Ekta Shakti Foundation (ESF) has been working on the amelioration of the environment through its flagship interventions aimed at ‘Eco-remediation’ through the process of ‘Phytoremediation’. Eco-Remediation is an eco-friendly approach to cleaning up the environment. The remediation process relies on the technique of phytoremediation; the natural processes of plants and micro-organisms to clean different types of contaminants/pollutants present in the soil, water, and sediments including heavy metals like Cd, Hg, As, Sn, Pb, Cu which are toxic for human consumption.

ESF has partnered with Knorr-Bremse India Pvt Ltd. and is currently implementing 2 CSR interventions designed specifically with an environmental perspective to be implemented in the Palwal district of Haryana. Both of these projects deploy the aspects of eco-remediation.

Eco-remediation is suitable for remediation of land and aquatic ecosystems and it results in raising trees with dense canopy cover and strong uptake potential. These trees clean the groundwater, purify air and suck toxins from land, air, and water for their entire life. The process needs to be implemented in project mode including maintenance, post which the plantation reaches a viable state from where it can bounce back in the event of an external/internal atrocity. This technique catalyses growth by a factor of 10 and growth worth 100 years is achieved in just 10 years, hence the canopy is 15 times denser too. The treated patch develops into a dense forest that serves as a habitat for arboreal species who feed, travel, live, and sleep on trees; like chameleons, lizards, green tree pythons, tree snails, squirrels, cats, monkeys, parrots, bats and a variety of birds.

Diseases like COVID-19, Nipah, Zika, Ebola, West Nile Virus are all directly linked to deforestation and afforestation shall assist in reducing the zoonotic interactions, thus creating a barrier to reducing zoonotic transmissions from animals to humans. One of the projects encompasses ‘Highway Plantation’ of 20,000 saplings on Mathura Road NH, from Palwal towards Faridabad. The project uses phytoremediation species to reduce the impact of pollution in the contiguous area and remediate it off Heavy Metal (HM) contaminants and other pollutants. The testing reports have revealed the presence of high concentrations of HM in the soil and water which shall be remediated through this intervention

The other project envisages the ‘Holistic Development’ of the Palwal Railway Station which is a multifaceted project with one of the prime components as the restoration of the nearby wetland, contaminated heavily due to the presence of a railway station in the vicinity. Ekta Shakti Foundation is working to restore the wetland through the creation of a Natural Treatment System (NTS) using phytoremediation species near the wetland. The high levels of HM and other contaminants shall be remediated through the NTS and FTWs (Floating Treatment Wetlands) shall also be used at a later stage to reduce the eutrophication levels in the wetland.

Ekta Shakti Foundation is well equipped with the right resources and expertise to conceive, design, implement and monitor futuristic and pioneering interventions, targeting the impending ecological needs, in urban and rural areas alike. These interventions are scientifically designed based on empirical findings and the criteria and indicators to measure the same.

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