Odisha: In India, people can’t imagine their life without shopping and without throwing garbage outside their home. But there is a woman in Odisha named Janak Palta, who has given up the conventional way of living, rather chose to adapt nature in a sustainable way. Also known as “Queen of Sustainability,” this 74 years old lady has never gone for shopping, never threw away the garbage, or wasted water.
Earlier in 2015, Janak Palta received the Padma Shri Award her contributions to society.
Janak Palta contribution towards mother earth
She is the founder and director of the Jimmy McGilligan Centre for Sustainable Development, which has its headquarters in Indore. She was also the founding director of the Barli Development Institute for rural Women.
More than 1,50,000 youngsters and around 6,000 rural and tribal women from more than 1,000 communities have received training in solar cooking and organic gardening under her direction. Known affectionately as “Janak didi,” she teaches visitors and advice them on sustainable living.
Janak Palta has also discussed her experiences as an environmentalist in speeches at the UN. She represented India at a high-level discussion on sustainable development objectives at UN. The Energy and Resource Institute of India (TERI) dubbed her a “green hero.” She is a member of Solar Cookers International.
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About Janak Palta
Janak Palta McGilligan underwent open heart surgery at the age of 17 after having a near-death experience as a teen. She committed her life to preserve Mother Earth after learning to cherish all living things.
She first became aware of the world’s environmental issues in 1992, when she accepted an invitation to the first Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.
Following her husband Jimmy McGilligan’s death in 2011, she moved into his home in Sanawadia, near Indore. Her environmental pledge was then kept. Palta then completely renovated and made her home sustainable.
