THE ASIAN CHRONICLE

Vol I, Issue XXII

16-28 February, 2017

inside

Count your calories before eating Winter is a time to care about your intake

health “India is country of all seasons and with change of season your list of yummy dishes also expands, especially in winter.”

With the advent of winter you start to eat a lot and kitchen becomes the most active place of your home.

Our vegetable market is full of many types of fruits, vegetables, and many types of green (saag/ sag) leaf-based vegetables like spinach, mustard leaf, collard greens, basils, etc. These sags have rich nutritional values and they are very good source of iron, antioxidants, vitamins and needless to say that they help in fighting with many diseases so during winter you become less sick.

In winter you can find very fresh carrot, radish.

Cauliflowers, cabbage, onion leafs, potatoes, tomatoes, green peas, broccoli etc. these are finely used in making rich delicious soups, sandwiches and stuffed parathas which we serve at most homes and restaurants with desi ghee or butter. That definitely enhances the taste to a greater extent.

You can mix these vegetables and can make delicious pakoras. A plateful of samosas and pakoras is the most popular and very favorite snack during the evening tea. (Oh my God, I am feeling hungry now.)

Our taste buds are so much fond of dal that we can’t forget dal with extra dollops of desi- ghee which we love to eat with Roti, bread or with rice.

During this pass of time we love to make pickles and pappar at home. These Indian delicacies are finger licking and mouthwatering.

It is very natural that you can’t hold your hands.

You will love to eat one after another and still feel to eat more. Your desire to eat more is so strong that you will not mind forgetting what your actual requirements u for healthy eating are. Well, you know, it happens but at the end of the day all this will add fat deposition in your body which is not fine. Right!!!

“After winter several people walk to me saying that they have put on so much weight and they want to lose it instantly.” Says dietitian Sheela Seharawat. Indeed after long winter of festival and fun it is time to start getting back into shape else you can be in danger.

During winter there are so many festivals and marriage parties and family get together that adds so much excitement and fun that it is actually hard to resist the temptation and most people forget that they are to follow any diet plans and that for the rest of the year they continue their weight loss program.

In India, we are fond of eating grated carrot (ga-

Winter is the time of rich eating

2

Faridabad (NCR) | 16-28 February, 2017

jarka) halwa, moong dal halwa, plain sujihalwa, chana dal halwa, kajuhalwa and several other types of halwa which are dollops of ghee, sugar and a lot of dry fruits in them.

“Homemade halwa is full of luscious taste, rich in fats and sugar but Carrot (gajarkahalwa) is the safest desert.” Says dietitian Sheela Sehawarat.

However it is important to check the amount of ghee and sugar.

In the winter, we have so many fruits to eat which are a great source of vitamins and minerals. You have Oranges, gooseberry (amla), guava, Blood orange, Tangelos, Meyer lemon, Pomelo, red Papayas, Fingerling Potatoes, pink lady apples, strawberries etc.

In the winter, it is lovely to drink soup two times a day like cream carrot soup, potatoes soups, bacilli soup, chicken noodles soup, wild mushroom soup, mixed bean and vegetable soup etc.

These are very healthy and full of goodness of taste and nutrition.

“Now a day, it is coming into fashion that people love to drink alcohol especially during festival nights and on the night outs and mostly it is a common believe that drinking alcoholic drinks keeps their body warm. It can keep you warm for a while but don’t drink under the impression that it will do some good to you. In fact it will add more to your calorie count.” Says dietitian Sheela Seharawat.

In fact winter is the best time for weight gain.

There is something in the winter chill that makes you to love eating. There is a long list of delicious food, tempting recipes and finger licking dishes that it makes any normal human glutton.

In a study, when a set of 10 people each of 10 divided in two groups and one set of 10 people were kept in a colder room, and another set of 10 in another that was comfortable, not cold. Both sets of people were fed the same meals at lunch. The study showed that the ones in the colder room ate more than the other set. So, it is not abnormal if you and

I feel glutton to eat more during winter.

“People mostly gain 8 to 15 kg of weight during winter and weight loss program is the first very thing they keep in their New Year’s resolutions which normally ends up in couple of weeks and weight

remains high through-out the year. The same next winter some more weight gets added and things keep on like this until your doctor warns you to lose weight else it will cause serious health problems.” Says dietitian Sheela Shehawarat.

The actual reason of weight gain is the less outing and more of fatty foods. When it is too cold people avoid going out and if they go out they try to come back soon without much walking.

Mostly the habit of morning walk is shifted to evening walk and sometimes it stops all together.

