EcoSikh to launch Amritsar Foundation Day Celebrations with an environment focus
WASHINGTON, DC, USA (May 4, 2013)–Washington based EcoSikh is launching an initiative to celebrate the foundation day of the City of Amritsar on July 6th this year by engaging major organizations and grass roots bodies to care for the city and its natural resources and preserving its habitat for the future.
The city was founded by Guru Ram Das Ji, the fourth Sikh Guru, on Harr vadi 13th in 1577.  Punjab Government and SGPC had celebrated its 400th anniversary in 1977.  Amritsar is visited by over 100,000 pilgrims each day and almost triple the number on important days like Gurpurabs and sangrands.
EcoSikh had launched an Eco Amritsar campaign last year in July by bringing major stakeholders of the city together which included SGPC, Khalsa College, Durgiana Mandir, Chief Khalsa Diwan, DC of Amritsar and various educational institutions and major business outlets like Celebrations Mall and Alpha Mall to discuss ways and means to improve City’s environment.  This was organized in light of rising pilgrim numbers which is putting pressure on city’s natural resources.
“We have high hopes for  the Amritsar Foundation Day on July 6th and we are confident that it will reinforce the love and care for this spiritual city”,  said President EcoSikh Dr. Rajwant Singh.  He added, “The time has come that we commit ourselves to this important task of preserving Amritsar’s glory for generations to come.  This city has impacted country’s history in many positive ways and we are sure this will be another great way to inspire and lead the nation.”
EcoSikh had facilitated Amritsar becoming a founding member of the Green Pilgrimage Network launched at Assisi, Italy in November 2011 where Dalmegh Singh and Kahan Singh Pannu represented SGPC and Punjab Government respectively.
Since the launch of Eco-Amritsar,  the doctors associations and Indian Medical Association in Amritsar have installed various energy saving solutions at their clinics and hospitals in the city;  Khalsa College Charitable Trust has started a pilot project to organic agriculture on over 100 acres of their agriculture land.  Chief Khalsa Diwan has been influential in conducting eco-prayers at their Guru Har Krishan Public Schools in Amritsar to connect the young buds with environmental realization as their spiritual duty.
A committee of Eco-Amritsar consisting of various prominent individuals from various sections of the city has been formed to follow up on the vision of the  five year Eco-Amritsar-2017 plan.  Business leader Gunbir Singh, Celebrations Mall’s Col. Kuldeep Singh Sandhu, Punjab Pollution Control Board’s Kuldeep Singh, Roop Singh, a Sikh Scholar and SGPC official, Dr. Balwinder Singh from Guru Nanak Dev University, Dr. H.P.Singh of GNDU, Arvinder Singh Chamak President of All India Brick Kiln Association, Dr. Dharamvir Singh from Chief Khalsa Diwan, Dr. Gurpreetinder Singh, A Psychiatrist, Indu Arora of Voice of Amritsar, Dr. Amrik Singh President of Amritsar Medical Association, and Ravneet Singh, EcoSikh Program Manager in India.  Dr. Rajwant Singh from Washington will also be part of the group.  This group will also engage people from all over the world to join in this drive.via social media.
Gunbir Singh, who will head the Eco Amritsar committee said, “We are looking forward to creating a network among the city dwellers and its well wishers to take meaningful steps to make it sustainable.  Celebrating Foundation Day will give a chance for people to reflect upon their own connection with the city and its long term future.”
“The city, its businesses, organizations and residents of Amritsar will have to take up small projects to make it an environmentally friendly city in order to prove their affection and extending the care culture to the pilgrims.  The Amritsar Foundation Day a tool of annual revival of all such environmental action acutely needed by the city,” said Col. Kuldeep Singh Sandhu
Gunbir Singh added, “There is also a dire need to propagate sustainable and natural farming technology to safeguard humanity and the resources of nature (Chemicals are the bane of Punjab water quality, soil resource and human health).   A pilot project started last year at Khalsa College after Eco Amritsar meet is a step in that direction.”
This committee will engage various organizations and prominent individuals to add their voice to this campaign.  EcoSikh is also hiring a full time official to coordinate this environment campaign in the holy city.
The Eco Amritsar 2017 plan focuses on creating awareness to preserve natural resources such as water, engaging government and grass roots to reduce air pollution, improving city’s garbage disposal and increasing green patches in the city.
EcoSikh recently organized and encouraged worldwide celebrations of Sikh Environment Day on March 14th, with hundreds of thousands of Sikhs participating marking the Gurgaddi Diwas of Guru Har Rai.