Expressions July 2010

featuring

what are we heading towards? promote and support youth. why?

expressions JULY 2010

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Sandip Puran Singh

Monsoon Magic

expressions JULY 2010

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Cover Story

founder & editor

Yudhishter Puran Singh

14 The future is ours Pooja Bhatt

guest editor

Raj Kanwar

Features

creative editor

6 This editor even writes Raj Kanwar

Akshay Madan

7 What are we heading towards Sneha Pande

photo editor

Sandip Puran Singh

20 Face to Face with Mr. S. S. Khera 10 Promote & Support Youth Yudhishter P Singh

news editor

Aishwarya Sharma

Regulars

marketing

Lotus Leaf Business Exhibitions

5 From the Editor’s Desk Raj Kanwar 4 Thank You Feedback 18 The Green Beat Shalini Mehta 12 Photo Story Akshay Madan

advertising

Tushar Goel (NCR Region) tushar_icare@live.com Gaurav Gupta (Rest of India) gaurav_icare@live.com

25 In the news icare

subscription team

Harshal Mirchandani, Anuvansh Sharma

28 Green Tips go green

special thanks

Pooja Bhatt, Shilpy Goel Aggarwal Suresh C Sharma

Fresh 22 Ways to Photograph Doon Sandip Puran Singh

cover design & photographs

Akshay Madan

social networking

Rishabh Kant rishabhk_icare@live.com Mayank Goyal icarefordoon@gmail.com

SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES For subscription queries, write to subscribe_icare@live.in or call +919760614317

PERMISSIONS For permissions to copy or reuse material from EXPRESSIONS, write to yudhishter@icarefordoon.org

ALL EDITORIAL QUERIES MUST BE DIRECTED TO The Editor, Expressions, 51-A Subhash Road, Dehradun 248140, Uttarakhand, India M: +919411114921, Fax: 011-66173614

Views and opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of Expressions., its publisher and/or editors. We at Expressions do our best to verify the information published but do not take any responsibility for the absolute accuracy of the information.

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ThankYou

F E E DBACK After going through the article named Then and Now by Mr.Raj Kanwar, I am actually pondering over the thought that dehradun has gone over a large change.

This article truly gives out the essence of the inevitable yet terrible change that has taken dehradun in its clutches. It thus comes out to be a knowledgeable article spun with an amazing sense of responsibility towards one’s own town! via e-mail Annanya Sharma

CON TA C T U S Write to us at Expressions 51-A Subhash Road Adj. Damama Super Mart Dehradun – 248001 Uttarkhand

For Subscription SMS I CARE to +919411114921 Call +919760614317 Fax: 011-66173614

Email at yudhishter@icarefordoon.org

www.icarefordoon.org

Clean Doon Green Doon is yet another wonderful article written by Aishwarya Sharma, this article is a bit different from what other usual centralized articles are and that is the u.s.p.of the write up.

In the from of direct questions asked to the reader, Aishwarya has succeeded to evoke that sense of awareness. Readers are ought to become cautious after reading this article and will certainly realize that environment is a bit more than what we actually suppose it to be! via web Nishant Kapur

Most people love their hometown, some of us get lucky - we get to love some other cities as well. I am one such. I fell in love with Dehradun in 1983 from the moment I stepped off the Mussoorie Express into the waiting arms of the Drill ustads of IMA who would make a man out of this lad in a year’s time. That year, I trekked the Dun Valley, Tons Valley, from Rishikesh to Deoprayag, and to Doditaal and I fell in love with Garhwal and, of course, with Dehradun. With it’s timeless atmosphere of early Ruskin Bond novels and its quaint small station atmosphere, I came back again and again, sometimes on military duties and often to indulge my hobby at the Wildlife Institute of India whose alumni I also happen to be.

You can imagine that it gave me great pleasure when I came across in a friend’s links, Yudhishter Puran Singh and the icare for Doon on Facebook. I joined up and was very pleasantly surprised to receive thefirst emagazine of EXPRESSIONS. The excellent design, images, artwork and well written articles which spoke of the great love and affection that their authors had for Dehradun and its message of self-help to look after one’s own town,won me over. Quite frankly, I had expected much less from the first issue of a small NGO. It warms the cockles of one’s heart to see something done well, and as this was concerned with Dehradun, a love of mine, it gave me great happiness. I am deeply thankful for this to the team which publishes the magazine and its myriad contributors as also to those who added their bit to make it a success. And lastly, my very best wishes to Yudhishter for making this something special for me. Good luck and God Bless! via email Col Ashwin Baindur

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FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK The second edition of e-magazine, EXPRESSIONS has a few very interesting and informative articles.

the future is ours is going to be the cover story. Here “ours” means the youth of today. Pooja Bhatt, in her own inimitable style, has underscored the important role that the youth of today with immense latent energy could play in saving this planet from various pernicious evils and dangers that dog it. She has made a strong case for young people to come forward and muster enough courage to confront the environmental hazards that face this planet today. She has exhorted the young people not to whine and grudge but take it upon themselves, the numerous task such as waste disposal and management rather than depend on other people to do it. She rightly says that “the future is ours” and it is for us to ensure its well being.

THEgREENBEAT by Shalini Mehta, who had migrated to the UK three years ago, writes about apparently differing cultures and mindsets between Indians and the British. But then she realizes that people in both the countries are essentially similar in nature and habit. She makes out a very good case for “three R’s”, viz. “REDUCE, REUSE and RECYCLE”.

She strongly pleads that every country in the world must have laws to ensure recycling. She also highlights some interesting benefits that will accrue from recycling.

