NASA National Sanitation and Enviornment Improvment Foundation
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Reenacted Dandi March- 2005
Again a new turning point was awaiting for NASA Foundation...
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Ujjain Simhasth Kumbh Mela
However, year 2004 was all together proved to be a new turning point and innovative experience....
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Palitana Project
NASA Foundation has undertaken its 61st major project to build a public sanitation facility...
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NASA FOUNDATION, AHMEDABAD
Reenacted Dandi March- 2005

Again a new turning point was awaiting for NASA Foundation, in the year 2005 when Dandi March of 2005, was reenacted after 75 years of the main Dandi March of Mahatma Gandhi in the year 1930.

When Tushar Gandhi, the great grand son of Mahatma Gandhi, decided to reenact Gandhi’s Salt Yatra starting March 12, 2005, he was faced with a real challenge of providing basic necessities like food, shelter and clean sanitation and both facilities to the participants of the yatra, Interestingly, while the other organization made the eating arrangement, and provided drinking water and tents to the participants, the sanitation facilities were taken care by NASA Foundation,

Lasting 26 days and covering 240 miles, the 500 people strong procession led by Tushar Gandhi was to follow the same route that Mahatma Gandhi and his followers had taken way back in March 1930. The procession was to include more than 50 foreign participants. Arranging for the clean sanitation and bath facilities for these participants all along the route of the yatra was providing to be a big challenge for Gandhi.

This is when he turned to the NASA Foundation, an organization working on public sanitation in Gujarat and Maharashtra. Two years also, during the Gujarat earthquake, the NASA Foundation had successfully created toilets and bathrooms from molded plastic material and provided them to the quake victims.

Gandhi requested them to install similar system again.

NASA Foundation stepped in to develop molded plastic sanitation facility along with an innovative installation system to help the yatris. They divided its staff in to four groups each comprising of 12 people. While one group would reach the place of night halt 8-10 hours in advance and dig a 8 * 10 feet deep and 100 * 150 feet long trenches near the tents of the yartis, the second group was given the task of installing the molded plastic toilets and bath on these trenches making them ready for use.

The third group had to clean the whole place after the marcher left, remove all sanitation units, while the fourth group was to transfer these sanitation units by trucks to the next half.

In this manner, the NASA Foundation was able to ensure availability of clean and hygiene sanitation facility for the participants, both Indians and foreigners all along the route which passed through remote villages of Gujarat, where 40% of the households lacked individual toilets.

This new challenge revealed a new facet of the NASA foundation. Its staff worked tirelessly to provide the participants who marched 10- 15 miles every day with clean, warm water for bath every evening, By providing some of the most basic of facilities, the Foundation helped maintain the health and hygiene of the participants.

 

Toilet /Bathroom facility for Dandi Yatra-2005 Participants
   
PREFAB Toilet and Bathroom made from Molded Plastic Material used by NASA at Aslali
   
Mobile Toilets/Bathroom Facilities During Travel Provided by NASA