ANNOUNCEMENTS
Lucknow: The School of Management Sciences (SMS), Lucknow, organised a two-day national conference focusing on sustainable business approaches for a collective future.
At the collaborative event with the Indian Society for Training & Development (ISTD) and the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA) , institute director Ashish Bhatnagar said, "Sustainability is not an option, it is a necessity."
Speakers, including former chief secretary of Uttar Pradesh R Ramani, former director of IIM Kozhikode Krishna Kumar, and TERI SAS New Delhi Associate Professor, Shruti Sharma Rana, led discussions on sustainable finance, circular economy, and ESG practices. TNN
Read MoreProminent environmental experts have challenged the Central Pollution Control Board's (CPCB) report declaring Triveni Sangam water unfit for bathing during the Mahakumbh. The experts argue CPCB report is incomplete citing missing data on nitrates and phosphates.
New Delhi: Prominent environment experts have countered Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) report claiming poor quality of water at Mahakumbh. The CPCB report said that Triveni Sangam water is not fit for bathing. The CPCB cites high levels of biological oxygen demand (BOD) in the water.
Prof Umesh Kumar Singh, who teaches at Centre of Environmental Science at the University of Allahabad, said that water at Sangam is fit for taking a bath keeping in view the current set of data.
‘CPCB needs to work more’
“A few days back, the Centre Pollution Control Board (CPCB) report stated increased levels of faecal coliform (bacteria) in the water. I believe that the CPCB needs to work more on the report because their data is not complete,” Professor Singh said. “The level of nitrates and phosphates are missing from the report. The level of dissolved oxygen in the water, as shown in the report, is good. And on the basis of the current data, I can say that the water at Triveni Sangam is fit for taking a bath,” Professor Umesh Singh told ANI.
“Report very inconsistent”
Similarly, another professor RK Ranjan termed CPCB report “very inconsistent”. According to RK Ranjan, who is Associate Professor Central University of South Bihar, the Central Pollution Control Board data is very inconsistent and to conclude that water is unsafe to bathe in would be to say things in haste.
He added, “There is not enough data to conclude that the waters in Prayagraj are not safe to bathe in. Similar data can be seen from Garhmukteshwar, Gazipur, Buxar and Patna. There could be many reasons for this to happen. Among others one reason behind this is when a large number of people bathe in the same waters. It also matters from where and when the sample of water is taken.”
“Coliform bacteria is nothing new”
Dr. Amit Kumar Mishra, another environmental scientist from JNU, also holds the same opinion. Mishra says the presence of coliform bacteria is nothing new and called for new data set.
I would say we need more data sets, we need more measurements. There is a huge number of population which is taking bath at Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj. If you talk about the coliform bacteria, it is nothing new. If you see the data of the Shashi Snan peaks, you will see that the E.Coli bacteria peaks at that time. So, I would say that we need more data sets, we need more parameters, we need more monitoring stations, especially down the stream,” Amit Kumar Mishra said.
Prof. Chander Kumar Singh of TERI School of Advanced Studies also said that many parameters are not present in the CPBC report.
“In the CPCB report available, many parameters are not present. I believe better information can be given if more data and facts come out,” Prof. Chander argued.
https://x.com/ANI/status/1892903056926486548
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New Delhi: Vedanta Aluminium Business, India’s largest producer of aluminium and its value-added products, unveiled its Sustainable Development Report(SDR) for FY 2020-21 today i.e., National Energy Conservation Day, in a campus connect program with the TERI School of Advanced Studies (TERI SAS). Students, alumni and faculty from TERI SAS participated in the programme.
Titled ‘Nature, Nurture, Future’, Vedanta Aluminium’s Sustainable Development Report encapsulates the Business’ performance across key sustainability parameters such as Energy and Climate Change Management, Water Management, Biodiversity Management, Air Quality and Emissions control, Health & Safety, Social Impact and Governance, etc. for the FY 2020-21 performance period.
The report can be accessed on the company website:www.vedantaaluminium.com
Launching the report, Mr Rahul Sharma, CEO – Aluminium Business, Vedanta Ltd. said, “The principles of sustainability are imbibed in every aspect of the way we conduct our business. It is imperative for us thatour business growth materializes in a sustainable manner through judicious and responsible utilization of resources, highest efficiency of assets and processes, and a focused approach towards carbon mitigation. We are committed to decarbonisation of our operations in the long term. As India’s largest aluminium producer, we are unrelenting in our pursuit of excellence in all aspects of business, including Environment, Social and Governance (ESG).”
Prof. Shaleen Singhal, Dean (Research and Partnerships) at TERI SAS, added, “TERI School of Advance Studies students and faculty members are delighted to be part of this launch event that demonstrates Vedanta Aluminium’s commitment to sustainability. This unique university-corporate partnership shall advance the frontiers of knowledge creation and practice for sustainable development.”
Prepared in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards, the report outlines Vedanta Aluminium’s approach to sustainable and responsible development aligned to United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) Principles and United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs).
Key highlights from the report for FY21 include:
Vedanta Aluminium Business, a division of Vedanta Limited, is India’s largest manufacturer of aluminium, producing over half of India’s aluminium i.e., 1.97 million tonnes in FY21. It is a leader in value-added aluminium products that find critical applications in core industries. With its world-class aluminium smelters, alumina refinery and power plants in India, the company fulfils its mission of spurring emerging applications of aluminium as the ‘Metal of the Future’ for a greener tomorrow.