Another very interesting piece by Sneha Pande, “WHAT ARE WE HEADING TOWARDS?” succinctly elaborates numerous natural hazards on this planet earth which, some describe, as part and parcel of the inevitable evolution of Planet Earth. Her description by bringing in Sage Narada and his arrival on the “Bhoomi Devi” where he confronts government ministers and chastises them for their wonton destruction of “Bhoomi Devi” or “Mother Earth”. Sneha deserves full credit for an excellent piece.

Last but not least, the piece de resistance is an article by Yudhishter Puran Singh, titled “Promote and Support Youth: Why??”. His argument is that the world in general and India and particular have a much larger proportion of young people, and it is this young generation which is being and will be worst affected by increasing and unfettered environmental degradation. His suggestion is to institutionalize the role of the youth in policy making through advisory entities such as youth councils. Yudhishter freely quoted from paragraph 153 of the Plan of Implementation adopted at the World Summit on Sustainable Development, held in Johannesburg in 2002. This paragraph had supported the need “to promote and support youth participation in programs and activities relating to sustainable development” I must confess that the standard of these articles is of very high calibre, considering that most of the writers are teenagers. They have shown their enthusiasm, commitment and dedication to the cause of icare, and I have every confidence that this movement will grow exponentially in the months to come. Yudhishter Puran Singh, himself a young man of just 21, is leading from the front and inspiring others in a like manner.

Raj Kanwar expressions JULY 2010

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THIS EDITOR even writes

Life

is full of ironies. Sometimes, one wonders at the unkind cuts that an irony inflicts. Consider this irony: “when we are little boys, the big girls kiss us. And when we are big boys, little girls kiss us.” Another irony that is very common is, “when our fathers give us some good advice, we reject it, and call it a generational gap”. And we realize the truth only what our father had advised us umpteen years ago when our own son tells us, “papa, you are out of date; things are today very different”.

I bring up this issue because I sincerely feel that life now onwards will take an ironical path. We, the mankind, face an unprecedented peril and danger to our very existence, and the irony of it all stares us in the face. Yet, the funny thing is that we are not even conscious of the catastrophe that is waiting to overtake us; we are as complacent as we have always been. The Nature had been generously bountiful to Man, but it is the Man who has proved unworthy of Nature’s generosity, and has played havoc with what it had given us in plenty. Even the air which was once pure is today badly polluted. Likewise, once clean water is now full of impurities. These two boons were once considered free and bountiful; now these are neither free nor plentiful.

Man has been destroying what the Nature had bestowed upon us; he has intruded into the natural habitat of wild animals, causing destruction everywhere in the name of development. The wildlife is now an endangered species, on the verge of extinction. The jungle—their natural habitat—is shrinking more and more with every passing day. In the name of development, the land use of the jungle is being changed at the drop of a hat. From forest to agri-

LE T the YO UT H WO RK for

2MORROW

culture and from agriculture to residential, and from residential to commercial is the sequence through which this process of land use passes. The result is there for all to see.

It is here that the youth of today has to come forward and take head-on the growing menace that confronts the man. My generation, and the earlier generation, had woefully failed to stem the ever-increasing degradation of natural resources over the decades. Those generations were neither aware of the inherent peril that threatened the Nature nor perhaps even conscious of its frightening implications.

It is in the last six or seven decades that the Man is becoming increasingly conscious of the dangers that the looming degradation of natural resources pose.

“Yesterday” is virtually non-existent, “Today” dies today. And it is the Tomorrow that would only matter, and it is the foremost responsibility, nay bounden duty, of the youth to ensure that Tomorrow is a better era to live than the eras of “Yesterdays” and “Todays”. Because it is Youth who has the inherent energy, and the motivation to save the “Tomorrow” not only for their own future, but also for the future of coming generations. Admittedly, the earlier generations had not fully realized the dangers that the fiddling with the Nature would bring about; they were not that educated, and science and technology had not by then developed beyond the elementary stage.

The development of Science and Technology has today crossed many frontiers, and even planets. The Youth today is both highly educated and fully aware of the dangers and havoc that the playing with the Nature would befall. The Youth has the desired WILL and the required determination. All that it(Youth) needs is a motivation and a platform. iCare initiated

by Yudhishter Puran Singh is one such organization.

Let a hundred such flowers bloom leading to an unstoppable wave of Youth power. This is the only way to save the world from the impending environmental catastrophe, and make our TOMORROWS more harmonious with Nature, and much, much better than our YESTERDAYS and TODAYS.

Raj Kanwar

veteran journalist and author expressions JULY 2010

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A

WHAT ARE WE HEADING TOWARDS ?

fter the Cold War, Cancer, Aids, Osama, one of the latest global Phenomena floating around, blowing vast amounts of hot and cold air is Environmentalism. Like all other earlier Global Phenomena, there is ofcourse enormous amounts of money to be made from this Cause by various lobbies. All the hot air blowing over whether or not the Himalayan glaciers are melting or not and if they are, at what rate are they melting overlooks one key issue: that this is all perhaps part and parcel of the inevitable evolution of Planet Earth.

In this era of so called ‘evolution’, I am forced to picture the caricature of the future times to come and here’s a small replica of it:

(In the lobby outside the Parliament, Ministers huddled together in conversation) Minister #1: Yes yes, the oil scandal is highly controversial. We need to find the culprits.

(Suddenly there is noise and commotion. Enters narada.)

Minister #2: I must be dreaming, Narada? The only time I have seen you is in Amar Chitra Katha.

