KORBA: Bharat Aluminium Company (BALCO), India’s iconic aluminium producer, is benefitting more than 1.5 lakh community members through its community development initiatives. BALCO has designed and implemented awareness campaign across villages and supported the district administration in fighting COVID-19 by providing them with medicines and PPE kits.
It has also established a 100 bedded Balco Field Hospital at Naya Raipur. BALCO is also providing livelihood opportunities for the community members through Vedanta Skill School and Project Unnati.
Abhijit Pati, CEO & Director BALCO said, “In this challenging time of the pandemic, we need to be united to serve the higher purpose of saving lives and protecting families. BALCO has been instrumental in supporting communities through regular sensitization programs for responding towards COVID-19 and providing continuous support to them in the field of employment and medical benefits through our various CSR initiatives. We are committed to providing all possible medical aid to those in need. I wish the best of health and safety for everyone.”
The company has also established rural heath posts at nearby villages of Chuhiya and Parsabhata located in the Korba region, benefiting more than 22,000 community members under its Project Arogya. Through these health posts, free medicines are being distributed to the villagers, awareness campaign on the pandemic and health consultations are being provided by the medical teams. Audio awareness activities focusing on do’s & don’ts during COVID-19, vaccination and testing in both rural and urban areas along with continuous sanitization drive is ongoing in over 30 communities.
BALCO’s efforts have also resulted in safe institutional delivery of Phool Kunwar who had contracted COVID-19 during her pregnancy. She was admitted to the nearby Health Centre in village Dondro by a health worker. BALCO had immediately ensured timely sanitization of the centre, and care for of all medical personnel as well as her family members.
The social worker, Silwanti Baruah appreciated the efforts made by BALCO team in ensuring the safety of each person involved. She also thanked the constant efforts of the CSR team as it has led to high level of awareness in the citizens of the villages. Kunwar’s family expressed their gratitude towards BALCO team for their sanitization drive and efforts. The community health officer, Kavita Diksena also praised BALCO for being proactive and for ensuring the implementation of health guidelines issued by the Health Ministry.
BALCO has mobilized its resources and distributed sanitization kits to over 14000 households benefitted around 40,000 people in the community. Each kit includes 5 double-layered masks, a sanitizer and a bar of soap. More than 125 women associated with various Self-Help Groups have stitched 70,000+ mask under BALCO’s CSR Project Unnati, which has given them an additional source of income amid the pandemic. BALCO has also been running its Project Unnati Fresh with safety protocols to deliver farm-fresh vegetables to the customers and simultaneously benefitting farmers by linking their products with consumers demands. So far Unnati Fresh team has delivered 131 baskets with over 3139 kgs of vegetables, 1123 kgs of fruit and 560 kgs of grains to its customers.
