Esteemed government leaders, scientists and sevaks gathered together today to officially inaugurate the new eco-friendly, bio-digester toilets built at Parmarth Niketan Ashram, Rishikesh through the cooperation and hard work of DRDO, FICCI and Ganga Action Parivar. These toilets, which provide an environmentally-friendly and sustainable solution to the major sewage crisis India is facing, are the beginning of a partnership between these three entities which will help to bring eco-friendly toilets throughout the Ganga River Basin. In the first stage alone, 5,000 toilet blocks will be built hand-in-hand along the banks of Ganga in Uttarakhand.
To dedicate this historic step towards a clean and green India, many top leaders from both the Uttarakhand state government as well as the Central government alongside top scientists and directors, including:
- Shri Aziz Qureshiji, Hon’ble Governor of Uttarakhand
- Shri Pritam Singh, Hon’ble Minister of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Uttarakhand
- Shri Surendra Rakesh, Hon’ble Minister of Social Welfare and Transport, Uttarakhand
- Shri Satpal Maharaj, Hon’ble Member of Lok Sabha and Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Defence
- Shri Harish Rawat, Hon’ble Union Minister of State, Parliamentary Affairs, Agriculture and Food Processing Industry, Government of India
- Shri Nirankar Saxena, Senior Director, FICCI
- Dr. Lokendra Singh, Director of Life Sciences, DRDO
- Shri S. Radhakrishnan, Director, DI2TM, DRDO
- Shri R. Krishnan, Director – HR, BHEL
- Shri S. Sundaresh, Chief Controller, R&D (ACE&SI), DRDO
The Hon’ble Governor of Uttarakhand praised the resolve of the DRDO, FICCI, GAP and the Parmarth family in its dedication to environmental protection and the betterment of India’s homes, villages, towns and cities. He recognized how building toilets in public places and girls’ schools will not only help the state in remaining clean but will also be a great facility for tourists and pilgrims. In addition, it will help save women’s dignity and promote women’s education, thus toilets are a must across villages and cities.
Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji, founder of Ganga Action Parivar, spoke on how it is everyone’s right to live with dignity, and thus current practices related to sewage management, such as manual scavenging, must be eliminated. Pujya Swamiji detailed how lack of toilets in villages, girls’ schools and elsewhere is a true curse on society, as it creates innumerable difficulties in so many lives. Women in villages must wait until it is dark to go to relieve themselves, causing many stomach and bowel issues and diseases. To protect their dignity, they must stand up every time a person or a vehicle passes by, and to avoid this women often walk out into dark areas and jungles to go to the bathroom – a very dangerous practice.
Pujya Swamiji also spoke about how building toilets is necessary for maintaining Gangaji’s purity and cleanliness, and that by building eco-friendly toilets within the Ganga Basin will not only help keep the environment clean, but will help our culture shine everywhere.
“Open defacation is blot on our culture.” – His Excellency, Dr Aziz Quresh–Governer Of Uttrakhand
“Toilets are a must for saving women’s honour.” – His Excellency, Dr Aziz Quresh–Governer Of Uttrakhand
“For environmental protection and the promotion of cleanliness, both industrial and spiritual institutions must come forward.” – Harish Rawatji
“Cleanliness of the environment and Gangaji will radiate our culture.” – Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji
