The Ramco Cements has been proactively undertaking several activities to fight COVID-19

The Ramco Cements has been at the forefront of CSR for several decades now. The recent outbreak of COVID-19 made the company proactively partner with government administrations, in the fight against the Coronavirus in its operating states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Bengal and Odisha.For example, in Tamil Nadu and Odisha, the company is mobilising and distributing high-value medical equipment ranging from oxygen concentrators to sophisticated protective gear and basic amenities such as water, shelter and food, by working alongside district collectors, police, public health departments and panchayats.A brief summary of the ongoing activities are as follows:In all its factories, to ensure the highest degree of safety and health for its associates, the following measures were in place since the beginning of March till the lock-down was announced.- All vehicles leaving the factory were disinfected and the drivers were checked for body temperature and other symptoms of Coronavirus and provided Medical Certificate by the doctor at the factory exit for their safe passage - Every vehicle coming into the factories was disinfected thoroughly. - Every worker entering the factory was checked and certified that the person was free from symptoms of the virus. - 30,000 nos. of face masks and soaps were provided to all workmen. The safety of the villagers surrounding the company’s plants has always been of utmost importance to The Ramco Cements. They have been provided medical attention by its teams of doctors and parademics. Water tankers spray medicines in the villages surrounding the plants and mines to disinfect them and to ensure the safety of the villagers. Over 6,000 migrant labourers including those who are not on direct contract with the company have been provided food, shelter and medical attention. The same is applicable to the workers of its clearing and     forwarding agents also. Groceries and vegetables are arranged to the labour sheds for the migrant contract workmen and their families. Migrant labourers from Bengal and Karnataka are provided cash allowances on daily basis. Food arrangements are done for doctors and paramedics. Isolation centres are being set up at Kadukur and Thamaraikulam (200 km from Madurai) in Tamil Nadu and near the company’s plant at Haridaspur in Odisha. District Collectorates, offices of SPs, panchayats and the public health department have been provided steel cots, beds, bedspreads and pillows for the needy, provisions for public feeding in the surrounding villages, provisions for feeding inter-state workers in the contract labour colonies, infra thermal scanner (hand held gun), three-layer face masks, PPEs (full body protection kit), sanitizers, awareness flex boards, posters and pamphlets. Procurement process of medical equipment for various state agencies costing over Rs 30 million is in progress and the equipment are expected to reach the state agencies within the next three days. Further, The Ramco Cements has also transferred an amount of Rs 25 million to the Tamil Nadu Relief Fund.