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Editorial
Advisors Narne Prabhakar Kaza Krishna Rao Dr. N. Harinath Dr. V. Haraprasad
Advisory Board M. Gopala Krishna, IAS (Retd.) C.S. Ramalakshmi, I.F.S, Dr. N. Bhaskara Rao Prof. P.G. Sastry Er. G. Prabhakar Prof. D.N. Reddy Dr. Rameshwar Rao S. Raghupathy Prof. I.V. Muralikrishna
Editor Dr. P. Narayana Rao
Associate Editors Sweta Pendyala Dr. B.Ramana Naik
Sub - editor Swarajyam P.
Design arcongraphics@gmail.com
Edited, Printed & Published by P. Narayana Rao on behalf of society for environment and education, hyderabad.
Address for communication 302, Padma Nilayam, St.No. 1, Shanti Nagar, Hyderabad - 500 028.
email: nraopotturi@yahoo.com contact: 9247385331
(The views expressed by authors may not be necessarily be the same as those of
SDGS AND SOCIAL JUSTICE ebruary 24 is observed as World Day of Social Justice internationally to promote social justice while tackling issues such as poverty , social exclusion, gender equality , unemployment , human rights and social protections. United nations declared this year's theme as " closing the inequalities gap to achieve social justice ". Four years ago, in September 2015, at United Nations Summit, 17 G Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda were adopted by 193 countries and came into effect from 1st January 2016. These Goals have laid a path for the governments to achieve development that is fair , equitable, inclusive and environment friendly. Human and Environmental Rights are the basis for the SDGs and require a social justice approach for implementing them. According to Sustainable Development Report 2019,Iindia gets 115th rank out of 162 countries behind Myanmar, Nepal and Sri Lanka. India ranked 129th position in Human Development Report 2019, behind Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam. India is a home for largest number of poor people ie, 364 million out of 1.3 billion global poor(28%). India also takes 129thposition in Inequality Adjusted Human Development Index behind Iraq, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. India's richest 1% holds 42.5 % of national wealth , while bottom 50% has a mere 2.8 % of national wealth. In the Gender Development index , India(129) is far behind Turkey (59), Malaysia(61),Iran (65) which are Muslim dominated countries. Poor women and girls - the bottom of the economic pyramid- put in 19 lakh crores of rupees of unpaid care work every year .The Oxfam Report said successive governments are"massively under taxing the wealthiest individuals and corporations " and " underfunding vital public services and infrastructure " that could help reduce the work load of women and girls. Investments in water and sanitation , electricity , childcare, education and healthcare could free up women and improve their quality of life. India has ranked 102nd position in the Global Hunger index 2019 of 117 countries behind Yemen & Djibouti which are conflict ridden. In India , employment generation is very low. The youth is therefore getting into unskilled labour sector where the working conditions are precarious and wages are low. Agricultural distress is also the reason for farmer youth to migrate to urban areas in search of employment. Due to climate change and inadequate infrastructure for disaster mitigation , many people are affected due to floods and cyclones. India has the maximum number of undernourished people globally and is also diabetic capital of the world. Anemia accounts for the second most common cause (20%) of maternal deaths. The above facts suggest that SDGs are too far to be reached by our countries unless the government gives priority to weaker sections of society in implementing its policies and do justice to our Preamble in the Constitution given to themselves by the people of india.
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magazine) February 2020
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No country should
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have veto in climate talks
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Life: a constant battle near the mountains of trash
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18% Highly Polluting Industries Not Complying with Emissions Standards: Govt
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Save a bit of your loungs
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The wounds of poverty: salt workers in Achro Thar
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A money-making venture fro cattle farmers
Towards a complete eco-friendly campus
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Blink Green: Let's walk our way to a greener world.
Environment & people
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February 2020
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is saving vultures from extinction in TN
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Beco: The time has come to (be eco)-friendly
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Amazon to launch electric vehicles to reduce carbon emission in India
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Best Foods for Skin Inflammation
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Most Forest Fires in India Are Due to Human Activity
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Eco IQ
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Eco cartoons
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World Wetlands Day: What Is a Wetland, and Why Does India Need so Many?
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No country should have veto in climate talks Joydeep Gupta t'll take a global system change if this wish of former UK energy minister Claire O'Neill, who will head the next United Nations climate summit in Glasgow, were to come true "We do not have to seek unanimity and no country has the right of veto" in climate negotiations, according to Claire O'Neill, who is going to preside over the crucial 2020 UN climate summit scheduled in Glasgow this November. For O'Neill, who stepped out of the Boris Johnson cabinet after the recent British election so that she can concentrate on the summit to be held later this year at Galsgow, the way to rein in climate change is through "coalitions of the willing". US President Donald Trump is pulling his country out of the 2015 Paris agreement, but a majority of
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sub-national actors in the US are part of this coalition, she pointed out. The former British energy minister - proud of having piloted her country's "net zero" greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions goal by 2050 through a former Conservative cabinet - started her coalition building in New Delhi right at the beginning of the year. She met Indian ministers, bureaucrats, industry groups, think tanks and invited audiences. In her talk to the last group she repeatedly praised the steps India is taking to combat climate change. India and Britain are the only two G20 countries that have so far met their pledges under the 2015 Paris agreement. Crucial summit This year's climate summit becomes crucial because scientists have said countries need to first
meet and then ramp up the commitments they made in Paris, and 2020 is a milestone year for that. India has consistently held that it should not be asked to enhance its commitments before the scheduled Paris agreement stocktake in 2023. This may have been the reason O'Neill started her year of climate diplomacy in New Delhi, though she declined to say what the Indian government had told her. She is also clearly aware that the UN climate summit in Madrid last December failed over the role that financial markets can play to control GHG emissions, and this impasse may continue. She said the summit could go ahead and take crucial decisions in all other spheres. (Source: indiaclimatedialogue.net)
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Life: a constant battle near the mountains of trash Entire humankind is worried about the poor waste management and climate change but, families living near the dumping grounds are the first ones to suffer from the ill-effects of it. Sweta Pendyala aste management is a growing concern in India as it is affecting the climate and directly or indirectly giving rise to health issues in human beings. Though everyone on earth is dealing with it, the people living near dumping grounds are the ones who cannot escape from it and develop major health issues. And, kids often need to fight malnutrition too. As per Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) report, Mumbai tops in solid waste generation with over 11,000 tonnes per day followed by Delhi with an estimate of 8,700 tonnes every day. It is also estimated that the waste generated by Mumbai alone is third of what entire Maharashtra generates in a day. If not to the extent of Mumbai and Delhi, it is very evident that other major cities like Bangalore, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Chennai will be generating the solid
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waste that will do no less harm to the population near the surrounding areas. Especially, the kids that reside there. The solid wastes across the country, including major and minor cities, do not only include plastic but also biodegradable, non-biodegradable, metal and other kinds as well. These, when dumped in the ground, don’t only raise stink but also releases harmful chemicals into the air which are life-threatening. A report published by Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), on Mumbai’s Meast municipal ward, where the dumping ground is located, states, that the area has cases of malnutrition, tuberculosis and respiratory issues amongst the residents there. Talking about how the families living near the dumping grounds are suffering, Stalin Dayanand, an activist and conservationist, from an environmental NGO Vanashakti based in Mumbai, says, “We have seen and worked closely in those areas and, in Mumbai the situation is terrible. The fires in the dumping grounds are common, which release methane gas in the air.
