two droughts per decade, on average.

Drought-proofing India

The Indian government’s Jal Shakti Mission is an effort
at bringing water-stressed districts out of the crisis, through a water conservation Jan Andolan and the Jal Saksharta mission. At the same time, inspiring stories are emerging of how corporates are increasingly building a strategic fit of their CSR projects for drought-proofing India. Chief among them are Adani, Ambuja Cements, Mahindra & Mahindra and Grundfos India. We analyse the two largest and most impactful of CSR water projects for drought-proofing India.

1. Bajaj Water Conservation Project

The total committed amount for this CSR programme is INR 30,522 lakhs with 27,432 lakhs going to interventions in Maharashtra, 2,751 lakhs to Rajasthan and 331 lakhs to Uttarakhand.
Most parts of Central Maharashtra, including Marathwada and Vidharbha face repeated drought. Most of the villages are tanker-fed for 6 to 9 months in a year and the region faced severe drought in 2014-16. The Bajaj Water Conservation Project (BWCP) in Aurangabad plans to cover an area of 21,500 ha in 51 villages of Paithan, Gangapur Taluka of Aurangabad District and in second phase in 110 villages, 2 blocks (Gangapur, Aurangabad), in Aurangabad Districts of Maharashtra.
The BWCP was envisaged with the objective of making 425 villages drought-free by raising community awareness on degradation of natural resources and empowering them to conserve natural resources. Since the aim was to conserve 75% of the available runoffs and ensure 100% domestic water availability throughout the year, the Bajaj team began the project with a demand-supply gap assessment.
All existing water harvesting structures and their current status were mapped to calculate available water harvesting capacity; dysfunctional structures were taken up for repair and maintenance to ensure these regain their designed water harvesting capacities.
The drainage line treatment for run-off water harvesting and ground water recharge were thus major components of the BWCP, a detailed L-SECTION survey was conducted. Using a Station Instrument, the survey covered a drainage length of 400 kms running across 60,000 hectare watershed area.
A hydro-geological study was carried out with the help of expert geo-hydrologists to understand possibilities of vertical as well as lateral movement of water below the ground surface and the technical aspects of groundwater recharge and the depths of excavation. The project villages have experienced an increase of 5M in the water level in wells and a 10% increase in the vegetative cover.

Impact on land and the people

These endeavours have facilitated the achievement of the objective of increasing area under irrigation for Kharif crops to 44% and under Rabi up to 30% of the cultivable area. Alongside these initiatives, the Bajaj team also worked to develop productive and intensive cropping systems by helping farmers imbibe good farming practices and improve farm inputs.
With a holistic project approach, the village found several new livelihood opportunities in agriculture and allied sectors. The farms have clocked in increased productivity of over 20% in the general crops and the areas under vegetable & fruit crops has also increased by about 10%. The outcomes have driven household incomes to double and in some cases even triple from INR 0.5 lakhs to INR 1.5 lakhs.
The largest programme of its kind in terms of funds commitment, the Aurangabad project is impacting a population of 127,343 comprising 25,847 households in 100 plus villages. It is being delivered in phases.
Phase 1: Total outlay of INR 1,900 lakhs
Phase 2: INR 19,879 lakhs
Phase 3: being implemented in Aurangabad, Satara and Yavatmal Districts of Maharashtra, it covers 17,696 Hectares across 30 villages impacting 4,898 households. Bajaj Group has set aside a budget of INR 4,263 lakhs for this phase. These exclude 10% contribution by the community.
Going forward, the Bajaj Group plans to undertake New Watershed projects to cover 25,182 Ha in 22 villages spread across Satara, Ahmednagar and Beed districts of Maharashtra.
Rajasthan: A sum of INR 2,751 lakhs has been committed towards projects being implemented in 210 villages across 13 Districts impacting around 25,866 households comprising 125,879 people.
Uttarakhand: A population of 4,171 comprising 971 households are expected to benefit from INR 339 lakhs committed for projects being implemented in 75 villages of 5 districts.
Internal Project Monitoring against DPR (detailed project report) commitments and a third party evaluation by an independent NGO, a half-yearly community-based evaluation by the Village Development Committee together create a strong monitoring framework to ensure that Bajaj CSR projects stay on course.

