AMRIT SAGAR ENVIRONMENTAL CENTER

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Summary

Amrit Sagar (Ocean of Nectar) Environmental Center is a working model of the best environmental practices and a teaching center demonstrating traditional and innovative sustainable techniques. Already under construction, the proposed ten-acre facility is situated in Ramnagar directly across the River Ganga from sister project Bal Ashram in Varanasi.

Varanasi faces problems of overpopulation and environmental degradation. By restoring land along the Ganges River and improving the environmental literacy of the city's residents, Amrit Sagar will help preserve and promote the city's cultural heritage and motivate others to take action to address the city's pressing problems.

Pollution is overwhelming in Varanasi. While centrally planned reforms, clean up initiatives, and appeals for environmental awareness are a national priority, there is a large gap between these objectives and the daily activities of the average citizen. The situation of Varanasi is particularly grave due to a poor infrastructure coupled with increasing tourism, rapid population growth and unregulated shanty development.

Amrit Sagar seeks to address these problems by inspiring people to take action. The Center will serve as nectar for a city in need of environmental education. People of all ages and social-economic backgrounds will learn how their personal daily habits impact the environment and will get hands-on experience with new methods. The Center will provide the following:

• Teach recycling, resource conservation, planting and sanitation.
• Demonstrate both low tech and advanced green technology, such as solar, windmills, animal driven pumps and methane production.
• Operate an organic dairy.
• Grow organic vegetables and a comprehensive Ayurvedic garden, and increase awareness of these plants.
• Grow indigenous trees and shrubs and promote their propagation.
• Demonstrate sustainable farming practices.

The Center will host up to 20,000 school children a year for day-long visits, and will reach out to local families, farmers, and universities to disseminate broadly. Entrance to the Center will be provided free of charge.

Amrit Sagar is funded and founded by Aghor Foundation, a non-profit organization with a proven track record of leading successful social service programs in Varanasi. Seed funding of $500,000 has already been raised for the Center, and an additional $900,000 is required to complete the land acquisition and to build facilities. Timing is critical for the land purchase because a new bridge is being constructed in the area.

Amrit Sagar has roots in Founder Baba Harihar Ramji's teaching that taking care of the environment is a powerful spiritual practice. People come from all over the world to visit Varanasi and realize their inner nature. The Center will show how our outer actions can be consistent with our inner aspirations.

Objectives

Amrit Sagar will accommodate up to 100 visitors at a time, and plans to host 20,000 students per year as well as farmers and the general public, with the following objectives:

Educate Children

• Amrit Sagar will partner with area schools to host day-long, hands-on visits for children of all ages. Children will be invited to participate in planting, harvesting, composting, watering and other activities.
• An internship program will develop leadership-minded youth to become environmental ambassadors for their universities and neighborhoods.
• There will be outreach to disadvantaged children, teaching them how they can support themselves through recycling and growing plants.

Demonstrate Sustainable Agricultural Technology

• Amrit Sagar will reach out to regional farmers and laborers and offer practical advice about sustainable farming, technology and planting.
• Amrit Sagar will reach out to children in rural areas and develop programs to teach them sustainable agriculture and other practical skills.

Facilitate Access

• Amrit Sagar will connect farmers with government funding schemes to facilitate implementation of sustainable practices on their farms.

Restore Ayurvedic Heritage

• Amrit Sagar will collaborate with local Vaidyas, the lineage of experts who have kept Ayurvedic knowledge alive for many thousands of years, to grow a comprehensive botanical garden.
• Information about common and rare medicinal plants will be provided.
• The Center will sell seeds and starts and encourage visitors to cultivate these useful plants in their own gardens.

Operation

The proposed ten-acre Environmental Center will look like a sustainable farm and will consist of a visitor's center, an Ayurvedic herb botanical garden, a vegetable garden, fruit groves, grain crops, a livestock barn, a recycling center, an operational plant and a model residential area. Knowledgeable staff will host guided tours through the property, and paths and educational signage will identify the plants and methods being used.

