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Saints pledge to conserve water

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FAITH leaders from all around the world gathered at the ‘Parliament of the World’s Religions’ in a bid to save the World’s Dwindling Water Resources.
 
Around 10,000 spiritual leaders from 50 religious traditions and 80 nations were present at the historic event which took place last Thursday (October 15) to Sunday (October 19) at the Salt Palace Convention Center, Salt Lake City, US.
 
It was the world’s sixth Parliament of the World’s Religions.
 
Globally, more people perish each year from lack of clean, safe, sufficient water, hygiene and sanitation than from all forms of violence combined.
 
Every day, some 1,800 children under the age of five die due to the lack of clean and healthy water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), with approximately1200-1600 deaths in India.
 
Much of this is due to the fact that some 600 million people in India still have no access to toilets, which results in the spread of disease as water resources and open spaces become contaminated.
 
His Holiness (HH) Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji (HH Pujya Muniji), co-chair of the Global Interfaith WASH Alliance, said: "Where there are no toilets, there is more disease. It is that simple. We can no longer 
 
sit idly as our children die unnecessary and tragic deaths for the lack of toilets. That is why India’s faith leaders have flown to the other side of the world, to make a stand for great and lasting change."
 
He added: "For far too long, humanity has been playing with fate as we extract and pollute our water resources nearly to extinction. Water is life, water is sacred. Without it, none of us can survive for more than 
 
a handful of days, yet, already, we are seeing entire cities at peril as their aquifers fill with dust instead of free-flowing water, due only to the hands of mankind."
 
Sanjay Wijesekera, chief of water, sanitation and hygiene, programme division, at UNICEF said: "The lack of healthy water, sanitation and hygiene is responsible for the preventable deaths of far too many children every day. Faith leaders can play a key and important role in saving these lives through the power of their words and unified actions."
 
Secretary general, Global Interfaith WASH Alliance, Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati, said it was crucial that religious leaders focus on taking care of the environment.
 
"Typically, religious leaders concern themselves primarily with prayer and ritual in order to ensure salvation, liberation or a heavenly afterlife. As religious leaders come together in the name of peace, it is crucial that our definition of peace expand to include protection and preservation of the environment and working to ensure that everyone, everywhere has access to safe, sufficient, water, sanitation and hygiene."
 
President of All India Imam Organisation, Said Imam Umar Ilyasi, said all of India’s mosques, temples, churches and gurudwaras must join forces to tackle the problem.
 
"On behalf of almost 500, 000 imams of India, we stand together with the Global Interfaith WASH Alliance in this crucial measurem," he said.
 
Said Maulana Luqman Tarapuri, regional president of the Global Imam Council, explained that "every religion" laid importance on internal and external cleanliness, purity and respect for nature, including water and soil.
 
"I pledge to bring all Imams together to spread and share the vital message of WASH with our communities and in our homes. We must end open defecation, save and purify our water sources, and teach our children to wash hands with soap before every meal."
 
The event concluded with a "water blessing" ceremony, in which the faith leaders poured waters from the world’s rivers atop a shining crystal and silver globe, with prayers for healthy water, sanitation and hygiene for all.

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