UltraTech enables water security in Anantapur through responsible water stewardship

This World Water Day, UltraTech reaffirms its commitment to responsible water stewardship, through focused water management practices and effective governance systems. UltraTech’s water management efforts encompass areas within unit premises as well as beyond the fence, i.e. within the communities the Company operates in.

UltraTech’s integrated manufacturing unit in Anantapur district, Andhra Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh Cement Works, has a holistic approach towards water conservation. One of their water conservation initiatives focuses on Petnikota and Ayyavaripalli villages, in the Nandyal district and Anantapur district respectively — where low rainfall, land degradation, and poor crop productivity have long been impediments to rural livelihoods. As a result, the unit had undertaken a five-year programme in 2019-20 to implement comprehensive watershed management interventions in the region.

To date, Andhra Pradesh Cement Works has constructed seven rainwater harvesting structures in these villages, significantly enhancing groundwater recharge. These structures have created a total water storage capacity of 35,000 cubic meters, harvesting over 7 lakh cubic meters of rainwater as of January 2025. This has led to a remarkable 2 to 4-meter rise in groundwater levels, supporting irrigation for nearly 346 hectares of cultivable land.

400 acres of previously barren land have also been brought under cultivation, boosting agricultural productivity and income security. Efforts to reduce excessive use of fertilisers through promoting balanced nutrient application practices have also helped reduce soil and groundwater pollution in these villages. The project has benefited over 2,000 people across 500 households living in these two villages of Nandyal and Anantapur districts.

UltraTech’s holistic approach water conservation

In addition to the community water conservation initiatives, UltraTech also has taken a multi-pronged approach to water conservation within its manufacturing operations. This approach includes water harvesting interventions such turning exhausted mine pits into reservoirs and building roof-top rainwater harvesting structures in addition to increased use of recycled water and initiatives to increase water efficiency in manufacturing operations.

UltraTech has set up Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) plants at several of its manufacturing Units to enable the reuse of 100 per cent treated water within the Units, thus reducing its dependence on freshwater. It also conducts water audits biennially, at domestic sites with a more than 100 cubic metres per day water dependence, to identify water efficiency improvement opportunities.

Andhra Pradesh Cement Works has undertaken several water conservation initiatives within its unit premises. Since its inception, the unit has harvested, recharged and reused over 1.9 million cubic metres of water within its premises, conserving 1.2 lakh cubic metres of water in FY24 alone.