India’s largest producer of iron ore, the National Mineral Development Corporation Ltd., (NMDC) under Ministry of Steel celebrated the World Environment Day 2022 on the keynote of ‘Only One Earth’ at its Head Office in Hyderabad. Shri Mukesh Khare, Professor at the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi was the Chief Guest for the event with Shri Vineet Pandey, CVO, NMDC as the Guest of Honour. NMDC’s ED (Production and Safety) Shri B. Sahoo, ED (Commercial) Shri A.K. Padhy, CGM (Resource Planning and Environment) Shri M. Jayapal Reddy and senior officials were also present.
A global environment expert and among the top researchers on air pollution concerns in India, Professor Khare praised NMDC’s vision on Sustainable Mining Objectives of the company and said, “The mining major’s decades of commitment towards the environment and the community is building a robust ESG framework. In the future, the miners and engineers should look at an economic, engineering efficient, and ecology conscious approach to mining.”
NMDC has built a sturdy afforestation programme and has planted over 3.0 million trees in and around its projects. Reiterating NMDC’s resolve towards reforestation, Shri Vineet Pandey said, “We mine in ecologically sensitive areas and it is our duty to restore the mines back to their natural state. The theme ‘Only One Earth’ has been relevant for 50 years and will continue to find relevance in our future.”
NMDC’s mining complexes have earned a 5 Star Rating from the Indian Bureau of Mines for their responsible mine and resource planning. Contributing to the Government of India’s push towards Green initiatives, the company has invested in renewable power generation, practices zero-waste mining, and is laying a 15 MTPA slurry pipeline for environment-friendly ore transport.
Wishing his employees a happy Environment Day, NMDC CMD Shri Sumit Deb said, “The phrase ‘Eco-Friendly Mining’ is typically an oxymoron but we have been able to transcend this with environment conservation at the core of our business. With being the largest iron ore producer of India, NMDC plays a pivotal role in embracing and advocating eco-friendly mining.”
On the occasion of World Environment Day 2022, Shri B. Sahoo led the employees to take an oath to contribute to environment conservation and healing. NMDC employees received Jute Bags, Clay Bottles, Biodegradable Pens, and plants. The Environment Department of NMDC also conducted essay writing and elocution competitions on May 23, 2022 and the winners were felicitated .