Tag: Vedanta Aluminium & Power Business

Vedanta Aluminium Announces COVID Kavach Term Insurance for Business Partner Employees
Business World

Vedanta Aluminium Announces COVID Kavach Term Insurance for Business Partner Employees

May 18, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Director – Occupational Health Business of Wellspring Healthcare Pvt. Ltd, #Dy. CEO – Aluminium Business, #Mr. Moin Kazi, #Mr. Rahul Sharma, #Vedanta Aluminium & Power Business

New Delhi: Vedanta Aluminium & Power Business, India’s largest producer of aluminium and value-added aluminium products, has on the occasion of International Day of Families extended the COVID Kavach Term Insurance Policy for employees of business partners across its plants in Jharsuguda and Lanjigarh in Odisha, and BALCO in Korba, Chhattisgarh. Mr. Ajay Kapur, CEO – Aluminium & Power and MD – Commercial, Vedanta Ltd., announced this to all staff on the the occasion of International Day of Families through a video message. Last year, the company had enhanced its term life insurance for all employees, which also covers any unfortunate circumstance due to COVID.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Rahul Sharma, Dy. CEO – Aluminium Business, said, “The health and wellbeing of our people is our foremost priority, and we continue to adhere to heightened safety protocols against the disease. We have put in place robust measures across all our plant sites to keep our workforce and families safe. We stand in solidarity with the entire country as we continue to battle the pandemic. We are taking several measures to secure the safety of our employees, business partners and their families against COVID and this insurance policy is a small but significant step in this direction.”

Mr. Moin Kazi, Director – Occupational Health Business of Wellspring Healthcare Pvt. Ltd., which is Vedanta’s business partner in providing COVID treatment at its Jharsuguda plant said, “As Vedanta’s healthcare partner, we have deployed required infrastructure and staff to provide proper care and treatment to anyone affected by COVID. We are constantly monitoring the collective health status in the plant and township. Our staff are working round the clock to ensure health and wellbeing of employees, families and business partners.”

Vedanta has marshalled resources across its plants and state-of-the-art townships in remote locations of Odisha and Chhattisgarh to safeguard its workforce and families. Few examples:

· 24X7 health helpline has been established in association with Apollo Hospitals.

· Over 7500 employees, families and business partners have been vaccinated free of cost till date, with plans for 100% vaccination in the shortest time span.

· Vedanta’s 550+ bedded COVID Care Centres and Quarantine Facilities in Odisha and Chhattisgarh are equipped with required infrastructure and medical personnel to care for those affected by COVID.

· COVID Task Forces are engaged in round-the-clock monitoring of the impact on the entire workforce and families of employees.

· Drones and CCTVs are being used along with regular security patrols for enhanced surveillance of social-distancing compliance at plant and townships.

· To ensure social distancing at shops selling vegetables, milk, groceries etc in the township, an online timeslot-booking portal has been developed inhouse to regulate the number of people and timings during which they can go to the shops to buy essentials.

· Mass Rapid Antigen tests are being carried out free of cost in plants and townships for early detection and treatment.

· Paid leave for all COVID affected employees during treatment and recuperation.

· All need-based support from daily essentials to medical and healthcare assistance being provided to ensure that employee well-being and recovery is prioritized.

· Telemedicine facility is being made available wherein patients can connect with the doctors through phone and video-consultation.

· All travel to and from plants and townships are currently restricted to ensure minimal external contact.

· Vedanta’s own hospitals are in a state of preparedness to cater to any medical needs of workforce.

· Business continuity is being ensured with reduced workforce and work from home is in place for all non-essential staff.

Beyond operations, Vedanta is conducting awareness drives to sensitize communities on COVID prevention and the benefits of vaccination, distributing sanitation kits and sanitizing public places in the communities and peripheral villages. The company has plans to set up two COVID field hospitals at Odisha and Chhattisgarh to aid the state governments in providing proper treatment to the affected. To ensure uninterrupted supply of oxygen to patients in Jharsuguda, Vedanta is providing oxygen cylinders to district hospitals. Recently, the company also provided 10,000 RT-PCR testing kits to the district hospital in Bhawanipatna, Odisha.

Vedanta Aluminium & Power Business, a division of Vedanta Limited, is India’s largest producer of aluminium, producing almost half of India’s Aluminium or 1.9 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) in FY20, and is also one of the largest private power producers in the country. BALCO is a part of Vedanta’s Aluminium and Power Business. Vedanta is a leader in value-added aluminium products that find critical applications in core industries. With its world-class smelters, power plants and alumina refinery spread across India, the company fulfils its mission of spurring emerging applications of aluminium as the ‘Metal of the Future’ for a greener tomorrow.

7500+ people vaccinated by Vedanta at its plants in Odisha and Chhattisgarh
Business World, Health, News

7500+ people vaccinated by Vedanta at its plants in Odisha and Chhattisgarh

May 6, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #and Divisional Forest Officer, #CEO – Aluminium & Power and MD – Commercial, #COVID Care Centres, #Kalahandi, #Mr. Ajay Kapur, #Nodal Officer (COVID Operations), #Shri. T Ashok Kumar, #Southern Division, #Vedanta Aluminium & Power Business, #Vedanta Ltd

New Delhi: Vedanta Aluminium & Power Business, India’s largest producer of aluminium and value-added aluminium products, has accelerated the COVID vaccination initiative and vaccinated over 7500 of its people across its plants. Further, it has swiftly augmented the capacity of its COVID Care Centres and quarantine centres across its plant sites in remote areas of Odisha and Chhattisgarh to effectively handle the pandemic scenario around its areas of operations. With over 550 beds, Vedanta’s COVID Care Centres at Jharsuguda and Lanjigarh in Odisha, and BALCO in Korba, Chhattisgarh, are equipped with required infrastructure and medical personnel to provide proper care to those affected by COVID. Additionally, Quarantine Centres have been created for isolation and post-treatment recovery.

