Putting Kalahandi on Global Map – Jogabyas

“All is in the mind” says Jogabyas Bhoi. This is a story of tenacity and grit displayed by an ordinary Kalahandian who desired to scale new heights since childhood. At first, having scaled Niyamgiri, he realized that it is important for him to go beyond.

“We found a spark in him” remarks Dr. Mukesh Kumar, President & COO-Vedanta Aluminium, Lanjigarh. Perhaps afterwards Jogabyas never looked back. Backed by support from Vedanta Aluminium and District Administration, Jogabyas scaled Mt Everest on April 16, 2012.

Jogabyasa with his students at VAL refinery

Now the bar has been raised. “I wish to groom young talent of Kalahandi in the field of mountaineering. We have formed “Odisha Mountaineering Trust” which aims to provide platform for such talent”, says Jogabyas. Perhaps the never-say-die attitude led to the first expedition with a batch of five students led by Jogabyas to move up to the base camp of Mt Annapurna in Nepal. All the students hail from Kalahandi district.

Back home, Jogabyas along with his students also visited Vedanta Aluminium, Lanjigarh Refinery. He agrees that corporate like TATA, Vedanta and others share the determination to bring change in lives of people and make India proud. He believes to add a new vibrant identity to Kalahandi both nationally and globally as a powerhouse which churns several maintainers of repute. Recently several maintainers from other parts of the country expressed their desire to visit Kalahandi, adds Jogabyas.

Also Read: Vedanta Aluminium helps Jogabyasa Bhoi to conquer Mt. Everest

Also Read: Everest glory for Oriya

 Manas Ranjan, student of Jogabyas from Rupra , Kalahandi aims to climb Mt. Pandim in Sikkim Himalaya range. “Nobody has scaled to the summit and I want to make history” says Manas. This 14-yr old youngster is yet to complete his 10th standard.

It is a fact that there are many youngsters who are indeed good maintainers. But lack of proper systems and platform is a hurdle. However it does not deter Jogabyas. “I have been blessed by Dr APJ Abdul Kalam who said I will definitely go places in life,” remarks Jogabyas.

Life is a journey and these five mountaineers led by Jogabyas have big plans to put Kalahandi on the global map of Mountaineering.

Paper on Social Dimensions of Vedanta – Lanjigarh Alumina Refinery in International Journal

 


Dr. Mukesh Kumar

  Millennium Development Goals are a set of 8 Goals propounded by the Millennium Declaration and ratified to be achieved in a phased manner by 2015 by all United Nations Member States during the Millennium Summit in the year 2000.

The Paper titled, “Industry and Millennium Development Goals: The Case of Vedanta Aluminium Limited – Lanjigarh” published in the International Journal of Social Science Tomorrow (IJSS) authored by Dr. Mukesh Kumar, Chief Operating Officer, Vedanta Alumina Refinery, Lanjigarh and Anil Ota, Sustainability Officer, Vedanta Alumina Refinery, Lanjigarh provides a perspective view based on information and data collected from credible statistical sources and verified through a comprehensive empirical exercise conducted on randomly selected sample respondents at Lanjigarh endeavor at illustrating the community empowerment interventions of Vedanta Aluminium Limited – Lanjigarh commensurating the Millennium Development Goals and the benefits that it has percolated to the study area in general and the local population in particular in augmenting their Quality of Living (QoL). The paper can be accessed at the website: http://www.ijsst.com/vol1_issue5.php


Also Read: Aluminium Industry Can Make Odisha Prosperous, Says Dr. Mukesh Kumar

Health Awareness Through Street Plays Organised at Lanjigarh

Huge response was seen from the people of Lanjigarh area in Kalahandi district of Odisha to the Street Plays organized to Crate Health Awareness in an entertaining way. The campaign reached out to 36 villages of Lanjigarh periphery, mainly tribal dominated, organized by Vedanta Aluminium Limited (VAL) in association with the Health and Family Welfare Department Govt. of Odisha.