When the people in the surrounding breathe air containing the toxins, develop respiratory issues.” “More than men, women, kids and the elders in the families who spend more time at home tend to develop diseases. With kids, it becomes more challenging as the diseases grow with age. Malnutrition in kids around these areas is also the result of poor waste management,” Stalin adds. These are the real stories that dumping grounds are growing bigger. In a parliamentary committee report published in 2018, it is mentioned that “the laissez-faire of the civic bodies of Delhi also gets reflected in the fact that the height of Ghazipur landfill site has reached as high as 65 metres which is just eight metres less than the height of the national monument Qutub Minar.” The height of the dump is maybe decreasing and increasing in a couple of places, but the problem continues to be the same. The threat to people’s life living near the stinking grounds is getting no better. Unless a proper waste management system is implemented, these health hazards will continue to grow
A New Dawn: Electric & Hybrid Cars in India Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) making campus environment-friendly and attempting to reduce carbon footprint with the introduction of its second electric car Akshat Thonangi s the name suggests, an electric car runs on energy stored within rechargeable batteries. Sounds as simple as plug, charge and go, right? Well, as it turns out, there’s a lot happening behind the scenes. As of 2019, there has been a surge in the sale of electric cars, especially in the evolving industry in India, be it in terms of government support and policies, the influx of investments, the introduction of new business or regulations. In July 2019, the Government came up with a National Mission document providing the vision and the roadmap for the faster adoption of electric vehicles and their manufacturing in the country, called The National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP) 2020. As part of the NEMMP 2020, the Department of Heavy Industry formulated a Scheme viz. Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India (FAME India) Scheme. The government supported nearly 2.78 lakh electric and hybrid vehicles with a total demand incentive of approximately Rs 343 crore for purchase of the same under PhaseI of this scheme. This was aimed at the creation of a market boom, through demand incentives for popular vehicle segments. In other words, faster adoption of electric and hybrid vehicles by way of offering an
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upfront incentive on purchase. Phase-II of the FAME India scheme, which commenced on April 1, 2019, has total budgetary support of Rs 10,000 crore over a period of three years. In 2018, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Manipal, Udupi (Karnataka) inaugurated a fleet of electrically-powered cars to add to the University’s transport fleet. This was in partnership with Mahindra. In 2020, another sparkling white Mahindra e2o electric car was bought as part of the Campus Patrol fleet. “On one full charge, the car can travel up to 99.9 km It also gives an additional range of 7 to 10 km, in case the battery slips below 10 per cent. The GPS-enabled vehicle emanates much less noise and is very comfortable to operate. It feels great to be a part of this initiative and especially driving this car at work, every day,” said the Campus Safety Officer on duty, at the famous Kamath Circle Gate- 2. Anyway, despite the schemes and incentives, there are predominantly two reasons why many Indians are still not investing in electric vehicles. Firstly, the cost factor. As it turns out, any new technology would invariably but not perennially be expensive. Secondly, it’s the change in mindset or public perception. Convincing the middle-class to go ahead and view this a long-term investment, much like LEDs. With a topdown approach, manufacturers will be able to offer future budget EVs using the aspirational value that the current vehicles offer. Nonetheless, it’s certainly not impossible, as we’re heading to foreseeable future where (within the next decade) electric and hybrid vehicles may become part of the order of the day. The need of the hour is to spread
awareness across tier- 1 and tier- 2 cities about the benefits and larger picture behind adopting this technology. It will help save the environment and reduce the carbon footprint, in urban areas. The downside, however, is that for a generation that has got used mileage yielding cars that take you to long distances, it would seem burdensome to re-calibrate oneself to a system of charging the car and being able to drive it within just about half the range as compared to internal combustion-powered vehicles, as per the current scenario. Also, at present, the charging infrastructure at present is quite sparse and is most available in the major metro cities. All the manufacturers that produce or sell EVs in India offer home charging solutions as well as charging ports at their dealerships. Companies like Tata Power have publicly announced a list of charging stations in various locations across the country but even these are mostly concentrated in the major metro cities. 11 states have either issued or proposed electric vehicle policies to date. While Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala have their final policies ready, states like Uttarakhand, Telangana, New Delhi and Bihar have their policies in the draft stage. Karnataka and Maharashtra also offer zero RTO fees, upon purchase of an electric vehicle. The future of this industry, along with a few hurdles, still looks pretty promising. February 2020
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Blink Green: Let's walk our way to a greener world. Making footwear out of discarded tyre scraps is an ingenious way to handle the very real problem of old and unwanted tyres. Ruehie Karri he impact that discarded and otherwise waste-tyres, pose to the environment, is severely understated. Recycling tyres cost a fortune and involve the burning of these tyres, which leads to air pollution. Micro plastics generated from tyres is a major reason for marine pollution. Another troubling issue with discarding old tyres is that they contain toxic chemicals and metals that leach into
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the soil, causing soil pollution. When a start-up like Blink Green takes charge of up cycling waste tyre scraps, in a completely ecofriendly manner, to manufacture charming footwear, it is time to sit up and pay attention. Pooja Apte-Badamikar, the founder of Blink Green, was always interested in running her own business albeit, with an eco-friendly cause. Despite working in a multinational company like Capgemini, she found time to pursue an MBA degree in renewable energy from Teri University, Delhi. "It was always my dream to work toward creating something that will help better our environment. After work-
ing for four years, I decided to resign and concentrate on researching, to start my own company. That is when I came across different methods of up cycling waste," says Pooja. According to the Australian Tyre Recyclers Association (ATRA), pyrolysis treatment of endof-life tyres is an environmental hazard that should be banned in developing countries, such as India. Also, these old or discarded tyres cannot be used again for vehicles as stated by a policy set by our Government. These reasons compelled Pooja to come up with some product that not only upcycles tyre scraps but also can be used regular-
and 'TAL', which stands for sole in Sanskrit," says Pooja when asked as to how she came up with the name, 'NEMITAL' for her footwear brand. The next three months were crucial in developing two different prototypes of footwear, one made out of discarded aeroplane tyres and the other out of old truck tyres. In October, 2018, she participated in a competition called the Start-up Yatra, organised by Start-up India in association with the Maharashtra State Innovation Society where she
presented her two prototypes. Needless to say, Pooja was the runner up in the 'Upcoming Woman Entrepreneur' category and won a cash prize of 50,000 rupees. This paved the way for the start of the company in earnest. The costs of procuring the raw material, hiring local cobblers to manufacture the footwear and, marketing her brand were all covered through the money, from the competition. A walkthrough of the manufacturing process To stay true to her oath of staying completely eco-friendly, no chemical processes are involved in the up cycling of tyres to produce footwear. The discarded tyre scraps are sourced from the local rag pickers in Pune, who cut the tyres into individual strips and deliver. Now,
ly. Blink Green: The Journey Pooja, an electronics engineer quit her job in July, 2018, in her quest for starting her own business. Working with tyre scraps to up cycle them and create a viable product is a dicey process. Trying to strike a balance between regular usage of the product and health safety wherein no physical touch of the product is required, she came up with the idea of manufacturing customised footwear out of tyre scraps and thus, Blink Green was born. "I was toying around with words relating to tyres and shoes in different languages and landed upon the words, 'NEMI', which stands for tyre
these tyre strips are cut into the shape of a sole, with the help of machines. Then cushioning of the sole is done using EVA (Ethylene Vinyl Acetate) sheets which offer the best shock absorbing properties on the planet. The customisation of the footwear takes place next. The belt of the shoe is made out of cloth and hand stitched by a tailor. The finishing is done by the cobblers themselves and voila, a brand-new pair of footwear is ready to go. Staying at par with the competition "The main competition I face is from the footwear that is made in China and sold for extremely cheap rates at the local markets here. The prices are as low as Rs 100 to Rs
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200 per pair, which is not possible for me to meet. My brand ranges from Rs 500 to Rs 1000. It is the only viable pricing range and, it got me thinking, why would any customer pay double or triple the normal price? Something has to set my model apart. That is when I came up with the concept of customized footwear. Depending on the design and model required by the customer, we cater to their needs and produce an original pair of ethnic shoes that have not been seen in the market before. This type of marketing model is called the 'Pull Model.' It helps keep the creativity flowing, inspiring me to come up with newer and prettier designs. The other model of marketing that I follow is something known as the 'Push Model' where my brand of footwear is produced in bulk and outsourced to fashion boutiques, clothing stores and other franchises," shares Pooja. It has not been a smooth walk One of the main obstacles that Pooja has faced while starting her venture is the reluctance of the cobblers to use rubber tyres as shoe soles. They believed that this method is outdated, is not wieldy to use and, even the finishing of the shoe looks rough as the tyre is visible. She overcame their objections by explaining to them that there is a bigger picture here, one that is concerned with the upcycling of discarded tyres and the reduction of dumping them in the landfills. Another major challenge is the very difficult process of convincing customers to pay more for her footwear and trying to change their thought process when it comes to purchasing a product. Be it any product, what goes into the making of it and the impact it has on our environment are two very important questions that need to be asked in this day of severe pollution crisis.
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The future of Blink Green "I want to increase the production of my line, 'Nemital' and start tying up with major clothing and fashion brands. Right now, my products are delivered pan India with the actual manufacturing taking place in Pune and partially in Mumbai. I have plans of introducing new products such as bags made out of discarded tyre tubes and the straps of a wristwatch, thereby replacing leather with rubber tyre," says Pooja. According to her, she has sold over 550 pairs of footwear till now, which contributes in a huge way of reducing discarded tyre waste. Pooja's goal is to up cycle as many tyres as possible and better our environment in every way available to her.
18% Highly Polluting Industries Not Complying with Emissions Standards: Govt
The environment ministry has refused to provide information on pollutants taken from existing CEMS, arguing that the data is 'voluminous'. s many as 732, or 18% highly polluting industries that were required to install online continuous emissions monitoring systems (CEMS), have not complied, the government told parliament on Tuesday. The disclosure was in response to a question by Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien. In 2014, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had directed state pollution control boards to ensure that the CEMS are installed in all highly polluting industries. As of the end of July 2019, 4,245 such industries have been identified according to the government’s response in parliament. As many as 3,513 of these industries had installed the CEMS, as required by CPCB. Experts have argued that it’s not quite clear how the figure of 4,245 has been arrived at. “Each of the larger industrial states of India have tens of thousands of ‘high pollution potential’ industries notified by CPCB which need to share their pollution data in the public domain on daily basis,” said Ronak Sutaria, founder and CEO of Urban Sciences, a government approved real-time air quality monitoring start up. Maharashtra’s state pollution control board, for instance, has identified 23,500 industries with ‘high pollution potential’ and 25,500 industries with ‘medium pollution potential’. But, according to the Centre’s response in parliament there are 595 ‘targeted units’ in Maharashtra, of which 431 have installed CEMS.
