Bhubaneswar : Aditya Aluminium, a unit of Hindalco Industries Limited, successfully conducted a two-day Corporate Training Programme on Water Stewardship and Biodiversity in collaboration with the UN Global Compact Network India (UNGCNI). The programme, held on November 18–19 at the company’s Lapanga facility in Sambalpur district, brought together around 50 participants from 22 leading industries and academic institutions across Sambalpur, Jharsuguda, and Odisha.

The workshop was aimed at strengthening technical and policy capacities related to water conservation, water quality management, and riverine ecosystem health. It also highlighted the importance of riparian biodiversity in sustaining resilient river basins.

The event was formally inaugurated by Dr. S. N. Nanda, Regional Officer, State Pollution Control Board (SPCB), Sambalpur. He was joined by Mr. Ratnesh Jha, Executive Director, UNGCNI; Ms. Vaishali Surawar, Chief Sustainability Officer, Hindalco Industries; and Mr. Jagannath P Nayak, Unit Head, Aditya Aluminium.

Participants included representatives from major industries such as Vedanta, TATA, JSW-BPSL, Shyam, Viraj, Ultratech Cement, Hindalco Industries Limited, Oil India Ltd, Usha Martin, TRL, as well as members from IUCN and GCRS. Experts from fields including biodiversity conservation, water resource management, and academia shared insights on water risk assessment, stewardship methodologies, and the use of advanced data analytics for effective river basin management.

A key highlight of the programme was a field visit to a degraded land restoration site near Sambalpur—an initiative by Hindalco to ecologically reclaim degraded land and restore native biodiversity. The visit provided participants with hands-on exposure to real-world environmental stewardship practices. Attendees also observed Hindalco’s extensive afforestation and biodiversity conservation initiatives, including large-scale offsite plantations.

Throughout the two days, the workshop explored innovative water risk mitigation strategies, stewardship tools, and data-driven approaches to enhance the health and resilience of the Mahanadi river basin. Participants expressed appreciation for the rich knowledge-sharing platform and the practical insights gained from on-ground sustainability efforts.

The programme concluded with acknowledgments to all participating organisations and experts for their commitment to advancing water security and biodiversity conservation in the region.

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