Setting up of Pushpanjali Prawaha Patras (collection boxes) to curtail the problem of river Pollution caused by Worship Materials.

Background
Yamuna is unfortunately one of the most polluted rivers in the world, especially at the banks near New Delhi, the capital of India. Almost 58%of the city’s waste is dumped into the river. Though numerous attempts have been made to clean it, the efforts have proven to be futile. India is a very religious country and idol worship is common which is done by offering prayers with flowers, food (bhog), garlands etc. These offerings to God are often discarded into the river once they wilt, which in turn they decay later causing pollution of the water bodies.

Pushpanjali Prawaha is an unique initiative undertaken by Youth Fraternity Foundation with an exclusive mission of “Facilitating National Development with complete Environment Sustainability”. YFF believes in the cycle of creation, perfection and destruction. Under this initiative, the flowers that are thrown after they are offered with great devotion at the feet of deities in temples or used as decoration, are collected and recycled further for various uses. This is done with the intention to mitigate pollution in the water bodies like the Yamuna, which has been in recent years converted into a dirty stinking stream of muck by continuous indifference.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The major goal of the project is to provide an objective means to assess, shield, control and mitigate the Pollution of the rivers caused by disposal, by setting up Pushpanjali Prawaha Patras (a waste collection box) in and around delhi in order to collect the used worship and ceremonial materials (flowers, garlands,poly bags etc) and to provide employment and education to the poor children by engaging them in activities of social cause.
OBJECTIVES
To control the contamination of the river like Yamuna created by disposal of waste materials and worship materials and other harmful resources.
To create awareness among the people about harmful effects of the Water Pollution.
To encourage people to cooperate in making the river Yamuna free from the pollutants by not throwing the waste materials into it.
To encourage people to use the special ‘Pushpanjali Prawaha patras’ to discard the waste flowers, garlands and other worship materials after there usage.
To seek for children currently engaged in coin collecting & rags picking and ensure employment & education for them

JUSTIFICATION
There is a rampant threat to the Indian rivers due to spiraling urbanization and industrialization. Availability of fresh water has become a vital discussion in today’s world. The interaction between human population and natural environment, related sustainability of water resources is of increasing scientific, societal and political importance. There is severe water crisis in many states within India which is due to mismanagement of water resources. All the major rivers and tributaries across the country have become the victim of (indiscriminate discharge of untreated domestic and industrial effluents, mining and agricultural run-off) point and diffused sources. Vast stretches of many major rivers including Ganga and Yamuna have became virtual sewers and rendered unfit for human use. This situation has evolved despite the huge investments made by subsequent governments in cleaning them up. As a result, our endurance and that of rivers -- is at stake.
Although many efforts have been made to control the pollution of these rivers but it is important to widen the methodologies and streamline all these towards achieving the primary goal. Identification of the type of effluent and adopting a method to control the pollution is the main objective of this project. Disposing of the Worship materials into the river can be minimized by collecting the wastes and recycling them for various useful purposes in the future. The only way to do this is by setting up of the collection Boxes (Prawaha Patras) in respective areas chosen.

EXPECTED ACHIEVEMENTS
1. Employment Opportunity for the youths.
2. Free Education and employment to the orphans,rag pickers, women and senior citizen.
3. Rehabilitation of the River Yamuna and improve the quality of water.
4. To create awareness among the people to keep the Yamuna clean by not disposing the ceremonial items into it.
5. More usage of the Pushpanjali Prawaha Patras (waste collection boxes).