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Water remains a serious sustainability and environmental concern globally. India in particular is likely to experience severe water stress in the coming years. The problem is acute given the fact that with 17% of the world population, India has only 4% of global fresh water resources.
ITC units drew 32.7 million kilolitres of fresh water in 2008-09 (27.5 MKL in 2007-08). Higher water usage is primarily on account of significant growth in production, change in product mix, large project activities and addition of new businesses within the reporting boundary.
| Water balance at ITC |
2006-07 |
2007-08
|
2008-09 |
Fresh water intake
|
25.8 |
27.5 |
32.7 |
Treated effluents
discharged
|
19.6 |
19.0 |
24.5 |
Net water
consumption |
6.2
|
8.5 |
8.2 |
RWH potential
created within ITC Units |
0.5
|
0.4 |
0.5 |
RWH potential* created
through watershed
projects (till date)
|
23.1 |
25.4 |
19.4 |
Total RWH potential*
created (till date) |
23.6 |
25.8 |
19.9 |
All Units in Million KL
*Amount of rainwater harvested in a year is dependent upon the actual rainfall and the rain pattern. |
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Various units that achieved significant reduction in specific water consumption (water used per unit
of production) were: Munger Packaging &
Printing Unit - 22.4%; Chirala Leaf Threshing
plant - 9.6%; Cigarette Units at Bengaluru - 14.3%, Kidderpore - 16.6% and Saharanpur - 23.4%;
ITC Windsor - 12.7%, Sheraton Hotels Chola - 6.1%, Rajputana - 16.8% and New Delhi - 10.6%.
Zero Effluent Discharge: The Cigarette factories at Bengaluru & Saharanpur, Leaf Processing Plants at Anaparti & Chirala, Packaging & Printing Unit at Tiruvottiyur, Research Centres at Bengaluru & Rajahmundry, Paperboards Unit at Bollarum, ITC Green Centre at Gurgaon, ITC Sonar and Sheraton Rajputana hotels recycled all their treated effluents.
Rainwater Harvesting: ITC continued to invest in rainwater harvesting potential in socially relevant areas as well as at Company premises.
Total rainwater harvesting potential so far created by the Company is more than twice the total water consumed by its operations.
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