The Akshaya Patra Foundation has its operations over 18 locations across India, each one filled with its own triumphs and trials.

Lakshmikant Dasa, the location head of Hyderabad, explains the challenges faced by Akshaya Patra in that city. Located in an industrial area, the kitchen there has always had many hurdles to overcome, one of them being the problem of retaining workers.

We have therefore come up with many incentives in order to encourage them to stay. A bonus is given at the end of every month for all the employees who did not take leave during that period of 30 days. Every Saturday, movies are played for in-house workers and care is taken to ensure that good quality and varieties of food are provided to them.

Apart from all of the above, we see to it that they are not overburdened in the course of their work and are given all the support they need to help them do their jobs in an efficient and professional manner.

Spread across 3 acres, the Hubli kitchen is one of the most innovative and technologically advanced of all the Akshaya Patra kitchens. It is ISO 22000 certified and follows all the norms and standards set by the International Organization for Standardization. Often acting as a research and development centre, it has given rise to many of the latest features and developments in our kitchens. It was the first facility to engineer the Gravity Flow Mechanism and has continually expanded its efforts to adopt more eco-friendly methods of operation. Not only does it have a Rainwater Harvesting Plant but also an Effluent Treatment Plant.

Effluent Treatment Plant

The first of its kind in Akshaya Patra, this is one of the ‘go green’ initiatives adopted by the kitchen. Waste water from the kitchen is collected and treated using an algae bio-culture. No chemicals are used. This recycled water is then reused for 2 purposes: cleaning vehicles and gardening.

Rain-water Harvesting Plant

Also a ‘green’ initiative, this is used to replenish the borehole that acts as a main water supply to the kitchen. Rain water from the entire campus is directed to a small pool that has been dug out. This pool stores water and acts as a reservoir for the borehole.

Future Plans

Authorities of the Hubli kitchen are now planning yet another initiative. They are in discussion with external agencies and experts on implementing a system to utilize solar energy. Their biggest challenge is storing a large quantity of solar energy, since the kitchen begins functioning at 3:00 am, when there is no sunlight.

They are also planning on installing a system which could create electricity using biological waste from the kitchen. With their interest and involvement in protecting our depleting natural resources, the Hubli kitchen is own its way to being known as a ‘Green Kitchen’.