2. Standard Chartered Bank CSR project for drought-proofing India

Bringing cutting edge technology into the mix is Standard Chartered Bank’s CSR project for drought-proofing India. CII – Triveni Water Institute has developed WATSCAN, an integrated IT-driven, GIS and Remote Sensing based information system. It generates millions of digital pixels, links satellite and on-ground databases and undertakes analytics with cloud computing.
Successful on-ground implementation of WATSCAN-led interventions, behaviour change and high level of community ownership and participation, are helping villages in Paithantaluk to transit from being drought-prone to drought-resistant. The project was launched in 2017 with support from Standard Chartered Bank under its flagship WASHE programme. It has successfully implemented strategies for stabilizing/ improving water resource scenario in the identified villages.

Engaging with villagers/ community and dovetailing with ongoing Government programmes such as Jalayukt Shivar Abhiyan and Village Social Transformation Mission, the project has been working towards adoption of water management strategies for enabling social transformation by drought-proofing India. Concerted efforts have been made to build ownership, develop a holistic water management strategy and a model for scale and replication.
In 2017, Phase I of the Aurangabad project, WATSCAN was applied to six drought-prone districts of Maharashtra for undertaking water resource assessment at the district’s watershed level. The outcomes guided the selection of 4 drought-prone villages in Aurangabad, that aligned well with the ongoing Government initiatives. An exercise to identify critical gaps was undertaken to create maximum impact with optimal investment.
Phase II of the project involved village-level assessment and implementation to scientifically enable siting of appropriate water management strategies – a combination of demand and supply-side measures.

Before the intervention

In the pre-project scenario, the selected villages were experiencing a negative demand-supply water balance. With high vulnerability and low resilience, water was becoming increasingly scarce. Erratic rainfall meant that village wells would go dry by February- March each year, leading to high dependence on tanker water supply. Several farmers were giving up agriculture and their selling land to adopt another vocation to earn their livelihood. Subsequently, the initiative/project led interventions, both supply-side and demand-side measures, were planned and implemented.

Making a sustainable impact

Given that the supply-side interventions were based on scientific analysis, 40% infrastructure slippages were avoided, making investments credible and transparent. The check dams, nalabunds, trenches and recharge shafts were constructed in the appropriate water accumulation zones, thus leading to enhanced storage capacities. Post monsoon (2019) rise in the water level in the observation wells were witnessed.
Improved agriculture water use through promotion of demand-side measures such as sericulture, other inputs and practices is helping reduce water demand in the area. Sericulture–when adopted by farmers under proper training and supervision–will not only save water but also can increase their income by approximately 3 times against their traditional cropping practice – cotton.
Overall the groundwater level in the village is stabilizing and water tables are showing signs of improvement, taking the village towards becoming Water Secure. The indication of potential availability of water has increased interest in farming and has prevented distress selling of farmland in these villages.

Healthcare on wheels for cyclone-hit rural communities in West Bengal

By
The CSR Journal
-
SEEDS (Sustainable Environment and Ecological Development Society), a leading humanitarian organisation and Grace Cancer Foundation have come together to start the initiative, #Healthcareonwheels. The two organisations are dedicated to provide medical services to those affected by a wave of sequential disasters in 24 North Paraganas, 24 South Parganas and East Medinipur districts of West Bengal.
A dedicated of team of doctors and health care volunteers has been assigned for the initiative. They will be traveling to these locations on a bus as a part of Cyclone Amphan response. The mobile bus has equipment for conducting comprehensive cancer screening and diagnosis. It is also equipped with advanced facilities for x-ray, ultrasound, bone and blood tests to provide better diagnostics than primary healthcare centres. The medical bus will also provide telemedicine facilities where expert doctors from Hyderabad will be available based on network availability locally.

