We recognize our corporate and social responsibilities and are committed to conducting business in a manner which achieves sustainable growth by discharging environmental, social and health and safety obligations. We aim to achieve our business objectives in a caring and responsible manner recognizing the social and environmental impacts of our activities.
Environment Protection
We seek to minimize the environmental impact of our operational activities through the prevention of pollution and employing good environmental management practices using environmental management systems. In this undertaking, we have commissioned at the early stage of the construction of our plant environmental studies, which have been endorsed by Ethiopian Environmental Protection Authority (EPA). Our Environmental and Social Management Plan follows the environment and social standards of the EPA. Undertakings under our environmental and social management plan include the following:
Pollution and Waste Control
We have installed bag filters and electrostatic precipitator (ESP) to mitigate the emission of dust particulates. Dust collectors are installed in different areas of the production line to absorb the fine dust particles. The company employs innovative strategies to cut emissions and waste across the factory. The limit of the gases coming out of the system from the fossil fuel and limestone is controlled during mix design and operation of the kiln. We participate in Carbon Market for emissions trading to supplement its clean investment aspiration.
Water waste, which is coming out of the plant, is neutralized when it is discharged. We have installed a water treatment plant with a reverse osmosis (RO) membrane type. The treated water would be used for cooling of machinery, laboratory and general purposes.
Efforts are underway to plant 1 million tree seedlings as buffer zone and green belt between the factory and neighbouring farm lands.
Community Service
Apart from effecting payment amounting over Birr 70 million up from land lease payment to assist the Oromia Regional Government to be able to pay compensation to the farmers displaced due to the project, we have endeavored to the development of the communities, in which we operate, neighboring our plant site. Thus far we have carried out the following:
Access Road and bridges
Beginning from inception of the project to construct our factory, we have been assisting the local community by constructing access road that connects kebeles to kebele and woreda to woreda. This has helped improve the socio-economic status and the living standard of the local community.
During the construction stages of our cement plant, we had financed the rehabilitation of the 36 km Chancho -Derba gravel road at a cost of Birr 3.8 million. The rehabilitation involved the construction of four different size bridges. Currently this road has been reconstructed by concrete- asphalt type road financed by the Government of Ethiopia.
We have built a new 22 kms gravel road from junction point near Derba town all the way to our quarry site, which is open for public use. The 8 km segment of this road runs from Derba town to Becho, the rest 14 km treacherous and steep road runs from the plant site to the quarry which has a 1000 m height drop in the first 7 kms of the road to the quarry. this by far makes it one of the most difficult aligned road even built in the country. This road includes a 144 mts concrete bridge on the river Lebu which plays a pivotal role in connecting the neighbouring community, which used to be cut off during the rainy season. Due to this road the community at Handa Wizero (where our factory is located) is connected to Adea berga wereda administration, in mugger valley. The two communities were not accessible for long years. This helps further improve the socio-economic status and the living standards of both communities.
- A 5kms internal road costing 2.16 million has been constructed in Chancho town
- A 10 kms internal road costing birr 3.3 million has been constructed in Sululta town
- A 2.5 kms internal road costing 1.62 million has been constructed in Derab town
- A 6.5kms access road has been constructed in Becho kebel at a cost of Birr 6.5 million
- A 8 kms access road has been constructed in Handawoizero at a cost of Birr 2.7 million
A Health Centers
We have built a health centre costing Birr 3,5 million to the local community, at the cost of Birr 3.5 million, which already is handed over to the local administration. A generator costing Birr 150,000. And compound fences water supply system incorporate in addition to facilitate the service annually of the health center a recurrent budget top-up on Birr 20,000 per month is being provided to the health center.
Prevention of communicable diseases
We have created and still are creating awareness on preventable diseases such as HIV /AIDS and malaria. Continuous activity is taking place both at the plant and in the main quarry area. There is also community engagement including disclosure, consultation, grievance solving mechanism with the community in and around out factory.
Water points
Knowing that one of the main problems for people living around our factory is unavailability of potable water and having seen that the local community especially women travel long distance to fetch water from unprotected springs, we have provided the local community aaccess to potable water supply by either directly pumping water from the plant’s main pipe line, by regularly filling water tankers placed in some village s and by developing and up keeping water springs. In total the local community is provided with 25 water points at a cost of Birr 450,000 To ensure the sustainability of communal water points, we have helped the local community in the establishment of water committees (five committee members for each water points). The water committee is responsible for managing the water points. This has made significant stride in access to safe water supply.
The following communal water points are available
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From factory main pipeline
Lilo Chebaqa kebele; five communal water points
Mulo Seyo Kebele; three communal water points
Derba Town; supported Birr 350, 000 to purchase electric
transformer that help facilitate sound water distribution
Gullele Beressa Kebele; three communal water points
Becho K/Mihirete Kebele ; five communal water points -
By filling water tanker
Ada Gimbichu Kebele; two communal water points. -
From Teltele Springs
Handa W/ro Kebele; nine communal water points.
Fund Donation
To uplift the community livelihood as standard of living, We have set up a revolving fund through Oromia Credit and Saving Bank Amounting Birr 7.5 million for use by the project affected local community. The fund is intended to be used to established small businesses to generate sustainable income to the project-affected local community.
We have also assisted the local government to establish an irrigation demonstration center to train the project affected people in the project surrounding area. that company bought and donated to project affected persons dewatering system for crop farming at a cost Birr 100,000.
We have donated over 240, 000 ETB to Farmers Skill Training Center at Chancho Town, Oromiya Regional state.
