New Delhi, March 22,2023:  Vedanta Sesa Goa on the occasion of International Forests Day and World Water Day reaffirmed its commitment to environmental conservation and sustainable development, by launching an awareness campaign promoting innovations in environment conservation.

Vedanta Sesa Goa has highlighted its multiple ecological innovations under its #SesaForGreenerGood philosophy, including sustainable afforestation techniques, commitment to water positivity and systematic reclamation of mining areas.

The company also highlighted its sustainable mining practices with a look back at its pioneering mine reclamation project of Sanquelim mines.

A butterfly garden sits preciously among the multiple biodiversity pastures at the reclaimed Sanquelim mines, signifying the transformational journey that is at the heart of the #SesaForGreenerGood philosophy.

Through the awareness campaign, Vedanta Sesa Goa aims to engage stakeholders and promote sustainable industry practices. One of the company’s best practices is the establishment of a root trainer nursery at Codli Mine in the past, which represents a pioneering approach to forest conservation. In the past with a capacity to grow 2 lakh saplings per year, the nursery was capable of meeting the afforestation requirements of all operational locations in Goa for afforestation initiatives.

The root trainers used in the nursery help seedlings grow faster when planted in the field. Moreover, the nursery cultivates various native species, including local fruits and forest trees, to promote biodiversity and preserve valuable forests.

Vedanta Sesa Goa has also introduced the innovative Japanese plantation technique, Miyawaki, to develop green-belt areas featuring only native species that would occur naturally in the area, given the specific climate conditions.

The company has also taken various initiatives toward water conservation and carbon neutrality. These include the use of natural fibre Geo-Textiles made from coir, cotton, and jute etc.

The Geotextiles are laid on the dump slopes of mines before the monsoon season to prevent erosion which conserves moisture resulting in better plant growth and spurs the growth of forests.

The company also commissioned waste heat recovery power plants at its value added business to effectively utilise waste heat from operations to produce over 60MW clean power.

Vedanta Sesa Goa launched the SesaForGreenerGood Campaign in May 2022, highlighting its exceptional environmental conservation efforts including biodiversity conservation and systematic mine reclamation measures. The Green Model adopted by the company set new standards for sustainable mine closures.

At the Sanquelim mine in Goa, Vedanta Sesa Goa transformed a mine into a thriving biodiversity haven. Various sustainability initiatives were implemented such as Afforestation, a Pisciculture Project, a Nakshatra Garden, a Charak Vatika, a spice plantation, a Butterfly Park, a Bamboo Setum, a Bamboo Pavilion, a Sesa Technical School and a Sesa Football Academy.

Launching the campaign, Navin Jaju, CEO – Vedanta Sesa Goa Business said: “Vedanta Sesa Goa’s sustainable business best practices are driven by our philosophy of transformation. We continue to showcase our commitment towards preserving the environment for future generations while taking a cue from the spirit of transformation from our decades-long legacy of sustainable, safe, and green best practices.”

Vedanta Sesa Goa has collaborated with government stakeholders and renowned institutes to develop innovative green practices. In the mine land reclamation process the company took up joint research efforts with NEERI – Nagpur, Department of Biotechnology. This resulted in developing better microclimatic conditions for the stabilisation of plants in the hostile dump conditions and was able to replicate native species and horticultural species.

The company has also conducted research projects in association with the Indian council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and Goa University.

Vedanta Sesa Goa also maintains water positivity across its businesses which has been certified by TUV SUD South Asia Pvt. Ltd. Protocol, a leading and most trusted testing, auditing, inspection, and training service provider in the industry.

TUV SUD South Asia thoroughly inspected Vedanta’s businesses, concluding that it has successfully managed to maintain a positive water balance for the period of FY 2021-22. Also, more than 70 per cent of the total water requirement at the company’s pig iron and metcoke plants is met by adopting best practices like rainwater harvesting.