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One family donates 18 pairs of eyes The Ramnani family of Indore has a record in eye donations. Over the last 29 years, 18 pairs of eyes were donated through the Lions Club of Neemuch and two members, Manina Ramnani and Laxman Das have even donated their bodies. The tradition was started by Dr Jairamdas Ramnani who saw the large number of people from his village in need of corneas for restoring their vision and set the example by donating his eyes in May 1987. Other members of the family followed suit. The women were not to be left out and of the 18 who have donated eyes, eight are women. The youngest member was Mahesh Ramnani, who was just 42 when he died in 2006.

20 years news clips on toilets Ramesh Bhateja, a Roorkee businessman-cum- contractor for septic tanks, has over 20 years of news clippings on sanitation awareness and toilets collected from 1996 to 2016. He has interesting stories like gold and gem studded toilets, animal toilets, space toilet used by Sunita Williams, wedding in a toilet, rape in a toilet, PhD on toilets, power generation from toilets and hi-tech toilets. His unique hobby has created awareness about clean, hygienic toilets among people. Some clippings were displayed at the World Toilet Summit in Delhi where he received an award. At the SRISHTI 2009 IIT hobby club exhibition, he was recognised as the ‘Spirit of Uttarakhand’ and won a first prize. Currently, he is engaged in cleaning the Ganga at Haridwar.

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development__2017.pmd 218 29-03-2017, 14:05 D E V E L O P M E N T Andhra’s ideal municipality The Tadiparti municipality of Ananthapur District of Andhra Pradesh has won the national award for the best state municipality in 2015. For the last seven years, this idyllic city has banned plastics; has complete underground drainage system with wide cement roads with dividers; hygienic, regular midday meals are provided to school children, purified water at low cost for all citizens; free note books were given to poor students; used clothes are collected, washed, repaired and distributed among the poor; talented students get financial support; garbage is collected door to door, segregated and recycled with dustbins placed strategically all over the city. Regular tree plantation gives the city green cover. It has won the Green Leaf Award 2015 and JCB Clean Earth Award 2015 for solid waste management and the Clean India Award 2015 for environment conservation and preservation. Its plastic ban initiative has been included in an intermediate environment education text book. A new initiative by MLA JC Prabhakar Reddy is the 8’ × 12’ National Flag, mounted on a 48’ innovative pole with internal halyard (inner rope) facility. Flying proudly in the municipality, the flag can be unfurled through an electronic push button.

Chanting slokas to learn Ayurveda The Amrita School of Ayurveda at Vallikavu, Kollam, Kerala, affiliated to the Amrita Vishvavidyapeetam at Coimbatore, conducted chanting of ayurvedic slokas or parayana from the astanahridaya, a compendium of ayurveda fundamentals, named after Hridayamritam from 3.00 pm to 4.00 pm on Dec 27, 2015. Mata Amritanandamayi witnessed the unusual event in which 1,036 people participated. Ayurveda is a life science based on samhitas written by acharyas like Charaka and Sushruta.

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A unique children’s festival The Pilikula Nisarga Dhama, Mangaluru, Karnataka, a 350 acre environment and eco-tourism project on the Western Ghats, held one of the biggest festivals for children on Nov 21-22, 2015. Some 47,542 children of 8 to 17 years who participated were treated to magic and mime shows, treasure hunt and games galore. Along with chocolates, puffed rice, peanuts, there were hundreds of bananas that children feasted on. To quench their thirst there was buttermilk. Not only were the goodies free of cost, the children got return gifts of flutes, masks and caps and hopefully knowledge of the biological diversity of the Western Ghats.

Campaign to save the girl child Lavjibai Daliya, fondly called Badshah (b July 20, 1972), a businessman of Surat, Gujarat distributed Badshah Sukanya Bonds in a Betiko Bachana Hai – Save the Girl Child – campaign conducted in Surat, Rajkot and Ahmedabad in March 2016. Special bonds, each worth Rs 2.5 lakh, were given to 10,000 people for the second girl child. Each function was attended by over 50,000.