Vedanta is supporting the District COVID Hospital at Jharsuguda in treating the affected populace from the region. At the District COVID Hospital in Bhawanipatna at Kalahandi district, Odisha, the company is working to set up an oxygen generation facility. It has recently provided 10,000 RT PCR testing kits to the District Government Hospital at Bhawanipatna. Vedanta is also aiding local administrations in carrying out vaccination drives in the periphery. Its own hospitals are also in a state of preparedness to assist the respective district administrations in the fight against COVID. The company has plans to further augment COVID management efforts by both state governments and develop state-of-the-art field hospitals with all medical infrastructure specifically required for COVID treatment as needed.

To aid the ongoing efforts to manage the second wave of the pandemic, Vedanta Chairman, Mr. Anil Agarwal has pledged INR 150 Cr. Last year, Vedanta had contributed INR 201 Cr to the fight against COVID-19 in the form of contribution to the PM-CARES Fund, supporting livelihood of the daily wage workers across the nation, and giving preventive health care and support to all employees and business partners across its plant locations.

Mr. Ajay Kapur, CEO – Aluminium & Power and MD – Commercial, Vedanta Ltd., said, “As the entire country battles to overcome the pandemic, we are committed to supporting our people, partners, communities and government through this critical period. While ensuring continuity of our aluminium and power operations so as to fulfil the raw material needs of this strategic metal for the country, we are also intensively monitoring the COVID scenario at and around our plant sites. With all safeguards in place to prevent further spread of the disease at our plant and township, our healthcare staff is working round the clock to ensure proper care for anyone who has been affected. We are also working closely with respective district administrations, helping them keep our communities safe.”

Appreciating the company’s efforts, Shri. T Ashok Kumar, Nodal Officer (COVID Operations), and Divisional Forest Officer, Southern Division, Kalahandi, said, “Vedanta has come forward with all required support in the prevention of COVID-19, since the outbreak of the pandemic, in supporting the district health authorities. The spread of the disease can be contained with large-scale testing and timely isolation and treatment of the COVID positive patients. The provision of the RT PCR testing kits by Vedanta will facilitate the testing process for the general public in the district. This is reflective of the sense of responsibility and commitment Vedanta has towards its communities.”

The Office of the District Magistrate of Kalahandi, Odisha, also tweeted in appreciation of the joint endeavour by Vedanta Aluminium and Department of Health & Family Welfare, Govt. of Odisha, for providing RT PCR kits and other medical equipment to the fight against COVID.

To protect the workforce against the disease and provide care to the affected, the company has marshalled its resources across its plant locations to deploy various measures such as:

  • The company is conducting awareness drives to sensitize communities on COVID prevention and the benefits of vaccination, distributing sanitation kits, and conducting sanitization of public places in the communities and peripheral villages.
  • COVID Task Forces have been created for round-the-clock monitoring of the impact on the entire workforce and families of employees.
  • More than 7500 employees, families and business partners have been vaccinated till date, with plans for 100% vaccination of all eligible.
  • Business continuity plans with reduced workforce and minimum resources are in place.
  • All travel to and from plants and townships are currently restricted, with mandatory RT PCR negative report and isolation for anyone travelling due to personal exigencies.
  • Mass Rapid Antigen tests are being carried out in plants and townships.
    Sanitation and disinfection drives have been intensified in the plants.
  • Vedanta Hospital at Lanjigarh was the first Private COVID Vaccination Centre (PCVC) in Kalahandi to conduct vaccination drives.
  • Telemedicine Facility is being made available wherein patients can connect with the doctors through phone calls or WhatsApp voice calls to get consultation and e-prescription.

Last year, Vedanta Aluminium & Power Business Units had rolled out a slew of community outreach programmes benefitting over 10 lakh people in underserved regions of Odisha and Chhattisgarh. Nearly 1 lakh Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) worth INR 10 crores were provided to the Government of Odisha. More than 11,000 workers were provided meals along with other essentials across its plants, and up to a month’s supply of rations was distributed to over 5,000 daily wage earners, slum dwellers and marginal households around its operations. Vedanta’s Mobile Health Units worked with anganwadis staff to conduct intensive awareness campaigns across 120 villages. More than 2.5 lakh reusable masks were distributed to rural residents, district administration, police, media, and other frontline workers. Additionally, thousands of Vedanta employees and business partners had voluntarily contributed one day’s salary towards COVID relief.

Vedanta Aluminium & Power Business, a division of Vedanta Limited, is India’s largest producer of Aluminium, producing almost half of India’s Aluminium or 1.9 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) in FY20, and is also one of the largest private power producers in the country. BALCO is a part of Vedanta’s Aluminium and Power Business. Vedanta is a leader in value-added Aluminium products that find critical applications in core industries. With its world-class smelters, power plants and alumina refinery spread across India, the company fulfils its mission of spurring emerging applications of Aluminium as the ‘Metal of the Future’ for a greener tomorrow.–