Tag: Arushi Nishank

Arushi Nishank
Business World

On the occasion of World Environment day, producer, actor and environment conservationist Arushi Nishank was chosen as the Guest of Honour for the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) Faith for Earth Councillors Recognition Ceremony

Jun 5, 2021 by Neel Achary 0 Comments #Arushi Nishank

June 5: Arushi Nishank is more than an acclaimed Kathak dancer, actor, and entrepreneur. The stunning girl is a powerful social activist and environmental conservationist who is passionate and driven about causes like preservation of the river Ganga via her founded NGO, Sparsh Ganga, making the Ganga pollution free via the Namami Ganga campaign, planting more trees to save the earth, and more.

Given that Arushi has power-backed several projects in the Save the Earth arena, it comes as no surprise that she was approached to be the Guest of Honour Online for the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) Faith for Earth Councillors Recognition Ceremony on the eve of World Environment Day. Following a series of initiatives and conventions organized in partnership with faith-based organizations, UN Environment launched the Faith for Earth Initiative in November 2017. The goal of Faith for Earth is to strategically engage with faith-based organizations. Faith for Earth has three main goals: to inspire and empower faith organizations and their leaders to advocate for protecting the environment, to green faith-based organizations’ investments and assets to support the implementation of SDGs, and to provide them with knowledge and networks to enable their leaders to effectively communicate with decision-makers and the public.

Arushi Nishank, who was last seen in the T-series music video, Wafa Na Raas Aayee, was chosen as the Guest of Honour and she spoke eloquently on the causes backed by her such as her NGO Sparsh Ganga, a non-profitable initiative started in 2008, In Uttarakhand with a motive of preservation of river Ganga & environment safety and Namami Gange, a campaign promoted by her that is taken by the Government of India aiming at making the sacred perennial considered as the cradle to civilizations pollution-free. Speaking on the same and more, Arushi affirmed that, “In this covid-19 situation, we understood two major things, first, the importance of humanity and secondly oxygen. This time will pass but we have to think about the aspects connected with this. We have lost our near and dear ones because of a lack of oxygen. We all know the biggest source of oxygen is trees so let’s take a pledge to plant more and more trees and save oxygen.”

The Faith for Earth Councillors Recognition Ceremony helmed by the prestigious United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and United Nations Development Program (UNDP) is a part of the 6 month-long program that started in January 2021 under the guidance and support of UNEP Faith for Earth Nairobi, UNEP India and United Religions Initiative in three countries i.e. India, Lebanon, and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Under this program, the associations have worked extensively to build an active network of Faith-Based Organisations that could address the present environmental urgencies we are threatened with.

She has also been applauded for her work conducted for the preservation of the river Ganga via her founded NGO, Sparsh Ganga. Sparsh Ganga, a non-profitable initiative started in 2008, In Uttarakhand with a motive of preservation of river Ganga & environment safety. Sparsh Ganga created awareness for “Water conservation” & “Yamuna River” along with 80 colleges of Delhi University. Sparsh Ganga works on the ground by spreading awareness through various means like plantation sanitization programs, cleaning of rivers, etc. Sparsh Ganga Volunteers have led awareness campaigns on the Environment, river Ganga, and conservation of water in more than 150 schools of Uttarakhand. In the year 2018, the Sparsh Ganga team planted two lakh trees throughout India. Not only India, Sparsh Ganga is working in more than five other countries for water conservation & environment safety. In April 2020 an initiative was undertaken with the Sparsh Ganga team wherein 2 lakh Khadi masks were distributed to the brothers in the army in New Delhi, Roorkee, and Haridwar with the aim of “Raksha sutra se pahle, Raksha Kavach” to protect our brothers from Covid-19. To date around 1000 women are employed by Sparsh Ganga under a circular economy. With the collaboration of colleges from Delhi University, they involved and trained women and students to make the sanitary pads, which were later sent to the weaker section of women of the society.

0 Left to Right_ Arushi Nishank and Nilisha Agarwal
Business World

Thousands of women inspired by Gandhi ji’s self reliance pick up `sui dhaga’ to make khadi masks to combat covid, says environmentalist Arushi Nishank

Aug 22, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #Arushi Nishank, #chairperson of Himalaya Ayurvedic Medical College & Hospital in Dehradun., #Sundeep Bhutoria

Inspired by the Gandhian values of self-reliance, social activist, environmentalist and classical kathak dancer Arushi Nishank of Uttarakhand supported and trained thousands of rural women in Uttarakhand to take up sui dhaga (needle and thread) to make reusable khadi and sutee masks for free distribution to the army personnel, police, rural workers and frontline covid warriors. So far, over a lac of such masks have been distributed in Delhi, Mumbai and cities and towns of Uttarakhand.

“Khadi is a symbol of Gandhiji’s self-reliance and is environmentally friendly and in tune with the spirit of Prime Minister’s Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative. Thousands of rural women who made these masks developed skills and are gainfully employed,” said Arushi at an Ek Mulakat webinar in conversation with Ehsaas Women of Kolkata member, Nilisha Agarwal. The webinar was organized by Kolkata-based NGO Prabha Khaitan Foundation. Over the years Ek Mulakat has become a popular forum for free-wheeling discussions with eminent personalities and achievers.

“It was great to have a young achiever to share her ideas, life experiences and dreams with us. Arushi, who is proud of her Indian heritage, is a source of inspiration for thousands of poor women and others. At present, Arushi connects with thousands of people through the Sparsh Ganga campaign to promote awareness of Ganga and its biodiversity,” said the social and cultural activist, Sundeep Bhutoria, Trustee, Prabha Khaitan Foundation.

Arushi, the chairperson of Himalaya Ayurvedic Medical College & Hospital in Dehradun. She has chaired the International Environment Summit (IES) and spearheads the Sparsh Ganga Foundation, an NGO promoting environmental awareness, sustainable development, women empowerment, water conservation and cleaning river Ganga and other water bodies. The Government of India has recognised volunteers of the Sparsh Ganga campaign as “Ganga Heroes”.

Arushi started an environmental awareness project “Beautiful Valley” in 2009 and drew in the support of the Dalai Lama and Hema Malini, MP, and others. Her father, Ramesh Pokhriyal, the Hon’ble Education Minister of India, is a great source of inspiration.

A votary of circular economy and the live wire behind Sparsh Ganga’s various social initiatives, Arushi has trained and engaged over 800 rural women to be gainfully employed for making masks, incense sticks from waste flowers and environmental-friendly biodegradable jute bags as a substitute for plastic. A classical Kathak exponent, Arushi has performed in over 15 countries. Her Kathak ballet “Ganga Avataran” has been much appreciated the world over. “The ballet gave me an opportunity to fuse my two passions – environmental awareness and dance,” she said.

Responding to her creative bent of mind, Arushi has authored two books and also produced a regional film Major Nirala on the Indian Army. Responding to conversationalist Nilisha Agarwal’s question if she was interested in big banner Bollywood projects, Arushi said, “Yes! I am in talks with some big directors and producers for OTT platform projects for two or three web series. I am thankful to Prasun Joshi for support. I hope to make an announcement soon.”

Replying to a question “What can we do from our homes during COVID times to support the environment?” Arushi said, “First we should keep our families and the country safe by staying indoors and by maintaining social distance protocols. Second, we should conserve water. There is a water crisis looming over 22 cities in the country. About 70 per cent of water used is wasted which we should find ways of conserving and utilising in a proper way like watering plants and so on.”