Let's Get Geared Up for World Water Week '22!

Every year in the last week of August, World Water Week is observed to recognise the critical role that water plays in all of our lives and to discuss how we can improve access to clean water and water conservation through water initiatives. This year, the convention's theme is 'Seeing the Unseen: The Value of Water,' and it is based on a global need to not only see, but also understand and, most importantly, value water.

Building on these values, HCCB works on a variety of clean water initiatives not just in our factory operations but also through community development projects. We have undertaken a number of water conservation projects in the last year, including reducing water usage in our operations, setting up water ATMs in villages, expanding our water strategy, and installing UV filtration systems in local schools. Let us take a closer look at these water initiatives as we celebrate World Water Week with the singular intention of conserving water.

Initiatives For Water Conservation Projects By HCCB

Reducing water usage ratios in our operations

HCCB continues to lead several initiatives to replenish water in our communities and factories. In the Effluent Treatment Plant at our Khordha factory in Odisha, we installed a new Ultra Filtration, Reverse Osmosis (UFO) system. The new Ultra Filtration, Reverse Osmosis (UFO) system treats wastewater with UFO technology. The wastewater is recycled for a variety of purposes, including cleaning and washing during the manufacturing process, among others.

This has enabled the factory to gradually improve its Water Usage Ratio (WUR) over time, contributing to HCCB's working principle of reduce, reuse, and recycle. WUR denotes the total amount of water used to make one litre of beverage. Through innovation, community water recharge projects, and water purification and conservation initiatives in our factories, communities, and agriculture, HCCB's goal is to conserve, replenish, and thus offset the water used in our manufacturing process.

Expanding our water strategy to empower local communities

In the long-term, our water strategy aims to achieve sustainable water security not just for our business but also for the natural ecosystems and local communities around us. We aim to create an accessible and reliable supply of clean, safe water through community initiatives. In 2021, we reached out to approximately 100,000 rural citizens with our safe drinking water, and health and sanitation initiatives. In 2022 we plan to scale this number up to 62 villages and 3 lakh people. 

Recognizing water as a shared resource, our efforts to provide clean and safe water are directed toward those who are affected by its scarcity. We aim to conserve every drop of water by replenishing it wherever possible, using a variety of practices.

Through partnering with a range of stakeholders, including reputed NGOs who understand the importance of our goal to build sustainable communities, we manage to cover larger ground and dovetail our initiatives to ongoing Government programmes, wherever possible. 

Setting up water ATMs

HCCB donated a water ATM to Kudus village in Maharashtra as part of our community development initiatives. For thousands of people in the area, where tap water is still a pipe dream and alternate sources unthinkably expensive, this water ATM will be a lifeline. 

The ATM will have a capacity of 1000 litres of water per hour. The village panchayat will run the water ATM, which will be open to the public. Kudus village helped HCCB by building a shed for the water ATM installation. This small act of kindness also reinforces HCCB's commitment to the 'Access to Safe Drinking Water' initiative. HCCB continues to put in collective efforts to help communities around the nation thrive.

Installation of UV filtration systems in schools

A recent survey by UDISE India shows that more than 42,000 government schools across the country do not have access to drinking water facilities. This statistic is alarming to hear, how can students be expected to thrive in an environment where the most basic facilities are unavailable to them?

This is why, as part of our commitment to clean water initiatives, HCCB took on the installation of UV filtration systems in seven schools in Gujarat's Kheda and Sanand districts. In these villages, nearly 1500 students now have access to safe drinking water. Access to safe drinking water is a key component of HCCB's vision of creating model schools for local communities, and it augments the government's efforts to close the gap.

HCCB continues to honour its commitment to replenish and conserve, as well as provide water through such initiatives throughout the country. This World Water Week let us all take on the challenge of conserving water and doing our part in any way that we can. To learn more about our ongoing clean water initiatives through water conservation and harvesting,

visit: https://www.hccb.in/en/blog