Gandhinagar: Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel today inaugurated an eco-friendly, reusable glass water bottling facility on the Secretariat campus. Under this initiative, drinking water will now be provided in glass bottles branded as “Sakhi Neer,” replacing plastic bottles in the Secretariat and Assembly premises.

This initiative aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision to reduce plastic usage. The Sakhi Neer plant is operated by ‘Ma’ Narmada Ekta Mahila Mandal and is located on the ground floor of the new Secretariat Block No. 13.

With the commissioning of this plant, the daily use of plastic bottles in the Secretariat will be discontinued. Drinking water will now be available in glass bottles at a nominal cost, significantly reducing plastic waste.

The technology for this eco-friendly project, managed by the women of Narmada Ekta Mahila Mandal in Vadodara, was developed by young innovator Pratik Patel and his team. The innovation was incubated at the Savli Technology and Business Incubator under the state government’s Science and Technology Department. Patel has also secured two patents for this technology, with support from the department, a press statement said.

A similar pilot project was launched three years ago by the Forest Department and Sakhimandal at the Padamdungari Eco-Tourism Site in Tapi district, under the brand name “Ambika Neer,” where glass bottles were provided at the same price as plastic ones. Another significant pilot project was also implemented at Tirumala, Tirupati, following the same concept.

Additionally, the Chief Minister flagged off an e-rickshaw to be used for transporting the glass bottles. This e-rickshaw was developed by another young startup founder, Darpan Kadu, with financial assistance and mentorship under the Atmanirbhar Gujarat Fellowship. The innovation was also incubated at the Savli Technology and Business Incubator after being selected under the Student Startup and Innovation Policy (SSIP).

Chief Minister Patel also interacted with the Sakhi Mandal women who operate the Sakhi Neer plant and encouraged the technology startups behind the project.

It is important to note that the national ban on identified single-use plastic items officially came into effect on July 1, 2022. However, the PMO and the ruling party had begun embracing alternatives like glass water bottles prior to this national ban in 2019. DeshGujarat