India: News

Coca-Cola India committed to achieve 'Net Zero' Water balance by 2009

Coca-Cola India undertook wide ranging initiatives on environment & community development commencing from June 4, 2007 to mark World Environment Day, 2007. The initiatives undertaken to spread awareness on preservation, protection & enhancement of Environment garnered active support & participation from NGOs, Government bodies, resident’s welfare associations, schools & the company associates. Lot of activities were organized in all parts of India to promote an understanding on changing environmental issues, advocate partnership & facilitate community involvement. The activities spreading over 15 days will culminate with the inauguration of Rain Water Harvesting Project in a suburb in East Delhi with community celebrations.

According to Atul Singh, President & CEO, Coca-Cola India, "Coca-Cola is committed to protect, preserve & enhance the environment. Going forward, we will continue to focus our actions in three core areas (1) further reduction in the water used to produce beverages (2) recycling water used in the beverage manufacturing processes and (3) replenishing water in communities and nature. The Citizenship initiatives undertaken by Coca-Cola India will help achieving our 'Planet' goals including our target of a 'Net zero' water balance with respect to groundwater usage by 2009."

As a part of a fortnight long celebration, a slew of 18 new projects are being launched by Coca-Cola India including 10 projects on water conservation, on water access and PET Recycling as well as education & awareness programs on environment. Nearly 10 completed projects are also being dedicated to the communities. Coca-Cola in India already supports over 300 RWH structures in 17 states of the country. In Delhi alone, the existing RWH structures have the potential to harvest more than 100 million liters of rain water

Delhi & Gurgaon

The World Environment Day slogan selected for 2007 is Melting Ice - a Hot Topic? The opening event for World Environment Day was around the same theme as ‘Think Green: Go Green’ -an Environment Awareness Campaign, inaugurated in Delhi by Dr Kiran Bedi, Director General, Bureau of Police Research & Development and Ministry of Home Affairs organized by Company in association with ASSOCHAM. John Bentum Williams, High Commissioner of Ghana, also addressed over 300 school children present at the campaign to conserve & preserve the environment.

Towards creating a more environmentally aware workforce, a special Online Quiz on Environment was conducted for all the associates across Division and Bottling units.

Two Rain Water Harvesting Projects, in partnership with NGOs Charities Aid Foundation India and SURGE were also inaugurated. Mr D S Dhesi, Commissioner, Secretary-Environment & Corporation, Government of Haryana launched the same at a large community mobilization programme.

North Region

Further, in the North Region, Coca-Cola undertook the restoration of historical Lehartara Pond sharing its legacy with legendary and revered poet and saint Kabir Das in Varanasi. Of the 10 projects initiated earlier this year on World Water Day, a completed Roof top Rain Water Harvesting project in Loyala School in Jamshedpur (east India) was dedicated to the community. An awareness seminar on “Global Warming -Initiative for Mitigation" was held at Patna Unit.  Tree plantation, clean up drive, poster / slogan writing competitions were also organized in the units & the near by schools & villages in other cities of North India, including Patna, Jammu, Najibabad & Kaladera (Rajasthan).

Central Region

To support the “Clean Mumbai Drive’ undertaken by Municipal Corporations of Greater Mumbai (MCGM), Central Region provided Dustbins in the city of Mumbai. A film on Global Warming ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ by Al Gore was screened for the associates in Mumbai. Environment Rally was flagged off in Nasik along with Pollution control board officials to inform & educate the community about the ways & means to preserve the environment. ‘Pollution under Control Drive, Tree plantation activity was organized in the cities of Wada, Bhopal, Pune & Nasik in Central India.

South Region

The World Environment Day activities in south involved the inauguration of a Check Dam in Ramnagar Taluk, near Bidadi Plant in Bangalore, . This check dam, upon completion will help store and recharge several million liters of water and will help communities with sustainable source of water. ‘Protecting the Environment’ rallies were organized at Vijaywada & Vishakhapatnam units in the south east jointly with Pollution Control Board officials. A Tree plantation drive was carried out in the campus of University of Madras & Nemam Village (Chennai). Environmental Oath was taken by the associates to conserve & preserve the environment.

Photo Caption- D S Dhesi, Commissioner, Secretary- Environment & Corporation, Government of Haryana, Sumanta Datta,VP, Region Operations & other distinguished guests at the launch of RWH Projects in Gurgaon