Narada: Narayana, Narayana, I come to Mother Earth at the behest of Lord Brahma. During this Kali Yuga, Lord Brahma is terribly upset with the way Bhoomi Devi is being treated. There is utter chaos on Earth today and I have been sent to feel the pulse of Bhoomi Devi!

Minister #3: We have heard of Mayadevi, Jaya “It is the public devi, Mamta devi, but who is this Bhoomi devi?

“What can we do, we are only public servants”

that elected Narada: Hold your tongue, you ignorant earthling. you??”

Save your rhetoric for judgement day. There has been so much destruction of the earth’s resources, its forests, rivers. All this global warming has led to the melting of the polar ice caps. Even the snow and ice on Mount Kailasa has been steadily melting. That is the abode of Lord Siva who is terribly disgusted with what is happening. He is worried that once all the snow melts there will be a deluge but this time he won’t be around to hold the water in his lock of hair like he did when the Ganges flowed down.

My mission is to warn you mortals. Be good and do good. Take care of Mother Earth. Throw garbage where it is meant to be thrown. Stop the incessant deforestation and curb pollution. Learn to be honest once again and you will see miracles. I have to leave now. I will come back and check in one year and grade you. If you do not change for the better, the consequences will be dire. This is a grave warning.

Minister #1: But Narada, what can we do, we are only public servants. The public is to blame, why don’t you go and tell them to improve. They never listen to us.

Narada: It is the public that elected you!

(Narada vanishes leaving the ministers to squabble amongst themselves.)

illustrations akshay madan

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WHAT ARE WE HEADING TOWARDS ?

Few years later, Narada visits a place called Dehradun to check if the concern for nature had awakened. ..speaking to himself: When I used to come to Dehradun 50 years ago, it was so much more pristine the air was wonderful, there was far more greenery and there was magic in the air. Now when I am visiting dehradun again I can see the the terrible situation of a beautiful town. Ruined at the ruthless hands of humans. Everytime I look at doon it seems to cry in pain and ask for my help to save it and bring it back to life once again. I am feeling disgusted, helpless and hence I want to return. I better hand in my resignation to Brahma and head off to Timbuktu!

S

ince early school years, we have been taught about evolution. Nowhere did the books mention that evolution has been stopped after the last of the Ice Ages. Yet nowhere in the reams of print being devoted to environmental disaster issues does one find any mention of the possibility of currently visible environmental changes being perhaps on account of Evolution. It is a threatening in disguise, nature is giving us signals that we are not being able to comprehend sensibly. The scenario worsens every minute and one wonders whether this is really it – the shape of things to come!

Whether bells are, after all, tolling for life on earth! Are we slowly but surely approaching apocalypse?

And, what are we, humans, doing about it?

Only quibbling – over steps for mitigating carbon concentration from the atmosphere!

Sitting at Copenhagen, pretty close to the melting Arctic, leaders of humanity do not seem to see eye to eye even now for taking effective measures to save the earth! When life on the planet is in peril, we, the humans, having divided ourselves among several nation-states – few rich, many poor and some surviving on the very edge and highly vulnerable – are bickering over who will do what and how much to cool the planet to make it hospitable for life.

Time seems to be running out fast.

Environmentalists make a great hue and cry about various development projects to be located in what are termed “ecologically sensitive areas”. Would such experts kindly demarcate on a map of the world the areas which are not ecologically sensitive and can

expressions JULY 2010

safely house any new development projects with its inevitable pollution and consumption of natural resources?

The signals are loud and clear and there is hardly any time to be lost. No longer can it be “business as usual”. Copenhagen or no Copenhagen, all of us – governments, organizations and individuals – have to chip in. Everyone has to take well-measured determined steps, whatever the costs, for mitigating carbon from the atmosphere – the root cause of global warming.

It is time we the YOUTH of today get their acts together to fight it and do our utmost to prevent it from engulfing the entire humanity. I would here like to quote Chapter 25 of Agenda 21, adopted at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro -

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WHAT ARE WE HEADING TOWARDS ?

akshay madan

It is time each one of us gets our act together to fight it and do our utmost to prevent it from engulfing the entire humanity.

The signals are loud and clear and there is hardly any time to be lost. No longer can it be “business as usual”. Copenhagen or no

expressions JULY 2010

Copenhagen, all of us – governments, organizations and individuals – have to chip in. Everyone has to take well-measured determined steps, whatever the costs, for mitigating carbon from the atmosphere – the root cause of global warming.

Sandip Puran Singh

“It is imperative that youth from all parts of the world participate actively in all relevant levels of decision-making processes because it affects their lives today and has implications for their futures. In addition to their intellectual contribution and their ability to mobilize support, they bring unique perspectives that need to be taken into account.”

It is a long and hard battle that we have to fight

the battle that will eventually decide whether we survive or perish!

Sneha Pande

17 years old studying in CJM, Dehradun.

With writing as her passion, she utilizes it for her concerns towards the environment

Time seem s to be r unnin g out fast © EXPRESSIONS 2010

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Y

promote and support YOUTH

oung people constitute a large part of the world’s population. In India particularly, the proportion of younger people is much larger than in most other countries. The youth have both special concerns and special responsibilities in relation to the environment. A number of environmental risks and hazards disproportionately affect young people, who have to live for an extended period with the deteriorating environment bequeathed to them by earlier generations. Therefore, it becomes the bounden duty of the youth to engage in new forms of action and activism that will evoke effective responses to ecological challenges.

