Our approach to community development is holistic, robust, integrated, intensive, long-term and sustainable, given the sheer remoteness of our locations. Our stakeholder engagement process, coupled with base line study and need assessment helps us develop and shape our programmes for a three-to-five-year period for select villages. A village-wise matrix plots annual performance indicators against set targets. The other villages are covered under our Good Neighbourhood Programme and eventually in a phased manner aligned to the Integrated Village Development Program.

Impacting the Grassroots

Since 2003 the communities based close to the Vedanta Alumina plant at Lanjigarh have experienced enhancements in the quality of their lives. The project initiated with the rehabilitation of 118 families to a new purpose-built village, which was followed by a long-term plan under the integrated Village Development Programme.

The new village featured amenities including new purpose-built dwellings, power and water connectivity, a primary school, a community centre, a market complex, a medical centre, a child care centre, roads, temple, kitchen garden, colony water tank and many other facilities. One member of each family has been directly and indirectly given employment at our plant. The other family members benefited from employability enhancement programmes aimed at building their vocational skills.

We have partnered the Asian Institute for Sustainable Development to improve the opportunities of 600 farmers based close to our plant by helping them enhance productivity across 650 acres of their land. The increased yield has resulted in a substantial increase in individual incomes and provided a significant boost to the local economy. The project is administered by dividing the farmers into 56 working groups comprising approximately of ten people. We have found that this structure of mutual activity produces optimal results and supports local community development. 

We partnered the Asian Institute for Sustainable Development to improve the opportunities of 600 farmers based close to our plant by helping them enhance productivity across 650 acres of their land through soil testing, multi cropping and other measures. The increased yield has resulted in a substantial increase in individual incomes and provided a significant boost to the local economy. The farmers were divided into 56 working groups comprising approximately of ten farmers in each. This structure of mutual activity produced optimal results as all these farmers had their own land holding and a ready market for vegetables.

We have also directly involved many local women in micro enterprise with the consequent self empowerment, educational and local economy benefits. There are now 30 women self groups at Lanjigarh.

Besides providing sanitised houses, medical and educational facilities coupled with employment opportunities and infrastructure development we also have 100% immunization coverage against preventable diseases of children below 5 years and pregnant women with 95% local school pass percentage supported by a regular scholarship, sports and cultural programme for the children.

Collectively, 18 villages are covered intensively under the Integrated Village Development programme at Lanjigarh with an outreach of more than 12,500 populations. Besides this, 56 villages are being extensively covered under good neighbourhood programme. The overall assessment of these 18 villages has shown significant improvement in school attendance, immunization, and access to market and enhanced employability of local youth and women.

Similarly the Godwa village in Rajasthan lacked basic amenities like electricity, primary school, road etc since independence. The 1st challenge was to mobilise people to come together to address the challenge. The work then expanded to form village institutions to take the process forward. Four self help groups with 52 members and a cumulative fund of INR 60,000, vocational training for rural youths by SANKALP, development of ten organic farming demonstration sites, fruit plantation in 6 acres through 24 farmers collective, resource mobilisation from district administration for construction of 3 kms road connecting to the local market hub, child welfare centre for 40 pre-school children and facilitating the establishment of primary school ensured sustainability. “The most important was ensuring access to services rather than being a service provider and we were motivated to be self sustainable from the beginning” remarked the SHG group leader.

“Definitely, road and electricity are basic amenities. HZL’s initiative and village collectiveness was the key to our transformation. It has taken us 3-4 years to evolve as an empowered village unit. The electricity connectivity for 94 of our households was ensured through involvement of each household including voluntary contribution for the same. The time is set for significant enhancement in the quality of our life,” remarked Ganesh Dangi, village leader Godwa. 

The finiteness of the efforts at HZL was validated by ORG, New Delhi in January 2008 who evaluated this village as part of our social audit. 59 villages have been covered in phases under the Programme. The impact of SHG and organic farming initiatives were appreciated. Apart from this, the village development council comprising 33.0% trained women representation were the hallmark of sustainability. 40.0% improvement in nutrition level and 100.0% immunisation level of preschool children through child welfare centre was also established. Such results are welcoming and would facilitate the process of graduation remarked the CSR team of Debari Zinc Smelter.