Grace Foundation health camp

Dr Anshu Sharma, Co-Founder, SEEDS, said, “We are committed to reaching out to the maximum number of people who are the most vulnerable in these difficult times of crisis. We are glad to have come together with Grace Foundation to turn this idea into reality and provide healthcare assistance to communities while on the move.”
The initiative aims to reach out to the most vulnerable far-flung communities who are struggling with the adverse impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the recent Cyclone Amphan. #Healthcareonwheels began on June 8, 2020 and went to different villages in these districts until June 20, providing free medicines and doctor consultations to the affected people.
One of the doctors, Dr Motika Abhishek while sharing his experience from the ground, said,  “We have been here for more than 10 days now and every moment we spend with the community members here leaves us touched, full of gratitude and with satisfaction of being able to help to those struggling to make their ends meet.”
Rajiv Lal, Principal Advisor, Grace Foundation said, “We have conducted 12 medical camps in these districts as the disaster has not only taken away people’s homes but also exposed them to highly contagious diseases. We are happy to have collaborated with SEEDS for this unique initiative and were able to monitor the health of people in these remote areas, diagnose them and administer medication where needed.”
Increasing active cases of Covid-19, followed by cyclone Amphan, had a devastating effect on rural communities in the interior regions of West Bengal. While the relief effort continues on the ground, it is necessary to create long-term resilience among vulnerable communities to #BuildBackBetter. During such uncertain times, where people are not sure whether to seek refuge or to pay heed to their body ailments, the mobile bus service equipped with medication, facilities and qualified doctors will help in treating people and providing much-needed care.
Disclaimer: This media release is auto-generated. The CSR Journal is not responsible for the content.

International Widows Day 2020: Cherie Blair QC CBE and Amitabh Kant call for widow empowerment

By
The CSR Journal
-
Former First Lady, Cherie Blair QC CBE and Amitabh Kant, CEO Niti Aayog joined The Loomba Foundation to call for coordinated international efforts towards widow empowerment, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since widows continue to be one of the most exposed and vulnerable groups, the webinar focused on the possible implications of COVID-19 on them and build global momentum towards social and economic support.
Focusing on the need for government’s support to address this challenge, UN Secretary General António Guterres conveyed that as we work to build back better from this crisis, recovery efforts must be accompanied by long-term structural changes, including ending discriminatory laws that deny women equal rights to men. We also need quality data, broken down by age and sex, to ensure that widows are counted and supported, now and in the future.
Talking about the importance of International Widows Day, Cherie Blair QC CBE, Former First Lady of UK and President, The Loomba Foundation, said, “During COVID-19, there are going to be many newly widowed who will need our support as they fight these challenging times, because they are still disadvantaged in society and face prejudices. Neither they nor their children should be expected to make any sacrifices.”
Amitabh Kant, CEO Niti Aayog, Government of India said, “The COVID-19 lockdown has left widows exposed as a vulnerable group with no access to finance to support their children or themselves. While the Government is responding to the situation by advancing pensions directly to their account, the role of civil societies, voluntary groups and citizens is extremely important.”
Reinforcing the need for immediate international action, Lord Raj Loomba, Founder and Chairman, The Loomba Foundation shared, “As per latest estimates, there are 258 million widowed women globally and the current figures will be much higher especially as COVID19 has exacerbated this situation. It is likely to leave many women newly widowed at a time when they are cut off from their usual socio-economic and family support. The role of local governments to support their welfare cannot be undermined, and the G20 countries must find a way to help support these grassroots efforts.”
Fatima Maada Bio, First Lady, Sierra Leone said, “Traditionally, access to finances and inheritance rights have been the biggest challenges for widows. They not only fight the loss of their partner but are also left isolated and homeless. In our country, apart from COVID-19, we have a history of war and Ebola pandemic that have escalated the situation. As widows continue to be vulnerable, their children and they often also become victims of rape and early marriage.” The webinar was moderated by Harjiv Singh, Founder and CEO, Gutenberg Communications and Trustee of The Loomba Foundation.
In 2005 the Loomba Foundation launched International Widows Day at the House of Lords in the UK, as an effective day of action for widows and their children around the world. After a tireless campaign, the UN adopted 23rd June as the UN International Widows Day at its 65th UN General Assembly in 2010. 23rd June is a significant day as it was on this day Lord Loomba’s mother, Shrimati Pushpa Wati Loomba, became a widow in Punjab in India in 1954.
Since 2010, IWD has been a reminder for concerted efforts dedicated to highlighting and combating the discrimination and injustice faced by widows worldwide, the IWD has helped to expand efforts by concerned individuals and organisations to positively impact the lives of widows worldwide.
Disclaimer: This media release is auto-generated. The CSR Journal is not responsible for the content.