We must remember that the future generations will be greatly and adversely affected by the decisions our respective governments take today and the extent to which they have addressed the existing concerns such as the depletion of resources, the loss of biodiversity and ever alive radioactive waste (1984, Bhopal Gas tragedy should ring some alarm bells) to name a few.

© akshay madan

The role of youth can be institutionalized in policymaking through advisory bodies such as youth councils. Many national governments, including our own, have ministries or departments with “youth affairs” as part of their portfolio, though to be honest, such

expressions JULY 2010

Y?

wh

offices tend to view youth as a “population” to be addressed by public policy (often “youth affairs” is part of the education or sports ministries), rather than considered as a resource to be tapped for participation in policy-making in a variety of areas, which includes the environment too.

Currently, the participation of youth appears to be formalized more extensively in international governmental organizations than at the national level. For example, the UNEP has a Youth Advisory Council that plays a supportive role. Even UNDP sponsors training for young environmental leaders in some of the countries. But what are we waiting for? Do we not realize its urgency and importance? The decisions taken by the government will affect our future and yet we are not even in the picture…..Isn’t that quite weird? I should seriously like to know how the Indian government is helping the youth in tackling the various environmental issues. I am sure on paper there must be hundreds of schemes but how many of us are aware of them? At least, I am not. It is my serious request to whoever has any info about the same to get back to us; I would greatly appreciate it.

Let it be remembered that it is not just a small bunch of people who think that the youth involvement is the need of the hour. Paragraph 153 of the Plan of Implementation adopted at the World Summit on Sustainable Development, held in Johannesburg back in the year 2002, had indicated the need to “promote and support youth participation in programs and activities relating to sustainable development through, for example, supporting local youth bodies or their equivalent, and by encouraging their establishment where they do not exist.”

Apart from having a greater stake in more distant a future, the youth is especially ideally placed to promote environmental awareness because they often have a better access to information about the environment than their elders. In part this is a matter of having being exposed to more environmental education in schools, at least in the developed world and perhaps more sporadically elsewhere (like India though where I feel Environmental Education is a mere subject which is hardly helpful in conserva-

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promote and support YOUTH tion). The youth will face challenges as pressures are brought to bear in the opposite direction. The commercialization of every aspect of life affects young people as well.

I have discussed about environmental awareness with many youngsters when I was in Mumbai or even with people all across the continent, and if I was to sum it all up then I could say that as far as environmental awareness is concerned, it varies considerably from country to country, and likewise from state to state. Nevertheless it could be said that there is at least some awareness in every country. Awareness in terms of information about the carbon cycle, sustainable development, biodiversity, renewable resources, ecology, the greenhouse effect, ozone layer depletion, carrying capacity, et al.

There is no denying the fact that, young people recognize environmental problems as real and significant and are knowledgeable and concerned about a wide range of local, national and global problems.

However, one can question the depth of their understanding, and greater appreciation of the issues involved. For example, in every country the destruction of the ozone layer was seen as the most important environmental issue facing the world. Yet, this must be amongst a few global problems that repeated international action seems to have solved, although recovery to pre-1980 levels is not expected until around 2050. Probing this situation might lead to several questions. Are students’ misunderstandings due to incomplete teaching, inadequate educational resources or, perhaps, the tendency for environmental courses to focus on problems rather than solutions and success stories? It is time that we came forward and started questioning the effectiveness of various conferences held across the world or about the various environmental legislations prevalent across the country because if we don’t, then we are ourselves to be blamed and like, I have pointed before, we are the ones who will eventually suffer the most.

Interestingly, the young people generally believed that while protecting the environment is more important than economic growth, it is possible to have a mix of environment and prosperous economy. However, they do not seem to have a sound understanding of the relationships between social, economic and institutional frameworks, and ecological degradation and sustainability. This may be because the young people in every country, through various data available online, are of the opinion that the media, particularly the television, was their major source of environmental information. The next are the schools whose content and methods seem boring. There is an immediate need for our very own HRD Minister to look into the effectiveness of making students mug up various environmental issues. What for? Why has environmental education so far failed to deliver the anticipated benefits? Part of the reason may lie in the kind of education delivered. I am sure if we look into this aspect sooner than later we may find the solution to our problem.

We would all agree that individual actions to protect the environment vary greatly within and between the countries. However, the question that needs to be asked about this finding is ‘Why is the figure so low, especially when the young people said that they usually felt good when they took such actions?’ Perhaps, it is because the vast majority of students felt that they did not know much about what they could do and did not have enough faith in social institutions. Indeed, the knowledge that young people seem to have about the environment is mainly propositional in nature, rather than procedural; i.e., it is ‘knowledge about the environment’ rather than ‘knowledge of how to work for the environment’. This situation might help explain the ambivalence between the young people’s high levels of expressed concern and their general lack of willingness to change personal life-styles or take other actions to protect the environment.

In the end I would like to quote - Gaylord Nelson - former governor of Wisconsin, co-founder of Earth Day, “The ultimate test of man's conscience may be his willingness to sacrifice something today for future generations whose words of thanks will not be heard.”

Yudhishter Puran Singh © EXPRESSIONS 2010

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PHOTO STORY

Wandering in a Valley

Stairway to Heaven H a ving a p assion for photo graphy and a desi re to get close to m y hom e – that ’ s my ho metow n DE HRADUN. I am passionate about cl ickin g p hoto gr a p hs which sho w the true beauty of this wonde rfu l v a l l e y w e a l l l i v e in. T hese pictures are m y dedication to m y beautifu l and dive r se D oon valley.

