New Delhi, Sep 2 (FN Agency) Indian Hotels Company Ltd (IHCL) Friday said it has saved 4.78 million kilolitres of water since 2008 through its “sustainable initiatives “and set a goal of 75 percent of total water consumption to be recycled by 2025. IHCL hotels also claimed that the group has generated significant savings since 2008 by reducing water consumption by approximately 780,940 kilolitres through various initiatives. “Initiatives like installation of aerators, upgradation of STP & use of STP recycled water in cooling tower, operating the chillers under optimal condition has helped achieve significant results” the company said in a statement. IHCL hotels also claimed that they have generated significant savings since 2008 by reducing water consumption by approximately 780,940 kilolitres.
Talking about the various initiatives taken by the IHCL, Gaurav Pokhariyal, Executive Vice President – Human Resources said that, “Under the environment stewardship pillar of Paathya, one of the key initiatives is water savings.” “From 2008 to 2022, 4.78mn kiloleters of water was conserved, which is equivalent to 1900 standard Olympic sized swimming pools and we will continue to focus on this area strongly” he added. Earlier in its sustainability report in 2021, IHCL claimed that 27 percent of water has been recycled or reused by the group across the country. It said 75 percent of water consumption will be recycled by 2025. “Through water recycling, increasing equipment efficiency and rain water harvesting, IHCL aims to minimize the withdrawals of freshwater and preserve sources for communities” it said.
“We completed a water security assessment of hotels in key cities to identify water-related risks and strengthen preparedness to manage them” It further added. Earlier, Tata Group’s Taj Hotels had launched its sustainability programme, “Paathya”, which by 2030 aims to eliminate use of single-use plastics and meet water requirements through recycle and reuse. Under this programme, Taj parent Indian Hotels Company Ltd (IHCL) has set several short and long-term goals to be fulfilled by 2030. This includes all its hotels being certified to a global sustainability standard. Parking areas will get chargers for EVs and the reduction of carbon emission of 25 per cent by 2025.