CSR News: Sleepwell donates 10,000 bedding units to support the nation in its fight against COVID-19

By
The CSR Journal
-
India is currently at the peak of the pandemic with a large number of positive cases being reported daily, giving rise to the need for additional quarantine centres. Therefore, as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative, Sleepwell has partnered with the Government to donate 10,000 bedding units comprising of mattresses, pillows and beds for the safe recovery of patients at the world’s largest isolation facility in New Delhi.
The company has been successful in delivering the fastest production, delivery and assembly of the bedding units at the facility. The mattresses and beds have been specially created for the purpose of quarantining, hence are comfortable to sleep and sit on for long durations of time.
The Healthmat mattress is made using a proprietary foam core for comfort and support, designed for long hours of sleeping & sitting. All these mattresses are treated with Neem Fresche technology that ensures zero allergens and germs besides providing a special cover for easy wiping and sanitizing. The specially designed Environed bed can be assembled in under 5 mins, is made of 100% natural and recyclable corrugated hardboard, at the same time is water-resistant and fully sanitizable. The bed is lightweight and portable yet has the ability to take more than 250 kg. of weight.
Rahul Gautam, Managing Director, Sheela Foam Ltd. said, “We applaud the initiative of the government to create the world’s largest COVID-19 facility which will provide the necessary infrastructure for all those affected by the virus. This centre is the need of the hour and we at Sleepwell are honoured to be a part of this noble initiative. We are committed to ensuring that every Covid-19 patient has a safe and hygienic bed available where they can receive care and heal.”
As a responsible corporate, Sleepwell placed the health and safety of employees and users ahead of business. During the manufacturing, delivery and assembly of the bedding units, they adhered to stringent precautions which included regular thermal checks, sanitization, mandatory face masks, strict 1.5 meters of social distancing etc.
Disclaimer: This media release is auto-generated. The CSR Journal is not responsible for the content.

