UltraTech Cement bags ‘TERI-IWA-UNDP Water Sustainability Award’

UltraTech Cement Limited, India’s leading cement and RMC company, has been conferred the prestigious “TERI-IWA-UNDP Water Sustainability Award 2022” by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) in association with the International Water Association (IWA) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on the eve of World Water Day 2023.

The award was conferred on UltraTech at the ‘2^nd Water Sustainability Awards 2022-2023’ on March 21, 2023, in New Delhi. UltraTech was recognised under the ‘Water for All’ category for the watershed project implemented by its integrated cement manufacturing unit, Andhra Pradesh Cement Works, in two villages located near the unit. The project aims to protect and restore community water structures in rural Andhra Pradesh, improving the lives and livelihoods of the local population.

Enhancing livelihoods through watershed management

To address the water scarcity issue in the semi-arid, chronically drought-prone Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh Cement Works (APCW), located in Tadipatri, Andhra Pradesh, adopted Ayyavaripalli (Anantapur district) and Petnikota (Nandyal district) villages in the state to implement an integrated watershed project. The region faces an alarming 30 percent decrease per year in ground water levels. The unit partnered with the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) for the implementation of the project to address water scarcity, land degradation, and low crop productivity and thereby improve the income levels and living standards of villagers.

Seven water harvesting structures were constructed in Ayyavaripalli village of Kolimigundla Mandal and Petnikota village of Tadipatri Mandal to enhance the ground water levels in addition to improving the year-long availability of water. Farmers were trained on good agricultural practises and income generation activities, and demonstrations were conducted on best practises for land use and crop management to increase crop productivity.

High-yield varieties of seeds developed by ICRISAT were distributed for use by local farmers on 250–280 acres of farmland. Soil health cards were distributed to farmers in these two villages. Training programmes were conducted for farmers to increase awareness on the usage of fertilisers and pesticides based on soil health conditions, which resulted in reduced usage of fertilisers and pesticides, reducing the cost of cultivation. Kitchen Garden seeds were distributed to households, encouraging local women to earn additional income.

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