ITC ‘Water Positive’-
8th Year in a Row
 With nearly 17% of the global population and less than 4% of global fresh water resources, water availability is one of the most serious sustainability concerns for India.
ITC Units drew 29.96 million kilolitres of fresh water in 2009-10 (32.7 million kilolitres in 2008-09), a substantial reduction of 8.4% over the previous year. Water conservation measures through water audits, benchmarking and adoption of leading practices to achieve lowest possible specific water consumption (water required per unit of production) by all ITC units helped achieve this reduction. |
Though a large number of business Units have achieved significant reduction in specific water consumption, what needs special mention is that the Paperboards and Specialty Papers business which accounts for over 90% of ITC’s fresh water usage has achieved significant reduction in specific fresh water intake over the previous year.
Snapshot of achievements in reduction of water intake by the Paperboards and Specialty Papers business across all Units:
| Unit |
Specific Fresh Water
Intake (KL/tonne) |
Percentage
Reduction |
| 2008-09 |
2009-10 |
| Bhadrachalam |
72.2 |
54.7 |
24.3 |
| Kovai |
15.3 |
13.1 |
14.5 |
| Bollarum |
1.2 |
0.9 |
25.6 |
| Tribeni |
120.1 |
116.6 |
2.9 |
Some of the other Units that achieved significant savings in specific water intake during the year were: Anaparti Leaf Processing Plant (20.2%); Foods Business Unit at Haridwar (40.6%); Packaging & Printing Unit at Tiruvottiyur (10.3%); ITC Hotel Grand Central (12.7%), Maratha (10.4%), Sheraton Hotels Chola (16.6%) and Rajputana (11.9%).
Zero Effluent Discharge: The Cigarette Units at Bengaluru & Saharanpur, Leaf Processing Units at Anaparti & Chirala, Packaging & Printing Unit at Tiruvottiyur, Research Centres at Bengaluru & Rajahmundry, Paperboards Unit at Bollarum and ITC Green Centre at Gurgaon recycled all their treated effluents within the Unit.
Rainwater Harvesting: ITC continued to invest in rainwater harvesting potential (RWH) both within the Company premises and through external watershed development projects in socially relevant areas.
Total rainwater harvesting potential so far created by the Company is over three times the total water consumed by its operations.
| Water Balance at ITC |
2007-08 |
2008-09 |
2009-10 |
| Fresh water intake |
27.5 |
32.7 |
29.96 |
| Treated effluents discharged |
19.0 |
24.5 |
23.41 |
| Percentage of treated
effluent utilised for irrigation
by nearby farming community |
79.4% |
72.3% |
84.8% |
| Net water consumption |
8.5 |
8.2 |
6.55 |
| RWH potential created
within ITC Units |
0.4 |
0.5 |
0.42 |
| RWH potential* created
through watershed
projects (till date) |
25.4 |
19.5 |
20.18 |
| Total RWH potential*
created (till date) |
25.8 |
19.9 |
20.60 |
Units in million kilolitres, except percentage.
* Amount of rainwater harvested in a year is dependent upon the actual rainfall and the rain pattern. |
