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Ambuja Cement’s CSR arm ACF organises ‘Participatory Dialogue’ to explore synergies & solutions on water management
Ambuja Cement Foundation (ACF), the CSR arm of leading cement manufacturer Ambuja Cements Ltd, has announced plans to harvest 16 million cubic meters of water by 2020 through its Water Resource Management endeavours for the state of Rajasthan.
Observing its 25th year of operations, ACF hosted a ‘Participatory Dialogue on Co-creating Water Positive Communities’ here today. This activity is aimed at bringing together various stakeholders – government, NGOs, academic institutions, experts and foundations -- to share learnings and discuss existing challenges and opportunities in the water sector in Rajasthan.
Sharing her views at this forum, ACF Head Pearl Tiwari said, “Our goal has been to enable prosperity of communities and we see water availability playing a crucial role in this. From addressing the urgent need in a planned and coordinated manner through contemporary methods to taking a lead in defining water stewardship, ACF has come a long way. The ongoing water conservation movement led by our professional teams in the State could not have been possible without the unwavering support by communities, like-minded organisations and state governments. We still have a lot to do to build water sufficient communities not just in Rajasthan but across the country and for this ACF welcomes collaboration with other organisations”.
In Rajasthan, ACF has already been spearheading a robust Water Management campaign that covers 150 villages across Rabriyawas (Pali), Marwar Mundwa (Nagaur) and Chirawa (Jhunjhunu) regions of Rajasthan and harvesting 14 million cubic meters of water in the state. ACF has focused on addressing the water deficit issues of the dry and arid region by making a conscious effort to amalgamate traditional knowledge with modern technology.
“The benefits enjoyed by lakhs of villagers, particularly farmers, have spurred inclusive growth in the regions, which further motivates us to continue our endeavors to bringing about sustainable water management in the communities. We still have a lot to do to build water sufficient communities not just in Rajasthan but across the country and for this ACF welcomes collaboration with other organisations,” added Ms. Tiwari
Also present at the forum was well-known water conservationist Rajendra Singh, Chairman - Tarun Bharat Sangh, Alwar. Better known as the ‘Waterman of India’, Mr Singh said, “Water is an indivisible part of human life and hence it is imperative that we collectively step forward and collaborate to ensure that there is sufficient and equal supply of water not just for current generations but the future too. We commend the collaborative efforts by ACF in introducing pioneering Water management methods. Their successful projects working with local communities, social organizations and governments only reinforce that the ‘Water for All’ vision can only be achieved through collective efforts.”
Using traditional wisdom and a 360-degree approach, ACF has been effective in addressing key water issues such as salinity ingress, severe drought and access to drinking water in Rajasthan and Gujarat. ACF believes in the power of collaboration and works with local communities and organizations for ensuring maximum positive results.
Also present on this occasion was Surendra Goyal - Cabinet Minister, Government of Rajasthan who lauded the initiatives by ACF. “The world is going through huge water crises and there needs to be a collective campaign in championing the movement of water sustenance,” said Mr Goyal. “In a country like India, effective and sustainable management of water resources continues to remain a critical area for ensuring holistic and inclusive social development. It is truly inspiring to see Ambuja Cement Foundations and like-minded organisations join hands and march together in this movement towards building a Water Positive future. I have personally witnessed the water projects executed by ACF and the changes brought about in western Rajasthan,” he concluded.
The participatory dialogue witnessed a good participation and served as an effective platform for various stakeholders to come together to discuss and deliberate on innovative solutions towards water conservation and development.
Ambuja Cement Foundation has spent 25 years working in the Water Resource management sphere and has invested INR 160 crore to create a water storage capacity of 53.73 million cubic meters across its operations.