Mumbai: After organizing successful public awareness activities in Uttarakhand, Zee News? ?Saaf Pani Swasth Bharat? campaign reached Uttar Pradesh. The initiative is the channel?s endeavour to apprise people about the importance of clean water, the need to conserve it and draw their attention towards the plight of sacred Ganges.

In an attempt to connect and facilitate direct interaction, the next ground awareness activity was organized in Allahabad in association with ITBP & NGRBA on May 20, 2012. The event organized near the sacred Ganga bed was inaugurated by the Hon?ble Environment Minister, Mrs. Jayanti Natrajan. Appreciating the endeavour, she said ?Zee News? efforts to motivate people to conserve clean water and keep Ganga clean are highly appreciable. I am proud and privileged to be a part of this initiative.?

She added, ?Ganga is not only our national river but a symbol of India?s culture and aspirations. Ganga is our lifeline and it is our responsibility to uphold its purity. This initiative will aid in spreading the message about the need to keep it clean.?

The encouraging address was followed by the Hon?ble Minister felicitating winners of the painting competition organised by the city schools on the theme of ?Clean Ganga? The event culminated with the chief guest, reputed dignitaries and participants undertaking a pledge to keep River Ganges clean.

Speaking on behalf of Zee News, Marketing Head Mr. Rohit Kumar said, ?Both water conservation and polluted Ganga continue to pose a serious threat. For the second year, we shall endeavour to spread awareness about these threats and not only awaken people?s thought to it, but generate public response by inspiring them to act.?

Mumbai: A majority of married women in India experience domestic violence and the United Nation Population Fund Report puts that number at around two-thirds. It estimates as many as 70 per cent of married women in the country between the age of 15 and 49 are victims of beating, rape or forced sex.

Life OK?s drama series, `Saubhagyavati Bhava? seeks to highlight the plight of women who experience such abuse through the story of Jhanvi, a newly wed middle-class housemaker. Her husband Viraj suffers from Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) and the character is surprisingly both, abusive and charming at once, leaving Jhanvi physically, mentally and emotionally tortured.

To get the message across and beyond the small screen and to help alleviate the pain of women suffering this torture in everday life, Life OK has tied up with Breakthrough?s Bell Bajao initiative. The 360-degree campaign encourages men to be catalysts in bringing down cases of domestic violence.

As part of this tie-up, Life Ok and Bell Bajao will jointly host ?awareness camps? to educate people about domestic violence and its impact on society. In addition, Life Ok will use Breakthrough?s resources to train people from diverse backgrounds and communities (such as youth from marginalized backgrounds, local leaders and opinion makers, service providers, staff of government agencies, teachers, health workers) to convey knowledge, share ideas and to reshape individuals. The footprint of this initiative is spread across 7 districts in Uttar Pradesh and 5 districts in Delhi and Karnataka.

?Domestic violence is a persisting problem in our society, and it?s only through such powerful initiatives can we try and change this. The tie-up between Life Ok?s Saubhagyvati Bhava and Bell Bajao is symbiotic, and we hope to reach out to our viewers, including men, to help us in bringing about this change in society. Healthy relationships are the key to happiness in life; this is the philosophy of Life OK and its content and we hope to help everyone achieve this happiness,? says Ajit Thakur, general manager, Life OK.

?For us human rights must live in every home so that women enjoy equality and freedom? says Sonali Khan, Vice President Breakthrough India.? Saubhagyavati bahava" is entering people?s homes and raising the issue of domestic violence and is trying to shake people out of their inertia. We believe that this partnership with Life OK will help spread Bell Bajao?s message to a large audience. I am sure that this serial will get people to think and hopefully act to stop violence."