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development__2017.pmd 220 29-03-2017, 14:05 D E V E L O P M E N T Largest cleanliness drive The largest cleanliness campaign of Panipat and its adjoining village Matlaudha, Haryana, was organised with 4,90,793 people collecting litter under the Chief Patron of Shah SatnamJi Green S Welfare Wing, Sirsa as well as Dera Sacha Sauda, Panipat. Panipat was divided into five zones for the campaign and the village formed the sixth zone. All participants were registered in their respective zones and by 9.00 am their numbers rose to 4,29,982. All came with their own cleaning kits — brooms, sweep brushes, spades, axes, dust pans and canvas strips for collecting the litter. Hooters signaled the start of the cleanliness drive at 9.43 am and the sky was dotted with balloons carrying the slogan Ho prithvi saaf, miten rog abhishaap (Clean the earth, stop illness and misfortune.) They even brought their food and water not to Two child marriages annulled in 3 days inconvenience the city and the organisers. Kriti Bharti, managing trustee of Saarth Trust, The volunteers cleaned each section Jodhur has intervened in the Jodhpur Family methodically, putting the litter in large bins. Courts and annulled two child marriages in a span Fifty JCBs were used to lift the litter and move it of three days in mid-April 2015. While Vikram to an area outside the city demarcated by the and Priyanka were married when they were five local administration. The cleaning drive was years and 10 months respectively, Ashok and over by 6.00 pm. Saroj were 7 and 4 years. The cases were filed on April 16 -18, 2015, just days before AkshayTritya when mass marriages take place across Rajasthan. So far the Saarth Trust has got 29 child marriages annulled in the country. The marriages had been solemnized by the elders in the families as per the old traditions.

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development__2017.pmd 221 29-03-2017, 14:05 D E V E L O P M E N T Disabled prodigy sings bhakti songs Om Vyas, born in September 2006 with 90% CP (Cerebral Palsy) and MR (Mentally retarded) presently studying in class 3 of Ahmedabad municipal school, has shown uncanny ability to sing religious songs. He has been performing on public platforms including television and at religious functions like Maha Shivratri. Doctors are amazed that his hearing and grasping power is only for bhajans and bhakti music. He has no inclination for filmy or party songs and music. His mother, Varsha Vyas, who spends 12 hr a day working on his speech and physical Non-stop cycling by autistic boy fitness, noticed that when Om was six months Autistic Bharat Chavan (b Nov 14, 1999) cycled old he would cry when the normal songs to non-stop from Kohlapur to Pune, a distance of put babies to sleep were sung for him, but he 250 km in 22 hr and 45 minutes. A student of Bal heard the Gayatri mantra and bhajans intently. Kalyan Sanstha, Pune, Bharat began cycling at His repertoire of bhakti songs includes those 2.00 am on Feb 3, accompanied on cycles by his in Gujarati, Sanskrit and Hindi. He was five father and a team of 13 and completed the journey years old when he gave his first public at 12.45 am on Feb 4. Members of Special performance with his mother holding him. He Olympics, Maharashtra, witnessed the event. can narrate the Hanuman Chalisa and sing Since Bharat has a short attention span and his songs of Ganeshji, Shivji, Ram and Krishna. body is low functioning, all through the journey Bharat’s father sang and recited mathematical tables to keep him focused and motivated. Training for the ‘record ride’ began a year and a half earlier with walking, running, swimming and cycling. In 2014 too Bharat swam non-stop for 13 hours to make an entry in Limca Book of Records.

Challenged but multi-talented Rachna D Shah of Ahmedabad was born in Nov 22, 1992 with profound hearing deficiency, but with speech therapy and training from a young age, she can speak, read and write in Gujarati, Hindi, Sanskrit and English. She dances, sings classical and folk songs, plays the harmonium and holds a first class BTech degree. Early in 2016, her five volumes in English titled ‘Rachna Fashions’ were published by Gurjar Sahitya Prakasham Ltd. Rachna, who has won eight awards, also has computer skills, can skate, cycle, stitch and do embroidery.