If you are going out you try to go out in your own car or use public transport so walking and burning of calories almost or entirely stops.

In the winter we are wearing bulky clothes that allow us to cover our whole body and usually the idea of “out of sight, out of mind” seems very relevant. You have less time to really see your oversized and overweight body. It is always covered and you don’t worry about your over weight.

Winter has cold and darker nights and none like to stay out for longer. Mostly everyone tries to reach home early and early night is so good to sleep early. People prefer to watch TV for sometimes then sleep and sleep longer. With all this laziness, definitely all the eating will make you

chubby and fat. Good news is that winter is now over and it is time to get back in shape without any delay.

By Dietitian Sheela Seharawat

Vol I, Issue XXII

16-28 February, 2017 Pages 08, Price Rs. 5/Faridabad (NCR)

Vol-1, Issue-XXII, Published for the period 16-28 February, 2017. Printed & Published by Virender for and on behalf of Karamvir Kamal (Owner) from 2569, Street No. 2, Jawahar Colony, N.I.T, Faridabad, Haryana and printed at Joy Printers, 3G-142, N.I.T. Faridabad-121001, Haryana. Editor Karamvir Kamal* (responsible for selection of news under PRB Act 1867), Deputy Editor Erum Khan. RNI No. HARENG/2016/67803. Executive Office: 431, Saraswati Vihar, Gurugram-122004, Haryana. Contact +91 9212 46 0446, 9899 73 1532.

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Mannual Scavenging The work against

human dignity?

inside

Sexual Harassment in Schools

In the period of Physical Education the girl students were asked to run for fifty meters or go for skipping. Initially girls thought that it was a part of warm up session before the actual teaching. It was considered a part of the curriculum. After two weeks students noticed that during the session, the teacher used to give a dirty eye on the specific parts of their body.

PSLV-C37 Successfully Launches 104 Satellites in a Single Flight

In its thirty ninth flight (PSLV-C37), ISRO's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle successfully launched the 714 kg Cartosat-2 Series Satellite along with 103 co-passenger satellites today morning (February 15, 2017) from Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota.

Govt. should increase cyber security spending to match growing threat landscape

Sparsh Upadhyay

Writing on such a big problem is a tough task to do. The writer understands that the laws are enacted for the betterment of the people, and when laws which are enacted for a specific class of people, it could be said that the law must be of utmost necessity. Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, was a necessary step toward making such employment illegal and the making of insanitary latrines was also prohibited.

‘Safety first through security by design,’ should be the motto The government should sharply increase spending on cyber security to a level that matches the changing threat landscape, noted a paper jointly conducted by ASSOCHAM-PwC. “The government should allocate adequate budget for cyber security related initiatives such as capacity building, training of the workforce, implementing awareness programmes, and promoting research and development,” according to paper titled ‘Recommendations – Cyber & network security,’ jointly conducted by ASSOCHAM and consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).

It also suggested the industry to make budgets to expand efforts to attract and retain qualified cyber professionals.

“It is important to take proactive measures rather than reactive methods as building safe environments will always be the best line of defence against rising cybercrime,” suggested the paper.

It said that government should look at developing comprehensive and mature security policies to ensure that emerging technologies such as cloud and Smart Cities are protected from cyber threats and risks, and help create a dynamic digital economy.

Sexual Harassment in Schools Faridabad (NCR) | 16-28 February, 2017 www.theasianchronicle.com

nation

DR. KAVITA VIKAS Author and Freelancer

kavitavikas28@gmail.com

In the period of Physical Education the girl students were asked to run for fifty meters or go for skipping. Initially girls thought that it was a part of warm up session before the actual teaching. It was considered a part of the curriculum.

After two weeks students noticed that

during the session, the teacher used to give a dirty eye on the specific parts of their body. When they lodged a complaint, it was found that on the basis of this ill manner the teacher was transferred from his earlier school. The management was least worried to know that after his punishment transfer his attitude changed or not. Even whether the teacher took it as a punishment or enjoyed the new place for his old habit.

In a tender age when sexual assaults take place, children used to have them as nightmares. Cases of sexual abuses include staring, touching, passing filthy remarks, showing obscene photos and many such things which are not pleasing to girls and they feel humiliated.

The school curriculum does not provide bookish knowledge only but the sports, art, school trips and cultural programme also which provide opportu-

nity to come closer with each other. If the children are called after school hours for extra classes or for rehearsal, they should be kept under keen eye and supervision by the authority.

