Swami Chidanand meets World Bank chief

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 12 

Swami Chidanand, president of the Parmarth Niketan (Rishikesh), met World Bank President Dr Jim Yong Kim during a visit to the World Bank headquarters in Washington. Swami Chidanand was in Washington to participate in a special conference on Religion and Sustainable Development. 

During a special Iftar organized by the World Bank Group and Islamic Relief, Swami Chidanand met with the World Bank President.

Swami Chidanand lauded the World Bank's commitment and continued support to the Government of India's Clean Ganga Mission, and praised Yong Kim and his team for the great work they are doing to end extreme poverty throughout the world. He also talked to Yong Kim about Global Interfaith WASH Alliance's commitment to Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan (Clean India Mission) as well as to the improvement of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), including ways in which access to clean drinking water and adequate sanitation facilities and education could be made available, accessible and affordable to and for all. They also spoke about the active engagement and role that faith has in ending extreme poverty from the world. Swami Chidanand gifted to Yong Kim a beautiful elachi (cardamom) mala.

Swami Chidanand later had a discussion regarding water, sanitation and hygiene with a World Bank team comprising Junaid Ahmad, Senior Director, Water for the World Bank Group; Sanjay Pradhan, Vice-President of Leadership, Learning and Innovation section of World Bank; Soma Ghosh Moulik, Senior Specialist of Water and Sanitation, World Bank, and others. They spoke about innovative technologies, such as bio-digester toilets systems, in which waste and byproducts of human fecal waste, which tragically end up contaminating and polluting our waterways and soil, could be properly treated and reused to effectively meet our society's growing energy and water needs. They also discussed GIWA's initiative and plans during the upcoming Kumbh Mela in Nasik and Haridwar to channel faith into action, inspiring masses to rethink and rework their connection, relationship and engagement with WASH.