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CEMS is an essential tool to monitor air and water pollution at source. Under the system, the industries discharging effluents and pollutants are constantly monitored as the data is transmitted to a monitoring authority. Any breach, at any moment in time, can trigger an alert for the monitoring authorities to take action. O’Brien had also asked the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change to release the data on pollutants taken from the installed CEMS. But the ministry refused to provide this information arguing that the data is ‘voluminous’. The data is meant to be useful to those living close to polluting industries to know the extent and magnitude of pollutants being emitted by these industries. But, the CEMS data is made available only to the CPCB and not put out in the public domain. (Source: thewire.in)
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Authorities need to move now to expand straw gasification and combat the next airpocalypse that is worsened by farm residue burning every spring and autumn by Shreeshan V. he masks are back in north India. Air quality in the region that includes national capital Delhi plummeted to
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the lower end of the "Very Poor" category in 2019 autumn and 2019-20 winter. Unsurprisingly, the dip was accompanied by a small jump in the share of pollution from biomass burning. This pattern is now well established and was particularly stark last autumn during the end October-early November 'airpocalypse' that paralysed north India, and especially the national capital region (NCR). During the worst phase, schools were closed, flights diverted, trains cancelled and several offices in the NCR asked employees
to work from home as air quality remained stuck at extremely hazardous levels for several days running. According to the attribution modelling carried out by the government, the contribution of crop burning in neighbouring states where paddy stubble was being cleared by fire hovered around 40% for PM2.5 levels in Delhi. As satellite images of the burning farms in India's northwest went viral, monitoring by the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR)
revealed around 23,000 farm fires between October 28 and November 8 in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Burning of crop residue Criminal charges were filed en masse against farmers. A carrot was in the offing too, as governments rushed to procure paddy stubble and announced financial incentives to farmers towards the end of November under pressure from the Supreme Court. There were already subsidies on the purchase price of deep tilling machines popularly known as Happy Seeders, towards which the central government earmarks millions of rupees each year. In 2019, the scheme had an allocation of INR 11.5 billion (USD 160 million). Government intervention thus far though has been akin to applying duct tape on a cracked dam wall, says agriculture and trade policy analyst Devinder Sharma. "Efforts from the government are nowhere near as sustained or as widespread as is required. The last minute efforts to procure paddy stubble, for example, has amounted to the collection of just 1-2% of the total residue. With the manpower and capacity that the government currently deploys, it is impossible to procure the massive amounts of residue. Just Punjab generates around 20 million tonnes, which is way beyond the government's procurement capacity unless proper working channels are established that reach all paddy growing areas." While farmers are given a lot of stick for their seasonal role in Delhi's air woes, there is no sign of the concerted effort required to comprehensively tackle the issue. "Paddy stubble burning, at the heart of the matter, is an economic decision taken by farmers. There is absolutely no reason for farmers to hold out if they can earn anything from the procurement of the stubble," Sharma said. "Instead, the government has been pushing heavy machinery down their throats through subsidies, which just does not work out given their high costs and low efficiencies. The fact that air pollution is not solely the result of seasonal stubble burning, and rather a symptom of overall failures in controlling industrial, vehicular and construction emissions is not lost on the farmer," Sharma said. "The problem is one of priority. It is well known that if the
administration earmarks and disburses adequate funds, which incidentally are a fraction of the bonuses it announces for government employees every year, this issue would have been resolved by now." Biomass resource atlas According to the biomass resource atlas published by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), India produces 495.85 million tonnes (MT) of crop every year, which results in the generation of 511.04 MT of biomass. Of this, about 145
MT is deemed to be surplus. Residue from paddy holds the largest share by far in this biomass generation, amounting to around a third of both the total biomass generated and the surplus biomass. Strikingly, over 33% of this surplus crop residue, or around 50 MT, comes from the three states of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. According to experts, handling such quantities of crop residue requires not only reactive measures but the setting up of wellplanned infrastructure that go beyond view-
ing paddy stubble, and crop residue in general, as a seasonal scourge. "The significance placed on Happy Seeders as a solution to crop stubble management is a testament to the short-sightedness of government policies, especially in light of seasonal changes due to climate change which has reduced the turnaround period between the kharif (autumn) harvest of paddy and rabi (winter) sowing of wheat to just around 15 days," said Yogender Yadav, a post-doctoral fellow at the Sardar Swaran Singh National Institute of BioEnergy in Punjab. "This turnaround period
is too short for effective clearance by expensive Happy Seeder machines which cost up to INR 400,000 and can clear just 45 acres a day. A long-term approach would require setting up of strong procurement channels and establishment of infrastructure close to sites of procurement, which can enable a circular economy with regards to the stubble." Crop stubble as resource Despite the momentum in exploring alternative fuel sources over the past decade February 2020
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or so, the transformational change of viewing crop stubble as resource rather than residue has not yet come to fruition in any discernible way. Prominent among the proposals to manage crop stubble has been the possibility of gasification which entails the conversion of crop stubble into natural gas through so-called digesters. Gasification is basically the process of converting the heterogenous organic mixture of crop residues into natural gas through a series of processes involving heating and drying, pyrolysis, oxidation, and reduction heating - all in a specially designed digestion tank. The efficiency of the process depends on a variety of factors including biomass composition, moisture content, ash content, heating value, size, bulk density, char reactivity, gasi?cation temperature and equivalence ratios. While currently, India's bioenergy capacity is around 9.5 GW, some 14% of the total renewable potential, a 2016 evaluation published in the journal Energy Policy pegs the total potential to be between 23-35 GW, of which cereals alone account for anywhere between 19-28 GW, depending on the thermal efficiency. Incidentally, paddy residue accounts for almost 40% of all residue generated from cereals. Not a silver bullet The gasification option is no silver bullet, and requires careful planning to be viable. "Compared to waste such as sugarcane bagasse, rice straw energy yields are seen to be poor. Added to this are the high capital investments and technological bottlenecks which have together limited investments in bioenergy alternatives for paddy stubble and other cereal residues," said S. Bhuvaneshwari, an assistant professor at SRM University who has been working on effective methods of crop residue management. "So far, scalable, large-scale projects have failed to yield dividends and this is evident in the stunted growth of the sector." The gulf in viability is clearly visible when one compares the proliferation of processing units turning sugarcane bagasse into ethanol with those for other crops such as paddy which are still few and far between despite the significant quantities of residue generated. Over 60% of the total bioenergy capacity of 9.4 GW comes from just three states - Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka -ostensibly due to the large-scale Environment & people
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sugarcane farming and refining in these states. Bioenergy utilisation from non-bagasse agricultural residues by comparison has been paltry at under 700 MW, just about 7.5% of the total. For Uttar Pradesh, the state with the highest installed non-bagasse bioenergy capacity, the installed capacity amounts to 170 MW, just 8% of its total. Put together, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh utilise less than 400 MW of their non-bagasse bioenergy potential despite generating a third of the total biomass surplus.
Economic viability Economic viability of such units may also depend on how they are planned and set up rather than solely on potential for conversion to gas. Take, for example, the case of the 1 MW capacity gasification plant set up by Sampurn Agri Ventures Pvt. Ltd. In Fazilka, Punjab. The plant, in operation since 2006, works 350 days a year, digesting 25 tonnes of paddy straw a day and producing 1.247 MWh per year, which is sold to the government. Apart from generating energy and employment for locals, the project had a payback period of just over five years. But efforts to scale such experiences have failed so far, mainly due to the cookiecutter, one-size-fits-all approach that central
and state governments have been pursuing, said Yadav. "The current shoot-and-scoot approach that governments undertake each year around this (stubble burning) time is not only short-sighted but also betrays poor understanding of the issue." "The only way in which the entire process can be viable and ensure a good pay-back period for investments is if small units are set up close to sites of procurement with good facilities for storage of raw material and energy produced. This is the only way this process becomes profitable and viable," said Yadav. Achieving this requires continued government support which has been nearabsent so far. "So far governments have been chasing numbers with planned plants of several MW capacities, which is why each year several plans are announced for bioenergy investments and yet nothing takes off. Government support and longterm planning is imperative to ease requirements of capital investments," Yadav said. "With good support such projects established through cooperatives could yield great results. Unfortunately, there seems to be little sign of such movement." Transformational change seldom grows from stop-gap, reactive measures. As the issue of crop burning recedes from the front pages of newspapers, one can only hope that the next harvesting season brings with it sustained action and policy initiatives that look at stubble burning as more than just a month of inconvenience, pressure and passing the buck. Going by experience, the odds that the authorities will do some long-term planning remain discouraging. To put it in perspective, stubble burning leads to air pollution peaks every spring and autumn, while the bulk of air pollution from coal-fired power plants, oil burning vehicles and dust-spewing construction activities remain mostly unaddressed. So, even largescale gasification of rice and wheat straw will save only a bit of your lungs. Under pressure, the Indian government produced a National Clean Air Plan, but that remains a record of pious intentions, almost none of which has been implemented yet. (Source: indiaclimatedialogue.net)
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cotourism Is The Solution To OvertourismOvertourism is a grave challenge that is harming the entire tourism industry. It has been covered in media and publications increasingly as a problem that stems from the very concept of travel, even if it encompasses just a small part of it. Overtourism is not only completely unsustainable, it is a growing problem that should be taken seriously. Policy responses to it are, in many cases, as clumsy and ill-considered as the policies which produced it in the first place. Overtourism can negatively affect travelers’ sentiment as well as the small-scale sustainable tourism industry. Let us be clear from the outset: Overtourism does not result from ecotourism, and the principles of those who extol increasing tourism revenue to a destination at any cost are completely antithetical to those of ecotourism. Overtourism— which in its simplest form is tourism that harms communities by overuse or destruction of resources through overcrowding— stems from a lack of concern about destination community health and welfare. Again, this is entirely the opposite of the fundamental tenet of ecotourism. Overtourism is the inevitable result of tourism that only considers the privilege of a tourist rather than a partnership between the traveler and the people of a destination. It is clear from our research and from the facts on the ground that the people, culture, environment and natural resources of a community are the most integral parts of tourism, not the traveler. Overtourism is a