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development__2017.pmd 222 29-03-2017, 14:05 D E V E L O P M E N T Fastest building of toilets As part of Swacch Bharat Mission – Gramin (SBM-G), district Udham Singh Nagar, Uttarakhnad has launched the Mission Swabhiman on Nov 9, 2015 to make the district open defecation free (ODF) by 2017. To meet the goal, under Swajal (SBM) and MGNREGA schemes, 8,000 toilets were built in all gram panchayats (GP) of the district with the involvement of local community and public representatives especially those of Panchayati Raj Institutions. On Jan 25, 2016, eve of Republic Day, construction started on 8,000 Individual Household Latrines (IHHL) in all 351 GPs (except the 40 which were declared ODF earlier) involving 41,000 people to make the district clean and hygienic. All toilets were completed in 20 days, that is, on Feb 15, 2016. The community driven program has become a symbol of self-respect. Dr Ashish Kumar Srivastava led Mission Swabhiman.

Free delivery of baby girls To ensure that baby girls are wanted and not seen as a burden, Dr Ganesh Rakh, founder of the 50 bedded Medicare Hospital in Pune, has been delivering baby girls pro bono since January 3, 2012. So far he has delivered 436 baby girls without charging a paise. Dr Rakh saw that when a boy is born there is rejoicing but when a girl is delivered the mother, Games & fun galore at Kilkari father, in-laws were upset and The Bihar Bal Bhavan Kilkari organised even reluctant to pay the a 20 day summer camp from June 5 to hospital charges. June 24 2016 called ‘Chak Dhoom In addition to the free Dhoom,’ attended by 2,500 children, delivery of baby girls, Dr participating in 95 sports, games and Rakh celebrates their birth fun events. There were musical events by cutting a cake, — western, classical, light and distributing sweets to all in Rabindra Sangeet; painting, crafts, the hospital and presenting a theatre, dance, computer, sculpture bouquet to the mother. Even making and creative writing. when twin girls are born, no Youngsters learnt photography, mobile money is charged but if one of the repair, participated in science contests twins is a boy, 50% of the hospital fees and played games like musical chairs, are levied. Even if a baby girl has to be in sack race and skipping. However, the intensive care, there is no fee. Those who insist on paying most enjoyable games were golgappa for the birth of their baby girls are asked to spend that and jalebi eating contests! money on other baby girls in the hospital.

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High altitude rescue medical man Dr Pradeep Bhardwaj, director of Six Sigma High Altitude Medical Rescue International Operations, Delhi, has worked in most difficult terrains and saved 5,600 victims of floods, earthquakes and disasters. Not only is he a pioneer of such rescue and medical missions but the service provided is free. He has helped in rescue work during the 2013 Uttarakhand floods, J&K floods 2014 and Nepal earthquake 2015. In July of the same year he organised medical services in China at a height of 19,500 ft for 27 days for participants of the Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra. In September 2015 he organised the largest free medical services for participants in the Manimahesh Kailash Yatra, Chamba, Himachal Pradesh, serving 64,000 yatris at a height of 14,500 ft for 21 days under minus 3 degree temperature. Dr Bhardwaj’s work has won him accolades from Prime Minister Modi, Nepal government and the governments of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh and several national awards.

Bulk immersion of ashes at Hardwar The Gandhinagar Shaher Vasahat Mahamandal has for the last 20 years been collecting ashes from crematoriums across Gandhinagar and once in three months, three members of the Mahamandal accompanied by a priest, carry the ashes to Haridwar and with proper rituals immerse them in the Ganga. Since 1996, when this humanitarian service began, the ashes of 30,000 people have been Caring for leprosy infected immersed in the holy river. The voluntary service is Dr Johnson Vedayil Edicula, 45 years, of the Vaaliyil Edicula welcomed, in particular by the poor and those Chandy Foundation has been working for the inmates of the unable to travel to Haridwar for the immersion of Noor and Leprosy Sanatorium in Thalavady, Kerala. Every year, ashes of their loved ones. since 2003, he has made Christmas and New Year a memorable President of the organisation Arun Buch has been occasion for the inmates. Organising humanitarian activities recognised by the state government for his since 1993, he has donated to the sanatorium artificial limbs, pioneering work. sound systems, TV sets, wheel chairs in addition to clothes, food, bed linen and medicines.

