ITC plans to scale up watershed development programme

NEW DELHI: ITC Limited, one of India's leading multi-business conglomerate, has on the eve of the World Environment Day announced a rapid scale-up of its highly acclaimed Integrated Watershed Development Programme. The programme has already brought soil and moisture conservation to half a million acres in the country. The company targets to double the area to nearly 1 million acres by 2018.

As a result of the measures undertaken, both within its operations and through its Integrated Watershed Development programme beyond the fence, ITC has been a water positive company for the past 13 years. The water conservation initiatives implemented at its facilities have enabled the company to reduce its water intake progressively over years, despite a significant increase in its production volumes.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Ashesh Ambasta, Vice President and Head, Social Investments, ITC Ltd, said, "India is grappling with a severe water-crisis and the problem will only get aggravated at the current rate of consumption. As a company which believes that businesses exist to sub-serve larger societal goals, ITC has taken water as a priority focus area. We are proud that our water initiative is now benefitting thousands of farmers in 9 states of the country."

"We are particularly proud that our programme stands out in its approach of formation of self-reliant, empowered community bodies which take ownership of building and managing water resources, thereby raising productivity and building rural economic capacity. We strongly believe that a rapid expansion of our watershed model is today a national need which will go a long way in accelerating rural India's economic resurgence."

ITC's Integrated Watershed Development Programme is part of the company's rural development programme that aims at empowering rural communities and augmenting natural resources. As an environmental steward, it is ITC's strategic objective to create a positive environmental footprint wherever possible - through both external programmes (Integrated Watershed Development, Improved Agriculture Practices, Social & Farm Forestry) and comprehensive measures across all its operating units.

What makes ITC's water model unique is its focus on not only seeking to achieve water conservation and soil enrichment, but also improving village-based management of water and other natural resources by evolving a culture of optimum water usage, finally leading to maximising the benefits of water resources created by the watershed development projects to build a more vibrant farm portfolio.