The Center's primary focus will be to demonstrate simple practices that any person can do to care for the environment, including:

• Composting – what to preserve, how to use it
• Conserving – how to use water, fuel, and space efficiently
• Recycling – separating garbage, working towards zero waste
• Planting and propagating- simple medicinal plants, herbs, shrubs and trees and avail the seedlings to visitors to cultivate in their own homes.
• Sanitation – keeping spaces clean, sewage management, disease preventing measures
• Managing and feeding animals, deterring pests
• Inexpensive, accessible eco-friendly householder technology will be in use and on display:

• Solar energy alternatives
• A Bio-gas system
• Water filtration mechanisms
• Waste management systems
• Green building material for homes

Advanced farm technology will be in use and on display, including:

• Well and rainwater capture
• Drip irrigation
• Windmill
• Solar technology
• Water storage and filtering

Farming techniques will be demonstrated, including

• Pest Control: natural alternatives to pesticides
• Fertilizer: Non-synthetic options
• Permaculture: Crop rotation
• Seed preservation

The Center will grow regionally relevant plants, including:

• Ayurvedic herbs
• Optimum grain varieties
• Indigenous trees and hedges

Next to Amrit Sagar, a sister project is underway known as the Ganges Green Belt, a band of property that was formerly a flood plain to be zoned as a riverfront esplanade starting at the Amrit Sagar property and extending northward along the river for at least one kilometer (and possibly up to seven kilometers in length). The Green Belt is being funded by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, and will be synergistic in engaging the public in appreciating the environment.

Management

Amrit Sagar is managed by Aghor Foundation, a nonprofit NGO created in 2000 in Varanasi by Baba Harihar Ramji, disciple of Aghoreshwar Bhagwan Ram. Baba Harihar Ramji is a spiritual teacher and social and ecological visionary who distributes his time between his Ashrams in the United States (Sonoma Ashram) and India. His teachings are putting international volunteers and local citizens into action and are proving that an individual can make a difference, and we can help each other.

Aghor Foundation has a Board of Directors and a talented Varanasi-based management team who are devoted to improving the lives of people and the environment. The elements of success for Aghor Foundation projects have come from:

• Clarity of purpose
• Being frugal, with a high ratio of volunteers and minimal waste of time and resources
• A belief that educating and helping children is the best way to change our world
• Thinking big and moving people from apathy into action through simple steps
• Generous financial gifts from the private sector
• Generous donations of time and advice from experts regarding technology, education, program management and child development
• Employing inspiring staff leaders who share the goal of helping others as a spiritual practice.

Professor Saket Kushwaha, Head of Agricultural Economics Department of Agriculture, Banaras Hindu University (BHU) is most gracious in guiding the project. Many local experts will advise the project as well, and will be involved in mobilizing students and generating local interest in the project.

• Professor Saket Kushwaha, Head Dept. of Agricultural Economics, Institute of Agriculture, BHU.
• Dr. R.H. Singh – Emeritus Chair Department of Ayurveda, BHU.
• Dr. V.K. Dwivedi – Emeritus Chair of Department of Agriculture from BHU.
• Professor SK Sharma – Dean of Students, Institute of Technology, BHU.
• Professor RC Panda – Professor of Vedic Studies.

We have already received site visits and blessings, as well as assurance of active participation from:

• Anna Hazare, an Indian social visionary, awarded Padme Bhushan.
• Sunderlal Bahuguna, a noted environmentalist of India.
• Dr. Rajaram Vasudevan, a Senior Environmental Engineer at Techknow Engineering in Chicago and Managing Director of Techknow Environmental & Sustainable Solutions of New Delhi.

Capital Requirements

Amrit Sagar Environmental Center is already underway with 3 acres of property purchased, local universities engaged in planning, and local leaders providing support.

More funds are needed. Timing is especially critical to complete the land purchase, as the population migration to the Southeast side of the river is underway and will cause land squatting (difficult to remove) and price inflation.