AKSHAY MADAN

em ail:ak s haym adan@live.in

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PHOTO STORY

Water of Life

Just Ashes expressions JULY 2010

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COVER STORY

I

believe there’s a brimful energy that lies latent within the youth.We are like buds that bloom with vigour and freshness and possess an indomitable spirit that can defy all odds. If we join hands, no evil is strong enough to thrive, since our dogged efforts and an unflagging strength is a resolute force that can overcome ‘any’ obstacle. One thing that should be our primary concern, if we think in selfless terms is to give something back to this world.

Trees are felled at a phenomenal rate, the ever increasing number of vehicles on the roads spew clouds of smoke to rise up in the air, the raucous horns give us head-splitting aches, the wild animals too lose their lives and habitat to the creeping encroachment and the poaching menace. How would it feel to live in constant peril to our lives? Wouldn’t we raise our voices against such menace? Of course, then perhaps we’d probably fight for justice and talk about the frequent infringement of laws and seek their enforcement. But who’s going to advocate the cause of the wild and the wilderness when they are being brutally slaughtered! Their mute cries go unheard because we get too selfish sometimes. It’s deplorable beyond redemption as beautifully pointed out in these words

by Marya Mannes, “The earth we abuse and the living things we kill, in the end, take their revenge: for in exploiting their presence we are diminishing our future.” Today, we witness increasing urbanization and more and more commercial and ugly structures springing up at the cost of those squares of green. Unfathomable evil, our greed and misdeeds will cost us an awful lot in future when we’d be cursed by our great grand children for depriving them of the profuse gifts of nature that The Almighty had entitled us to enjoy equally!

How would it feel to live in constant peril to our lives?

Wouldn’t we raise our voices against such menace? Environmental activists shout their lungs out to make the expressions JULY 2010

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COVER STORY government and the people take notice and formulate corrective and preventive measures, but do we choose to ignore what is all around us? Their voices and protests fall on deaf ears. It doesn’t take too long to observe and become conscious of the little things that we do that wreak havoc and cause irrevocable damage. What are we supposed to do?

There’s a lot we can! An earnest effort must be made to help restore the ecological balance if we wish to redeem ourselves. It really boils my blood to see so much pain and destruction in this world, so I just hope that young people like us come forward and take a serious look at the stark reality that stares us in the face, if our planet ceases to exist, so shall we!

low them. Sad and bad!! Well, let’s try to discipline ourselves. If our conscience pricks us reading this or anything like this, it’s about time we ruminated about these problems. Let’s not ignore them pretending they are not ours. We need to dig into the deeper cores of our conscious and ask ourselves a simple question. “If we had an ailing mother, would we leave her dying or try to save her?” So, just as we care for our mothers, we must love our planet with the same intensity. Every little thought counts.

We, the young blood with fire within us must confront head on these challenges and make this world, a better place to live. Like I said earlier, we should go hand in hand building up this entire force that can successfully combat any barrier. Remember, that more often than not, there are SIMPLE soluTechnology may have advanced but everything tions to COMPLICATED problems. It’s just a matter cannot have a replacement. So let’s be mature and of perception. All it needs is a thought, a helping rather than whiling away our time and cribbing hand that says... about why there’s no proper waste disposal system “i care, i can and i will” in India, go plant a tree instead and try to reduce the amount of waste you produce. Don’t dirty the 19 years old, pursuing accessory designing roads and you know it all! We’ve constantly been from NIFT Bangalore told about these do’s and don’ts yet we don’t fol-

Pooja Bhatt

© EXPRESSIONS 2010

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PHOTO STORY

Water for Life

CO ME INT O MY P A RLOR

Ashes of Life

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PHOTO STORY Just Watchin’

A Mid-Summer Night expressions JULY 2010

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akshay madan

the green beat

Hello everyone! Welcome back to the second edition of this Corner.

F

irst of all let me congratulate the ‘icare team’ for the fantastic launch of the new e-magazine “Expressions”. Everyone who contributed did extremely well. Let’s hope that this can be a common platform for everyone to share their opinions and contribute new ideas towards a greener environment.

I have been in the UK for the past 3 years. At first it was a total cultural change for me, a whole other world, but as time passed I began to realize that the people here are no different than in India. They also face the same everyday problems like price rise, traffic, pollution, corrupt politicians, etc. but people here respect the law. One such law here is to recycle. Follow the three R’s Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. I feel every country in the world should have a law to recycle and the required infrastructure to promote it. This is only possible when people themselves realize how important it is for them to recycle, starting from all those who run our country to the common men like you and me.

expressions JULY 2010

In Britain there are bins provided by the councils for each and every household to recycle their waste.

Almost 90% of all household waste can be recycled.

There are separate bins for glass, plastic and paper.

People who have gardens and backyards are provided with additional bins for all the garden waste like grass, tree branches, leaves etc. which is then taken and converted to mulch for the gardens or in some places made into logs for firewood used in winters. Also you can be provided with compost bins on request. Recently, there are some Councils that are providing the residents with incentives to recycle more. They have come up with bins with a special chip that will measure or weigh how much you have recycled in a month and depending on that the residents are given vouchers for local businesses where they can shop.

When I think of all this I just ask why can’t such schemes be introduced in our country. I know it requires a lot of infrastructure and money and training for operations, but it is possible, more than all of

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the green beat

this, it needs the will to do it. The local government institutions can hire private contractors to remove household waste and every locality can be provided with bins for bio-degradable and non bio-degradable waste. The residents should be provided with information as to what kind of waste goes into which bin clearly labeled on the bins itself. There should be a public helpline where residents can call and get information about recycling, what they can and can’t recycle and raise more awareness about the three R’s of recycling.

