Author: Arnav

This year as I turned 87 on Jan 5th, I need to rush and make my dream, perhaps the last one, realized soon. I do not know how much time that the good Lord has given me on this planet!

I am making an appeal. I need your help in letting my appeal reach your good friends to learn about what I am trying to do, and see if they could also help. Those who are employed in companies that have a program of matching their donations, they can donate however much they wish to Bharathi Theertha, if it is accepted as per the norms of the company. I am sure you are aware of this matching program by companies. Bharathi Theertha is a 501 c 3 organization. Pl go through the attachments. I will call and talk with you. please see the Appeal (see below) that I am making on behalf of Bharathi Theertha. if anyone wish to donate in Indian currency, please donate in the name of Bharathi Theertha and send your donations to the account of Bharathi Theertha, Overseas Branch Viskhapatnam of State Bank of India, IFSC Code SBIN0008974, Account Number 30037900552 Prefix 1515800003, Address: DNO 9-1, 57 GNT Road, AU North Campus, Near Mantri Hotel 530013, India. {PeaseDonate what you can, No amount is small). Also please forward this Appeal to your caring friends, who would like to see Vizianagaram and its surroundings a better place to emulate.

1213 Stonebriar Court
Naperville, IL 60540
www.bharathitheertha.org
A 501 c 3 Organization

APPEAL
Wish you a great Holiday Season full of vim and vigor. May the good Lord bless you with great health.
The purpose of this letter of appeal is twofold. First, I want to inform you about the major initiatives, activities, and projects that have been undertaken and successfully executed thus far by Bharathi Theertha (BT), our 501 c3 Not for Profit Organization. Second, a major initiative of BT will be undertaken in 2023 for the remodeling of our home that our grandfather, Late Mahamahopadhyaya Tata Subbaraya Sastry, gave to our family to live in Vizianagaram, A.P., for donating it to Sri Ramakrishna Seva Samithi.
Our family pledged this home to be donated to Sri Ramakrishna Seva Samithi. This house will be demolished, and a yoga and meditation center will be built where health camps and distance learning courses will be offered. In addition, BT will build a new Cultural and Community Center (Center). to relocate the classical music and dance academy, Tyagaraja Sangeetha Nritya Kala Niketan (TSNKN), which is currently functioning in our ancestral home. In addition, a center for educating and training physicians and other healthcare professionals will be built on a site across our ancestral home. Its mission is to manage Early Childhood Brain Development and cure associated diseases such as autism in children, etc.,
The main objective of Bharathi BT is to promote the education, environment, and health of the poor and deserving both in the USA and in India, and its philosophy is to collaboratively work with passionate people and organizations that have similar objectives.
The major activities that BT has undertaken thus far in the fields of education, environment, and health during the last two decades are described below. Some people, who know about the activities of BT have contributed due to their charitable disposition without much persuasion. Besides contributing time and money, as a member of the Rotary Club of Naperville, IL, I have been working collaboratively with it and other rotary clubs in the USA and in India by raising matching funds for doing several projects. I am making this special appeal for your tax-exempt donations because of a couple of major projects which I mentioned above that BT will exclusively undertake during 2023. Your donations will be matched 1:1 up to $150,000 by Bharathi Theertha.