The following is a summary of our funding model as of February 2009:

Current Investment - $500,000:

Funds Donated $300,000 (private charitable gifts to purchase first 3 acres of land)

Committed In-kind Donations $200,000 (for solar equipment, wind technology, rare plants, expert consulting, trees and herbs)

Additional Development Capital Required - $900,000:

Funds required for land $500,000 (to purchase 7 more acres to complete the 10-acre property)

Funds required for equipment $200,000 (includes irrigation, fencing, visitor center and model homes for staff)

Funds required for program development $200,000 (includes educational materials and outreach efforts)

Program Benefits

The benefits of the Amrit Sagar Environmental Center will include:

• Supporting children's right to a sustainable future
• Reducing waste and pollution
• Reducing pestilence and disease
• Advancing education and science
• Restoring indigenous vegetation
• Assisting government directives to clean up the region
• Erecting a public green space in a city where almost none exists
• Testing and optimizing green solutions for local conditions
• Advancing the social leadership of the city
• Creating jobs
• Invigorating the Ayurvedic tradition and protecting it from local obsolescence
• Inspiring environmental stewardship and sustainability throughout India

Phase I Progress

On the three acres of land already acquired, we are creating a small learning center and mini-farm run according to the latest environmentally friendly technology and practices. Expected to be operational by summer 2010, the first phase of Amrit Sagar will include:

• An organic dairy with 10 cows
• A bio-gas system
  
• Solar technology
  
• Sustainable farming: organic vegetables, herbs and Ayurvedic medicinal plants
  
• Bee farming
  
• Chicken coop
  
• A visitor’s center and small residential area
  
• Tours for the general public
  
• Educational programs for school children and youth from the city to learn about planting, composting, recycling, conservation and sanitation
  
• Educational programs for regional farmers to learn about sustainable practices they can implement on their farms, and gain access to government funding schemes.

The initial phase of Amrit Sagar will also bring sister project Bal Ashram towards self-sufficiency. Our goal is to produce not only enough milk, vegetables, eggs, oils and honey for Bal Ashram, but also to avail good quality food to the community. We intend to generate a revenue stream from a micro-business that covers Bal Ashram’s operational needs, and that the older children at Bal Ashram can run.

Experts from various departments at Banaras Hindu University are already lending their time and expertise to guide the project. Our primary advisor, Dr. Saket Kushwaha, Head of Agricultural Economics, is intimately involved with Phase I and is helping to create a master plan for future phases of the project.

Amrit Sagar in the News

• Hindustan Times article - July 17, 2010

• The Times of India article on Amrit Sagar

Appendix - EXHIBIT I: Aghor Foundation

“Sadhana (spiritual practice) and seva (selfless service) are the two bookends
of a meaningful life. Each conscious human being has to do something simple yet
concrete to acknowledge one’s wholeness – that is sadhana – and the overflow
 of that wholeness is seva, selfless service.”

~ Baba Harihar Ramji (Founder)

Mission

Aghor Foundation provides a stage, as well as an environment, for individuals to attain their fullest potential -- spiritually and worldly -- while engaging in the world with a spirit of social responsibility and service. Uniting people from various walks of life, we create teaching centers and replicable models of inspiration for the betterment of society.

About Aghor Foundation

Aghor Foundation was founded in 2000 by Baba Harihar Ramji, a disciple of Aghoreshwar Bhagwan Ramji. The Foundation is registered in India as Aghor Guru Seva Peeth, an 80(g) tax exempt non-profit organization, and is managed by an actively engaged and socially responsible Board of Trustees.

Nurturing and caring for the inner and outer environments is at the core of the Aghor Foundation’s work. All initiatives of the Aghor Foundation run by the following guiding principles:

• Self-growth and development based on the ancient wisdom of the Sages.
• Valuing and respecting humanity and nature through socially responsible choices.
• Addressing the well-being of an individual through education, health, and best environmental practices.
• Combining the best of the East and West to implement innovative, practical solutions.
• Creating paradigms for workable models that inspire others to follow.
• Making others happy brings fulfillment and joy to an individual and community.

• Bal Ashram – a safe home where previously abandoned and orphaned children thrive in a culturally rich setting, and through social and environmental education, are raised to be heart-centered global citizens with a sense of responsibility for the Self and the environment.
• Anjali School – a school that uses proven innovative educational techniques to teach nearly 150 street children (Nursery - Class 3). Funded primarily through donations, the school serves local children who might not otherwise have access to education.
• Project Shakti – a program that provides vocational training to women and young girls from underprivileged families, thus enabling them to become self-sufficient, productive members of society and capable of helping others do the same.
• Vision Varanasi – a free eye clinic run in city and village settings for people who otherwise would have gone untreated.
• Gyan Daan “Gift of Knowledge” – an outreach program that brings leaders from the East and West together to support green initiatives, raise public awareness about environmental issues and inspire children to instigate change. The program sponsors idea exchange through lectures, seminars and hosted tours.

