Bhopal, the capital city of Madhya Pradesh, is known for being one of the greenest cities in the country. The city is known across the world for the unfortunate industrial accident more commonly known as ‘Bhopal Gas Tragedy,’ in 1984. The accident has caused long-lasting damage to the public health, groundwater and overall ecosystem of the city. This makes it highly eligible for CSR investments.
Bhopal was the third-largest recipient of CSR funds in FY 2021-22 in the state of Madhya Pradesh. The district of Bhopal received a total of Rs. 46.99 Cr. of CSR funds from 76 companies. The top three spenders in the district were Northern Coalfields Limited which spent Rs. 11.75 Cr. in Bhopal, Heg Limited, which spent Rs. 7.72 Cr. and Proctor & Gamble Home Products Pvt Ltd., which spent Rs. 5 Cr. on CSR initiatives in the region in the given financial year. The top three areas of focus of the CSR initiatives were Health, Education and Rural Development.
Top Companies for CSR in Bhopal
CSR of Northern Coalfields Limited
Northern Coalfields Limited a Miniratna company of the Government of India contributed Rs. 10 Crore to the state of Madhya Pradesh to set up 5 oxygen plants in different medical colleges of the state under its Corporate Social Responsibility in June, 2021. The purpose was to assist the state to strengthen the fight against COVID-19.
The amount Rs 10 Crore was donated to the Department of Public Health and Family welfare of the MP Government towards upgrading healthcare infrastructure in light of the COVID pandemic. Along with this, the company also gave an assistance of Rs. 1.75 crores to set up an oxygen generating plant at AIIMS, Bhopal for the treatment of patients, under its CSR initiative.
As part of the company’s CSR activities in Singrauli, a major project is being undertaken for the inclusive development of the region. NCL also assisted Singrauli district administration against COVID for the upgradation of medical infrastructure such as oxygen plants and necessary arrangements with Rs. 7 Crore. Previously NCL had also contributed a sum of Rs 20 crore to the Madhya Pradesh government to fight against COVID-19 pandemic.
CSR of Central Bank of India
In a remarkable effort to extend healthcare beyond the confines of prison walls, a comprehensive screening camp for common cancers was organized for female inmates at the Bhopal central jail in Madhya Pradesh in April this year. This initiative, known as the Bandini Swasthya Shivir programme, is a pioneering endeavour supported by the Central Bank of India’s CSR initiative. Spearheaded by the Vishwanath Cancer Care Foundation in collaboration with Karkinos Healthcare, the Bandini Programme aims to screen all female prison inmates for common cancers.
The initial screening phase successfully examined over 320 prisoners at the Central and District Jails in Bhopal, Indore, and Narmadapuram. A critical aspect of this screening exercise was the utilization of advanced technology. The FDA-approved and WHO-recommended Cobas 6800 platform for HPV DNA testing was employed as the gold standard test for cervical cancer prevention.
Notably, India records the highest number of cervical cancer cases in Asia, making this initiative a significant step towards providing much-needed care to these vulnerable women.
CSR of Sun Pharma
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Limited in cooperation with Act-Eve Education and Social Welfare Society presented 30 sets of furniture to a government school located in Bhopal’s Jawahar Nagar in March, this year.
As per an announcement, a total of 160 furniture sets worth Rs 5 lakh will be donated by Sun Pharma in five government schools under its CSR.
CSR of Indus Towers Limited
Passive telecom infrastructure provider Indus Towers Limited (formerly Bharti Infratel Limited) and NIIT Foundation recently have impacted lives in rural Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh via the Digital Transformation Van (DTV). The purpose is to empower the beneficiaries with digital literacy.
Launched in 2018, to support the National Digital Literacy Mission, Indus Towers DTV has so far travelled to more than 30 communities/villages in and around Delhi, Dehradun, Bhopal and Gujarat. It is expected to reach 40,000 beneficiaries in 2023 across these four regions. In Bhopal, it has spread awareness and awarded educational certificates to 1130 in 2022 and reached over 15,000 individuals through its video-based Education programme, as per an announcement.
Under this programme, digital literacy has been imparted to individuals in the age range of 12 to 60 years, and who come from diverse backgrounds. The beneficiaries include school going children, women, Self Help Groups, homemakers, entry-level employees working in firms, farmers, and adults who want to develop digital literacy.
The DTV serves as a mobile digital classroom and IT lab as it is equipped with software, printing equipment, and resources that enable e-learning. Students have learned crucial skills like cybersecurity and mastered Microsoft Office in the 20-seater DTV. In addition to supporting the existing education infrastructure in villages near Bhopal, the DTV is also being used to impart IT and entrepreneurship skills and to spread awareness about common public services.
Western Coalfields Limited (WCL)
Western Coalfields Limited (WCL) in a new CSR initiative has tied up with the Central Institute of Petrochemical Engineering and Technology (CIPET), Bhopal to train 57 rural youth living in and around its operations as Machine Operators and in Plastic Processing.
The six-month fully residential and employment-oriented training course is approved by the National Skill Qualification Framework and National Skill Report Committee. 29 youth will be trained at the CIPET Bhopal centre and 28 will undergo training at the Chandrapur centre under this skill development training course.
CSR of Samsung India
Samsung India has added Samsung Smart Healthcare centres at Government hospitals across the country, as part of its citizenship initiative, helping Covid Warriors perform faster Covid-19 diagnosis. The hospitals where Samsung Smart Healthcare centres are located are in cities such as Mumbai, New Delhi, Lucknow, Bangalore, Bhopal, among others. This addition takes the number of hospitals in the country covered under this citizenship program to 142. Samsung Smart Healthcare centres are equipped with modern Digital X-ray and Digital Ultrasound machines made by Samsung.
Samsung’s innovative Digital X-ray machines are being utilized for faster Covid-19 diagnosis at these government hospitals. Feedback from hospitals indicates that these Digital X-ray machines, which are portable, are extensively being used for in-room diagnosis of patients.
The Digital X-ray machines have also helped government hospitals improve efficiency and increase diagnostic capacities, as the output from these machines can be monitored by doctors directly on a computer screen, doing away with physical X-ray films. The output provided to doctors is of very high quality, helping them make a quicker and better diagnosis.
Patients from economically and socially weaker sections of society have benefitted from the Samsung Smart Healthcare program. Doctors, technicians and radiologists are also trained to handle state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment and software.
CSR of Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M)
M&M implemented Integrated Watershed Management Programme as a Private Public Partnership model with the Government of Madhya Pradesh in Bhopal, and in Hatta with the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), to increase the groundwater table of the region. Implemented in 48 villages (35 villages in Bhopal and 13 villages in Hatta), this project will help increase agricultural productivity and improve the overall standard of living, benefitting 38,447 people residing in these villages. The project was accorded with the honour of the National Priority Area Agriculture and Rural Development for Integrated Watershed Management Programme in MP at National CSR Awards organised by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs in 2019.
