Mithapur and Babrala

Tata Chemicals has created two centres around its operations in India: Mithapur in coastal Gujarat and Babrala in Uttar Pradesh. Distinct in layout and geography, Mithapur and Babrala serve the needs and requirements of the company’s chemicals and fertilisers plants respectively.

The Mithapur story began in 1939, when the Tatas took over the Okha Salt Works. Okhamandal, the region where Mithapur is situated, was an undeveloped and desolate place where many kingdoms and civilisations had thrived in the past. Mithapur, privately owned by Tata Chemicals, is part of the 5,398-acres of freehold land obtained in the 1930s from the government of the erstwhile princely state of Baroda.

The town square at Mithapur, from where roads branch out in many directions, is symbolic of the central place the company enjoys in this community comprising employees and their families, teachers and merchants. Spread across 663 acres of land, Mithapur enjoys the advantages of urban infrastructure along with the beauty of its idyllic surroundings.

A department within Tata Chemicals takes care of Mithapur’s administration. This department is responsible for developing and maintaining residential houses, schools, medical facilities, public spaces and welfare and sports activities. Mithapur has a high school, three primary schools, and one pre-school; together they provide education to some 5,000 children and employment to over 200 teachers.

A well-equipped hospital, a mobile clinic, a family-planning unit and childimmunisation centres look after the healthcare needs of company employees as well as the people living in the 42 villages of Okhamandal. Other facilities include a marketplace, a hospital and a cinema hall. The town has an assortment of parks and gardens, and a 2-km-long beach. The two lakes at its outskirts attract a variety of migratory birds in the winter months.

Tata Chemicals operates all the municipal services in the town, and delivers an uninterrupted supply of electricity from its captive cogeneration power plant. The company provides for the cultural and recreational needs of the community through the libraries, clubs, cinemas, playgrounds and public gardens it has established. To cater to the diverse needs of its staff and the local community, Tata Chemicals supports, through grants, a large number of social and cultural institutions.

Water is a precious commodity in Mithapur, which falls in the droughtprone Jamnagar district. Water is recycled back to a flush-pumping station and used to nourish plants and maintain gardens.

Fourteen hundred kilometres to the north of Mithapur, in the midst of a densely forested area, lies Babrala, developed in 1991 when Tata Chemicals’ fertiliser plant was set up here.

This settlement is home to nearly 500 employees and their families. This, too, is an urban dwelling in a rural setting. Wide roads and a green environment characterise the town layout. Nearly 70 per cent of the land was converted into a green cover with a quarter million trees. The company has planted 2,80,000 trees and 1,05,000 shrubs leading to almost 3.8 lakh square metres of green cover. Tata Chemicals has provided plenty of amenities in Babrala: spacious houses, a shopping centre, a clubhouse, a library, and health and sports facilities. The DAV Public School instructs students in both English and Hindi.

Environment is a key issue in Babrala and Mithapur, both of which are ISO-14001 certified. The emphasis is on waste reduction, proper garbage disposal and conservation of natural resources. Environmental awareness drives are held regularly and both towns have a ‘no plastics’ policy.

Magadi
The newest member of the Tata Chemicals family is the Magadi Soda Company (MSC) in Magadi, Kenya. Magadi lies deep inside lands reserved for the Maasai tribe, first sealed through agreement by the colonial British government in 1911. The tribe has always had great expectations of MSC and the company strives to fulfil these.

MSC runs a robust corporate sustainability programme that spearheads development initiatives for the community. The company focuses on water, education, health, employment, business, transport and infrastructural issues. Towards this end, it has introduced many initiatives for the betterment of the community in Magadi.

MSC supplies clean drinking water to the local community, schools and health centres within its environs. It has also made arrangements for a potable-water pipeline from Magadi township to the outlying Ilparakuo village 7km away. Water is transported by truck daily to community centres, schools and dispensaries up to 30km away. A train operated by the company delivers water thrice a week to people residing within a radius of 60km.

The company also supports the community by maintaining the Sampu pipeline and repairing the Elangata Wuas community borehole. In addition, it put in place a pipeline from Magadi to Oldonyonyokie.

MSC has made many significant efforts to offer good quality education to the community. It set up four schools in Magadi township. It supports primary schools in the construction of classes and the provision of learning and teaching facilities. It also provides scholarships for tertiary/university education to students from Kajiado district and runs an adult education programme.

A 60-bed hospital in Magadi serves the community well. The company further subsidises healthcare in the hospital by up to 70 per cent. It has undertaken health awareness and vaccination campaigns and has worked long and hard to spread awareness on Aids.

MSC has reserved a percentage of jobs in its operations for the local community. The Magadi Multipurpose Cooperative Society was established in 2003 to create wealth for the local community through enterprise development. The cooperative offers its members income, employment and business
training. The cooperative also provides savings and credit services to the members as a way of promoting investment.

The company runs a rail passenger coach for local community transport between Magadi and Kajiado. It maintains both the 146-km railway line from Magadi to Konza as well as the 86-km Magadi-Kiserian Road, besides helping maintain many rural roads.

Through all these efforts and more, MSC has proved its strong commitment to the people of Magadi.