Hindustan Zinc to Spend Rs. 80 Lakhs to Train 500 Rural Youths for Self-Employment

500 youths of rural Rajasthan of Udaipur, Bhilwara, Ajmer and Chittorgarh are all set to get vocational job oriented training from Vedanta group company Hindustan Zinc.  The company will spend Rs. 80 lakhs (8 million), in one year to train these youths most of whom could not finish their formal education and are unemployed. The program was launched on 15th November 2013, at Debari in Udaipur.
The Rural Youth Training Program has been launched in association with Udaipur based SANKALP NGO and will train these youths in fields like helpers in mining, welding, drilling, electrician, cutting, tailoring, embroidery to name a few.
Hindustan Zinc has also made a provision for free stay and boarding and lodging facilities for the trainee.  The cost per trainee is estimated to be Rs. 15,700/- per candidate.
The training in the given fields and trades has been identified on the basis of the market demand of skilled people and is expected to give ample opportunities to these candidates. The program also has provision to add new programs as per the growing market demand.
On this occasion, the Head Corporate Communication of Hindustan Zinc, Mr. Pavan Kaushik informed that, 'Hindustan Zinc has been keenly working in the areas of training of rural youth.  In the past also the company has conducted such training programs. 
Through the current program Hindustan Zinc is trying to help rural youth, particularly those who have dropped out from their education, to come come forward get trained in various vocational fields.  The fields selected are all market driven and we expect these youths will get good opportunities.'
Also present on the occasion were Dr. Vikas Goswami, Head-Corporate Relations, Vedanta Group, Mr. Manish Nalwaya – President, SANKALP and  Ms. Sushma Sharma – CSR, HZL and other dignitaries.

Hindustan Zinc launches “AAROHAN” – a Safety Excellence Drive

“My Safety My Responsibility” – Safety Mascot Launched

Hindustan Zinc today announced the launch of its special safety drive "AAROHAN", a Safety Excellence Journey, in association with M/s DuPont, which is being taken as a major step towards safety of employees.
On this occasion, the company also launched its Safety Mascot that says "My Safety My Responsibility". Meaning, safety has to be embedded within every one and each one has to be responsible for following all safety norms.
Hindustan Zinc's operations are based in Rajasthan in Bhilwara where it has the world's largest zinc producing mine, at Chittorgarh where it has the world largest single location zinc smelting complex. Also at Rajsamand, the company has mines at Dariba and Sindesar Khurd and a smelting location at Dariba. Zinc-Lead mines are also located at Zawar and a smelting location at Debari in Udaipur.
M/s DuPont has been appointed to run this safety initiative which has simultaneously started at all the location of Hindustan Zinc today. The company is looking to achieve a position of 'zero harm' to the employees.  


M/s DuPont is an American company which has over 20 years of rich experience in dealing with similar programs. The company also formally announced this association today and the campaign started.
Mr. Akhilesh Joshi, the Chief Executive Officer of Hindustan Zinc launched the safety drive in Chanderiya Smelting Complex, Chittorgarh where the District Collector Mr. Ravi Jain inaugurated the campaign. In Rajsamand where the company has mines and smelting complex, the District Collector - Mr. Yashwant B. Preetam launched the campaign and also present was Mr. Sunil Duggal - Chief Operating Officer of Hindustan Zinc. 


Mr. D.C. Saxena - Director General Mines and Safety launched the campaign at Rampura Agucha Mine in Bhilwara where Mr. Kabir Ghosh, Head – Technical (Mining), HZL was also present. Mr. Amitabh Gupta - Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President - Mr. H.K. Mehta of Hindustan Zinc launched the campaign at Zinc Smelter Debari and Zawar Mines respectively in Udaipur.
The CEO of Hindustan Zinc Mr. Akhilesh Joshi expressed his views on safety, "safety is our utmost priority and keeping this in mind, the company has engaged with M/s DuPont, to set newer standards of safety in the company."Also present on this occasion were senior officials of the company, federation representatives, senior officials of M/s DuPont and a number of regular and contract employees. The program also administered safety pledge by all and other activities like safety quiz, skit and exhibition.
The word "AAROHAN" has also been devised by Hindustan Zinc employees that have been finalized after an internal contest.


GREEN FOOTPRINTS OF ZINC

273.5 MW of Green Energy – 34.4 MW of power through waste heat recovery from roasters - Reduced Carbon footprint of 700,677 tCO2e per annum


Rationalisation and Innovation plays an important role in the development of any country. But as the business grows, responsibility towards the people and the surroundings also grows. It is important for the industries to adopt best environment friendly technologies for all its operations. Optimum utilisation of resources and managing the waste should be the key focus area of any industry.

Hindustan Zinc, a Vedanta group company in zinc-lead-silver business and the world's largest integrated zinc producer has been the key initiator in adopting clean green technology. The company's mining and smelting operations are based on environment friendly technologies that led the plant to conserve water and energy.

The operations are working on zero discharge principle and company is putting on efforts and research for gainful utilization of waste generated at its mines, smelters and power plants. Hindustan Zinc has persistent focus on minimal impact on environment and the company practices - reduce, recycle, reuse, and reclaim policy. The Effluent Treatment Plant with Reverse Osmosis plants installed at all smelting locations is resulting in reducing fresh water foot prints of the company and also to maintain zero discharge status.
The company installed its first Adiabatic Cooling Towers (ACTs) to replace the conventional cooling towers at the cost of about 40 crores. ACTs reduce water wastage in the form of evaporation losses by almost 80% by operating in a closed circuit. This has reduced the fresh water consumption at intake.