Patanjali Asked to Stop Promotions of Corona Cure till Verification

By
Hency Thacker
-
Patanjali Ayurveda Limited – the pioneer in ayurvedic and herbal consumer products had made a claim that its research institute had discovered the cure of COVID-19 through Ayurveda. Yoga guru Baba Ramdev – the face of Patanjali claimed that Coronil had proved 100% effective in treating Coronavirus during trials.
The claim has shaken up the country with disbelief as well as hope. The company as well as Patanjali CEO Acharya Balkrishna have been questioned on social media and tagged irresponsible for making such unreal claims. The press release also grabbed the attention of the Ministry of AYUSH who has asked the company to stop promoting the medicine as a cure to COVID until it verifies the claim.
The COVID-19 outbreak has created a panic in the world. With no cure or vaccine in sight and an increasing number of cases, the countries of the world are getting more and more desperate to find an effective treatment for the disease. All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and Council of Scientific Research (CSIR) organised a nation-wide drug discovery hackathon. This is a high-end hackathon where students are trained with information on how to do computational drug discovery.
In addition to this, pharma companies are on their feet in a race to figure out a cure for the virus. However, so far the companies have been unsuccessful to find a sure shot method of treatment. While they have been able to find alternative medicines to control the symptoms of patients, the researchers are nowhere near in finding an accurate treatment of the viral disease.
News of finding a cure in Ayurveda seems too good to be true at such a time. Amid such suspicion and heavy speculation considering the volatile nature of health scenario of the country, making a claim that the medicine is 100% effective without proving it and waiting for government approval, is beyond irresponsible. It not only creates fake hope among people, but also puts lives of people at risk.
Hypothetically, even of the company was successful in finding the cure, there is no reason why it decided to not follow a protocol that would only help in building trust. The move has been condemned by many in the country and the government has asked the company to hold off the promotions till the company receives approval. However, the question is, how much damage would it cause to the poor of the country who may have been vulnerable and believed the claims. A single act of irresponsibility can hit the largest Ayurveda oriented company very negatively because of the claim.

Anil Kapoor, Katrina and Salman will feature in Rotary’s ₹200 crore virtual fundraiser

By
The CSR Journal
-
The needs of children as the most disadvantaged have become urgent in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Championing one of the key Rotary beliefs that children are our future and they deserve a better world than what we have, virtual fundraiser “Chhoti Si Asha” is set for Sunday, June 28.
Designed as a people’s initiative, Chhoti Si Asha – For Children in Need would be a three-hour programme promoted on various media platforms and streamed LIVE. Expect high-quality performances by Bollywood stars including Anil Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Salman Khan, AR Rahman and Shilpa Shetty. Singing, dancing, comedy and poetry, alongside heartfelt appeals by celebrities are on the agenda. Most importantly, the programme will shine light on real-life heroes, celebrating their humanitarian work and change-making efforts. Supporting the people’s initiative will be key government dignitaries as well.
Through Chhoti Si Asha – For Children in Need, a minimum of ₹200 crores would be committed towards the work being undertaken for COVID-19 relief. Rotary International President Nominee, Shekhar Mehta said, “Rotary is celebrating 100 years in India. Our COVID-19 related work is at ₹200 crores including ₹105 crores to the PM CARES Fund. Chhoti Si Asha is our effort to help children with education, nutrition and health. Under our Building the Nation initiative, Rotary India has partnered with Government of India to help provide online content for children of Class 1 to 12.”
The primary mover of this initiative is Rotary Club of Bombay while Wizcraft is the event partner. Sabbas Joseph, Co-Founder & Director, Wizcraft International, said “We are humbled to partner with the Rotary team. We are committed to employing our ideas, experience and relationships towards leading the initiative for the benefit of children who represent our future and help avert the human tragedy that’s unfolding.”
This is a people’s initiative and everyone would be able to support and donate through a donation link during the event. All proceeds will go directly to projects related to children and COVID-19 relief.
Disclaimer: This media release is auto-generated. The CSR Journal is not responsible for the content.

