PepsiCo India initiates 3 community initiatives

Hyderabad, Feb 12 (UNI) PepsiCo India today announced a series of initiatives, including inauguration of a Waste to Wealth project, a Livelihood Resource Centre (LRC) and financial support to a water management initiative in Malkapur village in Andhra Pradesh as part of its corporate social responsibility.

PepsiCo India will be investing over Rs 30 lakh in the three projects, a release here said.

To make Sangareddy district cleaner, greener and garbage-free, PepsiCo India, in partnership with Exnora and Sangareddy Municipality, will set up a Waste to Wealth programme, which will be executed with people's participation through motivation and awareness generation activities.

Speaking on the Waste to Wealth initiative, Pepsico India Executive Director (Southern Marketing Unit) Sanjay Warke said, ''Specifically in the area of environmental sustainability, PepsiCo India is engaged in a wide range of initiatives aimed at protecting the environment. We are delighted to contribute towards supporting the Sangareddy community to manage domestic solid waste in an environment-friendly manner in partnership with Sangareddy Municipality and Exnora.'' The first phase of the project will target ten wards, impacting a population of around 20,000 people. PepsiCo has funded a sum of Rs 19 lakhs for the construction of Zero Waste Centre in Sangareddy.

The Livelihood Resource Centre (LRC) aims at facilitating alternative livelihood to the rural youth living below poverty line, between the age group of 18-35 years by extending training in Customer Relations and Hospitality Management Courses with spoken English and computer education. PepsiCo India has invested Rs 3.8 lakh in the programme.

Mr Warke said, ''The success of our LRC projects in the past has given us immense confidence to take the initiative forward to other regions and we are extremely delighted to inaugurate the programme in Sangareddy. We will be providing training and employment opportunities to more than 200 rural youth in the region in the year 2008.'' PepsiCo India has also funded Malkapur village for a water supply project, providing financial support of Rs 9.4 Lakhs to the district for a water contract with the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB).

Due to insufficient quantity of drinking water in the village, the Malkapur Panchayat and the MP of the constituency had reached out to the HMWSSB for a water contract under which the latter will be supplying drinking water to the district. PepsiCo India will be funding 75 per cent of the total project cost of Rs 12.5 lakh, the release added.

UNI VA JJ 1735