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common problem in some “hot spots” where degradation caused by inflow can vastly overwhelm even the benefits of tourism revenue, especially when that revenue is not distributed equitably. Developing countries are particularly sensitive to the effects of overtourism in their natural, economic, and social environments. Their waste and sewage systems are ill equipped to support large influxes of people, and overtourism often overwhelmingly litters the destination. Locals are pushed out of their homes and do not even get to participate in the tourism revenue economic benefits that result from the very use of their home communities. Wildlife habitats are razed down or compromised to make way for increased construction, culminating in the destruction of local communities. Ecotourism is a positive alternative and the solution to this swelling crisis. Ecotourism can provide a near term, relatively low-cost solution to overtourism if it is implemented correctly. Ecotourism allows revenue to be distributed more evenly to underserved areas, while ensuring that tourism revenue stays within and works for the communities that engage in it. Consider the following, only a few of the many differences between ecotourism and overtourism that underscore this contrast and highlight why ecotourism is a very sound solution: Ecotourism l Results from carefully planned tourism policies developed in partnership with communities, indigenous peoples, con-
l l l
servationists, and experts. Considers the health and welfare of the community as one of the main goals of travel Encourages travelers to diffuse naturally to areas underserved by tourism Preserves and cares for natural resources Results in sustainable revenue for the community
Overtourism l Results from unplanned, poorly managed tourism that seeks to maximize revenue by allowing as many tourists as possible l Concentrates tourists into small areas without regard to the destruction this causes l Considers revenue as the chief goal of tourism l Results in the destruction of natural environment l Results in tourism revenue going to a few privileged people The growth of ecotourism will decrease overtourism, but our industry, and the wider travel industry as a whole, can be the part of the solution by: l Creating more educational opportunities for professionals who are passionate about sustainability l Increasing the awareness of tourism’s impacts among travelers l Facilitating partnerships among professionals, organizations, communities, businesses, and travelers l Promoting sustainable initiatives around the world All of the above are goals of TIES. (Source: ecotourism.org/)
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The wounds of poverty: salt workers in Achro Thar
Labourers collecting salt from Achro Thar's lakes in Pakistan's Sindh province are paid low wages and live in miserable conditions Sindh's Achhro Thar desert is known for its beautiful landscape of sand dunes and lakes. Spread across 23,000 square kilometres, the saline 'white desert' named after its natural white sand only produces enough green vegetation to sustain a small amount of livestock. For this reason, its residents are dependent on the eight salt producing lakes in Achhro for a living. The Indus ecoregion is home to a number of salt lakes, such as Mudaker, Busriyo, Kharorr, Sanhrri, Banddhi Wari, Senhari and Pani Wari. After a heavy downpour, the Environment & people
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lakes fill up with water and the salt appears on the surface. Salt lakes are formed when water is retained in the river basin along with the salt and minerals. When the water evaporates, it leaves behind dissolved salts. The salt is farmed when it reaches a specific thickness and is later refined. Although this 'solar evaporation' mining is done with the help of machines in some parts of the world, in Achhro the men and women living in huts close to these lakes do this by hand. Achar Kolhi has been working on these salt lakes for years. His arms, legs and hands are covered with a salt layer. His feet are covered with green spots - a self-styled 'treatment' for cuts to the skin. "This is Samad bond (a local glue)," he
said. "I often get injured while working in the salt lake, so I apply it because nothing else can prevent salt from entering the wound. We often use this remedy for salt water so we can continue to work." Samad bond is not a medicine or ointment. It is locally used, especially by carpenters, to stick together different household items. The miners, however, use this glue to apply a thick layer over their injuries sustained by digging the hard surface of the salt. Achar added, "We do not get any medicine for our injuries. It is enough for us to save our wounds from salt by applying this bond." The wounds are usually on the hands and fingertips. A salt collector sells his product in solid blocks. The collectors rub it in their hands to make it finer, sometimes leading to fine injuries. Their feet, too, pay a price, as small sharp salt stones can cut them open. Achar has been working on the lakes since he was a child. He comes early in the morning and works till 6 PM. Along with hundreds of other workers, he spends hours
digging the hard layer of salt from the lake surface and crushing it. They then wash it with water and put the salt into bags. The miners working on these salt lakes live in destitute conditions with no access to healthcare and no money to travel out for miles to visit a medical centre. Many of them live in jhuggis (huts) made of straw and wooden sticks which are erected close to the lakes. Women and men work together, but the earning of both will still keep them below the poverty line. A loader gets PKR 400 (USD 2.58) for a truck. Eight workers fill the bags during loading, and a bag filler earns PKR 3,000 (USD 19.38) per month. The person who ties the bag also receives PKR 3,000 per month.
For a single bag, Achar is paid a mere PKR 1.50 (USD 0.009) rupees in wages. "It is cheap labour but we do not have a choice," Achar said. His father, too, was a salt collector. "Perhaps my son will also be a salt miner." Exploiting cheap labour The salt collected from these lakes is transported across the country, but the whole business is run through an informal system in the hands of local contractors who do not follow any labour laws. In violation of Pakistan's labour laws, there is no social security or employees' insurance from the government's Old Age Benefits Institution. One contractor denies workers' complaints. "Workers themselves are willing to work on cheap wages. These
locals have been doing this job for many generations, they are happy with us," he said, requesting that he not be named. He added, "They are used to working without safety kits. Injuries and wounds are common but they treat them by using some local methods. Their health is not critical." And while his meaning was that the health of the workers was not critically bad, it is also obvious that the health of workers is not criticially important to the contractors or government. Kirshan, a resident of Bakhreeji village by the lake, has been filling bags for six years. He is now 18 years old. "I have been doing this job along with my father, who is a loader on a truck. I fill bags with salt and he loads them on the February 2020
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"Did you know that Chennai's Chromepet once had more Egyptian Vultures than crows?" asks Subbaiah Bharathidasan, a conservationist. N Vinoth Kumar hose were the days when that part of the city processed leather using vegetable tanning. When the leather industry in the region started using chrome tanning, the place got its name as 'Chromepet'. That sounded the death knell for the vultures in the city," he says. Not just Chromepet, which is on the outskirts of Chennai, in Egmore too, he says, a birder had sighted the nesting of Egyptian Vulture at the building of St. Andrew's Church. "The birder recorded the nesting of the bird at the same place for the next 20 years," he says. The older scientific name of the Egyptian Vulture was Neophron ginginianus, suggesting that the bird was
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largely sighted in Gingee near Tiruvannamalai. The decline in the numbers is not happening only to the Egyptian vultures but also other species like Whitebacked vulture, Red-headed vulture and Long-billed vulture. India is home to nine of the 23 vulture species, and of these, four are largely found in Tamil Nadu. According to one account, the vulture numbers in the '80s was around 40 million and has now come down to a few thousands. While Egyptian and White-backed vulture species are categorised as 'endangered' species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Red-headed and Long-billed vulture species are categorised as 'critically endangered' meaning that their numbers are decreasing drastically. Vultures act as scavengers, eating carcasses and thereby, playing an important role of keeping the ecosystem clean and healthy and preventing the spread of disease. In order to conserve the vultures, Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), along with Haryana government came up with a project called 'Vulture Conservation and Breeding Centres' (VCBC). Currently there are nine VCBCs across India and through in-situ conservation there are around 700 vultures being protected in these centres. After the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power at the Centre, it rechristened the centres as Jatayu Conservation and Breeding Centres (JCBC). Bharatidasan says the population of Egyptian Vulture in Tamil Nadu is less than 10 now, and attributes the reduction to urbanisation and deforestation. The former environment journalist's efforts to conserve vultures are focussed in villages along the Western
Ghats, especially in the Moyar valley of Mysore-Nilgiris corridor, as a result of which he founded Arulagam, a non-profit organisation with his friends in Coimbatore, at the foothills of the Ghats, in 2002. Killer drug Here, he discovered that vultures were affected by feeding on carcasses of animals that had been given a drug called Diclofenac, a painkiller for joint pains, even resulting in death. This is especially true for cattle, whose owners or veterinarians, administered Diclofenac. In hilly areas of The Nilgiris, cattle are prone to falling on the rocks or attack by predators like tigers and leopards due to which they develop injuries and pain. Diclofenac and its variants are administered as painkillers and even to treat
udder swelling disease but does not effectively cure the problem. In 2006, the Centre banned Diclofenac for cattle. However, its variants such as Nimesulide, Aceclofenac, Flunixin and Ketoprofen filled that vacuum, says Bharathidasan. These drugs have a half-life of 21 days, that is, after 21 days, the concentration of the drug in the animal body will be half of the starting dose. "If a cow or buffalo has developed inflammation, which cannot be seen by humans, then there are possibilities that the cattle can die. If death occurs within 21 days, that becomes a problem for vultures," Bharatidasan says. "Tribal people in these regions do not have the means to bury or cremate the carcasses. So they just leave them in the forests. When vultures feed on these carcasses, the chemicals in the drugs started to sediment in their kidneys and within a cou-
ple of days after feeding, they die," he explains. For this reason, he also says that if a cattle has been injected with Diclofenac or its variants, its milk should not be consumed for 21 days. Apart from consuming dead cattle with traces of Diclofenac, vultures also have died due to deliberate poisoning of carcasses by humans. Cattle owners do this to protect their cattle from predators in the forests. They poison the carcasses with substances like Phorate which is made up of chemical substances such as organophosphates. Many researches have shown that these drugs have caused 95 per cent drop in the count of vulture species of the genus Gyps. Despite knowing this, veterinarians still use these drugs. Bharatidasan says this is because these
in behaviour among poor villagers or cattle owners. They started procuring ghee made from the milk of cattle that was not administered Diclofenac or variants and sold them under the brand 'Vulture friendly Wild Ghee'. "80 per cent of the profit from the sale of the ghee will be given to the cattle owners," Bharatidasan says. Arulagam is carrying out this intervention in Anaikatti village in Moyar valley. "The village is mostly inhabited by Irulas. We do not even suggest to use Meloxicam but are asking the tribals to use their traditional knowledge and come up with their own medicines prepared with the help of herbals," Bharathidasan adds. Saraswathi, a resident of Anaikatti, says she always resorted to traditional medicines to treat the wounds of her cattle.
drugs give immediate relief. But alternatives like meloxicam, which are more effective, can take some time, he says. In 2015, the use of multi-vial dose of Diclofenac was brought down from 30 ml to 3 ml and that too only for human use. However, many veterinarians use this human-use prescribed Diclofenac to treat the cattle, he says. That same year, the Tamil Nadu government decided not to purchase Ketoprofen. In 2019, due to Arulagam's efforts, the state government has restricted the use of the drug Flunixin, in three districts, The Nilgiris, Coimbatore and Erode. The restrictions had a positive impact. The numbers of the vultures are increasing year on year.