This young girl changed the way her village cooks food

By
Kasmin Fernandes
-
People in the little village of Gunvata in Rajasthan’s Amer district had been falling prey to various illnesses from burning unclean fuel for cooking. They relied heavily on fuel sources such as firewood and cow dung cakes for cooking food indoors. The smoke from these fires adversely affects women’s health the most since they do all the cooking in these parts. Due to this practice of chopping wood, the local forest department was also concerned about the depleting tree cover. All that was about to change because one girl fulfilled her citizen social responsibility.
Jyoti Yogi is a student of Satya Bharti School, the flagship CSR initiative of Bharti Airtel Ltd. The young student attended a Swachh Bharat event organised by her school where she heard about the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojna. This government scheme was initiated by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas with the aim of safeguarding women and children’s health. It provided LPG gas connections to women from families below the poverty line.
cooking on a chula indoors
Air pollution from cooking on a chula indoors chokes millions of Indian rural women every year
Jyoti also learnt of the importance of using clean fuel and its impact on the environment. Her teachers had taught her that the responsibility of caring for the environment lies with every citizen; on hearing the Sarpanch talk about the benefits of PM Ujjwala Yojana, Jyoti Yogi resolved to take on the challenge of creating awareness in her village and persuade the families to avail of this scheme.
The motivated young girl went door-to-door to raise awareness about the ill effects of dirty fuel and the benefits of the government scheme. Initially, her parents were not in favour of Jyoti’s door-to-door campaign; they were afraid of criticism from neighbours and feared that her studies would be neglected. They threatened to withdraw Jyoti from school, but she did not give up and continued to campaign extensively in her community.
Her teachers came out in full support and also assured her parents that she wouldn’t be left behind in studies, by giving her extra lessons. Jyoti’s resolve to increase awareness in the community led to many families applying for PM Ujjwala Yojana and even more to join her in her campaign, leading many villagers to gain benefit from the scheme. Their health improved and incidences of respiratory illness reduced. This is the paradigm shift one passionate young girl can make!

Disinfectant drones sanitise Worli in Mumbai

By
The CSR Journal
-
Embassy Services Pvt. Ltd. (ESPL) in collaboration with the BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) launched a cutting edge Drone Disinfection Drive in Worli, Mumbai on June 22. Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Aaditya Thackeray and the honorable Mayor Kishori Pednekar oversaw the drive.
This method was used for the disinfection of mosquito breeding grounds and other vector-borne diseases in areas that are usually inaccessible. These drones can fly over 500m high for a period of 12 hours while carrying over 15 litres of disinfectant; they can cover an area of over 50 acres in a single day. This innovation is a much-needed thorough solution for the post-pandemic world.
Embassy Services team and Aaditya Thackeray with a disinfectant drone
Embassy Services team and Aaditya Thackeray with a disinfectant drone
Integrated facility management organizations will be a core function in the future of space management where hygiene and sanitization are of paramount importance, and health and safety will be most crucial. Organizations like Embassy Services will entrust their expertise, ensuring a cleaner world and a safer future for all of us.
ESPL through its operational arm, TCFM (Technique Control Facility Management) were behind this process. With innovation as one of their core values, the team assembled the microbial disinfection kit to have an ability to be hoisted by an industrial drone. Aerial Microbial Disinfection is the terminology of the method used where chemical tanks are hoisted to spray from an aerial view thus covering more space and saving lots of time.
The drone can carry antilarval chemicals to sites usually inaccessible. The tech can also be used to combat the coronavirus in high-density areas with less accessibility. Over 50 acres can be covered in a day using a single drone. The chemicals used such as Virex II 256,  Vecon (Sodium Hypochlorite) Viroff, Pursue, and Lysol solution have proven highly effective against 65 strains of virus from over 19 viral families, 400 strains of bacteria, and over 100 strains of fungi.
“Using technology to elevate the world through integrated facility management has always been one of the key drivers of our organization’s success. We take pride in leading this initiative in collaboration with BMC and look forward to working on similar initiatives,” said Pradeep Lala, MD & CEO., Embassy Services Private Limited. Such solutions have multiple facets of use and this contributes to the array of efficient solutions needed for the post-pandemic world.
Disclaimer: This media release is auto-generated. The CSR Journal is not responsible for the content.