The street plays concentrated on health related issues like – malaria, diarrhoea, mother & child health, hand washing, safe drinking water, individual household toilet, sanitation etc. The campaign was conducted from 4th July'12 in peripheral villages like Rengopali, Basantpada, Bundel, Lanjigarh, Nangalbeda etc. Meaningful health-related messages were given through the street plays.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Mukesh Kumar, President & COO–VAL, said, “Lanjigarh is a malaria-prone area. Due to lack of awareness, health related issues crop up in their life. This campaign has touched the lives of the people in these regions which will help them to maintain a healthy society.”

The people in the region were receptive to the awareness programme as many of them are unaware about maintaining better healthcare. Appreciating the street plays, Linga Majhi of Rengopali village said, “Our people are unaware about such issues like malaria, diarrhoea, mother & child health, safe drinking etc. Many people till now hesitate to go to hospital and opt to the locally available sources to cure themselves. However, these plays have educated us (especially women) in an entertaining way. We are thankful to VAL.”

Vedanta Foundation Conducts World Breastfeeding Week Programme

To make people aware about the importance of breastfeeding, various agencies or organizations across the world observe the first week of August as World Breastfeeding Awareness Week. As a part of the campaign, Vedanta Foundation & Vedanta Aluminium Limited under the Vedanta Bal Shakti Anganwadi Project (VBSAP) organized a district level campaign and awareness program at Rayagada, Odisha.

Present to address the gathering about importance of breastfeeding were – Mrs. Deepti Kandhapani-CDPO, Rayagada; Mrs. Niharika Sahu of VAL, Lanjigarh; Mr.   Tubu Tandi-Sarapanch, Pitamahal; Mr.Balakrushna Rath-State Project Head, Vedanta Foundation.

The role of the Anganwadi Workers, ANM, ASHA, Angawadi Supervisors, Cluster Coordinators and Volunteers for generating awareness on the importance of breastfeeding was being widely discussed at the awareness programme. CDPO, Rayagada said, “Breast Feeding the surest and purest way to nurse a baby.”

During discussion among the lactating mothers it is observed that in consideration of the improper breastfeeding practices, there are several socioeconomic factors affecting the way of breastfeeding practices, which varies from community to community and that includes low parental education especially low level of mother’s education mother employment and other poor socioeconomic status etc. Around 100 lactating mothers were attended the program. A mother rally was also organized to create awareness on breastfeeding with the support of govt. line deptt. in Pitamahal village. At the end CDPO & Head-CSR presented memento to lactating mothers.

Ashram Building Inaugurated for 30 Orphan Children at Bhawanipatna

The fate of 30 orphan children in Kalahandi district of Odisha took a different turn – thanks to Hemant Mund and his wife Sunanda Mishra who are parenting the kids like their own family at Bhawanipatna. The 30 children – who were adopted by Mr. Mund from tribal dominated places of the district – have a home to live, dreams to fulfill with a nice parent.

With the name of ‘Bal Gopal Seva Niketan’, Hemant was running the orphanage school at his home earlier. However, thanks to Vedanta Aluminium Limited, Lanjigarh, Member of Parliament (MP) Mr. Bhakta Charan Das and the then MP for their financial support. Now the children have a newly constructed Ashram to live with good infrastructure.

On July 3, 2012, the new Ashram for the 30 orphan children was inaugurated by the MP Bhakta Charan Dash in presence of Chief Information Commissioner Mr. Satyananda Mishra and Dr. Mukesh Kumar, President and COO Vedanta Aluminium Limited, Lanjigarh.

On the occasion, an emotional Hemant says, “I am happy for my children for their new home. Vedanta arranged a land for the Ashram at Bhawanipatna and later helped us to build the building for the children. I am thankful to the corporate house for their kind support in the noble cause.” Hemant also extended gratitude to Mr. Satyananda Mishra for helping him and giving guidance all the time.