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development__2017.pmd 224 29-03-2017, 14:07 D E V E L O P M E N T Pune’s clothes for the poor Since most people have an excess of clothes, Give for Pune, a new initiative of the Maharashtra Cosmopolitan Education Society, launched a campaign to collect clothes and after washing and if necessary repairing them, distributed the clothes to orphanages and homes of the poor and needy. After intensive advertising and campaigning for clothes donations, a two months home to home drive was organised in November 2015 and 2,93,623 clothes collected. The process of folding and packing the clothes in polythene bags was done by the students of Azam campus. The counting was done by the Gender sensitization competition BCA final year students of Abeda Inamdar College, Smt J P Shroff Arts College, Valsad, Gujarat celebrated women Pune. empowerment with the whole institution from the Principal to the watchmen taking part in a ‘Gender Sensitisation Slogan/ Quotation’ competition on Dec 31, 2014. The Principal and staff wanted to sensitise people and spread awareness everywhere. In all 1,362 participated in the competition which lasted for two hours at their college grounds.

Vaishali’s rainwater harvesting record Vaishali District of Bihar, with technical support from UNICEF, constructed 7,158 rooftop rainwater harvesting units with a catchment area of 65 lakh square feet in a single day — on July Newspaper cleaning drive 24, 2016. Some 14,000 people were involved Rajasthan Patrika, the daily morning Hindi in constructing the structures on government and newspaper, organised a seven hour ‘Mega Safai semi-government buildings like schools, Abhiyan’ at 1,100 locations in six districts of anganwadi centres, health centres, block office, Rajasthan (Dausa, Tonk, Sawai Madhopur, ration shops. Karauli, Dholpur and rural Jaipur) from 7.00 am The campaign, called Mission 24×7, led by on March 20, 2016. Around two lakh District Magistrate Rachana Patil, sought to volunteers participated in the event to create recharge the groundwater table which has been awareness on cleanliness and sanitation. With falling. With the district receiving 1,168 mm of the help of government employees, public rainfall annually, some 70 crore litres is expected representatives, students, social activists, to percolate into the ground annually. A cycle businessmen and local people, they cleaned up rally was also flagged off to motivate the schools, bus stands, railway stations, main community to install similar rainwater harvesting circles, markets, hospitals and police stations. structures on the roofs of their homes.

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Road safety campaign Called Aaiye, bachyein jeevan (Let’s save lives), Hindi daily Rajasthan Patrika organised a road safety and traffic awareness programme for students, youth, local residents, government employees, business community and others in seven locations of Rajasthan between Jan 13 and Feb 25, 2016. Between 25,000 to 50,000 people participated in the awareness programmes in Jaipur, Bandkini in Dausa District, Tonk, Sawai Madhopur, Jhunjhunu, Hindaun city in Karauli District and Dholpur.

Saving farm animals One of the largest awareness campaigns to save farm animals was held in 12 cities, covering a population of 1.33 lakh for eight weeks from Jan 16 to March 18, 2016 by the Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisation (FIAPO) which has 70 members and 200 support organisations. Called The Compassion Cruisade, under the flagship programme Living Free, volunteers and animal rights activists spoke at public meetings, distributed leaflets, met other activists and mobilized people to save farm animals in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Coimbatore, Delhi, Jaipur, Lucknow, Mumbai, Pune, Surat, Udaipur and Varanasi. Seeking to change people’s attitudes towards farm animals, there will be follow ups to the Cruisade and more such campaigns are in the pipeline. It is estimated that 66,500 animals benefitted from the campaign.

