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(Forwarded by Vikas Kumar Pandey, B. Tech Part IV, Electrical Engineering. Email: vikas.pandey.eee07@itbhu.ac.in)
| Vikas Kumar Pandey Electrical 4th yr | Shivendra Pratap Singh Chauhan Electronics 4th yr |
Ashish Agrawal Electronics 4th yr |
(Lead Volunteers of “Clean Assi Ghat Team”)
One question was asked when Pandit Malaviyaji, our revered founder came up with the proposal of BHU in 1905 that why he has chosen Varanasi for his dream; out of many answers, one answer was that because Mother Ganges is here. So BHU has deep bond of relation with Ganga from its beginning. The water which was once said to absolve sins and pains when drunk is now deemed unfit to bathe in. But till what time this misery will continue? Although it was late but IT-BHU janta realized their responsibility.
It was Sunday, 21st of March, the youth of IT-BHU opened its sleepy eyes, rubbed them and bleary eyed, put its foot forward into the cold waters of responsibility. Before this was the preparation for battle, we started finding out people of similar interests who can guide us and here two names deserved to be mentioned. One is Prof. U. K. Choudhary from Civil Engineering Department (he started Ganga Laboratory in his Department many years ago). He literally feed us with energy and power to keep burning our lamp of enthusiasm for long time to go. Second one is well known environmentalist, founder of Ganga Action Plan and Mahant of Sankat Mochan Temple. With his sober behavior and affection of a real Guru and blessings, he makes us determined to do it.
Revolutions, they say, feed on the spirit and energy of humans. Changes need sweat aplenty. Energy, spirit, sweat: the essence and biggest assets of youth. The unavailability of campus buses didn’t deter the 60 odd students as we boarded autos to Assi Ghat. The sight of gloves was one of relief as the students kicked off the first “Clean Ganga” effort by IT-BHU. The inhibitions were shed and masti set in rather quickly as students started cleaning Assi Ghat. The famed hangout spot deserved it for all these years of free stay it has provided to vagabonds of beloved IT. The group moved like a big human vacuum cleaner, treading on dirt ground and leaving it behind, slightly cleaner. The students here are hard to shake out of their reverie, but once up and running, they are rather hard to stop.
One such hurricane of 60 ITians made Assi their battlefield. A field every ITian should tread at least once. Because we believe no one can match our combination of street smartness and natural intellect. The enthusiasm infected the on-looking vendors, who promised to put up a dustbin for way-sides to put the litter in. It was covered by local print and electronic media also. Believe it, 500 pairs of hands can change the landscape of old Assi Ghat. It is time for us, the privileged to give back something to our past, our sacred water source. After this mission, a huge heap of dump was collected at the Ghats. We realized that it is not possible to deal with this lump on alone, so immediately rushed to Commissioner Office, it was Sunday and office was closed so we went to meet him next day and he was very cooperative, he assured us for full support, after that we came up with a proper planning to make Assi a Model Ghat and had many meeting with him.
We arranged some money from ours side and installed some dustbins on the ghat, they are still there and had been taken care of by the local vendors .We have a lot of work to do and due to summer vacations it was interrupted but now again we are starting with new strategy and energy, very soon we are going to invite a teacher-cum-environmentalist from Andaman and Nicobar who is working there in Tsunami’s affected areas. We hope the movement snowballs into a revolution that finally starts the cleaning of Ganga and we see no reason for it not to happen. All are requested to support by being a part of this revolution.
About 79 years ago, 3 energetic youths went about cleansing the nation of foreign parasites. This is an effort of relatively smaller proportions. We urge you all to show similar vigor, that similar love for the motherland. Nothing can inspire us more as we remember our revered Bhagat Singh on 23rd of March, the day of his martyrdom. Since decades, ‘an institute’ has served a city and a nation. The ‘institute’ provided Electric Power to Varanasi and lit up lives in earlier times. It’s time that this ‘Institute of Technology’ puts forward thousands of hands and aids an ailing river. Ganga’s water is a natural purifier. It is a scientifically proven fact that it has very superior self cleansing mechanism. But such has been the neglect that even that has been rendered helpless. Innovate and come forward. We hope this is the beginning of the end of the plight of the Ganga.
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For PowerPoint Presentation on Clean Assi Ghat Project, click here
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(if you having troubles, try posting your comment on this page or send an email to chronicle @ itbhuglobal.org)Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University
Varanasi 221005, UP