"After Arulagam members created awareness, we also stopped burying or cremating the dead calves. We just leave them in the forest," she said. Bharatidasan says they had planned on adding value to the milk produced by such cattle owners, but since these people stayed in remote locations, preservation of milk, butter or curd was estimated to be an expensive affair. "So we resorted to ghee. Earlier we sold one kilo ghee for Rs.650. The amount will be credited directly into the cattle owners' bank accounts," he says. Since the ghee is produced from the milk of native breeds of cattle and free of Diclofenac and its variants, it is 'organic', and hence, well received by people, he adds.
Ghee from Diclofenac-free milk This came as a shot in the arm for vulture conservationists. To keep up pace, Arulagam decided to encourage a change
(Source: thefederal.com)
February 2020
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Environment & people
Are we environmentally conscious yet? Well, not to worry because this particular startup is just that. Not only is it environmentally conscious, but also helps others to choose ecofriendly alternatives.
Ruehie Karri lastic waste, the fastest growing and definitely the most talked about in terms of recycling. What needs to be given the attention it deserves is a startup coming up with completely eco-friendly alternatives that not only avoid single-use plastic, but shun it like the plague. Meet Beco, a Mumbai based startup that concentrates solely on manufacturing products made out of bamboo, sugarcane and corn starch, thereby cutting out the use of plastic altogether. Single-use plastics such as grocery bags, bottles, straws, food packaging and lot more have become a major problem to the environment, for being nonbiodegradable and taking thousands of years to disintegrate. Extrapolation of a study published by the Central Pollution Control Board showed that India generates a massive figure of 26,000 tonnes of plastic waste per day.
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Case in point is a little story that one of the founders of Beco, Aditya Ruia shared with us while describing the journey leading to the formation of Beco. "Taking part in beach clean-up drives has always been a regular activity in my family. But seeing the beach degrade at such a fast pace was incredibly upsetting to me. More so by the fact that I used to find chocolate wrappers lying around in the garbage, wrappers of bars of chocolate, which had not been in production since the 90s. It dawned on me that simply recycling plastic waste will not be helpful, considering the rate at which it is being generated," says Aditya. This haunting revelation formed the inception of Beco with heavy research going into developing products from purely plant-based materials. Beco: The inception Aditya, a manufacturing engineer from
BITS, Pilani put forward his ideas and concerns to his brother, Anuj. Together they enlisted their friend, Akshay Varma's help, a graduate in Material Sciences from IIT Madras, to start something that can make a positive impact in today's polluted world. The main focus was on introducing greener alternatives to single-use plastic. This will allow a major reduction in plastic consumption and moving forward, complete eradication of plastic in the future. Thus, Beco came to life in March, 2019 with a whole range of eco-friendly and natural home products such as garbage disposal bags, tissue rolls, reusable kitchen towels, facial tissues and other kitchenware. You may think that such products may not generate much plastic waste, but the figure lies at roughly four tonnes of waste generated per family in a year. Offering viable alternatives to such products that are used on a daily basis is actually an ingenuous way to combat plastic consumption. It
allows consumers a choice between healthier and greener products and regular plasticinfused products. Slowly and surely, consumer behaviour will change, with them becoming more socially conscious and mindful of the products that they are using. Go green: From scratch till the final product Using 100 per cent plant-based materials has its own advantages. The by-products generated when making tissue paper out of bamboo are reused to make manufacture toothpicks. There is a lot less wastage of raw materials, which helps in reducing our carbon footprint as well. One concept that is again unique to Beco is that even the packaging of their products is done with recycled and craft papers. What exactly do we understand when coming across words like sustainable, ecofriendly or natural? The answer is, those products should not harm the environment more than it already is and the raw materials used to manufacture such products are renewable. While shifting to products made
out of paper, we should keep in mind that this will lead to an increase in the cutting down of trees. Using garbage disposal bags made out of corn starch is an ideal example of a sustainable product which does not put additional stress on trees or other natural resources and, this is why bamboo was their choice of raw material. Aditya says, "Bamboo grows five times faster than other trees which allows for plenty of raw material to work with. Also, it is not uprooted but harvested, which makes it sustainable." The fine art of pricing products "We, at Beco, are very conscious of what goes into the making of our products. We are also aware that affordability plays a very important part in the success of a product. Our main aim is to make sure that our eco-friendly products are priced at a similar or slightly higher rate as their non ecofriendly counterparts. Undoubtedly, this is a challenge as procuring raw material is quite expensive," says Aditya. Instead of following competitive pricing strategies, Beco's products are priced at affordable rates, making them accessible to everybody. Take for
instance, Beco's cotton buds. A pack of 200 swabs is priced at Rs 45 and a box of facial tissues is priced at Rs 90. This is in the same price range as that of similar non-recyclable products. Beco's wide reach and strong impact on the environment With their brand being represented in over 1,500 stores in Mumbai and in e-commerce websites such as Nykaa and Amazon and their own online marketplace, LetsBeco.coms, they are creating waves with their one of a kind approach to reduce single-use plastic consumption. Even though Beco was started quite recently, the impact the sale of their products had on the environment speaks volumes, namely 120 tonnes of averted plastic waste! This is no easy feat and tonnes of (cont. on page no. 32)
February 2020
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Amazon to launch electric vehicles to reduce carbon emission in India Amazon announced that its fleet of delivery vehicles in India will include 10,000 electric vehicles (EVs) by 2025 covering the major and minor cities Nishitha Pokala Significant progress in the Indian emobility industry in the last few years has led to advanced technology, superior motor and battery components. Additionally, the government is focusing to encourage the adoption of electric vehicles in the country, and step towards setting up of charging infrastructure with the FAME 2 policy. Taking this scheme into consideration, Amazon India, yet again took a major initiative towards the betterment of the environment by launching electric vehicles (EVs). Recently, Amazon announced that its fleet of delivery vehicles in India will include 10,000 electric vehicles (EVs) by 2025. This commitment was made after successful pilots across India in different cities, results from which have helped the company initiate scalable and long term EVs.
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Amazon India with the introduction of electric vehicles, aims to reduce carbon emissions and environmental impact of delivery operations. Designed and manufactured in India, the fleet of 10,000 EVs will include three-wheeler and four-wheeler vehicles. In 2020, these vehicles will operate in over 20 cities of India -- Delhi NCR, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Pune, Nagpur and Coimbatore to name a few, and this number will continue to grow. Akhil Saxena, vice president, Customer Fulfillment - APAC & Emerging Markets, Amazon, in a statement said , "At Amazon India, we are committed to building a supply chain that will minimise the environmental impact of our operations. The expansion of our Electric Vehicle fleet to 10,000 vehicles by 2025 is an integral milestone in our journey to become an energy efficient leader in the industry. We will continue to invest in the electrification of our delivery fleet, thereby reducing our dependence on non-renewable resources." The launch of EVs is another step towards the overall sustainability commitment at Amazon India. In September 2019, Amazon became the first signatory of the
Climate Pledge, which states that the company will be net zero carbon by 2040 across its businesses. As part of the pledge, globally, Amazon announced its plans to introduce 10,000 of EVs into its delivery fleet in 2022 and 100,000 vehicles by 2030 - saving fourmillion metric tons of carbon per year by 2030. Amazon India's other sustainability initiatives include replacing plastic with 100 per cent recyclable paper, eliminating single use plastic for packaging from fulfillment centers, using biodegradable boxes for packaging, by reducing packaging waste, introducing water conservation methods to make operations more sustainable, etc. Also, an advanced energy management system provides building operators with a dashboard that enables them to optimize energy use and identify opportunities for further savings. With such bold steps, Amazon is not only contributing to a better environment but also inspiring many other companies to take a step towards developing a sustainable environment which can make a huge difference leading to a healthy and happy society.
Best Foods for Skin Inflammation 1. Salmon Is rich in omega-3 fats, which have been shown to reduce inflammatory markers, support immune function, and improve inflammatory skin conditions. Some studies show that fish can fight inflammatory and autoimmune conditions that affect the skin, including psoriasis and lupus. Omega-3s also protect skin from dryness and itching and may decrease sensitivity to the sun. Salmon is also high in vitamin D, which may benefit people with psoriasis. And while some people with eczema may be sensitive to fish, research shows an early introduction of fish in the diet can decrease the risk of eczema in infants. 2. Carrots Are loaded with carotenoids, powerful antioxidants that fight inflammation and improve immune function. Beta carotene, in particular, has powerful skin-protective properties and can reduce UV sensitivity. Studies show that people with psoriasis have lower skin carotenoid levels than people without psoriasis, and other research suggests that beta carotene can prevent eczema flare-ups. Studies of people with eczema show similar results. Other foods high in carotenoids include carrots, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, mangoes,
and papaya. 3. Blueberries Are high in anthocyanins, antioxidant compounds that reduce inflammation and improve immune function. Some research also suggests that anthocyanins help regulate the interplay between inflammation and obesity, important because studies show a link between obesity and psoriasis. Blueberries are also high in quercetin, a flavonoid that can mitigate histamine, a compound in the body that’s involved in inflammation. Studies suggest that quercetin can reduce the symptoms of psoriasis and prevent its progression, and may protect against leaky gut, characteristic of psoriasis. Red cabbage, blackberries, and black plums are also high in anthocyanins. Other good sources of quercetin include leafy greens, apples, grapes, and onions. 4. Brown Rice And other gluten-free grains are much better dietary choices than wheat, rye, or barley. Non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) is related to eczema, rashes, and other inflammatory skin conditions, and some studies show that people with psoriasis who follow a gluten-free diet show significant improvement. In one study, four times as many people with psoriasis had
celiac disease as those without psoriasis. Other gluten-free grains include oats, buckwheat, amaranth, teff, and, if you’re not sensitive to seeds, quinoa. 5. Kale Is high in vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant that protects against inflammation and improves immune function. In studies, people with skin inflammation show suboptimal levels of vitamin C compared to unaffected people, and people with eczema in particular have significantly lower levels. Some studies also suggest that increasing your intake of vitamin C and other antioxidants can help reduce oxidative stress and improve psoriasis. Vitamin C is also critical for optimal collagen production, which can repair damaged skin and protect joints (especially important for people with psoriasis, since a progression of the disease can cause painful joints). And kale is also rich in carotenoids to protect against inflammatory skin conditions. (Source: betternutrition.com)
February 2020
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Environment & people
Towards a complete eco-friendly campus Students and faculty of DAV International, Amristsar, Punjab, have taken some minor steps to bring a major change in their school Nishitha Pokala ndian schools these days are continually striving towards the betterment of the environment. The increasing trend of awareness of sustainability in the students is captivating. Many schools have shown a dramatic increase in the environmental practices leading to a better learning place for the students. These practices are much evidently seen in the DAV international school, Punjab. Recently, they have been felicitated by the Centre for Science & Environment (CSE) for their best environmental practices. This school has managed
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to bring a remarkable change in the management of the resources within the school premises while sensitising the school community. The students with the help of faculty teamed up as a club known as the 'Green club' and worked on various environmental fields like air, energy, food, land, water and waste. Focus towards land and greenery Contributing to greenery of the school, small gardens have been converted into a jungle by increasing the plant growth in the school with the help of administration. Row gardening is seen in most parts of the jungle and it is taken care by the members of the green club. Used plastic bottles have been utilised to grow small plants within the school, to create an environmental friendly ambience. The botanical garden has also been developed and, 40 more new species have been added to it in the recent times.
