"We are concerned about the earth our children will inherit. That's why we make sure our vehicles consume less, pollute less. This concern is reflected in the manufacturing systems, the various processes, energy conservation measures and conscious greening initiatives of the Company.”

In 2002, all the vehicle manufacturing units of Ashok Leyland were ISO 14001 certified with Environmental Management System..

Over the decades, Ashok Leyland's R&D engineers have been addressing the twin concerns of fuel-efficiency and emissions. Not surprisingly, when the legislation came in 1987, limiting vehicular emission, Ashok Leyland vehicles were already meeting them. In 1992, came the more stringent norms for gaseous emissions. By then, Ashok Leyland, through timely technology tie-ups - and ahead of competition - had absorbed and was offering eco-friendly engine technology. In 1996, when the permissible levels of gaseous exhaust emissions were further tightened, Ashok Leyland again met the norms with ease.

Ashok Leyland has pro-actively developed its engines to meet the progressive emission norms, including the Bharat Shage II norms.

The Ennore unit was recently identified as one of the model energy-efficient units by a CII-TNEB organised Energy Conservation (ENCON) mission. Systematic management of all energy resources from the 1980s through better housekeeping and awareness has made this possible. The 1980s also saw Energy Audit being introduced. Improvement in machine tools, furnace-loading pattern, design of heating elements and an energy efficient lighting system has all led to energy savings of 30,782 units per day.

For Ennore, practicing the 3Rs of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle has surely paid-off. Recently, an opinion survey conducted in the neighbourhood reveals that both industries and the public are happy to have Ashok Leyland as their neighbour. Building on the eco-friendly measures over the years, Ennore has received the ISO 14001 certification for Environmental Management Systems.

To get the best out of Ashok Leyland's eco-friendly engine technology, round-the-year awareness and action programmes are held at operators' meets and service campaigns. Ashok Leyland has also launched a dedicated mobile emission clinic operating on highways and at entry points to New Delhi. The clinic checks vehicles for emission levels, recommends remedies and offers tips on maintenance and care. Even as it spreads the emission mission, it will generate valuable data and garner insight that will guide further development.

In January 1997, Mumbai's taxi drivers had a complaint about a BEST bus: they couldn't hear it coming! Not only did it make next to no noise, it also emitted very little pollutants. What makes this bus different is the fuel that powers it. Spearheading the induction of CNG technology in the National Capital Region, Ashok Leyland has put out over 2,500 buses on its roads.

A serious and responsible approach to protecting the environment forms one of the abiding principles at Ashok Leyland. That's why, we strive beyond compliance with the Law to create and implement sound environmental practices into our business decisions and processes. A constant review of the processes has been resulting in modifications and replacements with eco-friendly processes. Back in the 1960s, shot blasting used for surface cleaning treatment of rough materials and heat treatment scaling at Ennore was replaced with sand-blasting, to eliminate the hazard of lead shots. Later, sand was replaced with steel shots, to eliminate the possibility of silicosis. The blasting dust from the machines is collected by heavy-duty dust collectors and goes into the making of firecrackers.

Sodium Cyanide was used in salt bath furnaces for carburising and hardening of components. This involved an elaborate process of handling and disposal of residual cyanide salts. In 1980, this was replaced by carbonitriding process. The four 'Sealed Quench Furnaces' that do carbonitriding now operate without any Sodium Cyanide. At the modern paint shop at Hosur II, scrubbers to avoid exposure and adverse reactions collect the paint particles in the paint booth immediately.

Trichloroethylene and Carbon Tetrachloride - two compounds used for de-greasing at Ennore - were eliminated once they were categorised as 'ozone depletion substances'. At the same location, introduction of direct induction hardening has eliminated the copper plating of camshafts before the carburising operation. From August 1999, 'green energy' has been powering the Hosur I factory. Electricity generated by windmills is supplied to the factory through a special agreement with the Tamilnadu Electricity Board. Why, even cooking is eco-friendly here. The canteen runs on solar heaters and food waste becomes fodder to cattle at a cattle farm at Mathagiri, near Hosur. In the generator room at Hosur I, modifications to the air filter near the exhaust pipe led to reduction of noise level by 40 decibels. Test beds are made soundproof by packing sound absorbing material.

Treating waste to produce usable by-products and safe disposal of unused waste are the twin goals of effluent treatment plants, set up in all the Units of Ashok Leyland including Ennore where 1.28 million liters of water is redeemed from sewage everyday. Illustrating the efficacy of an effluent treatment plant is the one at Hosur I. One of the most modern of its kind in the area, it has several state-of-the-art features like Mechanical Bar Screen, a Detritor for grit removal, Flow Meter, two Aerator Tanks with surface aerators, a Secondary Clarifier, a rare chlorination facility and sludge drying beds.

The plant can do primary, secondary and tertiary treatment operations. About 55,000 liters of effluents flow into the plant every day. Five kilograms of solid hazardous waste is stored as per Pollution Control Board standards and the rest of the water portion is treated and used for organic farming. Manure extracted from the sludge replaces artificial chemical fertilizers saving Rs.165000 per annum. On an average, 250,000 liters of recycled water is pumped into the garden saving Rs.1.5 million per annum.

The Ennore Unit is known for its lush green cover. Almost 10 % of the total ground area of 53.41 hectares is covered by greenery creating an oasis in the arid zone of Ennore.

Of the 12.44 hectares of land available for tree planting, landscaping and lawns at Hosur I, 1.44 hectares has been used for growing 1,623 trees. A herbal garden right next to the effluent treatment plant serves as an open lab of medicinal herbs.Hosur II has a green belt stretching 15 hectares with nearly 4,500 trees.


Bhandara has over the years systematically developed green belt zones. A mind-boggling 179,000 trees cover 50 hectares of the 101-hectare unit. Teak, Shisham, Subabul, Eucalyptus, Bamboo, Bori, Asoka, Neem, and Suru are among the 35 varieties that adorn the landscape. The trees are home for a wide variety of birds, almost converting the factory into a conservation zone.

We are committed to preserving the environment through a comprehensive Environmental Policy and a proactive approach in planning and executing our manufacturing and service activities.The objective of Ashok Leyland's Environmental Policy is to adhere to all applicable environmental legislations and regulations, adopt pollution preventive techniques in design and manufacture, conserve all resources such as power, water etc., and optimise its usage, through scientific means, minimize waste generation by all possible ways and Reduce, Reuse and Recycle the same through a time bound action plan as well as provide a clean working environment to our employees, contractors and neighbours.Towards this, we propagate our environmental policy and our commitment to continuous improvement to all employees, suppliers, customers and neighbours.

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