Some Interesting Recycling Facts • 1 recycled tin can would save enough energy to power a television for 3 hours.

• 1 recycled glass bottle would save enough energy to power a computer for 25 minutes.

• 1 recycled plastic bottle would save enough energy to power a 60-watt light bulb for 3 hours.

• 70% less energy is required to recycle paper compared with making it from raw materials.

• As much as 50% of waste in the average dustbin could be composted.

•

Up to 80% of a vehicle can be recycled.

•

9 out of 10 people would recycle more if it were made easier.

• Recycling is an excellent way of saving energy and conserving the environment.

We can all start in our own backyards by making compost which is environment friendly and so much better to use than the synthetic variety. Grow your own organic fruit and vegetables in your gardens and share a few with your neighbors if you have extra.

To conclude, in the famous words of a Michael Jackson song, if you want to make the world a better place, then make the change………NOW…..

So have fun guys. Till next time.

Be green Think green Shalini Mehta

© EXPRESSIONS 2010

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H

FACE TO FACE with S. S. Khaira

e has been in the environmental circuit for the past 30 to 35 years and totally dedicated his expertise and passion towards creating awareness about the environment among the young generation. Meet SS Khaira, a jovial, amicable person who is presently the HOD Geography at Welham Boys’. Associated with several tree activities like afforestation and reforestation, he has been an active member of the Friends of Doon society and is the brainchild behind their tree plantation projects every monsoon, providing free saplings to all enthusiastic environmental conservationists. With nature oriented programmes in his school including nature clubs, paper recycling, he inspired students to conserve the most precious resource on this planet, The Environment As a prolific writer, he freelances for newspapers like Himachal Times, Doon Plus, i next, and other prominent papers in the valley and has also authored books like Merry Go Round the Trees and Good Earth Keeping, suggesting everyday proactive measures to conserve the environment. Aishwarya Sharma got into a highly candid conversation with this prodigy to delve deeper into environmental issues.

EXPRESSIONS (E): So how does it feel to be conferred upon with two reputed awards?

S S Khaira (SSK): I won the Green Ambassador of India, Himalaya aur Hindustan Award and National Environment geography award that was sponsored by organizations of the UNO. It feels great but I feel that my responsibilities now have increased manifold. I need to do much more now for my environment.

E: How did your tryst with nature start?

SSK: I have been attached to nature since childhood. As a Geography teacher, I have to totally stick to nature for achieving perfection in my work. Besides, nature is too invigorating for me to resist!

E:What according to you needs to be done for the environment in today’s times?

SSK:There’s a lot of ignorance and lack of awareness amongst people in terms of environment. We need to make people aware. Besides, we need to be very proactive in terms of waste disposal as this is the source of all environmental problems. Segregation and land filling can combat environmental degradation in a big way. We need to contribute and share our contributions with the rest of the world. After all, only drops can give rise to an ocean.

E: What are the transitions you’ve observed in Dehradun?

SSK: As a very outdoor person, I’ve seen terrific transitions in Doon. From the disappearance of Karenjh trees to the depleting litchi gardens and elimination of tea estates along Shimla Road, I feel Dehradun is not what it used to be.

E: What role do parents play in inculcating values of environmental sustainability amongst the younger generations?

SSK: Parents and elders have a monumental responsibility towards the environment. They need to pass on their wisdom and experience to the young minds and help & support their children in creating a beauitful and sustainable future.

E: With degradation in green spaces in the city, how important is the youth’s role in conserving the environment?

SSK: Youngsters’ role is certainly imperative as they are the future of the world. They have to be responsible for sustaining the future generations now. Youth needs to take environmental issues seriously and not ignore the most trivial of problems. They need to find solutions to all kinds of problems.

© EXPRESSIONS 2010

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icare

bringing people together

AB OU T US Welcome to icare, the part of SUSWA dedicated to bringing the young Doonites together to actively participate in taking care of their valley and at the same time help CFD its sister organization build an online encyclopaedia of Doon.

icare is a non-profit organization working towards bringing people together such as conservation professionals and other concerned citizens of Doon. Its resource persons include conservators, educators, scientists, students, archivists, historians, and concerned non-resident Doonites all over the world.

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Conserving our natural and cultural heritage is of paramount importance, but doing so presents complex challenges to both the administrators and the residents of Doon.

At icare, we understand the seriousness of the situation and are there to bring people together who care for the valley. We feel there is an urgent need for us to be conscious of our relationship with nature and to bring about a change in our perception in such a way that the interactions between us and our environment become mutually rewarding.

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WAYS TO PHOTGRAPH

D oon valley

Hello and welcome to the second edition of Expressions. Looking at your response to the photo-story in the inaugural issue we are bringing you a series of articles related to photography in Doon valley.

It’s never been easier to take a photograph than it is today. Anyone who can hold a camera, point it in the right direction and then all he has to do is press a button. But taking a good photograph requires a little more thought. Very often you need to spend only a moment or two to make the difference between taking yet another uninteresting snapshot to producing an eye-catching image.

T

he Doon valley and its surrounding hills have been a source of inspiration for countless creative people over the ages and even today there is something for all to experience and enjoy. There is something spiritually uplifting about seeing the beauty which the forces of nature have created and for a photographer the effect is amplified when it can be used as a means of expressing the feelings the experience evokes.

The aim of this series is to show something of the rich variety of subject matter which can be used to produce striking images. While spectacular vistas like viewing the snow-clad Himalayan ranges from Mussoorie quite understandably attract the greatest attention it’s important to appreciate that beauty is very much in the ‘eye of the beholder’ when it comes to photography and potentially photogenic subjects are all around us.

