Coca Cola takes another giant leap at water harvesting

Coca-Cola India took another step forward in its environment initiatives. On World water Day, the Cola giant, dedicated a 40 lakh litre Rain Water Harvesting Project in New Delhi in a bid to foster public-private partnership as well protect, preserve and enhance the environment.

The ambitious RWH project is part of the company's slew of country-wide initiatives under Jal Beema Abhiyaan to preserve and protect the environment like waste water recycling, cleaning up of lakes and other water bodies and rain water harvesting the company aims to return to nature all the water it uses in the manufacturing processes and help rebalance the water contained in its drinks. Water management remains a priority with Coca-Cola Company which pursues a 3R program of Reduce, Recycle and Replenish to achieve the objective of water management and conservation in India.

"The availability of freshwater is a global challenge," said Shri VK Malhotra, MLA & leader of the opposition, who dedicated Coca Cola India's project to the society. Once implemented this project will help arrest decline in groundwater reserves by harvesting over 40 lakh litres water annually on normal rainfall. The project is being partnered by Moon Beverages Pvt Ltd, the authorized bottler of The Coca-Cola Company, NGO FORCE and Resident Welfare Association, Narmada Apartments.

All speakers at the event showed grave concern on the world's depleting water resources. Congratulating the company as well as the public for the wonderful initiative, MLA Malhotra expressed the desire to see many more such examples of private-public partnership initiatives in the area of water conservation and recharging ground water, in the future.

Over the years Coca-Cola India has been involved in rainwater harvesting projects. In Delhi alone the company has initiated a large number of rainwater harvesting projects in partnership with local NGOs and State Ground Water Departments. The company and its bottling partners have always been involved in activities that pertain to enhancing the environment. With the aim of water management in view, it has installed more than 500 RWH structures in 22 states of the country.

RP Dhawan, President, Narmada Apartments Welfare Association, Sanjeev Aggarwal, Managing Director, Moon Beverages Pvt Ltd and Jyoti Sharma, President, FORCE reiterated that management of water remains a top priority with the company. Other dignitaries who graced the occasion included Sri Virender Kasana, Ex. Councilor, Shri Dhir Singh Kasana, Municipal Councilor, Jyoti Sharma, President, FORCE, R.P Dhawan, President of Resident Welfare Association of Narmada Apartments, Praveen Aggrawal, GM, Public Affairs and Communication, Coca-Cola India & residents of the colony.