Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], July 2 : Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel inaugurated the eco-friendly, reusable glass water bottling facility at the Gujarat Secretariat on Wednesday.
Henceforth, at the Secretariat and the Legislative Assembly, drinking water will be provided in glass bottles under the brand name 'Sakhi Neer', replacing plastic bottles, according to an official release from the Chief Minister's Office.
Aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of reducing plastic usage, the 'Sakhi Neer' facility is being operated by 'Maa' Narmada Ekta Mahila Mandal.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel inaugurated the plant at an event held on the ground floor of the new Secretariat Block No. 13.
With the launch of this plant, the daily use of plastic bottles within the Secretariat will be discontinued. Drinking water will now be provided in reusable glass bottles at an affordable cost, contributing significantly towards reducing plastic waste.
The eco-friendly initiative, managed by the women of the MAA Narmada Ekta Mahila Mandal, features technology developed by Vadodara-based youth startup founder Pratik Patel and his team.
This innovative technology was developed by Pratik Patel at the Savli Technology and Business Incubator under the Department of Science and Technology, Government of Gujarat. With support from the department, he has also secured two patents for his innovations.
A similar pilot project was launched three years ago at the Padam Dungri Eco-Tourism Site in Tapi district by the Forest Department and members of the Sakhi Mandal, under the brand name 'Ambika Neer'. As part of this project, drinking water is provided in glass bottles at the same price as plastic bottles.
Furthermore, another major pilot project has been implemented at the renowned Tirumala in Tirupati, where efforts are being made to serve drinking water in glass bottles at the same cost as plastic ones.
The Chief Minister also flagged off the e-rickshaws that are designated to transport the glass water bottles.
These e-rickshaws have also been developed by Darpan Kadu, a young entrepreneur from Gujarat, under the Student Startup and Innovation Policy. Supported financially and guided under the Aatmanirbhar Gujarat Fellowship at the Savli Technology and Business Incubator, this innovation showcases the rising potential and ingenuity of local startups.
While inaugurating the "Sakhi Neer" plant, Chief Minister Patel interacted with the women managing Sakhi Mandal and the startup technology developers, and lauded their contributions.