Prayagraj, 05 June (HS): Pathak, who is known in the Sangam

city for distributing plates, bags and plants in Mahakumbh and for the unique

environmental walk in Magh Mela. On Environment Day and if we discuss those

works for the protection of environment in Prayagraj, then the name of Water

Woman Shipra Pathak will come first. In Mahakumbh Mela, she successfully

organised India's first Environment Naga Saints' Conference and at Magh Mela,

for the first time, she gave a unique message by taking out an environmental

walk with saints.

An ordinary girl from Uttar Pradesh, with her extraordinary

resolve, has shown the entire country a new path to environmental protection.

Known as the Water Woman, Shipra is not just a name but a

widespread movement that unites everyone. The lamp of awareness towards nature

that Shipra lit by walking 15 thousand kilometers in the last 10 years has

today taken the form of a huge flame across the country. Her journeys include

the 3600 kilometer Parikrama of Narmada, the 1008 kilometer journey of Gomti,

the 3950 kilometer forest journey from Ayodhya to Rameshwaram, many difficult

sadhanas like Kailash Mansarovar, Maikal Mountain and Braj Chaurasi Kos.

Through these journeys, she has connected more than 15 lakh people with her

organization “Panchtatva” and made the environment a mass movement.

Through Panchtatva, 5.9 million trees have been

planted across the country—not just a statistic, but a symbol of a vibrant

green revolution. Currently, on the occasion of Bade Mangal in the

capital, Lucknow, their Plants from Leaf Leaves project is in the

news. Under this unique initiative, the organization is discreetly inspecting

storage facilities and, wherever plastic or thermocol is being used, they are

being replaced with eco-friendly leaf leaves with a polite request. This

initiative not only promotes cleanliness but also promotes the importance of

making religious ceremonies compatible with nature.

The most attractive aspect of this campaign is the

distribution of sacred trees consecrated with 108 Hanuman Chalisas. There is

unprecedented enthusiasm in the capital to buy saplings like Sita Ashok, Tulsi,

Pakad, Banyan, Peepal and Neem. This wonderful confluence of faith and

environment is also connecting people emotionally. This campaign is not limited

to Tuesday only, but is going on continuously every day since May 1. So far, 93,500

saplings and 1,95,000 plates have been distributed in many areas including

Hazratganj, Sainik Nagar, Vikas Nagar, Gokhale Marg, Raj Bhavan, Chandrika

Devi.

Water Woman Shipra firmly believes that while an individual

can plant a single tree, if the entire society is connected to this water and

environmental movement, millions of trees can be planted. This same vision is

clearly visible in her work today. On the occasion of World Environment Day,

her organization is bringing plants consecrated with the Hanuman Chalisa to

Lucknow from Ayodhya, Kanpur, Kannauj, Prayagraj, Chitrakoot, Naimisharanya,

Sultanpur, Rae Bareli, Gorakhpur, Amethi, and Varanasi. This pledge is not just

about planting trees, but about keeping Mother Gomti clean, pure, and

life-giving. Water Woman Shipra's initiative proves that when the resolve is

strong and the purpose is pure, even one person can bring about a wave of

change across the country.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi