Varanasi: The two young women who received praise from Prime Minister Modi over their cleanliness initiative at 'Prabhu ghat' here, on Saturday pitched for better sanitation facilities at the ghat.
"Thousands of?foreigners, domestic tourists and locals visit these ghats on the banks of river Ganga everyday. Despite being so famous and attractive, there are very few facility of public toilets in these ghats," said the duo of Temsutula Imsong and Darshika Shah.
Nagaland native Temsutula and Darshika, a local, both in their 20's ? during a boat ride on February 12 saw the filth on Prabhu ghat and decided to take up the task of cleaning it.
Appreciating their efforts Modi, who is also an MP from Varanasi tweeted on March 31, "This effort by @temsultulaimsong & the entire team to clean the ghats in Varanasi is phenomenal! I salute them."
"We made our effort to clean Prabhu Ghat with more than 20 team members. The ghat has now been cleaned in nearly a months time. We need to have bio-toilets or floating toilets so that poor people living on or near these ghats may not use it for open defecation or urination," the young women told PTI.
"This will also help in not sending a wrong perception in front of the tourists who often visit these ghats and see dirt," they said.
The women had also exhorted many students from Banaras Hindu University and other schools and universities of the temple town to volunteer for the cleaning drive.
"We spend around 4-5 hours in the evening everyday at Prabhu ghat for our cleanliness drive. It has become a centre of attraction for youngsters who hold debates and discussions there while they hang out in the evening," they said.
Expressing happiness at PM's praise, the girls said, "The PM's praise to ordinary people like us will encourage many youths to take up such tasks for nation building," they said.
"At a time when only celebrities and big personalities are seen carrying out cleanliness drive, the praise of PM will inspire many silent volunteers like us," they added.
While running our campaign 'Mission Prabhu ghat', the women "contributed money, managing a sum of Rs 10,000, but only Rs 2,700 was spent for this entire work," said Darshika.
"It is not about the money but just a simple effort from our sides for accomplishing such kind of social issues," Darshika said.
Temsutula Imsong also works with a voluntary social organisation called 'Sakaar Sewa Samiti' here, working for the upliftment of rural people.
