Vedanta Aluminium, India’s leading aluminium producer, successfully recycled around 16 billion litres of water in FY25, marking a major achievement in its sustainability efforts. To put this into perspective, the amount is equivalent to 6,400 Olympic-size swimming pools.
With a recycling rate of 15%, the company has made significant strides in water conservation. Over the past year, Vedanta renovated 81 community ponds to increase storage capacity and is also working on constructing 20 new farm ponds, which will add 10,000 cubic meters to local water storage.
Vedanta continues to demonstrate its dedication to responsible freshwater management in alignment with this year’s theme of ‘Glacier Preservation’. At Lanjigarh, home to Vedanta’s alumina refinery, the company has implemented the Integrated Watershed Project, which has successfully enhanced water recharge by 2 lakh cubic meters.
This initiative supports irrigation across 170 acres of farmland and benefits over 500 farmers. Additionally, the adoption of climate-smart farming practices, such as drip irrigation, has conserved more than 1 lakh cubic meters of water, positively impacting the lives of over 2,000 people. Furthermore, Vedanta has partnered with NABARD to construct 12 new farm ponds, further improving water availability for the region.
In its mining operations, Vedanta has introduced rainwater harvesting systems and revitalized local ponds, which have collectively increased storage capacity by 75,000 cubic meters. To further optimize water usage and benefit surrounding communities, the company has implemented other innovative solutions, such as bio-toilets, solar-powered borewells, and digital water flow meters. These initiatives are part of Project Nirmal, which aims to ensure sustainable water access and improve water efficiency in the areas surrounding Vedanta’s operations.
At its Jharsuguda facility, which hosts one of the company’s largest aluminium smelters, Vedanta has made significant strides in water conservation through the upgrading of its sewage treatment plant. The plant processes 240 kilolitres of water daily, with the treated water being reused for green belt development. On World Water Day, Vedanta further demonstrated its commitment by inaugurating a new farm pond to enhance local water storage and availability, helping to ensure a sustainable water supply for the community.
At the BALCO plant, Vedanta has taken steps to improve wastewater management by commissioning new effluent treatment plants for the coal handling plant, along with installing reverse osmosis systems. These upgrades are crucial in ensuring effective wastewater treatment and reuse, contributing to the company’s ongoing efforts to reduce its environmental footprint and promote responsible water management practices across all its operations.
Sunil Gupta, Chief Operating Officer of Vedanta Aluminium, commented, “Water is a vital and shared resource that sustains life, communities, and industries. On this World Water Day, we reaffirm our goal to achieve Net Water Positive status by 2030. Through innovative technologies, efficient water management, and community initiatives, we aim to conserve water and enhance the well-being of ecosystems and communities.”
In the coming week, awareness sessions on water conservation will be held for local communities, including activities like a “Identify the Leak” contest, a Water Pledge Wall, and creative competitions such as poster-making and slogan-writing. The company will also host speech competitions for students and webinars on water neutrality and management to raise awareness across communities.
Vedanta Aluminium, a subsidiary of Vedanta Limited, is India’s largest producer of aluminium, accounting for more than half of the country’s aluminium production—2.37 million tonnes in FY24. As a leader in value-added aluminium products used in key industries, Vedanta Aluminium ranks second in the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment 2024 for the aluminium industry, underscoring its commitment to sustainable development. With advanced aluminium smelters, an alumina refinery, and power plants in India, the company aims to drive the growth of aluminium as the “Metal of the Future” for a greener tomorrow.
