India Sanitation Coalition- Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) Sanitation Awards and the India Sanitation Conclave 2017 was recently inaugurated by Pujya Swamiji, Shri Suresh Prabhuji, Minister of Railway, Government of India, Parameswaran Iyer, Secretary of Ministry of Drinking Water & Science, Government of India, Ms Naina Lal Kidwai, Chair, India Sanitation Coalition and Past President, FICCI, Shri Sanjiv Mehta, CEO and Managing Director, Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL), Ms Rita Roy Choudhuryji, Senior Director & Head, Environment, Climate Change, Renewable Energy Water Division, India Sanitation Coalition Secretariat, and many others.
The event honoured and awarded key corporations, organisations and individuals implementing solutions to the sanitation movement in India and answering the clarion call of our Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modiji for a Swachh Bharat. Nominations for awardees had come in from all across the world and a panel of expert jury, led by Dr R.A. Mashelkarji, Renowned Scientist and Former Director General, Council for Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), chose those who had done the best and most extensive work in this field.
The lifetime achievement award as a pioneer in the field of Sanitation was given to Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak by Shri Suresh Prabhuji and Pujya Swamiji as well as many other respected dignitaries.
The entire team of India Sanitation Coalition, the awardees, the jury and the dignitaries gathered together for a special water blessing ceremony and offered a sacred and green Rudraksha plant from Rishikesh to Hon’ble Shri Suresh Prabhuji. The ISC was especially lauded by everyone for bringing together many stakeholders and partners across corporations and institutions including but not limited to Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, FICCI, Nest-In, A Tata Steel Construction Solution, Jagran Pehel, Unilever Hindustan, Larsen & Troubo, Reckitt Benckiser, Nestle and many others.