Energy consumption & air quality There was an overall reduction of 50 per cent in the energy consumption when compared to the previous year. Conventional lights in the schools were replaced by CFL or LED lights which consume less energy. The administration has installed a main switch to limit the timings to approximately an hour to heat their lunch boxes in the oven. The ventilation of the school has been increased from 27 per cent to 32 per cent by installing more windows in the classrooms and laboratories. Increase in the ventilation will in turn decrease the energy consumption as there will be less usage of LED lights. Healthy food culture The school has completely shunned the distribution of packaged food in the canteen. Instead, they have replaced packaged food with homemade food. They have also
initiated cookery classes in the school to encourage students to make delicious, healthy homemade foods. Adding on to this, a fruit break has been made mandatory where they get to have healthy fruits daily. Water conservation & rain water harvesting The water consumption per day has been reduced from 26L to 15L by replacing sanitiser whenever possible and using treated water to water the plants. Water management is also done in the school by the students, with the help of faculty. Grey/waste water is treated by collecting the same in tanks. It is then treated with Potassium permanganate (KMnO?) for the dirt to settle at the bottom leaving the clean water on top which is now collected and used in multiple school activities. New recharge pits are also introduced in the school which allows the rainwater to replenish groundwater by recharging. Waste management Recently, 156 new bins were added in the school premises to avoid littering. Plastic usage is completely avoided as they are carcinogenic if used in the long run. Paper waste is being recycled in the school. The organic waste is taken into vermicomposting pits and the compost will be used to grow healthy and nutrient rich plants in
school. Adding onto this, a faculty in-charge of the Green club Neetu Grover said, "Our school started engaging in such kind of environmental practices since five years. Various students including the faculty, showed utmost interest in coming up with new ideas on how to save the environment. We are a group of motivated people who also attend webinars to draw few ideas from the internet and try to incorporate them in the best way possible. We have received the 'Best Green School' award thrice in the last few years and we have also been awarded with the 'Swachh Vidyalaya Puraskar' award from the Central Government and these awards have always kept our students going. " Another faculty member, Mrs. Bhatia, in charge of waste and water management said, "It is very important for us to teach students on how to save up the natural resources for our future generations as they will turn out to become more responsible and eco-friendly citizens of our country. We have taken up many activities for waste and water management like installing rain water harvesting; installing more dustbins, recharge pits that lead to increase in the ground water etc." While interacting with Pahul, a seventh class student and also an active member of
the Green club, shared, "I was always concerned about the environment and Green Club in my school has given me a chance to contribute a little something to my society. We as a club have done a lot of environmental activities like making paper bags and distributing them to vendors nearby our school. We have also educated them to use more paper bags instead of plastic covers. Our club members take classes to the primary kids and educate them not to litter in the school, rather discard the waste, in the segregated biodegradable and nonbiodegradable bins which were installed in the school accordingly." The green club would like to take a step forward by starting vertical gardening in the school. They are also trying to set up a butterfly garden to increase the butterfly count in that particular area. Such innovative ideas will definitely inspire many more students to join the club and contribute their best ideas making the school a better place to learn. "It is very important for us to teach students on how to save up the natural resources for our future generations as they will turn out to become more responsible and eco-friendly citizens of our country" --Mrs. Bhatia, one of the teaching faculties of DAV international school, Amritsar, Punjab. "I was always concerned about the environment and green club in my school has given me a chance to contribute a little something to my society" - Pahul, seventh class student and an active member of the green club. "We are a group of motivated people who also attend webinars to draw few ideas over the internet and try to incorporate them in the best way possible." - Neetu Grover, one of the teaching faculties of DAV international school, Amritsar, Punjab.
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Environment & people
Over the last 17 odd years, Malaksingh Gill’s traditional construction materials have reduced carbon footprints by thousands of tonnes. Gopi Karelia ou recently moved into a new house made from traditional and sustainable materials like mud, bamboo or wood. You saved a lot on construction costs by using locally sourced materials and employing local masons. Seventy years down the line, your house stands steady as a rock and if you wish to dismantle your house, all the debris you generate is recyclable and can decompose without hampering the environment. If this image gave you a sense of satisfaction, then here’s your cue to opt for a house that is durable, damage-free and costeffective. “I have always wanted to work for a greater common good and did not fancy the work which conventional architects were doing in Mumbai. As a student, I was critical of how contemporary buildings were not
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sensitive to the local cultural, and natural environment,” says Mumbai-based renowned architect Malaksingh Gill. In the last 17-odd years, the 43-year-old has prevented thousands of tonnes of carbon emissions from entering the atmosphere by using traditional construction materials like mud, bamboo, brick, lime and wood to build structures across India. His projects boast of independent bungalows, community houses to farmhouses. The Better India (TBI) spoke to Gill to know more about the techniques of sustainable architecture he employs and learn the reasons behind his fascination for eco-architecture. Finding Inspiration From Anthills, Beehives and Nests As a student of architecture, Gill always dreamt of creating uncomplicated, budgetfriendly sustainable homes perfectly in sync with nature. And Laurie Baker’s low-cost building techniques with maximum efficiency, fired Gill’s imagination. Known as ‘Gandhi of Architecture’, and the ‘master of minimalism’, Baker offered India and the world a unique architectural tradition blending man and nature. Once he completed his course from the
Rachana Sansad’s Academy of Architecture in Mumbai, he moved to Thiruvananthapuram to work with Baker’s organisation COSTFORD. “Here, I understood that my teachers were in the fields. My university was in villages, my classrooms were dilapidated buildings and the workshops of the local crafts-persons. All habitats in nature like anthills, beehives and nests motivated me to build sensitively,” he tells TBI. Underlining the benefits of sustainable homes, Gills says, “I have studied centuryold village buildings of various sizes, to validate my argument about their durability, longevity, thermal comfort, bio-sensitivity and cost-effectiveness. Pick any old structure when cement was not available and notice how they still stand the test of time with little or no degradation.” Gill always eschewed modern architectural techniques like Reinforced Cement Concrete (RCC), steel bars, steel plates, steel mesh as construction material as they cause carbon emissions. And facts back Gill’s claims on pollution-free or eco-friendly structures. For instance, cement generates around 8 per cent of the global carbon dioxide (CO2)
emissions. Making A Mark Gill started out when globalisation was booming in India, and issues like climate change were not dinner table conversations. He entered with ideas of eco-architecture in an arena littered with carbon-emitting construction materials. But it was a risk Gill was ready to take. Gill also had to deal with the high costs of sustainable construction materials in urban spaces. “When I built my first eco-friendly house in Mumbai, I engaged professional contractors from the city to execute Baker’s set of techniques. I realised that people in smaller towns and villages would not be able to afford the prices of these materials and professional contractors,” he explains. As a solution, Gill explored the ‘intrinsic’ link houses had with their makers and users in tribal or rural settlements. “I saw an opportunity in the problem; I realised that I need not use the same construction material palette we use in cities while designing buildings in small towns and rural areas,” he adds. Thus, he began interacting with rural
masons and builders, and to his surprise, found a sense of palpable excitement among them to collaborate professionally and improve their skill sets. An Insight in Gill’s Projects: For each project, Gill conscientiously follows four basic principles of construction: Construction at minimal cost. All materials should be from within 1 KM radius around the site of construction. Built by the locals. Meges with the landscape. To understand how Gill applied these principles, we list three near-perfect ecofriendly structures he built keeping in mind the local conditions like weather, geography and history: 1) Gill’s First Eco-friendly in Malad, Mumbai Brick jalis fitted with glass bottles provide indirect lighting and a stained glass effect, lending a distinct aesthetic to the spaces. Using cross-ventilation to his advantage, Gill has provided built-in seats near
the windows. 2) A Green Community House in Karjat Gill addresses this project as ‘unique and inclusive’. It is built in the middle of a natural forest. Gill employed the tribal inhabitants of Karjat for construction work who underwent a workshop on eco-friendly technology. He incorporated the knowledge and skills of the locals into the design and execution stages. The architect gave utmost importance to the use of natural light due to the lack of power in the 60-acre forest. The masons laid the foundation of the house in random rubble stone with mud mortar and built the plinth or lowest part of the house on a slope that helped with soil retention. The masons mud prepared the mixture of cob and mortar in the pit with bare feet as it is the least damaging process to the environment. It neither involves any processing of the mixture, nor outsources the material (cont. on page no. 32)
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Most Forest Fires in India Are Due to Human Activity Over 30,000 forest fires were reported in India in 2019. Experts recommend that fire management should focus on prevention not suppression and tribal communities should be roped in for effective management. he fires raging across Australia from September 2019 and the ones in California in 2018 have brought global attention to wildfires in the recent years. Around 6.3 million hectares of forests in Australia and around 0.72 million hectares of forest and grass land in California were destroyed by fires. Miles away, in India, wildfires have raged on in the past few years as well, causing extensive damage. In February 2018, it took five days and the mobilisation of huge resources including Indian Air Force choppers to douse the fire at Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Karnataka. An estimated 4,800 hectares of forests were lost in the incident. The very next month, in March 2018, a group of trekkers got caught in a fatal wildfire at Theni, Tamil Nadu. The state went on to impose a ban on trekking in forests between February 15 to April 15, considered as fire season. According to the India State of Forest Report 2019, over 30,000 incidents of forest fires were reported in India in 2019.