A perceptive eye for shape, texture, colour and light is the key to producing outstanding photographic images and the aim of this section is to illustrate and explain how these vital, visual skills can be developed together with the process of composing and recording what is seen in the most effective way.

As a keen amateur for many years who has spent all his life in the valley I’ve looked at various fields of the medium but photographing the landscape of Doon has always been my greatest passion. During this period I’ve used several types of cameras and processes but none excites as much as those available today. Digital capture and image control have opened my eyes to new ways of seeing my surroundings and have introduced me to virtually unlimited creative possibilities for controlling and presenting the final photograph.

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WAYS TO PHOTGRAPH

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One of the most frequently taken landscape pictures is of a lovely view, as this is the kind of subject that it’s hard to resist snapping. The desire to have a visual memento of a beautiful place is often the main reason for photographing it

S N O W- CA PP ED H IMALA YA S The first step towards producing an eye-catching photograph of a classic view is, of course, to have the right view point. There are a number of viewpoints which among landscape photographers of Mussoorie, with many of them having been photographed initially by people like Samuel Bourne and Thomas Alfred Rust.

It’s not uncommon for enthusiast to plan their photographic itineraries around some of these places. However this approach invites disappointment, as it’s very unlikely that similar conditions to the iconic image will be found on a casual visit.

This shot of snow-capped Himalayas was taken from a well-known and much-used viewpoint at the famous apple orchard ‘Hazara Heights’, Kanatal 14 km ahead of Dhanaulty coming from Mussoorie.

Little else was needed to capture it other than planning to arrive an evening before in late autumn when the sunlight was clear and

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sandip puran singh undiffused. The picture was taken using a wide-angle lens in the morning and a polarizing filter to increase the colour saturation of the foliage. I’d seen a stunning photograph of the same scene in Ajay Mark’s collection at Woodstock and, in comparison, my effort seemed very inferior. But if you ask Ajay he will tell you how many times one has to go to the same spot to get the perfect shot.

When your motive is primarily to produce a striking image, landscape picture are among the most difficult subjects to photograph. When distant details are an important element of a scene, then the conditions need to be as close to ideal as possible because atmospheric haze and diffused light will detract significantly from the clarity of the image.

The best landscape photograph

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WAYS TO PHOTGRAPH

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are usually the result of good luck in being at the fight place at

KA L A N G A F O R T

sandip puran singh

the right time, or of the willingness to keep returning to the same location until the conditions are right.

“The scene appealed to me because the dark monsoon clouds in the valley and the sunlight filtering through them was creating some beautifully graduated contours in the gently rolling landscape”

This landscape picture was entirely unplanned, as I’d taken upon myself to take photographs to illustrate a study called ‘Exploring the Doon’ that involved visiting geographically relevant features of Doon valley. Walking up the old bridle path from Rajpur to Jharipani I was surprised and delighted to see a sweeping view of the surrounding countryside with the famous Kalanga hillock clearly showcased.

The landscape was lit in a very pleasing way by the dark monsoon clouds gathering low on the horizon and yet the rain had the

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atmosphere that was clear enough to see far into the distance with the Song river flowing towards the Ganga.

The scene appealed to me because the acutely diffused sunlight was creating some beautifully graduated contours in the gently rolling landscape, which was an attractive shade of green. I used a wide-angle lens and chose a viewpoint which allowed me to frame a little of the foliage in the foreground to heighten the sense of depth and distance.

Writer is the founder of SUSWA, an NGO working along the northern boundary of Rajaji National Park.

He’s also an avid bird watcher and an amateur naturalist working on the Doon valley.

His love for photographing the valley can be seen by logging onto www.icarefordoon.org and can be reached at seemasandeepsingh@ gmail.com

Sandip Puran Singh

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IN THE NEWS Harmful chemicals in atmosphere can cause skin, respiratory ailments’ Though Doon valley was once famous for its green and clean environment, the combination of environmental degradation and natural factors has created a situation wherein the quantity of dust and suspended particles of harmful chemicals in the air has reached a level that is up to four times more than the healthy limit.

According to measurements recorded by the Uttarakhand Environment Conservation and Pollution Control Board (UECPCB), the unhealthy dense level of such particles in the ambient atmosphere of Dehradun can cause illnesses related to skin, eyes and respiration.

The measurements taken by the UECPCB reveal that the level of sulphur, phosphorus, magnesium (SPM) particles at the Clock Tower in Dehradun is 445 microgram per cubic meter. The level of SPM particles at Raipur Road intersection was measured at 370 micrograms per cubic metre. According to the levels set for the Doon valley, an SPM level of more than 100 micrograms per cubic metre is considered to be in the bad for health category.

As per the measurements taken using respirable dust sampler pollution measurement device, the general level of SPM and dust particles in the ambient atmosphere of Doon valley has been more than 250 micrograms per cubic metre. The quantity of nitrogen and sulphur in the ambient atmosphere is also substantially higher in the valley. According to Meteorological department head Dr Anand Sharma the drizzles being experienced in the valley now and then are not providing any relief from the heat due to the drop in level of moisture in the ambient atmosphere. Doon Hospital medical officer Dr Ajit Gairola states that those susceptible to asthma and allergies of skin and respiratory system should take special care considering the climate and condition of ambient atmosphere in the Doon valley. The increase in heat and pollution is causing a corresponding increase in complaints of eye and skin ailments among residents, he added.