Activities, Initiatives, and Projects Completed by Bharathi Theertha

 
Projects Done in the Field of Education

1. Established a computer training center for children: Cost: $4,000
2. Provided Scholarships over the last few years to deserving students in Vizianagaram A.P. and in Naperville USA: $~10,000
3. Since 2003 regularly conducted annual campaigns to promote environmental education and awareness about the importance of the conservation of water and energy, abatement of air and water pollution, and treating wastes as resources. Occasional contests were held to encourage elementary and middle school children and gave them certificates and trophies during the celebrations of World Water Day, Environment Day, Biodiversity Day and Earth Day in India and the USA: Annual expenditure of about $2,000 for these campaigns.
4. Since 2002, Carnatic classical music and dance classes are being conducted to teach children in the age group of 5-15 years in our ancestral home in Vizianagaram, A.P., India. This home was provided free of rent for use by Tyagaraja Sangeeta Nritya Kalaniketan. Priceless
5. Supported the travel and stay of three (3) musicians for their stay primarily in Chicago. They performed musical concerts in Chicago and other cities to educate the local audiences about Carnatic Music and Classical Indian dances: ~ $5,000 for local travel and stay (international travel costs were provided by the American Telugu Association)
6. Sponsored the travel and participation of two young students of the Tyagaraja Sangeetha Nritya Kala Niketan, Viziangaram to participate in a three-week workshop (December 29-Jan 14, 2011) on Kuchipudi dances and carnatic music that was organized by the University of Iowa in Chennai, India. These students received the University of Iowa credits.
7. During annual visits to India, Dr. Prakasam Tata presented seminars to high school, college, and university students on subjects related to water and wastewater treatment. Travel costs incurred by him.
8. With the support of BT, conducted four (4) international Conferences on Water and Wastewater Management (3 in India in 2019, 2020, and 2021) and one in Thailand at the invitation of the Thai government (2022). Our 5th international conference is planned to be held in Bhubaneshwar. Odisha during February 2023: My travel costs alone for each of these conferences amount to ~ $3,500; Approximate Total travel Costs incurred by me: ~12,000 plus food and hotel costs. Other volunteers paid their own travel plus food and hotel costs.
9. The following books were published by Bharathi Theertha to encourage and support budding authors: These books included, 1) Geetha Sudha in Telugu by Mrs. K.V. Ramanamma, 2) Rambling Thoughts in English by Mr. Nishtala. V. Rao, 3) Buddha Ghalib in English by Ashok Lal, 4) Bheeshma Geetha in Telugu and English by Mr. K. V. Bheema Rao with more than 1,000 illustrations in color, 5) Saradhaa Bataaneelu in Telugu by Dr. G. V. Narasimha Murty, 6) Clikku, Chikku, Trikku in Telugu by Bulusu G. Prakash, 7) Bhava Sankerthana Sathakam in Telugu by Vedula Chinna Venkata Chayanulu, 8) Vijaya Geetha in Telugu by Dr. P. Rama Seshu, 9) Nenu Bharatheeyudini a Telugu Translation of the Autobiography of Padmasri K .K. Muhammed, 10) Akshara Nakshatraalu in Telugu by Niyogi. Numerous hours spent plus ~Rs. 10 lakhs
10. Several distinguished individuals from USA and from A.P., are invited to give inspirational and motivational talks to students of Tyagaraja Sangeetha Nritya Kala Niketan, Vizianagaram, A.P. India: Cost of Trophies, Shawls, and Refreshments incurred by BT.
11. A grant was given to Global Aid, a charitable organization, to provide food to 50 poor students from tribal hamlets and rural areas adjacent to Gajapathinagram, Vizianagaram District, India. These students attend a government school and are in 5th through 10th grades. They live in a community hostel run by Global Aid volunteers, who mentor them to stay in school, to study well and excel. Amount: Rs. 100,000
12. Dr. Tata is serving as an Advisor to the Engineers Without Borders-India Chapter (EWB) to establish its activities, (primarily small water and sanitation projects) in rural areas around Vizianagaram and Vizag. So far, succeeded in establishing EWB chapters at three engineering colleges in Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam, A.P. India: Voluntary
13. Dr. Tata is serving as a guest lecturer the Indo Universal Collaboration for Engineering Education (IUCEE) organization and gives periodically lectures on wastewater treatment to students at various colleges and rating projects done by the students. Voluntary
14. Dr. Tata has been appointed as an Honorary Professor in the Department of Environmental Science, Engineering, and Management of Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, A.P., India. We will conduct webinars on current environmental issues and solutions being worked on in the US and other countries. These areas are not usually covered in the curricula that students are obligated to complete using standard textbooks. Voluntary

