Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji and Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswatiji met with Member of Parliament Zac Goldsmith at the House of Commons, London wherein they discussed various important topics along the theme of river conservation and environmental preservation.
Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji shared about the recent Sewage to Selfie initiative in Rishikesh to transform a sewage drain running into the River Ganga into a waste water treatment system, using Dutch and Indian technology, whilst simultaneously converting the drain into a tourist attraction where pilgrims would come to take selfies.
Along the same lines of protecting our rivers, Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji shared about the massive tree plantation campaigns taking place along the river banks to create green corridors along the banks of the River that would protect from soil erosion, provide fresh oxygen as well as facilitate water purification. He shared about the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Uttarakhand’s dedicated efforts towards rejuvanting the River to Rispina to return to its original condition, once remembered as the flowing River Rishiparna. The briefly discussed the restoration efforts for the Thames River and possible lessons that can be applied to the rejuvenation of the National River Ganga.
Pujya Swamiji also shared about plans for tree plantation this monsoon in Allahabad ahead of the Kumbh Mela as well as the government’s dedicated efforts to create a Clean & Green Kumbh Mela in Allahabad. Pujya Swamiji invited the Hon’ble MP to attend the largest gathering of humanity.
Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswatiji shared about the work of the Global Interfaith WASH Alliance, bringing interfaith leaders together for improved WASH, climate action and sustainable development goals. Also, attending the meeting was Ms Shreya Lakhani who was glad to share first hand her own personal experience of being touched and transformed from childhood by Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji – Muniji and Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswatiji’s message and mission for environmental protection and her families long association with Parmarth Niketan.
Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswatiji had previously met Zac Goldsmith at Dada Vaswaniji’s 100th Birth Anniversary function in London at which she was a Keynote Speaker.
The Hon’ble MP has been voted among the top MPs for engagement with his constituents, and has won a number of awards for his campaigns in Parliament.
Before becoming an MP, Zac Goldsmith directed and edited the Ecologist Magazine for a decade, and received Mikhail Gorbachev’s Global Green Award for ‘International Environmental Leadership’.
Outside of his work as an MP, Zac Goldsmith continues to raise significant funds for a wide range of conservation and environmental campaigns. He has been one of 16 MPs on the Commons select Committee for the Environment since 2010.