Hemant and his wife not only providing food and a home, they also ensure that the children get good education as all are doing well in different schools. The couple takes special care to impart spiritual education to them. All the children have become experts in reciting Gita and Vedic hymns. They have also displayed their skills in New Delhi, Mumbai, Ranchi and Bhubaneswar and won accolades.

Hemant and his wife dine and sleep together with the children and take special care like their own kids.

‘Aluminium Industry can generate employment to 7mn people’

The Aluminium Demand in the country may touch around five million ton by 2015 and 10 million ton by 2020 which can generate employment for nearly 7 million people in the country by 2020, said Dr. Mukesh Kumar, President & COO – Vedanta Aluminium Limited, at a recently held seminar on “Prospects of Alumina and Aluminium Industry in Odisha”. Many eminent Scientists, Academicians, Engineers interacted on the importance of Bauxite, Alumina & Aluminium for the development of Odisha.

The seminar, organized by Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers, was also attended by Padmashree PK Jena; Academician Prof. Omkar Nath Mohanty; Mr. H. P. Mishra–Former Chairman, IPICOL; representatives from NALCO and State Pollution Control Board.

Dr. Mukesh Kumar also pointed out that Odisha is blessed with High Quality Aluminium Reserves and based on the present analysis nearly 60% of India’s reserves are available in Odisha. However, this wealth of natural resources could not be translated into economic prosperity for the state. The availability of such vast natural resources could have been used for turning the Mineral and Metal potential of Odisha into a gold mine and eradicating poverty but unfortunately the State is still reeling under the crunch of chronic poverty without realizing the benefits of these natural resources.

“Besides employment generation, the Industry can contribute nearly Rs. 33000 crore annually to the exchequer. If immediate measures are not taken to boost Aluminium Production domestically, even the targets of electrifying all the villages also will be difficult to achieve in absence of electricity distribution network which is the main consumer of Aluminium in the country”, he further added.

He also said, “India and particularly Odisha where lies the main depository of the Aluminium Reserves in the country could not take the advantage of its mineral wealth and thereafter not even a single Alumina Refinery and Smelter could have been put up in the State even after 25 years of commissioning of NALCO project. The Vedanta Integrated Aluminum Complex set up in Odisha also is forced to run at lower capacity as no Bauxite from the State could be made available to the Project.”

Vedanta Commits to Environment; To Plant One Lakh Sapling At Lanjigarh

 Vedanta Aluminium Limited (VAL), Lanjigarh, celebrated World Environment Day on June 5, 2012 by organizing a massive plantation programme  involving all the Vedanta & its associate employers & families. On the occasion, Dr. Mukesh Kumar, President & COO informed that nearly one lakh saplings will be planted in and around the plant this year as part of our commitment towards making the area green and to improve the ecology of the area.

 The Environment Day Celebration at Lanjigarh commenced with plantation in the plant premises and at Resettlement and Rehabilitation colony viz. Niyamgiri Vedanta Nagar in which all employees of VAL and its Associated Partners participated.

Inaugurating the programme, Dr. Mukesh Kumar further impressed upon the principle of sustainable development through sustainable waste management & adopting best environmental practices. He said, “Our mission is to make a forest inside the plant instead of building a plant inside the forest.” He also reiterated on the initiatives and the road-map VAL-Lanjigarh has prepared to make optimum utilization of natural resources through recycling and recovering of wealth from waste and making VAL-Lanjigarh the first alumina refinery across the globe to have zero waste in addition to being a zero discharge plant.

This year the theme of World Environment Day is “Green Economy, Does it include you?” At VAL, for awareness on environment, competitions on Slogan and painting were organized among the employees of VAL and other associated companies as well as among the school children. The day-long programme also includes an awareness march organized at the VAL Township by all the families of Vedanta’s employees & school children followed by plantation and prize giving ceremony to the winners of various competitions.