EXHIBIT II: VARANASI - Site of Amrit Sagar Environmental Center

EXHIBIT III: Varanasi Area Statistics

Varanasi is an agglomeration of seven urban sub-units covering 112 km 2 (43 sq. mi.) and located 800 km southeast of Delhi in the state of Uttar Pradesh in northern India. It is governed by a number of bodies, the prime being the Varanasi Nagar Nigam (Municipal Corporation) and Varanasi Development Authority, which is responsible for the master planning of the city.

Varanasi has a humid subtropical climate, with large variations between summer and winter temperatures and large seasonal swings from drought-like heat to monsoon rains, presenting special challenges for farming. Being located in the Gangetic plains, the land is very fertile and low-level floods continually replenish the soil.

Population is near 6 million, with a literacy rate of 52% (unofficial source). The City has one landfill site, which is inadequate for its population. It is estimated that the city produces over 500 million liters of sewage and over 700 tons of solid waste per day, much more than can be accommodated by the city's one landfill site. A huge amount of sewage flows into the Ganges River.

Varanasi is one of the five cities where the Ganga Action Plan was launched, a program to reduce heavy metals and commercial waste, and to clean up the river. The Plan has little to no impact on the behavior of the population. As for a government-backed solution to educating youth on environmental issues, the outlook is grim as the school system is grossly understaffed and in need of reform. (see Times article below).

The Times of India of 16 January 2009 reports: VARANASI: While the admission of targeted 679,140 children in government primary and upper primary schools (under Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan) has eluded the basic education department in the district with as many as 1,745 children still out of school, the deteriorating student-teacher ratio and poor infrastructure facilities are also not helping matters and students loathe to come to these schools. As per recent reports of district education department (till October 2008), there are merely 5,364 primary school teachers for 442,135 students enrolled in 1,022 government primary schools in the district. While simple calculation puts the ratio at one teacher for more than 80 students (almost double of norm under SSA), the situation in upper primary schools is even worse with one teacher for more than 100 students (1,594 teachers for 235,260 students in 349 schools in the district). Interestingly, while the depleting teacher student ratio has raised concern for quality education in these schools, the poor infrastructure facilities including lack of electricity, boundary walls, toilets, hand pumps and kitchen shades (for mid-day meal scheme) in number of schools are enough to present a disheartening picture. The report of the education department has indicated that while 979 primary schools (out of 1,022 schools) had not witnessed electrification till October 2008, as many as 329 upper primary schools (out of 349 schools) were yet to witness electrification during that period. Surprisingly, 374 primary schools and 235 upper primary schools are still without boundaries and as many as 42 primary schools even lack hand pumps for supplying drinking water within the school premises. According to Pradeep Pandey, Basic Shiksha Adhikari (BSA), electrification in most schools had started on war footing and the schools in Ambedkar villages would witness electrification by the end of the month. While reports suggest that lists of as many as 567 primary schools and 229 upper primary schools for electrification has been already submitted to the office of the executive engineer under Electricity Supply Division, Varanasi, most of the schools are yet to see light. Also, deterioration in academic environment in these schools could be gauged from the facts that during inspection of officials of education department, a number of teachers were found absent from the schools. According to VS Mishra, district inspector of schools (DIOS), as many as 35 teachers in primary schools and six in upper primary schools were found absent during various inspections that took place between April 1 and October 31 last year. As many as two teachers were suspended and 38 others faced salary deduction in that period, he added. Status of primary education in government schools in the district: • Primary schools 1,022 • Upper primary schools 349 • Target of admission of students (under SSA program) 6, 79,140 • Total number of enrolled students 6, 77,395 • Students out of school 1,745 • Total number of teachers: • Primary schools 5,364, upper primary schools 1,594, Total 6,958 • Schools without boundary walls: Primary 374, upper primary 235 • Schools without electricity: Primary 979, upper primary 329 • Schools without toilets: Primary 5, upper primary 2 • Schools without hand pump: Primary 42, upper primary 0 • Schools without kitchen shades: Primary 81, upper primary 285

 

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