UltraTech plant in Tadipatri gets Assocham recognition

UltraTech’s integrated manufacturing unit Andhra Pradesh Cement Works (APCW), located in Tadipatri, was honoured at the Assocham India Water Leadership Conclave, for its transformational water stewardship initiatives in drought-prone districts of Anantapur and Nandyal.

The conclave held in New Delhi last month in partnership with the Ministry of Jal Shakti, an award was given recognising APCW’s outstanding CSR initiatives in the “Community Water Initiatives by Industry” category, the company stated in a press release on Wednesday.

The districts face severe water scarcity, receiving only 450-500 mm of annual rainfall, which significantly affects agriculture and overall community resilience. Over-extraction has further resulted into groundwater levels declining by almost 30 cm annually, leading to borewells and dug wells drying up after the monsoon season, exacerbating water scarcity.

Over the past five years, APCW has implemented a range of interventions, including the construction of water harvesting structures, provision of soil health mapping & fertiliser advisories, establishment of RO water plants, as well as providing livelihood training for women, with focus on millet-based food processing and micro-enterprise development.

These initiatives have delivered measurable improvements in water availability, agricultural productivity, and livelihoods. Nearly 5 lakh m³ of water storage capacity has been created through percolation tanks, check dams, and sunken ponds, alongside rainwater recharge capacity exceeding 11 lakh m³ captured & reused annually. As a result, crop yields have increased by 15 - 40 per cent, and groundwater levels have risen by 2-4 metres across monitoring wells, benefitting almost 400 farmers, 150 women, and 415 hectares across the two districts.

The release mentioned that the unit has also empowered local community institutions to manage and maintain water storage infrastructure, adopt micro-irrigation systems, and promote water literacy after the initiative’s preliminary phase. Farmers continue to implement soil-

health cards practices and micro-irrigation for long-term soil productivity and water efficiency, integrating scientific methods with traditional practices to create a resilient model.