- The largest project will be the revitalisation of Oragadam Lake, which serves as the primary source of water for six villages
- RNAIPL is investing over INR 3.7 crores as part of its CSR commitments to protect these waterbodies.
- More than 168 million litres of water saved every year at manufacturing plant where 84% of total water requirement is met by rain water harvesting
Chennai, India – On the occasion of International Water Day, Renault Nissan Automotive India Private Limited (RNAIPL) has announced that it is working to revitalise ten lakes and ponds in and around Oragadam in Kanchipuram district, home to its manufacturing plant. The company has set aside close to INR 3.7 crores of CSR funds for restoring and revitalising these water bodies.
Work has already commenced on Oragadam lake, which is the primary source of water for six villages. Over the years, the lake has been gradually losing its carrying capacity due to a combination of soil deposition and other activities. As part of its revitalization work, RNAIPL will undertake to desilt and deepen the lake, amongst other protective actions, in order to increase its capacity by adding 1,17,500 kilo litres equivalent of extra storage, support groundwater recharging and increase biodiversity. In addition to strengthening the embankment of the lake, a 1500 metre fence will also be built around the perimeter of the waterbody to prevent encroachment. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2023.
The company has also initiated work to protect nine other lakes and ponds in and around Oragadam including in Ezhicur, Kandigai, Appur, Serapanenchery, Valayakaranai, Karanai Thangal, Perinjampakkam and Vattampakkam villages. The water bodies will be dredged, deepened and desilted to an average depth of about of one metre, adding much needed water capacity, thereby directly improving the neighboring community's living conditions and sustaining the availability of drinking water in the wells and borewells.
Commenting on the initiative, Keerthi Prakash, MD, RNAIPL, commented, "RNAIPL is committed to minimising our impact on the environment and looking after the wellbeing of our communities. Water sustainability is a key priority for our operations and CSR focus. Our lake revitalisation projects will boost water conservation in the villages around our plant and will benefit both the people living here as well as help sustain biodiversity in the area."
RNAIPL has already undertaken and completed the revitalisation of Sitheri Lake near Vallakottai village in 2020. The project helped more than double the carrying capacity of the lake supporting the improvement of groundwater levels.
Saving water at the manufacturing plant
RNAIPL employs several initiatives to conservatively manage its impact on the environment and water supply. Nearly 84% of the manufacturing plant's total water requirement is met by rainwater harvesting, and it also has put in place a 'zero discharge policy' that ensures water is recycled extensively. Additionally, the plant recently increased its capacity for sewage water recycling from 120 kilo litres a day to 300 kilo litres. The company also re-uses more than 400 kilo litres of water from its Effluent Treatment Plants and Water Treatment Plants for a variety of industrial purposes, minimizing the demand for water supply. Cumulatively these measures help save an estimated 168 million litres of water every year at the plant.
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About Renault Nissan Automotive India Pvt Ltd.
Renault Nissan Automotive India Pvt Ltd (RNAIPL), the first dedicated Alliance plant globally, started operations in 2010. The plant is spread over 600 acres in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. RNAIPL caters to both domestic and export market requirements for Renault and Nissan. Since its start, more than 2.4m Renault and Nissan vehicles have been manufactured at the plant, with vehicles exported to 108 countries. In that time Renault and Nissan have invested $1.8 billion towards the Indian economy and created direct and indirect employment and skilling opportunities for over 70,000 workers.
FOR FURTHER MEDIA QUERIES PLEASE CONTACT:
Sukanya Ramanujan
General Manager – Communications, Renault Nissan Automotive India Pvt. Ltd. (RNAIPL)
Email: sukanya.ramanujan@rnaipl.com