Care for the environment is driven by the three factors – technology, people and adherence. The company has successfully completed commissioning of 273.5 MW of wind farms in two phases, located in five states of India - Gujarat (88.8 MW), Karnataka (49.40 MW), Rajasthan (88.8 MW), Maharashtra (25.5 MW) and Tamil Nadu (21 MW). The company's entire 273.5 MW capacities of wind power generation have been registered under Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) program by United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). They produced and sold 511.4 million units of wind power to the states' grids, an increase of 52.3% as compared to FY 2012.
The concern and the participation for the conservation of the environment cannot be forced; it has to be taken up as a responsibility. The company has been successful in reducing annual average emissions of 497,209 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents, by producing 536,882 MWh per year (average) equivalent amount of clean energy.

Other than wind projects, company's 9.4 MW waste heat recovery Steam Turbine Generation (STG) and 21 TPH Low Calorific Value Gas (LCV) boilers for steam generation projects are also registered under CDM. The total registered project has helped Hindustan Zinc to reduce carbon footprint by 583,685 tCO2e per annum. The company also reduced carbon footprint by 116,992 tCO2e from initiatives  other than the registered CDM projects.

Care for the environment can be done in two ways: enhancing the green belt and protecting the environment. The company's R&D efforts have materialised to utilise slag, a waste from zinc process in cement manufacturing. The fly ash which is a waste material from thermal power plant is utilised fully by cement industries. Over 1.3 million green plantation cover the company's premises. Hindustan Zinc is producing 34.4 MW of power through waste heat recovered from roasters. The company is also in the process to construct 20 million liters per day (MLD) Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) in Udaipur. This Sewage Treatment Plant is a significant step towards conservation of water and care for environment by cleaning the Ahar River thereby improving overall health & hygiene of Udaipur city.

The company innovated the 'Cansolv Technology' in the Lead Plant at Chanderiya unit that controls SO2 emissions and converts it into Sulphuric Acid. Hindustan Zinc has also installed Tail Gas Treatment (TGT) plants at its smelters that reduce SO 2 emissions below the national standards. The technology adopted does not produce waste and effluent.
Hindustan Zinc has a state-of-the-art `Central Research & Development Laboratory (CRDL)' which was established by the company in 1976 with an objective to enhance metal recoveries, to recover values from the waste and optimise waste management.

Hindustan Zinc also adheres to the highest safety standards that also have been integrated in the people management process. It enables the company to detect and eliminate any safety risk, occupational risk or health hazards. The company through PPE compliance, structured training, safety workshops and internal & external audits is committed to have zero workplace injury. The company is working towards elimination of occupational illness through providing a workplace that is free from the occupational health risk and hygiene hazard. They (OH experts & Company doctors) pro-actively work with employees and the contractors for healthier lifestyle that enables to increase the productivity of the company and reduces absenteeism.

All the mines and the smelters are having occupational health centres where experts are present for regular health examination of the employees at the workplace. These centres also have the facilities of specific examination like blood lead level test, audiometric test, spirometry test, apart from routine tests like ECG, X-ray facilities etc.

The employees also play the important role of maintaining highest standards of corporate governance. All the employees are adhered to all the Environment, Occupational Health and Safety (EOHS) policies, contributing in protecting and conserving the environment to bring ecological balance as a part of sustainable development.

"Hindustan Zinc gave me a life of Dignity", Bherulal Bheel


"I was a small farmer from Kathia Kheda village of Rajsamand District of Rajasthan, who had never seen the school. My whole family needed to get engaged in daily labour, working 14-16 hours per day, to ensure two-time meals since my childhood", says Bherulal Bheel. "But I have been always very ambitious and desirous to become a Forward Farmer", Bherulal added.
The journey of Bherulal’s success began when his family bought the land from the money they saved working as peasant and he and his brother decided to work together on their farm.
Then in April 2011, Bherulal became one of the beneficiaries of “Improved Agriculture-Horticulture and Water Conservation Project” run by Hindustan Zinc in collaboration with BAIF as part of their community service initiatives. Under this project, Bherulal along with other farmers was trained on different aspects of modern agriculture technology and systematic farming through demonstration and exposures. His exposure to different forms of seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides, technical and marketing  was helpful in his turn-around.
At the time of intervention by Vedanta's group company Hindustan Zinc, the situation of Bherulal Bheel was quite critical. His primitive and age old methods of cultivation and harvesting for not yielding good crop. Hindustan Zinc encouraged him for modern techniques and for practicing various  areas like improved agriculture techniques, commercial cultivation, organic farming, use of micro nutrients, remedial measures of local disease among crops.
The project of Hindustan Zinc was designed to reduce the risk, maximize the land usage and to prevent the dependency on rainfed cultivation. The project had focus towards short and long term farming, low margins to high return and finally making agriculture a steady source of livelihood.
Hindustan Zinc exposed Bherulal along with other fellow farmers to KVK Chittorgarh, Mount Abu and Agriculture University, Bikaner, to learn and experience best agriculture practices in horticulture, floriculture and vegetable cultivation etc. After the successful result shown by vegetable cultivation, Hindustan Zinc also helped in construction of a ploy house to grow vegetables when it is usually off season.
Gradually Bherulal Bheel became an example for other farmers of his community to follow. The then Hon’ble Minister of Road Transport and Highways, GOI - Dr. C.P Joshi recognized his contribution during District Level Agriculture Mela.
Bherulal Bheel now optimally utilizes the available water sources through Drip Irrigation System received under the Drip Irrigation Scheme of Agriculture Department of Rajasthan. Due to this project Bherulal  who earned  Rs. 80,000 per year now is aiming to earn Rs. 2.5 lacs within a year.

"Hindustan Zinc gave me a life of Dignity", Bherulal Bheel proudly mentions.