Water

SDG 6: Clean water and sanitation

TARGET 6.4: Substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity and substantially reduce the number of people suffering from water scarcity

As one of the leaders in the Mining industry our group company, Hindustan Zinc has been certified a 2.41 times Water Positive Company based on assurance carried out by DNV GL, a globally renowned risk management and quality assurance company. Operating in a water scarce state like Rajasthan, the significance of water is all the more important. And being the economic engine for Rajasthan, Hindustan Zinc puts a lot of emphasis on conserving water, with strategies focusing on reduction of water at source, recycling of water, exploring alternative sources of water and replenishing water through various structures. Hindustan Zinc has put persistent efforts into water sustainability. Initiatives such as rainwater harvesting, recharge to groundwater and the use of treated sewage water have enabled us to achieve this distinction. The company has state-of-the-art effluent treatment plants & recycling facilities, sewage treatment plant, increased water efficiency and rain water harvesting structures; advancements in which have significantly contributed to this water stewardship drive. This reinforces our commitment to the journey of water stewardship.

The company has prepared a roadmap to further reduce the water footprint while implementing strategies and structures in the coming years. Our sustainability goal by 2025 is to become a 5 times water-positive company and achieve 25% reduction in freshwater consumption. We will contribute to positive water impact in the vicinity of our operations through various efforts to enable long-term, sustainable water security for our business and others who depend on water availability. Our focus areas include:

• Increasing efficiency in water usage and exploring less water-intensive technologies
• Using alternative water sources to reduce dependencies on freshwater
• Replenish water within local watersheds and rainwater harvesting

SDG 12: Sustainable consumption and production

Target 12.5: Substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse

We reduced the usage of 674 m³ freshwater annually by reusing the process water (2 m³ per day) from the Triple Distilled Water Unit (TDWU), which used to get drained earlier. TDWU is installed at the Central R&D Laboratory (CRDL) to provide distilled water for the analytical laboratory. The process water used for cooling in TDWU resulted in drained outlet water, which is now being collected, and then pumped to an overhead water storage tank from where it is supplied to washing areas. Thus, freshwater used for washing in the analytical laboratory has been reduced.