Sarve Bhavantu Sukhina’ (May all be happy) is the guiding spirit for Asia’s largest integrated Aluminium complex, National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO), which was incorporated in 1981 as a Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Mines, Government of India. Taking inspiration from the words of the Father of Nation Mahatma Gandhi – “Whenever you are in doubt … recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man whom you may have seen and ask yourself if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him?,’’ NALCO has been striving to transform lives and communities through its impactful CSR initiatives.

CSR FOCUS AND AREAS

NALCO’s CSR Projects focus on Infrastructure Development, Healthcare, Sanitation, Drinking Water, Education, Environmental Sustainability, Sports, Art and Culture, Community care, Livelihood etc. NALCO has all along been committed towards social causes and earmarks 2% or more of its profit before tax for CSR activities. In fact, its commitment towards the marginalized section of the society, has led the organisation to create a dedicated CSR wing in the form of ‘NALCO Foundation’. The standalone organisation – NALCO Foundation has been operating since 2010 to strengthen social initiatives. However, the organisation has been doing substantial work in periphery development since its inception in 1981. The Aluminium Major has gone beyond the mandated 2% of profits clause, in its efforts to reach out to the underprivileged section of the society.

The CSR initiatives of NALCO are taken up primarily in the peripheral areas/direct impact zones of its Plants and some are implemented across the state of Odisha and even pan India. The recommended CSR Projects are placed before the CSR Committee and they are implemented through NALCO directly, NALCO Foundation, Govt. Agencies, NGOs or others viz. Trusts, Institutions, Foundations, Societies, Community-based Organizations etc. having proven track-record. Some of its flagship CSR programmes include treating more than one lakhs villagers each year through Mobile Health Units (MHUs) covering 43 villages in Angul and 204 villages in Damanjodi & Pottangi area in Odisha, providing Swachh Bharat, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (NALCO ki Laadli), development of open defecation free (ODF) villages, supporting persons living with disability, skillbuilding of people from periphery villages, promotion of sports, and building Infrastructure like roads, providing electricity, among several other interventions.

SOME OF NALCO’S KEY CSR INTERVENTIONS

HEALTHCARE

NALCO operates 8 MHUs (Mobile Health Units (MHUs) at Angul, Damanjodi & Pottangi, treating more than one lakh people each year through doorstep medical services covering 43 villages in Angul & chhendipada, 204 villages in Damanjodi & Pottangi area and Specialist Out Patient Department (OPD) Center in Angul. Total 1, 12,809 patients provided treatment to during 2016-17. A stateof- the-art Eye Hospital is also coming up at Angul in association with LV Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI), which would cater to the economically disadvantaged groups of Angul and neighboring districts.

EDUCATION

Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today. NALCO is providing Residential Education to 812 tribal children at 3 residential schools – Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS), Bhubaneswar and in two schools in Koraput. To support girl child, NALCO ra Aliali Jhia (NALCO KI LADLI or NALCO’s Beloved Girl) programme supports “Beti Bachao Beti Padhao” initiative through which 277 meritorious girl students from BPL families have been receiving monetary support for education. Adult Education Centers are assisted by NALCO for improving the literacy level of older people.

SKILL DEVELOPMENT & LIVELIHOOD

To encourage the tribal villagers to adopt modern agricultural techniques, Krishi- Melas are organized. Apart from providing training for fruit & vegetable farming, food and nutrition, beautician course, tailoring, motor winding, pump maintenance etc., NALCO is constructing a skill development incubation centre at Utkal University. NALCO is committed to training the eligible youth in order to make them employable and create future entrepreneurs of the country.

SWACHH BHARAT & SWACHH VIDYALAYA ABHIYAN

6 villages at Damanjodi and 5 at Angul are Open Defecation Free (ODF). 479 toilets have been constructed in 227 schools of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. 75 schools at Damanjodi and 54 schools at Angul are being provided with water supply this year.

WATER SUPPLY & IRRIGATION

NALCO takes care of providing drinking water; renovation of ponds, canals, digging of wells and tube wells and supplying drinking water through tankers to water-scarce villages. The organization has taken measures to solve endemic problem of fluoride contamination of water in Angul with Nano technology.

RURAL DEVELOPMENT & INFRASTRUCTURE

NALCO has built roads and constructed infrastructure like Community Centers by taking up 49 projects in 1st phase at a cost of 15.83 Cr and 32 projects in 2nd phase at a cost of 24.33 Cr. 

ENVIRONMENT SUSTAINABILITY & GREEN ENERGY

About seven million trees have been planted so far. NALCO has ensured avenue plantation along National Highway from Bhubaneswar to Cuttack, parks, beautification projects, use of green energy, solar lights, roof-top solar projects, battery-operated vehicles at Puri etc.

SUPPORT FOR DIFFERENTLY- ABLE (ALIMCO)

As per the 2011 Census, the population of persons with disabilities in our country is 2.68 crores, which is 2.21 % of the total population of India. NALCO Foundation, to serve its responsibility towards the differently able persons in its operational areas, both Angul and Damanjodi conceived the project of distributing assistive devices like Tricycle, smart phone with screen reading, walking stick, Rolator etc. to total 447 beneficiaries. from Angul and Damanjodi.

TRANSFORMING LIVES

 There are many success stories which speak volumes of NALCO’s CSR interventions. It has been doing substantial work in carrying out impactful CSR projects which has been benefiting thousands of people for many years now. The Company has come to represent a better quality of life for communities residing in the vicinity of its plants and facilities, for which it has won a number of prestigious awards at national and regional platforms. Truly, “Goodness is the only investment that will never fail” for NALCO.