Bhubaneswar: Jindal Foundation, the Social Arm of Jindal Steel led by Shallu Jindal planted 75000 + plants across its location pan India mapping on record the longitude and latitudes of plantation sites.
In Odisha, alone, joining State Government’s massive plantation drive under the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam 2.0,’ Jindal Foundation, planted 55,000 saplings in the state on the birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi under the guidance of Naveen Jindal, MP (Kurukshetra) and Chairman of Jindal Steel.
The Foundation organised community plantation programmes across its key operational sites in Odisha in Angul, Barbil, Tensa and Kasia, involving thousands of employees, Women SHGs, Farmers’ Clubs , FPOs, Community members, students, and volunteers.
The drive witnessed enthusiastic participation from all corners, including senior Govt Officers, Community leaders, Teachers , Nature Lovers, Schoolchildren and women’s self-help groups, and members of local panchayats. Significantly, the saplings planted were fruit-bearing trees and Plants of Medicinal Values ensuring long-term ecological, health and nutritional benefits for the communities.
At Angul, the participation of District Administration was spectacular with the ADM Pratap Pritimay accompanied by Sub Collector Mayadhar Behera, Tahsildar Sushant Mishra planted saplings at Benagadia and Derjang villages where more than twenty acres land came under greenery initiatives of Jindal Foundation.
Jindal Steel’s Executive Director (in-Charge) Pankaj Malhan, President and Group Head CSR Prashanta Hota, EVP Ashish Pandey, EVP Prasanna Panda and Vice President SK Sharma along with the CDAO Umashankar Mishra, NABARD’s DDM Ashutosh Roy, Principal Scientist Krishi Vigyan Kendra Debashis Mishra and local elected representatives also joined the community plantation drives, in which 43,000 saplings were planted.
The active and front-line involvement of Panchayats led by Sarpanch Anil Pradhan, Sarpanch Tuni Sahoo, Zila parishad member Dilip Pradhan, MP’ s representative Bijay Majhi and Social Workers Kumuda Sahoo, Sourav Behera and Kumara Behera in mobilizing the local community for this noble initiative was appreciably inspiring .
Similarly, in the Barbil, Tensa, and Kasia region, the Foundation conducted community plantation drives across four Gram Panchayats, where 12,000 saplings were planted. The initiative was led by Jindal Steel’s Cluster Head (BKT) Pramod Patra, Unit Head Purushotham MD, Unit Head (Tensa) R S Raghuwanshi along with local elected representatives and senior officials, ensuring active community involvement and shared ownership of the programme.
Speaking on the occasion, Jindal Foundation’s Chairperson Shallu Jindal said, “We are proud to be a part of the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign, which beautifully unites environmental responsibility blended with the most sacred emotional connection with one’ s Mother. Planting trees in the name of our mothers is not just symbolic, but a sincere step toward nurturing both nature and values. This initiative reflects our deep respect for our Prime Minister’s vision and our commitment to building a sustainable tomorrow.”
Participating in the programme, Jindal Steel’s Executive Director (in charge) Pankaj Malhan said, “Environmental sustainability is integral to our operations. This initiative has allowed us to connect with local communities in a meaningful way, reinforcing our dedication to green development.”
President & Group Head (CSR & Sustainability) of Jindal Steel, Prashant Hota added, ““At Jindal, we don’t just plant trees — we nurture ecosystems. Every sapling is tracked, and maintained, ensuring long-term impact. It is our way of giving back to the land that sustains us.”
Notably the plantation at all locations by Jindal Foundation is community driven and several CBOs have been linked and supported to nourish the plants adopting scientific measures ensuring 100 % survival after one stress period.
At Derjang site of Plantation , Pratap Pritimay ADM, Angul profusely applauded the social initiatives of Jindal Steel saying that the Company’s Social Arm Jindal Foundation has been meaningfully partnering with the Govt / District Administration to augment the Quality Life of local community and this Plantation drive is a signature of their commitment to the society and local community .
The Jindal Foundation has a long-standing commitment to environmental sustainability, especially across its operational areas over the years, it has undertaken extensive tree plantation drives, water conservation initiatives, integrated watershed development & Wadi (Orchard), excavating Water Harvesting Structures and creating such carbon sink projects around its operational locations with active community participation
The Foundation also supports eco clubs in schools, environmental education, and green livelihood training for women’s self-help groups. Guided by its motto, “Caring Beyond Bounds,” the Foundation continues to integrate ecological responsibility into all aspects of its social development work.