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Additionally, more than 36% of Indian forest cover (657,000 sq km area) is prone to frequent forest fires and of this, 10% are highly prone, according to a Forest Survey of India (FSI) report on fire prone forest areas. Around 21% of the total forest cover is highly to extremely fire prone, adds the latest forest survey. The dry deciduous forests, which receive low rainfall, face 5-6 dry months and have nutrient poor soil, such as those in tropical and subtropical latitude, are more vulnerable to fire compared to others. These areas are in Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and in the southern states. Chir pine forests in hilly states are equally prone. “Over 40% of Uttar Pradesh forests are susceptible to fire. Among the major forests’ zones of Vindhya region, Bundelkhand and Terai, the subtropical forests of Terai region (which lies
alongside the Nepal border) is the most fire prone one,” said Ramesh Kumar Pandey, chief conservator of forests and secretary of Uttar Pradesh Biodiversity Board. As per the FSI technical study, about 37.5% of forest cover in Uttar Pradesh is between moderately to extremely fire prone. There are about 277,758 forest fire points – used to determine forest fire proneness – across India detected by FSI based on fire data over 13 years, from 2004/5 to 2017. Of these Mizoram has the most forest fire points with over 32,600 fire points between 2005 and 2017. Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Assam and Maharashtra have between 20,000 to 26,000 forest fire points while moist forest clad Kerala has 1,700 points. Most forest fires in India because of human activity In India, fires are primarily caused by human activities, notes the FSI technical study, with over 95% of fire incidents of anthropogenic origin. “People living in the vicinity of forests often intentionally ignite fires for inducing growth of grass for animal grazing or for crop rotation. This often helps to restore ecosystem, improve wildlife habitat, removes pests, diseased wood and invasive weeds. Sometimes, fire is used to clean the
land to collect minor produce such as Mahua flowers (used to make beverage) easily. Such fires become uncontrollable sometimes,” Praveen Rao Koli, chief conservator of forests, Agra zone told Mongabay-India. In parts of India where tendu leaves are part of the tribal economy, there are different reasons for setting fires. Virendra Tiwari, additional principal chief conservator of forests in the Maharashtra Forest Department, said, “Collectors of tendu leaves often set fires in the summer months to promote a better flush of leaves. Forests are torched in revenge as well especially when people are evicted from forests or removed from daily wage work. Most of these fires are surface fires and easily manageable. Sometimes it goes out of hand.” Some forest fires also start from natural causes like lightning and friction of dry bamboos. “Fuel is the most important factor in wildfire. Dry leaves, weeds and bushes act as fuel in dry summer season. It is the responsibility of forest department to keep forest free from fuel before the fire season starts,” said Raman Sukumar, professor at the Centre for Ecological Sciences at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. Meanwhile globally, as the frequency and severity of wildfires go up, climate change has been attributed as one of the reasons for aggravating fires. According to a recent study by British scientists who reviewed 57 research papers, there is a link between climate change and increased frequency and severity of fire weather. “Rising global temperatures, more frequent heatwaves and associated droughts in some regions increase the likelihood of wildfires by stimulating hot and dry condi-
tions, promoting fire weather, which can be used as an overall measure of the impact of climate change on the risk of fires occurring,” states the report which underscores that human induced warming increases the fire risk. The review found that fire weather seasons have lengthened globally between 1979 and 2013. Fire weather generally involves hot temperatures, low humidity, low rainfall in the preceding days and weeks, and windy conditions. India is grappling with same climate conditions at present. The frequency and the area under concurrent drought and heatwaves is more in recent years (1981-2000) compared to an earlier time period (19511980) in India, a study stated. Fire-fighting measures Forest Survey of India monitors forest fire events through satellites on two platforms- MODIS and SNPP-VIIRS, both in collaboration with the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). While the SNPPVIIRS identifies, alerts and tracks fire incidents on real time data at 375X375 sq meter pixel, the older version MODIS detects it in the range of 1kmX1km. Forest fire suppression relies very heavily on “dry” firefighting techniques because of poor water availability. Ramesh Pandey said, “To contain the fire, fire lines (a passage or road, cleared of all vegetation) are created to save neighbouring compartments. Sometimes a counter fire is used to extinguish the uncontrollable fire. In this, a linear patch is cleared of combustibles and manned. When wildfire come closer, then all the people manning the line set fire to the line simultaneously. The
counter fire rushes towards the wildfire. As soon as the two fires meet, the blaze is extinguished.” In some areas, beating bushes and leafy green boughs are also used for extinguishing fire. Experts recommend that the focus of fire management should be on prevention not suppression and tribal communities living in forests should be roped in. CES’s Sukumar said that the colonial mindset of forest administrators comes as a major hurdle in management of forests. “Fires have been used since millennia to change the landscape use and also as a preventive measure to clear combustible materials. Since forests were acquired by the government during British rule, the jungle dynamics changed forever,” he said. “The colonial mindset continued even after independence where the entire focus is on detection and suppression of fire instead of prevention. The fires suppression policy is doing more harm than good to the tree-grass ecosystems. Forest departments should rope in tribals and use their traditional knowledge to manage the forests more effectively.” Pravin Mote, who heads the Centre for People’s Collective which focuses on environment issues in Maharashtra, said, “The forest department was set-up to generate revenue. They focus on this aspect only. That they have to talk about conservation, ecosystems and climate change is a compulsion.” Mote adds that the presence of forest communities and domestic animals helps suppress the inflammable material in jungle. “Our study has found that the areas of Gadchiroli (Maharashtra) where community forest rights have been granted, fire incidents have come down by 70%.”
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World Wetlands Day:What Is a Wetland, and Why Does India Need so Many? etlands are typically shallow so sunlight can penetrate the surface to facilitate subterranean photosynthesis, making these ecosystems one of the most biologically productive areas on the planet. The bad news is that India’s cities have lost 25 ha of wetland for every one sq. km’s increase of built-up area in the last four decades. The good news is that 10 more wetland sites around India have been added to the Ramsar Convention, rendering them sites of ‘national importance’. Does this mean India gained in net or lost? The country has over 757,000 wetlands with a total wetland area of 15.3 million ha, accounting for nearly 4.7% of the total geographical area of the country. A wetland is an area of land that is saturated with water – either through the year or for varying periods of time during the year. Wetlands are typically shallow so sunlight can penetrate the surface to facilitate subterranean photosynthesis, making these ecosystems one of the most biologically productive areas on the planet. India has 37 Ramsar sites now, covering an area of 1.07 million ha. After the announcement earlier this week, the Union environment minister Prakash Javadekar called the addition to the Ramsar Convention an acknowledgement of the government’s commitment to conserving
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and sustainably using the country’s important wetlands of the country. The latest additions include Maharashtra’s first Ramsar site, the Nandur Madhmeshwar bird sanctuary; three more from Punjab (in Keshopur-Miani, Beas Conservation Reserve and Nangal); and six more from Uttar Pradesh (in Nawabganj, Parvati Agra, Saman, Samaspur, Sandi and Sarsai Nawar). The Ramsar Convention Wetlands provide a wide range of important ecosystem services, such as food, water, groundwater recharge, water purification, flood moderation, erosion control, microclimate regulation, landscape aesthetics and, of course, livelihood opportunities. They are in fact a major source of water and the principal place from which India’s cities receive their freshwater. However, increasing urbanisation has significantly reduced the amount of area under wetlands. A rapid assessment undertaken by Wetlands International South Asia (WISA) indicated that nearly 8% of India’s wetlands area was likely to be situated within an urban sprawl. The states of Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana account for over half of all urban wetland area. WISA’s most alarming finding from 22 cities was that between 1970 and 2014, cities have rapidly degraded wetlands, to the tune of 25 ha per sq. km of built-up area.
