One of the country’s leading car manufacturer Maruti Suzuki India Limited has been undertaking several initiatives to provide support for the employees and communities around its manufacturing facilities, affected by the lockdown initiated by the Govt. of India to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 CoronaVirus.
According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, there are 14,255 active cases in the country with 2,842 cured or discharged and 559 deaths. To curb the rising numbers of infections and to contain the virus spread authorities have implemented a strict lockdown in the country. To provide meals for the temporary workmen and student trainees staying in village communities around the Gurugram and Manesar plants Maruti Suzuki has been using its in-house canteens to prepare hygienic meals.
Maruti Suzuki also distributes 5,400 cooked food packets for both lunch and dinner in nearby communities. In the last three weeks, Maruti Suzuki has distributed over 1,20,000 food packets. In addition to this, the brand is working in association with the Indian Red Cross to distribute 500 dry ration kits to support the Gurugram administration. The dry ration kits are distributed in nearby villages and the brand has delivered more than 10,000 kits in the past three weeks. The Dry Ration kits include essential items such as rice, wheat flour, cooking oil, sugar and soap.
Maruti Suzuki has installed 17 water ATMs across 16 villages where access to water ATMs is open for all and the water is available at a nominal price of 35paise/litre and is dispensed with strict social distancing norms. The brand estimates that 4,500 litres of clean water are being dispensed daily at Aliyar village and 3,800 litres in Dhana village at Manesar. Water ATMs are built on a self-sustaining model and can provide with 1,000 litres of drinkable water per hour and is equipped with a display screen which shows the water quality and purity in terms of Total Dissolved Solids, pH levels and temperature.
Maruti Suzuki is also supporting sanitization activities and carrying out the waste collection in nearby villages to maintain a clean and hygienic environment.
*Statistical Data as per MoHFW and National Informatics Centre, as on 20 April 2020, 17:00 GMT+5:30