OREANDA-NEWS. June 6, 2011. Celebrates World Environment Day with employees, their families and neighbouring community

Organises visit of students from Tata Power Energy Club to reiterate resource conservation

Trombay, Mumbai: Tata Power, India’s largest integrated private power company, was bestowed the prestigious 'Vasundhara Award' in the industry category by Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB). Ashok Sethi, vice president, Mumbai licence area, operations; Vijay Chourey, head, Trombay thermal power station, and Anand Gurav, manager, environment, received the award on behalf of Tata Power from the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Prithviraj Chavan, at a function organised in YB Chavan Hall on the occasion of World Environment Day.

MPCB instituted the Vasundhara Award which is given away to recognise exemplary work carried out by industries, urban local bodies, schools and environmental non government organisations towards protection of the environment in Maharashtra.

Speaking on the occasion, Ashok Sethi, vice president, Mumbai licence area, operations, said, “The Vasundhara Award is a testimony of our concerted efforts towards environment conservation and protection. The recognition by Maharashtra Government is extremely encouraging and we are committed to a 'greener' tomorrow.”

Further, on the occasion of World Environment Day, Tata Power’s Trombay thermal power station organised a host of activities for employees, their families and the entire neighbouring community.

Tree plantation: One tree is equated to 10 children in Indian scriptures. Tree plantation is the backbone of environment conservation and keeping this in mind, 450 saplings were planted during the daylong activity covering both the plant premises, as well as the neighbouring Chembur housing colony.

Creative and fun-filled activities: Drawing, essay and photography competition on the theme ‘Nature at our service’ were organised in two different groups, one for the employees and the other for employees’ children at the Trombay housing colony.

Skit: A skit on ‘prevention of plastic pollution’ was conducted at different locations including employee housing colony at Trombay and the power station.

Schoolchildren visit the Trombay plant: Forty students from Tata Power Energy Club were invited to visit the Trombay power plant. The children were given an understanding of the power generation process, sensitised on the need to conserve energy and natural resources and their role in spreading this message to society at large.

Vijay Chourey, head, Trombay thermal generation station, further added, “The idea is not to preach environmental awareness, but to inspire the community at large. We believe that these initiatives, that not only involve our employees but also their families and surrounding communities, will go a long way in building commitment towards nature. Tata Power Energy Club is one of our key initiatives on energy conservation and the students were engaged to ensure commitment towards resource conservation.”

Recognising the need to curb wastage of energy, Tata Power has taken the lead and started a unique initiative of energy conservation through schoolchildren, called Tata Power Energy Club. There are 154 mini Tata Power Energy Clubs across Mumbai, which are run by the schoolchildren with the aim to stop wastage of electricity. The energy saving programme has been taken up as project work in various Mumbai schools and six other locations across the country. As a part of this programme, 500 schoolchildren also conducted mass sensitisation sessions during Ganesh Utsav and street plays in prominent locations and housing societies across Mumbai.