ONGC team sharing the award of Best CSR Project with Director (HR) Mr D D Misra at Delhi

The Delhi Management Association conferred  ONGC with the  ‘Outstanding  CSR project  award’ in the recently concluded DMA CSR Award function held at Delhi  on 22nd July 2016. The award was conferred for one of the most  unique CSR project implemented by ONGC - Financial Assistance for Vocational  Training programme for;women of Sivasagar and Pilhibit in water hyacinth craft. ONGC had taken up the project at a cost of Rs 31.5 lakh.

ONGC CSR Team receiving the award from Delhi Management Association

The project details:

In the Phase I of the project, 20 women of  Pilihibit district were provided training in water hyacinth crafts at North Eastern Development Finance CorporationLtd(NEDFi)training centre in Assam,to make them the Master Trainers.The project was  undertaken in partnership with of North East Development Finance Corporation  Ltd. Anubhav Chauhan Samaj Sewa Evam Shiksha Samiti and “ChaloGaon Ki Aour” (CGKA)Training Institute, Pilibhit.A 15 daysresidential  training programme was conducted by North Eastern  Development Finance Corporation Limited at their Common  Facility Centre, at Khetri, (36 Kms from Guwahati). The training  programme includesprocessing of raw material up to making of the finished  products. The training to these artisans has helped to learn different  techniques of processing water hyacinth* to make different  products. After the training these women artisans become Master Trainers  and entrepreneur. They are now training other women of  Pilhibit at CGKA institute. Most of the master  trainerswhohaveattended the training program at Assam have  now become Entrepreneurby selling bags, mats and other designer items  various fairs, market, etc.

(Left) The artisans displaying products made of water hyacinth at Dilli Haat; (Right) Products made of water Hyacinth

Phase II

After the successful  implementation of the first Phase, 50 Women from  Sivasagar district of Assam, were selected to undergo  training in water hyacinth craft. The training was initially conducted by  NEDFi at a village in Sivasagar district. After the  initial training at local area, 25 women were selected to undergo training at  NEDFi centre in Guwahati.

What is Water Hyacinth?

Water Hyacinth is an aquatic plant which can be cultivated on the  surface of fresh waters or can be anchored in mud. It may often cause a  variety of problems in water bodies such as hindrance to water  transport; logging of intakes of irrigation, hydropower and  water supply system; Micro habitat for a variety of disease  vectors; increased evaporation; problems related to fishing; reduction in  biodiversity etc. However this same plant  which is a cause of several problems, also has many practical  applications like its use in manufacture of paper, fiber board,  yarn and rope, basket work, charcoal briquetting, biogas production  , animal fodder, fertilizer, fish feed etc. Because of its  abundance, water hyacinth provides a good scope for its use in production of  various types of handicraft products. Pilhibit district in U.P is  surrounded with lots of ponds and dam containing water hyacinth.