MUMBAI: GMM Pfaudler (GMMP), a market leader in Glass Lined Equipment manufacturing and also a leading supplier of process equipment to pharmaceutical and chemical industries, has long recognized the impact it has among communities in which it operates. With its dedicated and focused approach, GMMP has contributed time, expertise and resources in improving the social & economic development of these communities while actively working towards environmental sustainability.
One such remarkable example of this approach can be seen in the Andaman Islands where GMMP has partnered with ReefWatch Marine Conservation in the Re(ef) Generate project that aims to pilot the restoration and rehabilitation of corals in the island complex. This project has set out to actively create conditions & facilitate sustainable coral growth through the two-pronged approach of Re(ef)Build and Re(ef)Grow. By focusing on setting up artificial reefs using mineral accretion technology, Re(ef)Build involves rescuing broken coral fragments around a coral reef and attaching them onto metal frames that are designed to replicate a coral reef structure. Under the Re(ef) Grow philosophy, genetically stronger and more resilient corals are grown in a lab and then transplanted onto the above-mentioned artificial reef structure.
A fully set up coral wet lab was used to micro-fragment corals in order for them to grow faster and reach sexual maturity to spawn; a method so far been tested only on coral species found in the Caribbean Islands. As on date, five populated metal structures have been connected to mineral accretion devices and the Re(ef) Generate project team has re-attached the lab-developed fragments on these structures. Since March 2020, a new baseline for the monitoring of coral growth and the ecosystem functioning of the artificial reefs has been initiated post all of the above efforts made as part of the project.
Speaking on this CSR Initiative, Tarak Patel, Managing Director- GMM Pfaudler said, “Our partnership with ReefWatch Marine Conservation and the subsequent efforts towards restoration of the coral reefs in the Andaman Islands is another example of GMM Pfaudler’s unwavering commitment towards sustainable social, economic & environmental development. With the ultimate goal of sustaining this activity, the team has also worked on creating & running a training module that targets to build capacity amongst the local youth in the methods of coral conservation and restoration, thus paving the way for sustained expansion of the reefs into a healthy & resilient coral colony.”
With Corporate India only recently waking up to its responsibility towards environment sustainability, it must be said that GMM Pfaudler’s commitment shines through its dedicated efforts and serves as an example for others to emulate.