LIXIL committing $1m for accelerated rollout of SATO Tap for handwashing

By
The CSR Journal
-
SATO, LIXIL Group Corporation’s social business that aims to solve water, sanitation, and hygiene problems by providing affordable and easy-to-install sanitation systems to local communities around the world, has today introduced its new handwashing solution called the ‘SATO Tap’.
According to UNICEF, 40% of the world’s population still does not have access to basic handwashing facilities at home. To address this immense challenge, LIXIL has committed USD 1 million in line with its promise to support the commitments of development partners and others, which could impact 5 million people with improved handwashing. This resonates with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of an ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (‘self-reliant India’).
“The COVID-19 situation underscores the vast inequities in access to water, sanitation, and hygiene for households in Asia and globally.  We know that washing your hands with soap is one of the effective interventions against disease transmission. By bringing SATO’s design and engineering expertise, combined with global LIXIL support, we aim to accelerate this new handwashing innovation to market, making it available to households to reinforce handwashing behaviour change and to refine it for long-term offering in the SATO product portfolio,” said Erin McCusker, Vice President & Head of SATO.
SATO has worked with partners during the design process, receiving valuable technical inputs and helping to validate the efficacy of the SATO Tap design which consists of a plastic base with a nozzle that can be fitted with widely available plastic bottles. It is compact and can be used both within the home and as a handwashing station at public facilities. The design ensures minimal contact between the user and the tap, thereby reducing the spread of disease, while the trickle action minimises water use, meaning fewer refills while maintaining a solid flow of water.
In addition to providing an affordable handwashing facility to disadvantaged households through the SATO Tap, LIXIL’s existing partnership with UNICEF will also expand activities in handwashing and sanitation in response to COVID-19. These activities range from collection of commercial and behavioural insights to strengthen behaviour change, joint advocacy to promote hygiene programming and maximizing existing public and private sector networks and supply chains to expand access to handwashing.
“We know that one of the most effective ways to reduce the spread of diseases is to wash your hands. But for the poorest and most vulnerable children and families, the immediate risk of COVID-19 is compounded by a lack of basic handwashing facilities,” said Kelly Ann Naylor, UNICEF, Associate Director, WASH. “This global pandemic has made it more essential than ever to work closely with governments and private sector partners, like LIXIL, to ensure handwashing is possible for all.”
Speaking on the need for innovative hygiene solutions, Daigo Ishiyama, Chief Technology and Marketing Officer SATO, said, “We believe the SATO Tap will help advocate life-changing behaviour. It will promote hygiene and reinforce handwash behaviour change by mitigating risks while conserving water. Our vision is well-aligned with the Government of India’s vision and priorities for its people in promoting hygiene and advancing SDG 6 by 2030.”
The first SATO Taps will be manufactured in India and will be made available for partners in September 2020, with ramping up of production and retail availability through early 2021. LIXIL is also working to establish other licensing partners to expand to other markets globally.
Disclaimer: This media release is auto-generated. The CSR Journal is not responsible for the content.

