Chennai, March 22, 2023: On the occasion of International Water Day, Renault Nissan Automotive India Private Limited (RNAIPL) has announced that it has set aside close to INR 3.7 crores of CSR funds for restoring and revitalising ten lakes and ponds in and around Oragadam in Kanchipuram district, home to its manufacturing plant.
According to the motor company, work has already started on Oragadam lake, which is the primary source of water for six villages.
Over the years, the lake has been gradually losing its carrying capacity due to a combination of soil deposition and other activities. As part of its revitalization work, the company will undertake activities to desilt and deepen the lake, amongst other protective actions, in order to increase its capacity by adding 1,17,500 kilo litres equivalent of extra storage, support groundwater recharging and increase biodiversity. In addition to strengthening the embankment of the lake, a 1500 metre fence will also be built around the perimeter of the waterbody to prevent encroachment. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2023.
The company has also initiated work to protect nine other lakes and ponds in and around Oragadam including in Ezhicur, Kandigai, Appur, Serapanenchery, Valayakaranai, Karanai Thangal, Perinjampakkam and Vattampakkam villages. The water bodies will be dredged, deepened and desilted to an average depth of about of one metre, adding much needed water capacity, thereby directly improving the neighboring community's living conditions and sustaining the availability of drinking water in the wells and borewells.
Speaking on the initiative to revitalise the water bodies, Keerthi Prakash, MD, RNAIPL said, “RNAIPL is committed to minimising our impact on the environment and looking after the wellbeing of our communities. Water sustainability is a key priority for our operations and CSR focus. Our lake revitalisation projects will boost water conservation in the villages around our plant and will benefit both the people living here as well as help sustain biodiversity in the area.”
RNAIPL has already undertaken and completed the revitalisation of Sitheri Lake near Vallakottai village in 2020. The project helped more than double the carrying capacity of the lake supporting the improvement of groundwater levels.
Saving water at the manufacturing plant
RNAIPL also employs several initiatives to conservatively manage its impact on the environment and water supply. Nearly 84% of the manufacturing plant’s total water requirement is met by rainwater harvesting, and it also has put in place a ‘zero discharge policy’ that ensures water is recycled extensively.
Additionally, the plant recently increased its capacity for sewage water recycling from 120 kilo litres a day to 300 kilo litres. According to the company officials, the company also re-uses more than 400 kilo litres of water from its Effluent Treatment Plants and Water Treatment Plants for a variety of industrial purposes, minimizing the demand for water supply. Cumulatively these measures help save an estimated 168 million litres of water every year at the plant.
