Social Performance

SDG 1: No poverty

Target 1.1: Eradicate extreme poverty

Target 1.2: Reduce by half people living in poverty

SDG 3: Health and Wellbeing

Target 3.1: Reduce maternal mortality

Target 3.2: End preventable deaths of newborns and children under the age of five years

Target 3.3: Reduce by 1/3rd premature mortality from non-communicable diseases

SDG 4: Quality Education

Target 4.2: Ensure all children have access to quality pre-primary education & development

SDG 6: Clean Water & Sanitation

Target 6.2:End open defecation and provide adequate sanitation for all

Target 6.3: Improve water quality & reduce water pollution

SDG 8: Promote economic growth & decent work for all

Target 8.1: Sustain per-capita economic growth

Target 8.3: Promote policies that encourage the growth of small and mediumsized industries,

Target 8.8: Protect labour rights and provide safe work conditions for all

Vedanta’s Lanjigarh refinery is located in one of the most backward districts (Kalahandi, Odisha) in India. The district scores extremely low on socioeconomic indicators of development, such as poverty ratio, literacy, per-capita income, size of land holding, irrigation coverage, connectivity, urbanization, industrialization, Infant & Maternal Mortality Rates (IMR, MMR), safe drinking water, coverage of health infrastructure, household savings, banking network, and education.

The population of the area is predominantly tribal and several measures have been undertaken to ensure that our presence and practices does not impose upon their culture, while at the same time, it helps improve the quality of their lives.

CULTURAL INTEGRATION: ~50% of the individuals who directly engage with the local communities, belong to the communities themselves, thereby ensuring that cultural sensitivities are understood and kept in mind during interactions. Further, the company participates in or supports local festivals and religious customs.

WORKFORCE INTEGRATION: Lanjigarh and Kalahandi district are rural, agrarian societies. To help locals who have been employed in the Vedanta plant, we run a comprehensive integration program where individuals are given tools to adapt their work practices to an industrial setting. Workers are taught safety protocols and Vedanta’s values, policies and compliance regime. They are also educated about their labour rights and about the grievance mechanisms in place to resolve their complaints and issues.

HEALTHCARE: Vedanta’s hospital has provided the community with an alternative to traditional healers or government health services. The hospital has improved health outcomes (eg: water-borne illness, vector diseases) as larger sections of the local population avail of its services.

DEVELOPMENT OF LOCAL BUSINESSES: 60 fly-ash brick units have emerged in the area due to the availability of fly-ash from Vedanta’s plant. Markets for local goods and services have also come up in order to provide for the needs of Vedanta’s direct and indirect workforce.

EDUCATION: Vedanta’s school serves as the benchmark for the local community and there has been an uptick in the literacy rate of the community. Schooling is now seen as a critical first step to integrate with the mainstream economy.

LOCAL EMPLOYMENT: At least 25% of the local population is directly or indirectly employed with Vedanta or its service providers. This has led to a rise in the local per-capita incomes thereby boosting the local economy.

IMPROVED CONNECTIVITY: Better roads between Lanjigarh and the district Headquarter town of Bhawanipatna. The result is improved accessibility for all villages and towns on this route.

BETTER SANITATION: Vedanta has been actively running campaigns to improve the water and sanitary hygiene standards of the communities. The result is that six gram panchayats in the area have been declared Open Defecation Free zones, which is a significant improvement in the hygiene conditions of the area. It has also had a positive impact in decreasing the spread of water-borne illnesses that spread as a result of open defecation practices.