Sulabh founder gets Energy Globe Award

New Delhi: His sanitation movement not only ensures cleanliness, but also earns Dr Bindeshwar Pathak, the founder of Sulabh International, the prestigious 'Energy Globe Award'.

In a rare honour to an Indian, Pathak has been selected for this year's Energy Award for his notable contribution in making an 'environment that is worthy to live'.

Pathak, a Padma Vibhushan recipient, has been chosen for the rare honour for the biogas plants linked to Sulabh toilets he had designed over three decades ago and which are now becoming a byword for sanitation in developing countries all over the world.

A distinctive feature of Pathak's project lies in the fact that besides producing odour-free bio-gas, it also releases clean water rich in phosphorous and other ingredients which are important constituents of organic manure.

This was announced that the award, set up by the Brussels-based Energy Globe organisation, will be presented to Pathak in the European Parliament on January 29.

Sought to check global environmental degradation, award is given to pioneers who come out with ideas and projects that can reduce environmental pollution.

In a message felicitating Pathak for winning the award, as quoted by UNI, Energy Globe said, ''Never before such an event has taken place at the European Parliament (Brussels) and we are delighted to celebrate with you the world's best sustainable environmental projects''.

Pathak had earlier received the Dubai International Award for Best Practices and the Indira Gandhi Priyadarshini Award for Environment.

Distressed at finding rapid deterioration in environment taking place all over the world, Wolfgang Neumann instituted the Energy Globe Award seven years ago.

The Energy Globe Award is given to projects all over the world, which make careful use of resources and employ alternative energy sources.

Outgoing UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan says, as quoted by UNI, ''The Energy Globe Awards demonstrate that clean and modern forms of energy to drive sustainable development and reduce environment impacts are available now.''

Every year about 700 projects from all over the world are submitted for competition.

The winning projects are presented in the categories of earth, fire, water, air and youth.

International TV stations will broadcast the award ceremony live reaching 2.5 billion households all over the world.