IndiaMART.com Supports the Largest Citizen-driven Initiative to Clean Yamuna

    NEW DELHI, March 15, 2010 /PRNewswire/ --

    - First time association with a public initiative of such large scale.
      Associating with "Meri Dilli Meri Yamuna" (MDMY), is among the biggest
      CSR initiatives by IndiaMART.com, for a noble cause like cleaning up
      Yamuna.

    - MDMY has been initiated by the Art of Living Foundation of Sri Sri Ravi
      Shankar to clean-up Yamuna before Commonwealth Games. The effort is to
      Make this campaign a people's movement, exhorting mass participation.

    - A grand event on 16th March 2010 in Delhi to launch the initiative,
      IndiaMART.com is actively supporting the event. Starting a series of
      such steps, a massive clean-up drive on the Yamuna's bank was organized
      on 14th March.

As a responsible corporate citizen performing its corporate and social obligations at the highest level, IndiaMART.com, the country's largest online B2B marketplace, is supporting the 'Meri Delhi Meri Yamuna' (MDMY) initiative - the largest public initiative to clean up the Yamuna and restore it to its past glory, before the Commonwealth Games.

MDMY started as an initiative of The Art of Living, but it's now a full blown Citizen's Action Plan. Dozens of NGOs and Companies have already joined as Partners.

Yamuna is immensely important for the economic, ecological and basic needs of the region and its people. Sadly, over the years, it has become one of the most endangered waterways in India. More than half of 3.6 billion tonnes of sewerage produced in Delhi everyday flows into Yamuna untreated. And we are dependent on Yamuna for more than 60% of the water needed by the Delhi region. Numerous attempts have been made but with little success, and doubt still persists about what will happen in future. The Centre for Science and Environment, which regularly monitors the quality of Yamuna water, maintains that between 75% to 80% of the river's pollution is the result of raw untreated sewage. Yamuna's frothy brew has become so glaring that it can be viewed on Google Earth.

Mr. Dinesh Agarwal, Founder & CEO of IndiaMART.com expressing his views on this significant initiative said, "Almost all great cities and civilizations across the world are nestled around great rivers be it Paris, Tokyo, Seoul, New York or London. Delhi citizens too have a great river, but sadly we have stopped caring for it. It's time we show our pride in this national treasure before we loose it forever. We at IndiaMART.com are proud to play our part with the best of our abilities to help clean Yamuna, but a sustained support for a longer period of time will be required from every quarter, before we realize this dream."

The MDMY's other CSR partners include, Times of India, Star News, Phillips, SBI, Bajaj Allianz, Indraprastha Gas Limited, The UNESCO, World Bank, JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) have pledged their support for this hugely ambitious initiative. IndiaMART.com on its part is promoting the initiative across its network, and its management and employees are taking part in this clean-up drive as well.

The Meri Dilli Meri Yamuna (MDMY) citizen initiative is being formally launched on 16th March, 2010, 7 pm onwards at Purana Qila in Delhi by his holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, where the citizens and leaders from all walks of life would be present to mark the occasion. A massive cleaning drive was also undertaken on March 14th on the Yamuna bank, which will be followed a series of such steps.

The aim of MDMY is "Sparkling Yamuna Shining Delhi." Surely, the revival of Yamuna will mean a protection of our heritage and the currently endangered bio-diversity of the eco-system, and will also be a huge contributor for tourism, a healthier and sustainable urban environment and a restoration of critical water resource.

About IndiaMART.com

IndiaMART.com is India's largest online B2B marketplace connecting global buyers with suppliers through business directories, online product catalogs, buy-sell offers, industry specific marketplaces, printed media and trade shows participation.

Founded in 1996, the company has a pan-India presence in over 100 cities. With approximately 1200 employees located across 31 offices in the country, IndiaMART.com offers an extensive range of value-added products and services to its 700,000 registered members and nearly 5 million global buyers across various industries and verticals.

IndiaMART.com has won numerous awards over the years and has been widely covered by media such as CNBC, BBC, BusinessMoney, CNN, Businessworld, Economic Times, Financial Express, etc for its pioneering role in promoting SME business in the country.

Its existing investors include Intel Capital and Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd (Times Group), India's largest print media group.

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http://www.indiamart.com/press-section/

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    IndiaMART.com
    Arun Tyagi
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