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Scientists and officials agree upon different reasons responsible for the unhealthy increase in density of SPM and other harmful particles in the ambient atmosphere of Dehradun. From the climate point of view, this month has been marked by the advent of warmer winds from the western direction in the valley. The level of moisture in hills surrounding the Doon valley is comparatively less due to the lack in snowfall and its effects brought in the valley from the northern direction during the winter season. Major canals being covered with concrete and made underground is also a factor contributing to the decrease in moisture in the ambient atmosphere of the valley. This has been exacerbated by the diminishing area covered by trees particularly the large mango and leechi orchards for which the town was once famous.

In addition to the severely debilitated condition of Rispana and Bindaal rivers, the drastic and consistent increase in the number of vehicles creating pollution and increasing number of constructions replacing the greenery have made the Doon valley hotter and its ambient atmosphere more unclean.

Source: PIONEER

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IN THE NEWS Suspension of hydel projects U’khand govt to move court Cites acute shortage, demands 1,000 MW free power in return There are 200 more projects awaiting sanction and the report points out that not only will rivers face the threat of drying up, but diversion of 90 per cent water to these projects will also force people living on river-banks to migrate.

The state government, on the other hand, holds that Uttarakhand has a severe shortage of power and there is no reason it should not exploit its hydel potential of generating a whopping 15,000 MW of electricity. Suspension of power projects, it contends, would force industries out of the state and lead to migration from rural areas.

The state’s policy to promote mini and micro hydel projects had also been opposed by the Congress, alleging that individuals and companies with no experience of power generation had bagged the projects. Distillers, bottlers, cycle manufacturers and knitwear companies from Chandigarh, Ludhiana and Kanpur and even individuals supply of 1,000 MW of free power from the Centre close to the ruling party were awarded the projects, for shelving the projects.

The decision to suspend the projects was taken on alleged Harak Singh Rawat, leader of the Opposithe recommendations of the Group of Ministers tion in the Assembly. constituted by the Prime Minister. Environmental Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, howevconcerns raised by activists in the state have been er, claimed that procedures were transparent and corroborated by a special audit conducted by the of the 741 bids received for the projects, 624 were Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) as found eligible. well. The report, yet to be tabled in the state Assembly, has received the required assent from the Governor.

The CAG report, it is learnt, has severely criticised the state government’s decision to sanction 56 hydel Source: projects, five of which have become operational. SMA Kazmi, Tribune - Dehradun The issue of hydel power projects in Uttarakhand is snowballing into a major controversy with the BJP Government in the state planning to move court and challenge the Centre’s decision to suspend Pala Maneri (480 MW) and Bhaironghati (381 MW) projects on environmental grounds.

A belligerent state government has also demanded

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IN THE NEWS DE H RA D U N’S FIR ST E N V I R O N M E N T A L E - M A G A Z I N E LA UN C H E D

An environmental e-magazine for Dehradun was launched by ‘icare’ as a part of its crusade to preserve the flora and faunna of the city on June 12th 2010. The launch was a great success owing a heartfelt gratitude to Delhi based event management firm LOTUS LEAF BUSINESS EXHIBITIONS who supported them in their initiative.

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gogreentips SAY NO TO PLASTIC Did you know that organic waste takes a week or to deteriorate itself, paper takes 15-30 days, cotton 2-5 months, wood 10-15 years, Tin / aluminum 100-500 years and Plastic??

Yes! Plastic takes more than 1000 years to deteriorate.

You know plastic is derived from petroleum which is an inflammable substance.

It is the main cause of pollution in the world today. It has created havoc in our society. Plastic is surely attractive, disposable, cheap, easy to use but at the same time non-biodegradable as well.

Everywhere we are subjected to drains being clogged due to plastic bags which not only choke resulting in overflowing, water logging and at the sametime has serious repurcussion for aquatic life as well.

Plastic pollution has become the most sensitive issue of the environment. Everyday we use hundreds of items made of plastic without realizing that we are responsible for increasing the demand of plastic and inviting dangers of plastic pollution. However, by adopting some simple steps in our daily life we can reduce these problems.

‘Go Green’ steps • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Declare your areas – no plastic zone Plastic carry bag is the main culprit. Use alternatives such as cloth bag/jute bag/paper bag.

Make a habit of keeping a cloth bag/jute bag in your car or scooter.

Don’t accept plastic bags from shops. Carry your own bag.

Use garbage cans instead of plastic garbage bags.

Buy bottled goods instead of plastic containers.

Never dispose off plastic waste in open fields, public parks, sewer drain as they are clogged.

Replace plastic crockery by ceramic crockery which is eco friendly Stop buying disposable plastic pens; use ink pens.

Explain children why we should not use plastic bags.

Keep the environment plastic free in whatever way you can.

Use re-useable metallic razors instead of disposable plastic razors.

Innovate your own ideas and share with your friends and relatives all about avoiding plastic and using alternatives.

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anant aggarwal

sandip puran singh

suresh c sharma

akshay madan

The Right Environment For Your Future

“Because we don't think about future generations, they will never forget us”

Henrik Tikkanen

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CONTEST QUESTION Now wrack your brains and answer this in 100 - 150 words.

How can Environmental Education be made more enjoyable?

The best entry will not only win a prize but will also be featured in the August issue.

ECO SPACE Have a passion for drawing, painting, sketching, photography.....???

This is your chance to be featured in EXPRESSIONS’ august issue, and you stand to win a surPRIZE.

Theme - ENVIRONMENT & WOMEN Send in your entries latest by 25th July, 2010 at beautifuldehradun@gmail.com

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log on to

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