Projects Done in the Field of Environment

1. Dr. Tata designed a Waste Stabilization Pond System and got it built by the District Administration of Vizianagaram, A. P., India to remediate the pollution entering a man-made lake of 170 acres. Cost of the Project: Rs: 3.5Crores incurred by District Administration of Vizianagarm,, A.P. India
2. In collaboration with the Rotary Club of Naperville, IL USA, and the Rotary Club of Vizianagaram, A.P., India, Dr. Tata designed and built a water-sanitation complex to eliminate open defecation by members of a community of 400 schedule caste people, who live in Duppada Village near Vizianagarm, A P. India. They did not have neither latrines nor a safe drinking water supply. Cost: $45,000
   Travelled to Duppada village with two Rotarians from t Naperville, IL, on a Voluntary Service Grant obtained from rotary International Foundation to inspect the site, meet villagers, and lay the ground for the Wat-San project: Cost: $6,000
3. In collaboration with the Rotary Club of Naperville, IL USA, and the Rotary Club of Satna, M. P., India, installed solar panel charging stations and gave solar lanterns to about 450 rural homes in 8 villages and eliminated the use of kerosene lanterns. In collaboration with the Rotary Club of Naperville, IL, USA and the Rotary Club of Satna, M. P., India, installed smokeless chulas (ovens) in about 450 rural homes in 8 villages and eliminated the use of kerosene lanterns. Cost: $25,000

The Energy Resources Institute (TERI) of New Delhi, India provided additional solar lanterns and charging stations after visiting the successful distribution of solar lanterns in the 8 villages to benefit another 36 villages to serve about 2,500 villagers. Cost: $~75,000
4 In collaboration with the Rotary Club of Naperville, IL USA, and the Rotary Club of Satna, M. P., India, installed Smokeless Chulas in the homes of villagers living in 8 villages: Cost of the Project: $25,000
5 Imparted vocational training to wastewater treatment plant operators in Hyderabad, Telangana and Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh by leading a delegation of five environmental professionals from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, February 2016, under the sponsorship of the Rotary Club of Naperville, IL. Cost: $14,000
6 Installation of a Safe Drinking Water Supply System in Devada, (a village that Bharathi Theertha has adopted in the Vizianagaram District), by the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation department: Rs. 3,200,000 (~$50,000). This is a Bharathi Theertha initiative. (No monetary encumbrance to Bharathi Theertha)

7 A new Tata Ace Pick Up truck was donated to India Youth for Society (IYFS). This truck is being used by the volunteers of IYFS to pick up dry plastic waste from apartments, Visakhapatnam beach, commercial enterprises, etc., for recycling. Cost: $11,000
8 With BT’s initiative and in collaboration with two Rotary Clubs in Naperville, Rotary Club of Lake Moinabad, Hyderabad, and a few other Rotary Clubs in the USA and in India, a Plastic Waste Collection, Processing, and Recycling Project with Employment Generation for more than 25 unemployed youth was inaugurated on December 11, 2022, in Visakhapatnam, A.P., Cost: Rs. 1 Crore ($80,000 + Rs. 30 lacs + numerous hours of volunteerism)

Projects Done in The Field of HEALTH

1. At the initiative of Dr. Tata, a grant was provided by the Rotary Foundation to build a dialysis Center at the Guru Nanak Hospital, Secunderabad, Telangana. Dialysis of a patient is performed at a cost of Rs. 300 only. Grant Amount: $130,000
2. At the initiative of Dr. Tata, a grant was provided by the Rotary Foundation to equip the Bhabha Cancer Treatment and Research Center in Aganampudi, Visakhapatnam, A. P., India with cancer diagnostic and treatment equipment, and a mobile van with equipment needed to travel to villages and screen women for cervical and breast cancer. Grant Amount: $130,000
3. Provision of Supplies to Cyclone Victims in Manapuram and other Villages in Northern Andhra Pradesh to Protect Their Health and Environment.
4. Provided blankets, utensils, tarpaulins, and blankets to 200 tribal families living in a village in Andhra Pradesh, who were victims of the killer typhoon Hudud in 2014. Cost: Rs. 200,000. MAJOR INITIATIVES OF BHARATHI THEERTHA DURING 2023

