SCCL enforces total plastic ban, steps up green drive
Hyderabad: On the occasion of World Environment Day, the Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) announced a complete ban on plastic use across all its operational areas and offices.
SCCL chairman and managing director N Balaram made the announcement on Thursday, stating that plastic water bottles and other plastic items would no longer be permitted within the organisation under any circumstances.
Speaking at a plantation drive held at Singareni Bhavan in Hyderabad, Balaram said the company had already taken several eco-friendly initiatives and had reduced plastic usage in some divisions.
However, in line with this year's global environmental theme, SCCL is now enforcing a total ban on plastic products such as bottles, plates, and similar materials in all its offices, mines, and departments.
Balaram urged all officials, employees, and workers to support the initiative and further advised them to reduce plastic usage in their homes as well. Highlighting his personal commitment to environmental conservation, he said he had planted over 19,000 saplings across Singareni over the years.
This gesture, he noted, has inspired many company directors and employees to actively participate in tree plantation efforts.
He appealed to everyone in the organisation to plant at least three saplings, and announced that SCCL would distribute saplings free of cost to all those interested.
Reflecting on the company's long-standing green initiatives, the CMD recalled that three decades ago, summer temperatures in Singareni used to exceed 50°C. Due to sustained plantation drives, many of the saplings have matured into green belts, bringing temperatures down to around 40°C. In contrast, Naini in Odisha's Angul district, where SCCL operates a coal mine, still sees summer temperatures rising above 50°C.
Recognising this, Balaram said SCCL will now extend large-scale afforestation activities to Naini as part of its broader environmental commitment.
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