Pujya Swamiji’s vision of Clean and Green Pilgrimage and Tourism has inspired all- from all over the nation and the world. Honourable DM of Haridwar, Ms. Nidhi Pandeyji and BHEL- Haridwar was also inspired by this initiative and cordially invited Ganga Action Parivar (GAP) and Parmarth Niketan to join as one team to serve together for the vision of making their sacred city clean and green. The kick off of the Haridwar Green Drive was also held as a follow-up also to the meeting held between the Honourable DM and GAP a week earlier (see 8 August, 2013).
The plantation was held in the large campus of BHEL, a corporation that has for many decades utilized their corporate social responsibility to support important environmental initiatives to protect Mother Earth and Mother Ganga. A short meeting was held after the plantation to discuss future plans for sustaining the green movement. Members of the community, local ashrams and media joined to share their suggestions with Respected Nidhi Pandeyji. She warmly welcomed and noted the suggestions. She said that, ‘Even being a girl from a city like Bombay, I always imagined Haridwar to be a sacred pilgrimage with the flowing pure waters of Mother Ganga, lots of greenery and a few ashrams doted here and there, filled with the ringing of bells and sacred words of wisdom of revered saints and enlightened masters. However, today with the increased encroachment, pollution and lack of respect for Mother Nature and Mother Ganga the city is struggling to maintain the very aspects which define it.’
She explained that a Hariyath Haridwar (Green Haridwar, especially a Green Har ki Pauri, is her dream and she is committed to making it come true. Executive Director of BHEL-HW, Shri Prakash Chandanji agreed, ‘Being a long-term resident of Haridwar, a Green Haridwar is also my dream and we are here to support the Hon’ble DM in whatever we can—be it financially or through our large staff and employees.’ Shri Ram Mahesh Mishraji, representative and Programme Director of Parmarth Niketan agreed that, ‘A clean and green Uttarakhand is Pujya Swamiji’s dream also and the mission of Ganga Action Parivar and we are ready to work as one team to bring together the public and the local ashrams to take part in this vital initiative.’ Plans were discussed with the DFO-HW to do more plantations along the peripheries of Haridwar to prevent man and animal conflict, to encourage social forestation, beautification and the long term maintenance and care of the planted trees.
It was agreed that a future more detailed meeting would also take place soon discussing the details of how to transform Har Ki Pauri as a divine example of Green Pilgrimage and Green Tourism. Later in the evening while back in Parmarth Niketan (Rishikesh), in the midst of light rains and rise in the levels of Mother Ganga’s waters, Shri Mishraji led a special prayer calling to Mother Ganga, as the unconditional and forgiving Mother she is, to spare her children some more time to learn from their mistakes and to reverse our mistakes. He inspired all participants to take a pledge and to come together as one to not only continue serve those most affected by floods, rains and cloudbursts but to also work together immediately to free Mother Ganga’s banks from encroachment and unsustainable construction, allowing Her to flow and carry out Her ecological functions and preventing Her waters from becoming polluted from our solid and liquid waste.