1) Fulfillment Of the Pledge Made to Remodel and Donate Our Ancestral Home to Ramakrishna Seva Samithi, and

2) To Construct a Cultural and Community Center to House the Tyagaraja Sangeetha Nritya Kalaniketan, and a Center for Educating and Training Physicians and Other Healthcare Professionals to Manage and Cure Early Childhood Brain Development and Associated Diseases Such as Autism, etc.,
&
Bharathi Theertha’s Commitment and Appeal for Your Tax-Exempt Donations That Will Be Matched By Bharathi Theertha

On behalf of Bharathi Theertha, I, Prakasam Tata, am making this appeal to you by pledging to match your contributions and to commit my time fully until the completion of the initiatives previously mentioned.
Often, even big NGOs ask for donations and do not even match your donation. We all know that we came to this planet with empty hands and go with empty hands when our time is up! At a personal level, we have given our ancestral home 20 years ago “rent free” to Tyagaraja Sangeetha Nritya Kala Niketan, where children in the age group of 5-15 years are learning Carnatic Music and Classical Dances of South India. We will demolish it and build a yoga, meditation, and educational center under the umbrella of Bharathi Theertha and give it to Sri Ramakrishna Seva Samithi. The area of the center is about 3,100 Sq. ft.

BT has committed to relocate the Tyagaraj Sangeeta Nritya Kala Niketan into the Cultural and Community Center (Center) to be built on the grounds of the Sri. Narayanam Dharma Chalamiah Memorial Park. The Narayanam Family Trust, which maintains the park has agreed for BT to build a Cultural Community Center. BT, in principle, has agreed to build it. (Please see the attached architectural drawings.) The grounds will be maintained by the Narayanam Familu Trust. Bharathi Theertha made a commitment to allocate $150,000 for constructing this Cultural and Community Center and remodel our ancestral home that will be donated to Sri Ramkrishan Seva Samthi. This amount will be used to match 1:1 that well-meaning and kind hearted donors like you donate towards building the Yoga and Meditation center and the Cultural and Community Center and the Early Childhood Brain Development and Management of Associated Diseases.
Most of my friends and distinguished scholars from the US and those visiting from India eloquently deliberate that many scriptures of the world say, that “we came with empty hands and go with empty hands.” I believe in it. BT prays for everyone’s good health. A cleaner environment protects public health. Bharathi Theertha endeavors to do projects to protect our water, air, and land environment with whatever resources that it can get. It promotes the education of the poor and their health.
In view of the foregoing, I humbly make an appeal to you to dig deep not only into your compassionate hearts and but also into your pockets as well to pledge in a big way. Your name or in whose name you would like to donate will be immortalized by boldly displaying it on the Wall of Kindness in the Centers.
I am glad to inform you, Dr. P. Rama Seshu and her husband Dr. P. Ravi Sarma pledged $25,000 towards building the Centers. May God bless them. However, BT’s contribution of $150,000 pledged for matching your donation and the pledge of $25,000 received a few days ago will not be sufficient to build the Centers at an estimated cost of Rs. 3.5-4 crores. Please note that the land needed to build these Centers has an estimated value of more than 3 to 4 crores, and this is available to BT at no cost. I believe that it is because of the progress it has made thus far and the trust that the donors have put in Baharthi Theertha. So far, I have neither requested donations in a formal way nor followed with any further requests to make any major donations to support initiatives that I have mentioned earlier.
I am approaching only a few people to consider to be major donors of Bharathi Theertha to make these projects a reality. You may have felt the donor fatigue for the bygone year of 2022. That is the reason why I am appealing to you as soon as 2023 made its debut!
Let me assure you, Bharathi Theertha will stand by its commitment to do good in the fields of education, environment, and health for the development of the poor and deserving people.
May God bless you and your family and bring joy and happiness to you and your family this holiday season and beyond.
Yours truly,