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development__2017.pmd 226 29-03-2017, 14:07 D E V E L O P M E N T Nashik’s Save Electricity project Inspired by late former President Dr A P J Abdul Kalam,Manavdham Samajik Shaikshnik Vikas Sanstha Nashik, has been working with children since 2009 to save electricity and contribute to nation building. Called the Zero Budget Save Electricity Project, 1,522 students were able to save Rs 80,41,465 by not consuming 13,63,685 units of power during the academic year 2014-15. Annual average saving in electricity per child was 878.66 units or 73.22 units per month. The data was tabulated and the economic cost worked out by collecting the electricity bills of the students and comparing it with data of normal consumption available with the class teacher. P S Kolhe, chairman of MSSVS, says the students were inspired to save electricity by simple means like sitting together and studying in same room; turning off electrical appliances not in use; whenever possible using sunlight for studying and playing; switching off TV for at least an hour every day; switching off electrical appliances not in use; not using electrical bulbs for decoration. An atmosphere for saving electricity was created by distributing hand bills with tips on saving electricity. Parents in turn kept electrical appliances clean; switched off the main switch and all electrical appliances when the house was shut; not allowing accumulation of ice in refrigerators; avoiding use of washing machines; since ACs consume six times the power of fans, using fans instead of ACs. Now the focus is on solar power and use of led bulbs.

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development__2017.pmd 227 29-03-2017, 14:07 D E V E L O P M E N T Sending home dead bodies In 14 years Indian businessman Ashraf Palorakunnummal, 43, settled in Ajman in the United Arab Emirates, has sent home 2,400 bodies of people from 35 countries without charging a paise. Realising the difficulties of the grieving families to complete the formalities of repatriation of bodies of loved ones, he has made it his life’s mission to help such families by arranging for the last journey. Even during the fasting season of Ramadan he continues his mission sending home about four bodies a day. Most of the dead, who have suffered a heart attack or were killed in an accident are Indians and Bangladeshis and largely from the labour class. In January 2015, he received the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman (NRI award). This was followed by a spate of 174 awards and honours from different organisations of the UAE, Qatar and India in nine months. He also created another record by getting 42 awards for social work on just one stage. Palorakunnummal never goes into the details of the case. He just gets calls from people seeking his help.

Spectacles for the needy With 150 volunteers and the support of eight opthalmologists, Karan Singh, a Mumbai-based businessman and a hobby pilot held an eye checkup camp at his ancestral home in Pratapur, Allahabad and distributed 26,800 spectacles to those in need of it. Some 30,000 people attended the camp continuously for 16 days from April 14- 30, 2016 (9.00 am to 5.00 pm). This was Singh’s personal gesture to the poor. No NGO or Trust was involved in the eye camp.

The felicitation man Chandulal Mohanlal Biyani, born in 1965, from Beed, Maharashtra has felicitated and celebrated the achievements of a record number of 5,000 people since 1995. He give bouquets away and awards to recognise outstanding work by school children as well as adults — doctors who do free surgery, policeman who have distinguished themselves, journalists for path breaking stories and politicians who have a record of good work. The outstanding work could be in the area of education, sports, social, cultural, literary fields or even in industry.

