India, 20 October 2022: Siegwerk India, one of the leading global providers of printing inks and coatings for packaging applications and labels has reiterated its unwavering commitment to society with its latest CSR endeavour the restoration of a pond and increasing ToF (Trees outside Forest) cover in Dhaki Village of Tijara Block, Alwar, Rajasthan. The company has partnered with the Centre for CSR & Sustainability Excellence (CCSE) and Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samiti (BGVS) to promote water resource management through pond restoration.

The pond restoration project started when Siegwerk identified a water crisis in the village Dhaki. During a survey of 185 households, it came to light that, for 93% of the households tube well is the chief source of irrigation while 7% of the households irrigate with micro-irrigation, which shows dependence on groundwater that is depleting due to overuse. The effects of the project will increase the recharge capacity of the pond after de-siltation and construction of 2 new recharge shafts, apart from the removal of silt from an earlier recharge shaft. During the current monsoon period, water accumulated in pond increased 3 times totalling 14.5 ft. within 20 days and as a result, the underground water level rose substantially. The water is now being directed to the village’s agriculture, for further holistic growth.

Focusing on improving the local eco-system of Dhaki, the three-fold initiative covers all important facets of the environment – conservation, sustained upgradation and environment preservation leading to the holistic development of the village. Siegwerk’s project consists of three stages – restoration of the pond, plantation of trees and clearing of the areas around the pond. After the successful passing of the initial phases, the initiative is currently in its final phase – the plantation project, which entails planting saplings around the restorative pond and around the school of Dhaki village.

Speaking about the initiative, Mr Ramakrishna Karanth, CEO, Siegwerk India said, “Siegwerk’s key values include creating a sustainable environment and development for the future. The collaboration has been successful with CCSE and BGVS assisting us with their expertise. The initiative aims to help the marginalized communities of Dhaki village and hopefully improve their livelihood. The team has also established ties with government institutions to promote sustainable development in the area.”

The project started with a detailed evaluation of the initiative, the challenges and hardships faced by the people and planning the completion of the restoration process before monsoon so that the pond gets refilled with water as the dependency on the monsoon rains for agricultural activities and scorching summers in the village lead to inhumane conditions.

As a part of the initiative, around 500 saplings have already been planted, and 500 aquatic plants will be introduced into the pond to improve the quality of water to aid the overall progress of the people of Dhaki.