Nabha Power Launches another Plantation Drive on its Premises
Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in
To mark World Environment Day, Nabha Power Limited which operates the 2×700 MW Supercritical Thermal Power Plant at Rajpura, launched yet another plantation drive to further increase the green cover. A special campaign involving rural students to plant more trees on vacant lands in and around the villages surrounding the plant was also undertaken.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Executive Officer of Nabha Power Limited, Athar Shahab, said, “Restoration of the ecosystem is a national imperative. India must strike the right balance between economic growth and protection of the environment. We have to evolve our model of environmentally sustainable development given our unique challenges of a young, growing population and adverse environmental impacts of unfettered growth.”
He mentioned that “Nabha Power operates one of the most efficient plants in the country and is constantly working towards further improvements in its efficiency to bring down coal consumption and reduction in auxiliary power consumption. Nabha Power is promoting water recycling and reuse both within its premises as well as in villages in its vicinity. It strongly discourages single-use plastics and promotes the use of jute products through its CSR initiatives. He urged the team at Nabha Power to promote handmade goods which have the twin advantages of lower environmental footprint and higher employment.”
He urged policymakers to ensure the adoption of best environmental practices in the planning and design of projects.
“The concept of restoration of the environment is now being integrated into the very planning of several mega projects across the globe. Under this, the topsoil is taken out and preserved before starting any new construction. Once the project has outlived its tenure, the construction is dismantled and removed in an environment-friendly manner after which the preserved soil is laid up to restore the environment. Such a concept should also be adopted in India,” he said.
The CE said, “Nabha Power has already planted more than 2.5 lakh trees in and around the plant under its green initiatives. It is working closely with the local communities to increase the green cover.”
Meanwhile, to engage the rural students, the CSR team adopted the theme -Five Elements of Life- under which its volunteers encouraged rural students to plant fruit-bearing and timber-value trees.
Students were provided with saplings and they worked in groups of five under the guidance of their teachers, following the COVID guidelines. The campaign was virtually monitored by the CSR team.
Trees have been planted on unoccupied zones in schools, panchayat land and along the village roads. NPL also developed a nursery to give its green initiatives a major push.
These initiatives are having a positive impact on the air quality in a large number of villages of Patiala and Fatehgarh Sahib districts. The trees have also provided natural habitat to local bird species and have attracted migratory birds.
Other than improving the quality of soil, the trees are playing a positive role in stabilising the groundwater level. Areas with the plantation have reported temperature reduction and are promoting the sense of general well being of the local communities.
Buoyed by the success of the programme NPL has decided to continue with these initiatives.
June 5, 2021
