Vedanta Lanjigarh Strives to Eradicate Malnutrition Through its ‘Run For Zero Hunger’ Campaign

Vedanta Lanjigarh, India’s premier producer of smelter-grade alumina and a unit of Vedanta Aluminium, has contributed more than 4lakh meals for underprivileged kids under Vedanta Group’s ‘Run for Zero Hunger’ campaign, a part of the company’s efforts towards eradicating malnutrition from the country.

The campaign will culminate with the third edition of the prestigious Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon on 20thOctober 2024. This year’s edition aims to bring together employees of Vedanta, local, and sport enthusiasts to contribute one crore meals across the country.

Each participant contributes to the cause by tracking their walking or running kilometers through a mobile application. Every kilometer equals one meal. The campaign also offers employees and their families a chance to unite in a shared effort, with a series of activities like walkathons, mini-marathons, heritage walks, etc.

Commenting on this noteworthy initiative, Mr. Pranab Kumar Bhattacharyya, CEO – Alumina Business, Vedanta Ltd., said, “It’s truly heartening to see our employees, business partners, and their families make consistent efforts towards the noble cause. Our commitment to transforming communities in our operational areas aligns with the ‘Meals for All’ goal of Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon. We are deeply aligned with our Chairman, Anil Agarwal’s mission tobuild an equitable future that also propels the vision of a Viksit Bharat.”

Today, thanks to sustainable livelihood opportunities, the people of Kalahandi have made significant strides toward improved socio-economic conditions. In contrast, the district was once known for its poor health indicators, particularly affecting women and children. Following the commencement of Vedanta Lanjigarh’s operations, the company has tackled malnutrition through community-focused initiatives under Vedanta Chairman’s flagship program, Nand Ghar. This program supports a network of modernized Anganwadis, offering women and children access to nutrition, digital early childhood education, healthcare, and empowerment activities. Currently, over 200 Nand Ghars are transforming lives across the Kalahandi district.

Vedanta Lanjigarh’s broader social interventions include efforts in sustainable livelihood, quality education, women empowerment, health, water and sanitation and community infrastructure. These initiatives reach over 67 villages, empowering more than 4,000 women through 378 SHGs, providing qualitative and doorstep healthcare services to about 60,000 people annually, and supporting over 4,000 children and 800 women through Lanjigarh’s first English-medium school – the DAV Vedanta International School and over 200 Nand Ghars equipped with state-of-the-art facilities. Moreover, around 200 youths have benefitted from sports and skills training initiatives.