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Surguja fights against three evils To fight illiteracy, alcoholism and malnutrition which were keeping down the largely tribal dominated Surguja District in Central India, the Zilla Lok Shiksha Samiti of the District Administration organised a novel Sankalp Sutra Abhiyan for three Landmark in kidney programmes hours on August 15, 2014 in which The Kidney Federation of India, founded by Father Davis Chiramel 2,11,071 people tied a thread on in 2009 after donating his own kidney to a poor Hindu electrician, each other’s wrists with three knots is a pioneer in kidney care and kidney banking in the country. It has symbolizing the three evils they had over 100 living donors and its massive campaigns have listed 3.6 to overcome. In government offices, lakh organ donors. panchayats, schools and open spaces Through its Surakshna Keralam it ensures early detection of people tied the thread and resolved kidney disorders, pushing back kidney ailments by 10 to 15 years. to bring development to the district. It has three mobile labs for detecting kidney ailments in Ernakulam, This was followed up with Thrissur and Kottayam and the medical screening is done with the formation of Self Help Groups that support of panchayats, municipalities, clubs and residents established linkages to economic associations. Some 200 people are screened at a camp and the activity, literacy and campaigned results given the same day. Between 1.5 - 2% of those screened against alcoholism, open defecation show early signs of kidney disease. Some 80,000 people have and malnutrition. In two years, 2,404 been screened so far in 545 camps. SHGs (Self Help Groups), 1,187 Through cross donations (when the blood group of a relative widows and divorced people and does not match that of the patient, a similar pair is located 334 ASHAs became literate; 30,264 elsewhere) 35 lives have been saved. To ensure a kidney is not toilets were constructed and put to rejected, the Federation provides free medicines worth Rs 10,000 use, 41 gram panchayats were freed a month to those who have been through transplant surgery.The of alcoholism and 704 children of Federation also runs a free dialysis centre and provides free taxi 0 to 6 years adopted by the service for bringing patients for dialysis. Through its community community and pulled out of radio ‘Hello Radio’ it promotes organ donations and health malnourishment. awareness.

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development__2017.pmd 229 29-03-2017, 14:29 D E V E L O P M E N T Gas leak & blast-proof village The 60 houses and 600 population of Wajewadi village in Karadtaluka, Satara District of Maharashtra have been protected against domestic gas leaks and cylinder blasts and have an insurance cover of Rs 3crore from New India Assurance Company. The village has been adopted by a resident villager, advocate Vikas Patil Shirgaonkar (46), who suffered from a gas leak blast and decided to protect Wajewadi from such disasters. The Gassafe device, produced in Pune and approved by Under Writer Laboratories Inc US is fitted between the valve on the Multi-disabilities wonder child cylinder and the regulator.In case of tube rupturing or water or Uttam Maru, 11, was born with multiple milk overflow shutting off the burner flame, it shuts off the gas disabilities in Rajkot, Gujarat but today he can supply within seconds. A pressure gauge also indicates the sing over 100 songs of Kishore Kumar, amount of gas left in the cylinder. The device ensures 30% saving Mohammed Rafi and Mukesh, memorise 1,000 in gas and 100% safety and has been approved by the Explosives slokas from the Bhagvad Gita and plays the key Department of GOI. board with great finesse. Born without eyes, nose, no mouth muscles and several other Walkathon for Smart Navi Mumbai physical disabilities, doctors felt death was a Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation, Navi Mumbai, better option than life for the new born. But organised a walkathon to raise public awareness ignoring their advice, when Uttam turned four, about Clean, Green and Smart City and Swachh his family began giving shape to his body as Bharat Abhiyan initiatives with mass participation of well as his life. He was enrolled in a music 27,000 students and 105 schools from 7.00 am to institute and today he can give live 9.00 am on Nov 7, 2015. The walkathon started at performances three hours continuously. Ganpatrao Tandel Ground and ended at DPS School Even today he is totally blind but his inner covering 6 km. Students chanted ‘I am Smart – I am senses are so strong that he has developed Navi Mumbai’ and other slogans. Around 5,000 skills that amaze people. When he plays the colourful balloons were released by children pledging keyboard his fingers literally race, lovingly support to make Navi Mumbai a Smart City. stroking the keys.

First Yoga Utsav by visually challenged Nayan Foundation in Parel, Mumbai organised Yoga Utsav with 33 visually challenged persons participating in three hours yoga, the first of its kind on June 18, 2016. They performed shuddhi kriyas, jaladeepasana, rope and pole mallakhamb, pranayama, pratyahara and dhyanaasanas. Ponnalagar Devendra, also blind, started the Foundation in 2010 to promote activities for the visually challenged. Nisha Thakkar, a Yoga Ratna and Uday Deshpande, a reputed Mallakhamb trainer, prepared the challenged for the unique Utsav.

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