First Swachh Lab Launched In India

Mumbai based water solutions company, Aquakraft Projects Pvt Ltd launched a Corporate Academic Partnership (CAP) with RD National College, Mumbai under their program Swachhagraha on 15 August.

Inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan and New India, Swachhagraha is a movement aimed at creating solutions at the ground level in the areas of sanitation, clean drinking water, health and hygiene across the country. 

Commenting on the CAP, Dinesh Panjwani, Principal RD National College said, “We are very proud to announce this partnership with Aquakraft and as the program enables participation of our students in the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. It indeed is a very innovative idea and as a first we have developed Field Water Testing Kits and will also jointly conduct workshops and seminars.” 

Swachhagraha under the aegis of community assessment and awareness survey program enables students across the different streams to participate and give several hours of volunteer ship leading to meaningful social contribution. It is connected through a smartphone app that can be downloaded by any student and the entire operations and monitoring of the program will be driven through this app. 

Avinash Gupta, Head, Digital Initiatves at Swachhagraha said, “The Swachh App enables multiple stakeholders, including Swachhepreneurs, to be connected together on a single digital platform and interact based on need and access. This is particularly good for the students, volunteers as they can communicate with the lab at any point with a fast turnaround maximizing the use of their CASSP time.”

The objective of the Swachh Lab is to foster Innovation and R&D, Testing and Calibration, Survey and Data Collection, Monitoring & Reporting across all elements of Drinking Water & Sanitation.

“On this Independence day, we take a pledge to gain independence from the perils of contaminated water and lack of sanitation leading to better health & hygiene through Swachhagraha. It our endeavor to create 50,000 Swachhepreneurs addressing over 500 districts by implementing drinking water and sanitation solutions in the next 5 years in the run up to India’s 75th year of Independence in 2022,” said SwachhShree Subramanya Kusnur, the architect of Swachhagraha.

Devesh Chawla, Founder and CEO, Chatur Ideas, the startup-enabling platform training young entrepreneurs, said, “Under the able leadership of SwachhShree Subramanya Kusnur, Swachhagraha is well poised to achieve its Vision 2022. Chatur Ideas with its association with 600 plus colleges aims to create Swachhepreneurs by implementation of Water ATMs and enable setting up of SWACHH LABS in each of these institutions.” 

Pravin Nikam, the Asia Regional Representative, Commonwealth Youth Council highlighted, “Subramanya Kusnur has the vision of a philosopher and an undying zeal. He has made a difference in the lives of people by making access to sanitation and drinking water for all, this is definitely a great contribution to Prime Minister's vision of Swachha Bharat. With his innovative strides in the field of sanitation and water, he has created a new culture which embraces the poor and extols the dignity of labour.”