Prakasam Tata, Ph.D., BCES, QEP (Emeritus), WEF Fellow
President

Best wishes,
Prakash

We are excited to announce the upcoming 5th International Conference on Water and Waste Management, taking place in Bhubaneshwar, Odisha, India on February 22-24, 2023. This conference brings together leading experts from around the world to share their knowledge and experiences in the fields of water and waste management. Researchers, practitioners, and policymakers are all welcome to attend and discuss the latest developments, challenges, and solutions in these critical areas. The conference will feature keynote speeches, oral and poster presentations, and networking opportunities. Bharathi Theertha has been a proud sponsor of this annual event for the past four years and continues to support its mission of addressing environmental issues such as climate change, decreasing biodiversity, pollution, and conservation of water and energy. We ask for your support in making this conference a success by making a donation to Bharathi Theertha, no matter how small. We look forward to seeing you in Bhubaneshwar in February 2023!

Santosh K. Tata, Youth President, a senior at Neuqua Valley High School, Naperville IL has been associated with Bharathi Theertha for over 10 years. He currently serves as the coordinator of youth activities for this organization. He has contributed to various service activities organized by Bharathi Theertha. Most recently, he has shown special interest in the water and waste related initiatives and represented Bharathi Theertha as a panelist on “WWM-protecting the water resource – takeaway from the youth perspective” and Emceed “ Business Opportunities in Water and Waste management” held at the 4th International Water and Waste Management conference in Thailand, 2022. Santosh wants to pursue business as a career, with special emphasis on finance and entrepreneurship.

“No water , no life
No blue , no green”
On March 30th, 2016 some of the representatives from the Rotary Club of Naperville attended meeting in Vizianagram . They also visited Duppada district where the Rotary club of Naperville in collaboration with the Rotary Club of Vizianagram constructed a water- San complex for use by 400 people who belonged to scheduled tribes and scheduled castes. According to estimates the plant would produce a revenue of ?2,00,000 by selling safe drinking water at ?2 per 12 liters.

Back to the present the representatives who were part of the vocational training team to India were honored for influencing the people at waste water treatment plants to use more modern methods for producing cleaner and more healthier water for the people in the districts to use. They do not want to stop at this point but want to influence many more water treatment plants in AP and Telangana.

” When the wells dry we know the worth of water the most.” 

” Thousands have lived without love but not even one without water”
~W.H.Auden

Members of Bharathi Theertha, Visakhapatnam chapter and the rotary club of Naperville have taken up steps to conserve water and for its better usage not only in our rural areas but also in the developed regions of the country. They have started in Visakhapatnam by conducting workshops on the subjects discussed above which was met with a lot of appreciation and attendance. The group also includes members of Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) along with Commissioner Frank Avila and they traveled to the country just to show how improvements in local water quality in Chicago can make a huge difference to the people who handle water treatment in India.

The group mainly consisted of Dr. Prakasam Tata, retired assistant director of the MWRD’s Monitoring and Research Department and current executive director of the Center for Transformation of Waste Technology in Naperville. Dr. Tata also serves as president of the Bharathi Theertha’s Naperville chapter and vice president of the organization’s chapter in his hometown of Vizianagaram in the Andhra Pradesh State of India. Tata recruited Commissioner Avila, MWRD chairman of finance; along with Hitesh Shah, managing engineer of the John E. Egan Water Reclamation Plant in Schaumburg; Syama Pappu, MWRD electrical engineer at the Egan Plant; and Mohamedusman Baki, retired plant manager of the Kirie Water Reclamation Plant in Des Plaines, as volunteers.

The group not only conducted a workshop for students of the Andhra university in Visakhapatnam but also conducted a workshop for workers in water treatment plants teaching them new techniques and also giving them ideas to keep the water and surroundings around them clean. According to the members the workshops were a great success and they hope to conduct many more in the near future.

” Our body is 60% water so conserve water and save 60% of yourself ”

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