Ashok Leyland, the second largest manufacturer of commercial vehicles in India, has shown its commitment to a better environment by undertaking numerous eco-initiatives.
The flagship company of the Hinduja group was recently awarded the Golden Peacock Environment Management award by the World Environment Forum. Its major achievement is developing India's first hybrid electric vehicle for urban transport. Such vehicles are non-polluting and therefore eco-friendly.
The company's "green mission", as JN Amrolia, executive director, human resources, likes to call it, is aims at checking pollution at all levels -- through eco-friendly manufacturing systems and processes, rigorous energy conservation measures and large scale greening initiatives like planting trees.
More From This Section
"Through our consistent efforts, we have managed to percolate environment consciousness to the grassroots levels," he says. Currently, nearly 2,000 of the company's 10,000 employees are involved in implementing projects centred around conserving resources and maintaining ecological harmony.
"We currently have 250 environment projects that are under different stages of implementation.".
Comprehensive efforts, involving both management and suppliers, to preserve the environment began four years ago with a project called Green Supply Chain Management. Under it suppliers' efforts at improving their environmental standards are recognised and helped with consultancy services. Waste management and energy use are specifically targeted.
The company is currently extending the programme to include its 100-odd dealers. "We have already covered 10 dealers and 12 more will be covered in the second phase," he said. Under this, the company ensures that its dealers' facilities are environment friendly.
The company claims it has slashed power consumption by 20 per cent annually, saving Rs 7 crore in the process. Efforts like rainwater harvesting have helped Ashok Leyland cut its water bills by Rs 70 lakh in one factory alone. "At our plant in Ennore, most of the water needs are taken care of through recycling and rain water harvesting. The plant received the Environment Management Systems certification last year," adds Amrolia.
Replacing lead shots with steel shots in the shot blasting process at its manufacturing units and recycling of segregated waste are some of the ways by which Ashok Leyland improves waste management. "We make sure that we do not release anything into the environment without proper treatment through scientific methods of waste disposal," he asserts.