The biggest offenders were the metropolitans of New Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Mumbai and Hyderabad, which treat wastelands as their private dumping grounds. According to the study, Mumbai has destroyed 71% of its surrounding wetlands, followed by Ahmedabad, 57%; Bengaluru and Greater Bengaluru, 56%; Hyderabad, 55%; and Delhi-NCR, 38%. The 2011 edition of the National Wetlands Atlas of India classified India’s wetlands into 19 categories. Common ones include river, stream, reservoir, barrage, intertidal, mud-flat and natural lake; the more unique among them are lagoon, mangrove, coral, riverine and high-altitude lake wetlands. Adding endangered wetlands to the Ramsar Convention is expected to help because it “mandates contracting parties to adopt National Wetland Policies, produce wetland inventories, conduct wetland monitoring and research, raise public awareness of wetlands and develop integrated management plans for wetlands sites” (source). It was signed on February 2, 1971; as of today, nearly five decades on, 171 countries have added 2,375 wetlands to the convention, covering 253.6 million ha. Indeed, India isn’t alone in ceding wetlands to urban projects and uncontrolled urban expansion. A Global Wetland Outlook report published in September 2018 noted that the world had lost 87% of its wetlands since 1700:
“We lose wetlands three times faster than natural forests. Between 1970 and 2015, inland and marine/coastal wetlands both declined by approximately 35%, where data are available, three times the rate of forest loss. In contrast, human-made wetlands, largely rice paddy and reservoirs, almost doubled over this period, now forming 12% of wetlands. These increases have not compensated for natural wetland loss.” Threatened wetlands At the same time, the problem’s prevalence doesn’t mean India or any other country isn’t blameless. The Indian scenario is especially bad because wetlands and water bodies are often the first recipients of municipal solid waste. For example, data collected by the convention’s administration indicate that the 4,000-ha Deepor Beel near Guwahati is threatened by pollution due to pesticide and fertiliser runoff, infestation by water hyacinth and – alarmingly – a state government proposal to dig a sewage canal directly from the city into the wetland. “Many Ramsar wetlands such as Deepor Beel, and Kolleru Lake in Andhra Pradesh, are doing very badly,” Neha Sinha, a conservation biologist with the Bombay Natural History Society, said. The new Ramsar site additions “should be an opportunity to revisit their problems. Most wetlands are not notified as wetlands by the government. The new Wetland Rules 2017 say only those that are notified as wetlands will be protected. There is a great need today to notify and identify more and more wetlands by the states.” Deepor Beel is in fact only a representative example, not an isolated one. For another, the Surajpur wetland is located
about 50 km east of from Delhi. It covers 60 ha of land as part of a 300-ha reserved forest, and is home to 220 species of flora; 180 species of birds – especially of Sarus cranes and black-necked storks; 13 species of fish; 58 species of invertebrates (including butterflies, dragonflies, annelids, arthropods and molluscs); eight species of reptiles; and six species of mammals. A National Green Tribunal order in September 2018 recognised the Surajpur wetland as such, and is today surrounded by high-rise buildings and an industrial area that the state government has been keen on ‘developing’. As a result, the wetland’s catchment area has been severely affected and the wetland itself doesn’t receive as much water as it needs. The government of Uttar Pradesh, in whose jurisdiction it lies, has constructed a drain to carry water overflowing from nearby canals as a lifeline – but with a caveat: the canal also brings untreated sewage and industrial effluents, which directly contaminate the soil as well as promote the growth of water hyacinth, a highly invasive species. Vikrant Tongad, an activist who founded an organisation working on local and national environmental issues, said, “Apart from sewage and effluent entry, another of Surajpur’s catchment [areas] has six other wetlands ranging from half to five ha in area. We also want them to be notified to prevent further damage.” The ministry’s strategy Indeed, while the tribunal recognises the Surajpur wetland as a wetland, the Government of India is yet to notify its acknowledgment. Ritesh Kumar, the director of Wetlands
International, South Asia, said, “A notification under the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules of 2017 can still be issued clarifying that the regulations will be governed as per provisions of the Forest Act.” If this is done, the Surajpur wetland will have a regulatory defence against its urban invaders. But issuing a notification is just one of many things the government can do to protect wetlands (i.e., the government won’t have done everything can if it simply notifies a wetland). Wetlands also need a conservation management plan, and this is where most state governments fall behind. In the last six months, the Union environment ministry prepared a four-pronged strategy to restore wetlands, including preparing baseline data, wetland health ‘cards’, enlisting wetland ‘mitras’ (or ‘friends’) and preparing targeted integrated management plans. As a form of assistance, the Centre also issued guidelines for state governments to better implement the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules 2017. “We conducted workshops and training [sessions], and ensured that state government officials came up with detailed project reports and management plans for all 130 wetlands,” Manju Pandey, joint secretary of wildlife at the ministry, told The Wire. “Now we are on to phase II with next set of wetlands.” She also said the Centre had issued its share of the funds for 2019-2020; it is bearing 90% of wetland-related expenses (as described in the integrated management plans) in the northeastern states and 60% of those in other parts of the country. (Source: environment)
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(page no. 27 cont..) as mud was readily available within the site limits. Gill chose to use the extremely durable Kadappa stone lintels for openings and for storage purposes. “For an Adivasi dwelling and a community living centre, an important part of the brief was to provide as much storage as we can. This was achieved by putting horizontal Kadappa stone shelves at different heights throughout the structure,” reads the feature of the community house. 3) Integrating Regional Features Gill built two bungalows with a common pol or courtyard, an intrinsic to Gujarati houses. It is built with brick
practising in villages, and winners of awards at many levels,” he shares. Architecture couple Dhruvang Hingmire and Priyanka Gunjikar were in their fourth year when they visited Satara in Maharashtra to study the regional architecture along with their professor, Malaksingh Gill. There they visited an old lady’s house built entirely from mud and cow dung plaster. Adding colour and aesthetics to the house, were the bangles she had embedded into the walls. This inspired the duo to make their career in sustainable architecture and even worked with Gill for three years before starting their independent company.
(page no. 21 cont...) research went into the manufacturing process. Although Beco was launched in March, 2019, the research process started way back in July, 2018. The team of Beco toured several countries to understand the various methods of making completely eco-friendly products and on keeping costs cheap. What lies in store for Beco? "As of now, we have 19 products on our hands. Development of indigenous solutions is going on for some more home and kitchen related products, like diapers and sanitary napkins. Currently, we are exporting our products to Nepal. By the mid of this month, we hope to expand to one more country. Close to our second anniversary in June, we will add three to four more cities to our list of eight cities that we are already servicing. We try not to target major metro cities where there are currently eco-friendly alternatives present. We will get there when our affordability increases. For now, we want to reach out to cities where there are no such options of green products present thereby increasing awareness," shares Aditya. Be the change. Be Eco. Like their motto, Beco asks everyone to be the change. Just be eco. Not so long ago, there
masonry in lime mortar, with an R.C.C. filler slab. A series of segmental arches connect private living rooms to the pol, thus ensuring passive lightning and ventilation in Vadodara’s dry climate. Meanwhile, the brick jalis fitted with glass bottles provide indirect lighting and a stained glass effect which is another feature of traditional pol. From Finding Inspiration to Becoming One Gill believes in passing knowledge as the ultimate goal of the learning process. For the same, he gives lectures in architectural colleges and most of his teaching process is outside the classroom. Based on his observations, he offers deserving students a place in his team. “This is my way of spreading the work which I believe can bring a constructive difference in society through architecture. Today, many of my students are teachers, Environment & people
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Read about the couple’s cementfree breathable home. “Malaksingh sir always emphasised on how knowledge is overrated. True wisdom is to have the humility to always keep learning from everyone around you – especially from the often neglected vernacular contexts around us. He is beyond just a teacher who teaches a particular subject, about material or technique. His teachings transcend even the subject architecture – and are a huge support in everyday life,” Dhruvang tells TBI. With ‘sustainability’ a war cry against environmental degradation, architects like Gill are true warriors bearing the flag of eco-living high. (Source: thebetterindia.com)
were no alternatives present to choose from. But now, there are plenty. It is not a huge thing to ask for, but it is the need of the hour to switch to ecofriendly options and say no to plastic. The team at Beco says that they want people to be aware of what goes into the making of a product and how it affects the environment in the long run. Every customer who has purchased products from Beco has already contributed to saving the environment. The team Beco says that they do business differently. With a vision of a greener, healthier and happier tomorrow!
Eco Eco Facts If every American family planted one tree, carbon dioxide would be reduced by one billion pounds each year.
Only 7% of the of the Atlantic Rainforest remain.
IQ
1. Approximately how much of global electricity output is produced from renewable sources? a.1 percent
b. 5 percent
c. 8 percent
d. 20 percent
Only 28% of the Indonesian Rainforest remain.
A billion trees capture atmospheric carbon equivalent to the emissions of one million cars every year.
Every hour, at least 4,500 acres of forest are burned, cut down, or bulldozed. More than 3.4 million people die each year from water, sanitation, and hygiene-related causes.
An American taking a five-minute shower uses more water than the average person in a developing country slum uses for an entire day.
2. True or false? Hybrid cars are slower and less safe than conventional cars. a. True
b. False
3. True or False? Appliances that are turned off don't use any electricity. a. True
b. False
4. What type of supermarket bag is more ecofriendly, paper or plastic? a. paper
b. Plastic
c. Either is fine
d. None of the above
Every 20 seconds, a child dies from a water-related illness The average person consumes 168 water bottles a year.
1.5 million barrels of oil are used to manufacture a year’s supply of bottled water in the US.
1 Million – Estimated number of plastic bags that are handed out worldwide each minute.
5. Which uses less water, washing a full load of dishes by hand, or in the dishwasher? a. By hand
b. Dishwasher
6. Which of the following is an alternative material for making paper? a. Hemp
b. Panda extremed
c. Sheepskin
d. All of the above
500 Billion to 1 Trillion – Estimated number of plastic bags that end up in landfills each year worldwide.
7. Dropping the thermostat from 70 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit (21.1 to 20 A plastic bag can take up to 1,000 years to decompose.
The two main sources of energy used to make plastic bags are oil and natural gas.
degrees Celsius) saves you about how much on your heating costs? a.1 percent
b. 5 percent
c. 10 percent
d. 20 percent
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Spreading : The coronavirus continues to spread.
Australia on Fire : The recent fires in Australia are a taste of what the world will experience as temperatures rise.
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Environment & People
RNI - 63997/94