Vivartana Issue 2

VOLUNTEER SERVICES ORGANIZATION

SEPTEMBER 2017

VIVARTANA

CLEANLINESS FORTNIGHTS 1st - 15th September, 2017 A UGC Directive taken up by Manipal University chonicled in this issue of the Newsletter

SEPTEMBER 2017

VIVARTANA Chairman Dr. H Vinod Bhat Chief Coodinator Dr. Anup Naha Joint Coordinator Abhishek Chaturvedi Coordinator Dr. Chandrakant R Kini Student Coordinator Navaneeth Ganesh Project Coordinators Lochan Khullar, Chetan Swarup, Herschelle Pinto, Soumyabrata Banik, Varun Singh Bhati Editor Anshumanth TN Rao Photography Editor Srujan Pujary Writers Navaneeth Ganesh, Lochan Khullar, Vishal Kashyap Photography Shiksha Saraogi, Soumyabrata Banik, Navaneeth Ganesh, Paritosh Kulkarni, Bhanu Srinivas Designer Navaneeth Ganesh

Volunteer Services Organization Directorate of Student Affairs Manipal University Manipal - 576 104 The Swachhata Pakhwada Newsletter is to be e-published by the Volunteer Services Organization of Manipal University. © All rights reserved vso.manipal.edu

In Accordance with the UGC Guidelines, Manipal University, and the Volunteer Services Organization celebrated the Cleanliness Fortnight from September 1st to 15th.

We reached Mars. No PM or Minister went. It was the people who did it, our scientists who did it. So can't we create a Clean India?

India can do it. People of India can do it.

Narendra Modi vso.manipal.eduÂ

The Community Sidewalk Project

Which Road Will You Walk On? A Proposed Zero Investment Volunteer Constructed Sidewalk in the Udayavani Road near Manipal University

NAVANEETH GANESH

Little things we talk over tea According to recent study, conducted by

Communication and it's a very badly maintained one.

Stanford University researchers, Indians fall

You can pick your poison over there. Walk on the road

among one of the laziest people in the world

and get hit by an auto. Or walk on the weeded path and get bit by a snake!

averaging only about 4297 steps a day.

The study used step-counters that are installed in most smartphones to track the walking activity of citizens in more than 40 countries.

It becomes very dangerous to walk in this road especially when it is dark as the lighting in the area is also very poor. Also, the residential quarters for Manipal University faculty many of whom have little kids in the family fall right beside this road and it turns out to be a must traverse for all those who want to go to the centre of the city.

Irrespective of what we choose to think about the study,

Taking all of these factors into consideration, the need

the obvious problem is right before our eyes. Indians,

for a walkpath has become imperative and the

don't walk all that much these days. We take rickshaws or

maintaining of it factors into a huge amount of work. The

cabs because they're easier or because we don't want to

material and workforce for the initial construction and

walk through the pollution.

the budget required for it is a subject of question.

Let's choose to be optimistic here. Let's give ourselves the

The aptly named Community Sidewalk Project, after a

benefit of the doubt. We don't walk because we don't

few discussions with Dr. Arun Shanbhag, seems to be a

have a proper sidewalk to walk on. I can't walk on the

welcome solution. The Department of Civil Engineering,

highway because traffic. I can't walk on the less

as part of their laboratory activities for students make

frequented roads, because they're very bad. So what do I

about 4000 cubic (6in) concrete blocks every semester

do?

that usually end up in a landfill because they can’t be used for anything else. Moreover there are a lot of

You might have noticed the road that leads from the

construction sites around Manipal that create a lot of

Kamath Circle to the Tiger Circle through the School of

debris which again ends up in a landfill.

vso.manipal.edu

The proposal is to measure 5 ft from the compound wall adjacent to the road, mark it with a marker, and place the concrete blocks along the markers through to the required distance. The area in between can be filled with the construction debris and levelled with a rake/hand roller.

The communities of Manipal, the Students and Faculty of the Institutions, along with the local businesses and corporates can be involved in the construction of this sidewalk which can be a fun and productive weekend activity, as well as a reason for all in Manipal to walk daily.

The initial stage of this would involve some groundwork and measuring of the exact distances, along with a bit of hedging of the weeds following which Phase 1 would see the project excecuted by constructing the sidewalk from the A1 Gate to the School of Communication Building at a distance of around 200 mts !

The question remains, will it work? There might be a thousand reasons why it may not! But as Dr. Shanbhag says, we only need One hope that it will! And people to rally behind that hope! Which road will you walk on?

Clean Manipal Campaign Community Cleanup Drives around the campus twice a week!

Register at vso. manipal.edu Contact Lochan -Â +91 97417 15698

vso.manipal.edu

DAY 1

CLEAN CAMPUS DAY DAY 2

CLEAN HOSTEL DAY DAY 3

GREEN CAMPUS DAY DAY 4

CLEAN MESS DAY DAY 5

vso.manipal.edu

ESSAY CONTEST

DAY 6

CLEAN SURROUNDINGS DAY DAY 7

MUNCIPAL WASTE MANAGEMENT STUDY DAY 8

AT THE SLUMS AND VILLAGES DAY 9

MARKET WASTE MANAGEMENT STUDY DAY 10 AT THE INSTITUTIONS FOR THE POOR

DAY 11

HOSPITAL WASTE MANAGEMENT STUDY DAY 12

SESSION WITH THE COMMISSIONER DAY 1 3

CLEANEST HOSTEL ROOM CONTEST DAY 14

ELOCUTION CONTEST DAY 15

vso.manipal.edu

VALEDICTORY

you say swacchata?

VISHAL KASHYAP

You say Swachhata?

You say Swachhata?

I was born in a country that witnessed the cradles of civilization like Mohenjodaro and Harrappa, the drainage system of which is still discussed about everywhere. I’m sure this must have been the least of their priorities.

I was born in a country that believed in efficient ways of rainwater harvesting and had magnificent structures built for same to help the masses in times of need. We had wells, underground tanks and what not!

But yes, you say Swachhata!

I grew up in country where open defecation still prospers...

vso.manipal.edu

But yes, you say Swachhata!

I grew up in the country which destroyed all those structures only to have the monstrous concrete jungles that makeÂ

sure that a few millimeters of rainfall makes it look like a demolished Venice!

You say Swachhata?

I was born in a country where rivers were worshipped and civilizations flourished around them, the beautiful 4K wallpapers you see, once used to exist on this very land.

But yes, you say Swachhata!

I grew up in a country where all

our excreta is fed to water bodies choking them closer to death everyday if not already but making sure of those apathetic humongous buildings in the planes.

You say Swachhata?

I was born in a country where n number of religions, n number of languages, n amount of diversity existed as the most celebrated communities .

But yes, you say Swachhata!

I grew in a country where I blame the government for those basking beer bottles on the beach, or the flying wrappers, or the overflowing gutters or the dying rivers.

You say Swachhata?

I was born in a country which wasn’t swachh much, but by the time my era ends on this very land, it will  be much Swachh!

Jai Hind

vso.manipal.edu Issue 27 | 234

10 Years of Spreading Smiles 10 Years ago, a dream came to fruition! The dream of Dr. Raj Warrier, the then Vice Chancellor of Manipal University who envisioned a group of motivated individuals across the university in all its campuses and sister institutes, coming together to do something good. To make something happen. To make people smile!

10 years after, on the same day, VSO - MU stands tall, the largest organization in Manipal with a strength of over 3000 and an impact of much more!

Happy 10th Birthday, VSO!

© VSO - MU All Rights Reserved vso.manipal.edu