CSR News: Toyota Kirloskar Motor Enables Access to Clean Drinking in Mandya

By
The CSR Journal
-
In its mission to enrich lives in the communities, Toyota Kirloskar Motor today inaugurated two community-based water purification units in Maddur Taluk in Mandya District. In addition, two more units will be inaugurated by end of this month in Ramanagara District. With this, Toyota Kirloskar Motor has installed a total of 41 units in and around its manufacturing unit in Ramanagara in addition to two units set up at Vishali and Varansi.
The center was inaugurated and handover to the village representatives by Mr. DC Thammanna, MLA and Ex -Transport Minister Government of Karnataka in the presence of TKM officials.
The newly set up unit has a 1000 liter per hour capacity accompanied with a minimum 6-stage purification system. The advanced machine is equipped with a real time water reporting system that will provide data on Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), PH value contents for delivering the high standards of purified water to the community members. The unit is also fitted with multiple water dispensing system to address congestion. In addition, the installed unit is equipped with solar system, power backup, wastewater management. TKM has also entered into a 15 years maintenance agreement with agency to ensure longevity of the project.
Commenting on the new unit launch, Mr. Vikram Gulati, Country Head & Senior Vice President, External Affairs, Public Relations, Corporate Social Responsibility & Corporate Governance, Toyota Kirloskar motor said, “At TKM, our guiding principle has always been to improve lives, and act on day-to-day life essential issues. We want to enrich the society with endeavors that are relevant, self-sustainable and meaningful. Therefore, our emphasis is to always secure the strong support of local communities so that each initiative can attain good sustainability. When we studied our neighboring community, the biggest threat was the access to treated water. Hence, in 2013 we harnessed our CSR program to invest in the creation of adequate infrastructure to increase access to safe and affordable drinking water. Today, we are humbled to announce, that we have touched over 2,60,000 in 250 villages.
It also gives us immense satisfaction that our CSR initiatives are meaningful and have so far touched the lives of more than 14,00,000 people with a commitment to bring in socio-economic development. With our continued commitment towards these causes we hope to continue to make a meaningful difference in the lives of people.”
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. DC Thammanna, MLA and Ex -Transport Minister Government of Karnataka said, “As responsible citizens, ensuring the health, safety and hygiene of the communities is of utmost importance. The Government, local authorities & Corporates must come together in understanding and catering to the critical needs of the neighboring community. Access to safe drinking water is a fundamental human right and a major cause of worry. By setting up these water units, Toyota has made a significant contribution to address this problem. I strongly believe that with the support of companies like Toyota, we will be able to make more and more villages free from such indispensable issues and aid them for a better tomorrow.”
Starting 2001, CSR has been an integral part of TKM’s philosophy. The voluntary initiatives taken up by TKM and our employees focus primarily on scalability and sustainability. The activities revolve around five main themes of Education, Environment, Health & Hygiene, Road Safety and Skill Development. These themes are aligned on the need of the community at large and national priorities with the aim to consistently work to adopt outcome and impact-oriented approach in all our social projects to ensure.
In the areas of Health & Hygiene, TKM has taken series of initiatives to counter the growing concerns around insufficient sanitation facilities in government schools and lack of adequate training among school children. TKM has pledged its support to the ‘Swachh Bharat campaign.’ Under this initiative, TKM has constructed 907 school sanitation units in Ramanagara district in Karnataka [includes 125 units are located in Varanasi and 125 units in Vaishali in Bihar].  Around 29,406 girl children are benefitted from this program.
Recognizing the need for a new approach, TKM also initiated the ABCD project with a focus on bringing in a behavioral change. The Project ABCD (A Behavioral Change Demonstration) not only aims at achieving 100% school sanitation by increasing awareness, it also promoters dignity and privacy for the girl child by upgrading existing unhygienic school toilets to usable condition as well as to promote learning and retention among school children, teachers as well as the community members.  Under this program, a special initiative of motivating community to construct individual household sanitation units was undertaken and more than 10,754 individual household units have been constructed and 92 villages were declared Open Defecation Free villages.
In line with our ethos of sustainable solutions in all our interventions this initiative is carefully crafted taking local communities onboard to ensure long term sustainability.
Overview of TKM:
Company name
Toyota Kirloskar Motor Private Limited
Equity participation
TMC: 89%, Kirloskar Systems Limited (Mr. Vikram S. Kirloskar): 11%
Number of employees
Approx. 6,500
Land area
Approx. 432 acres (approx.1,700,000 m2)
Building area
74,000 m2
Total Installed Production capacity
Up to 3,10,000 units
Overview of TKM 1st Plant:
Established
October 1997 (start of production: December 1999)
Location
Bidadi
Products
Innova, Fortuner manufactured in India.
Vellfire imported as CBU
Installed Production capacity
Up to 1,00,000 units
Overview of TKM 2nd Plant:
Start of Production
December 2010
Location
On the site of Toyota Kirloskar Motor Private Limited, Bidadi
Products
Toyota Yaris, Camry Hybrid
Installed Production capacity
Up to 2,10,000 units
Disclaimer: This media release is auto-generated. The CSR Journal is not responsible for the content.
1...937938939...1,301Page 938 of 1,301

Hindi Manch

Editor's Pick

© Copyright 2024 The CSR Journal. All Rights Reserved | Powered by : Inventif Web