Bindeshwar Pathak appointed as brand ambassador of Swachh Rail Mission

Ministry of Railways on 2 November 2016 appointed Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak, the founder of Sulabh International, as a Brand Ambassador for Swachh Rail Mission. Minister of Railway Suresh Prabhu felicitated Pathak at a function in New Delhi.

As part of the mission, Sulabh International has been assigned the task to clean some important railway stations across the country. Sulabh International is an India-based social service organization which works to promote human rights, environmental sanitation, non-conventional sources of energy, waste management and social reforms through education.

Bindeshwar Pathak

•    Bindeshwar Pathak is an Indian sociologist and the founder of Sulabh International.

•    His work is considered pioneering in social reform, especially in the field of sanitation and hygiene.

•    He received various national and international awards for his work with this organization. Awards and recognitions felicitated on him includes

a)    Padma Bhushan

b)    Stockholm Water Prize

c)    Energy Globe Award

d)    Dubai International Award for Best Practices

e)    Indira Gandhi Priyadarshini Award for Environment

f)    In 2003, his name was added to the Global 500 Roll of Honour

g)    In June, 2013, he also received the Legend of Planet award from the French senate in Paris, ahead of World Environment Day.

h)    Antarrashtriya Bhojpuri Samman was awarded to him in the 4th world Bhojpuri Sammelan in Port Louis.In April 2016, Mayor of New York Bill De Blasio, declared 14 April 2016 as Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak Day.

Swachh Rail Mission

•    The initiative will help push the cleanliness drive of the Railway.

•    As a pilot project, Sulabh has started cleaning and maintenance of five important railway stations from September 2016. These railway stations are Gorakhpur, Old Delhi, Jaipur, Ahmedabad and Gwalior.

•    Besides, to ensure cleanliness of the tracks, the government is installing bio-toilet at various trains. It has also introduced vaccum-bio-toilet which will be installed in trains.

•    Few of the initiative undertaken by Indian railways to ensure cleanliness as part of the swachh rail mission includes Swachh Stations (Clean Stations), Swachh Rail Gaadi (Clean Train), Swachh Sahyog (Cleanliness Participation), Swachh Parisar (Clean Complex), Swachh Neer (Clean Water), Swachh Samvad (Cleanliness Dialogue), Swachh Samarpan (Dedication for ensuring Cleanliness), and Swachh Aahar (Clean Food) among others.