Jai Wadia

Tata Power's unique CSR initiatives in Lonavala have created awareness about forest preservation and the environment, and have also provided employment opportunities to villagers living in the catchment areas of its dams

The Walwhan, a historic 90-year old dam, is a familiar sight to picnickers and visitors to the small twin hill stations of Lonavala and Khandala, 100 km from Mumbai. In fact, Lonavala is the source of the beating pulse of the metropolis. Tata Power's three hydroelectric power stations at Khopoli, Bhira and Bhivpuri supply India's financial capital with 450 mw of life-giving electricity, ensuring that the lights are never switched off.

The company has six dams in the Western Ghats — Lonavala, Walwhan, Shirwata, Kundli, Mulshi and Thokerwadi — that supply the powerhouses with water. The lakes behind these dams and their catchments were once abundant with greenery and forest cover. But over the years, due to biotic pressures, the area has seen a lot of soil erosion, population pressure and human activity, which have contributed to depletion of the forests, rendering this an ecologically fragile area. What makes matters worse is that local communities have not been provided alternate fuel options, and largely depend on the forests for firewood.

Greening the valley
Over the last 30 years, Tata Power has been involved in the conservation of the natural habitat here. Through the dedicated efforts of SN Ogale (a retired AGM, still actively involved in Tata Power's CSR activities), and his team, the company has spearheaded several environmental initiatives.

A team of botanists and scientists carried out a survey of the six catchment areas, spread over 400 sq km and studied the composition of the degraded forests. With the help of experts, they decided on suitable endemic tree species to grow in the region; a mix of fast-growing trees that provide firewood, as well as trees that grow slowly but are evergreen, which have more biodiversity value, and are local to the Western Ghats.

Villagers are educated about which trees to cut, so as to conserve the biodiversity of the region. "By planting more trees that provide firewood, we hope trees that have a longer life span and support other life in the environment will be protected," says Ogale. The focus is on saving and conserving the remaining natural forest cover and the afforestation of the degraded forest. Local forest officials allowed them to plant trees in degraded forest land, increasing the greening area.

Tata Power has managed to develop stretches of forests and wetlands that attract wildlife like leopards, barking deer, sambar and wild boar, as well as over 100 species of migratory birds like painted storks and cormorants. Beautiful tiger butterflies migrate to a particular grove of trees at the Walwhan fish farm area between December and February. To see thousands of tiger butterflies flutter around a 10 sq m area is a sight that is at once startling and exhilarating.

The company has actually recreated the biodiversity of the Western Ghats on a 60-acre tract of land near the Walwhan Lake. "There are nearly 65 to 70 different species of plants and trees and eight different types of bamboo," Ogale says with pride as he points out the different species. Once a particular species grows well, it is then planted in other areas. There is also a wetland, and a nursery. Between 1979 and 2005, Tata Power has planted over 10 million saplings. Villagers are also trained to plant and nurture saplings, and help in afforestation.

Tata Power started an environment education programme for schools in 1996, much before it was made a norm by the Indian government, with the help of Pune's Bharati Vidyapeeth Environment Education and Research Institute (BVEERI). Over 900 teachers were trained to impart knowledge about conservation of natural resources, pollution control, etc. An environment manual published by BVEERI is used as reference. Children from nearly 60 schools participate in an annual environment fair. This pioneering initiative, funded by Tata Power, has become a model and is implemented in some other states by the central government through BVEERI.

Fishy tales
The Mahseer is the largest member of the carp family — the Golden and Deccan Mahseer can weigh up to 70 kg and grow 9 feet in length . It is valued both as a game fish by anglers as well as for food. The late Sumant Moolgaonkar, former Telco (now Tata Motors) chairman and a keen angler, and Dr CV Kulkarni, retired director of Fisheries and an advisor to Tata Power, were concerned about the declining number of Mahseer in Indian rivers and reservoirs. Ogale, who has a post-graduate degree in zoology and also in fisheries science has been spearheading Tata Power's Mahseer breeding project since 1971, when he joined the company. He began breeding the fish by artificial propagation on a large scale for its rehabilitation, supplying fry and fingerlings. Today, he is justifiably proud of these achievements.

The process of conserving and artificial breeding has been kept as simple and unsophisticated as possible, so as to make it easy to replicate in other parts of the country. On an average, Tata Power breeds over three lakh Mahseer fry each year and gives them gratis to many states in India. "We have been successful in breeding the fish in captivity, and have prepared a report as consultants for the World Bank for replicating this in other states," says Ogale. He has conducted several training workshops on conservation and artificial propagation of the Mahseer, imparting the knowledge to over 600 scientists and officials from all over the country. This can be said to be the biggest conservation effort, after Project Tiger, in India.

Apart from Mahseer — which is bred for conservation purposes — there are other marine initiatives. "Fishes play an important role in preserving biodiversity," explains Ogale. "The Guppy, for example, is used to control diseases like malaria, and other fishes keep water clean and acid free." Such fishes are present in all the dam lakes. Tata Power has also adopted 17 village ponds, where different varieties of fish are released. Villagers then sell the fish. They can also buy them at affordable prices for their own consumption.

Caring for the community
Spurred by JRD Tata's emphasis on the importance of education for the girl child, Tata Power has built a number of primary and high schools in the surrounding villages; today there are nearly 65 schools and 4 high schools in 107 villages, some with attached rooms for teachers who live far away. This has reduced teacher absenteeism considerably.

The company has asphalted over a 100 km of village roads, making commuting easier. A vocational training school at Khopoli — supported by the Kherwadi Social Welfare Organisation — offers training to local young men to become plumbers, wiremen, welders or rural technicians, while young women can learn tailoring and fashion designing. Tata Power also runs a community development centre, Utkarsh, which trains women in health care and various arts and crafts.

Recently, Tata Power sponsored over a 100 villagers to train at the Horticulture Institute in floriculture, organic farming, vermi-composting, etc. Such trained gardeners can easily get employment tending the gardens of individual homes as well as large companies setting up floriculture projects near Lonavala. Besides, regular medical camps are organised for villagers where free medicines are distributed. Two health workers have been trained for each village and new health care centres, closer to the villages have opened.

Tata Power, it seems, has been silently energising not just urban homes but is doing everything in its power to vitalise the environment and enrich the lives of the rural communities in its areas of operation.

Uploaded on March 28, 2007