National
Armed forces to ‘fight out war’ against debris: Sitharaman
Kasauli (Himachal Pradesh), Sep 16 (IANS) Indian armed forces would carry out an exercise on high-altitude mountains to “fight out a war” against the junk and debris and this would continue till October 2, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said here on Saturday.
She said the Defence Ministry has been assigned the task of cleaning all the debris and the tourists’ wastes that were left at the high-altitude positions and this was one of objectives, which started on September 15, would continue till October 2.
“And even if necessary, after that (October 2) too,” the country’s first woman Defence Minister said.
Sitharaman was in this hilly tourist resort, also one of the country’s oldest cantonments, to take part in a function to certify eight open defecation-free (ODF) cantonments that fall under the Western Command.
In her address, she said the Indian Army would also take initiatives to recycle and segregate waste in all the cantonments.
The country has 62 cantonment boards.
“One is, of course, taking care of the cantonment boards with the civic roads also within the domain of the cantonment boards so that not just open defecation-free status but also making sure segregation of waste at homesathe segregated collection goes to the recycling centres,” she said.
The minister said the liquid waste would be treated to extract useable, but not drinkable water, for all other purposes. The creation of either pallets for the production of the electricity or manure from the solid waste can all be achieved.
“That is one thing which will run all throughout, not just till October 2, but because globally India is also participant to the Sustainable Development Agenda and therefore we shall continue that even reaching 2019 when we will be celebrating the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi,” Sitharaman said.
The final and the third objective is keeping the cantonment board areas themselves clean and all recycling waste programmes to be held in all those areas. These include the coastal areas and the (air) bases, she said.
A special assistance fund of Rs 50 crore has been allocated to cantonment boards for this, Sitharaman added.
–IANS
vg/vd
National
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.