At the age group between thirteen to twenty, due to hormonal changes, attraction is bound to come between opposite sex. It may lead in to sexual indulgence. That is why NCERT has stressed on keeping councilor along with holding seminars time to time to discuss on these issues. When someone is sexually harassed in school, it can undermine their sense of personal dignity and safety, disrupt their education and interfere with their ability to reach their full potential in life. It leads to increase in dropouts from schools. A survey on the cases of dropouts brought that at the age of eighteen one child in every ten passes through sexual assaults. Twenty

percent of victims are in the age group of eight year or below it. Fifty percent of the victims have thought to commit suicide after the rape or abuses and twenty percent even tried this fatal act.

It should be noted that assaults take place not only with girls rather with boys also and they possess the tendency to skip or bunking classes, or sitting in one corner of the class without any interest. Psychologists find anxiety, depression, loss of appetite, inability to concentrate, fear, depression etc. as the symptoms which reveal that something wrong has taken place .

The main causes of sexual harassments at the school level may include asking for a favor in order to get good marks or some special benefits which may not be lawfully correct. In this process sometimes students get involved voluntarily and it may not be the case with only teacher and the girl rather a peon may also get involved or even the big shot of the institution. The culprit may ask for dates and may take for outing, demanding hugs and unwanted touching or use rude and insulting language. In the age of internet, posting pornography or other sexual photos have become quite common. Gender based harassment is often used as a form of bullying the girl student. Boys may use sexual information to gain control and power over the girl.

In order to stop drop outs due to sexual abuse, Education Department of each state has a legal duty to take steps to prevent and respond to sexual harassment. They must make sure that they keep poison free environments that respect human rights. When deciding if an education provider has met its duty to respond to a human rights claim, tribunals are likely to think about how quickly the enquiry body has responded to the complained and that the resources made available to deal with the complaint are sufficient or not. The lacunae lying here is that cases of juvenile are not seriously taken. we are still living in a conservative society where guardians are scared of ill fame so even if they know the culprit they don’t raise voice.

Recently a very serious incident came

tended orbit) and in the succeeding 12 minutes, all the 104 satellites successfully separated from the PSLV fourth stage in a predetermined sequence beginning with Cartosat-2 series satellite, followed by INS-1 and INS-2. The total number of Indian satellites launched by PSLV now stands at 46.

After separation, the two solar arrays of Cartosat-2 series satellite were deployed automatically and ISRO's Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) at Bangalore took over the control of the satellite. In the coming days, the satellite will be brought to its final operational configuration following which it will begin to provide remote sensing services using its panchromatic (black and white) and multispectral (colour) cameras.

The imagery from the Cartosat-2 series satellite will be useful for cartographic applications, urban and rural applications, coastal land use and regulation, utility management like road network monitoring, water distribution, creation of land use maps, change de-

tection to bring out geographical and manmade features and various other Land Information System (LIS) and Geographical Information System (GIS) applications. The data sets could be used for urban planning of 500 cities under the Amrut Planning Scheme. The government initiative of 100 smart city programme in which these data sets could be used for master plan preparation and detailed geospatial data preparation for rural roads and infrastructure development.

Of the 103 co-passenger satellites carried by PSLV-C37, two – ISRO Nano Satellite-1 (INS-1) weighing 8.4 kg and INS-2 weighing 9.7 kg – are technology demonstration satellites from India.

The remaining 101 co-passenger

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in news when a fourteen year old girl of a residential school was found pregnant.

The investigation found the hostel warden as the main culprit who used to run a sex racket. Therefore, we cannot say it is only male who exploits girls. Every day we come across such news where girls are being ill treated. such lunatic males are often sick people. A tuition master of a seven year old child always used to ask her what is there under her skirt, when the same question was asked by the girl to the mother, she came aware that there is something wrong. Councilors must explain how to distinguish between good touch and bad touch. There is provision of punishment for the culprit teacher or he may be suspended too.

We all as responsible citizens of the country should help prevent sexual and gender based harassments. We ought to teach children in the family that they should not tolerate any touching or staring or any such behavior which are unpleasant to them. Any homophobic bullying will not be tolerated. They should be taken in faith that the matter will be a confidential one if they have lodged a complaint against sexual harassment. If the problem is sorted out and the girl take readmission,they should not be treated differently rather as a normal child. The government must have enough resources, training and tools to spot sexually harassed behavior.

Another big issue lying here is that girls are instructed to hide such cases, as it may stand hurdle in the way of their marriage. Most often it leads to blackmailing also which causes sad end of life.

We are yet not a part of an open society. We are known for our moral values.

Though changes are inevitable yet we should help keeping the shrine of knowledge free from all sorts of shortcomings especially stigma arisen out of breaking the pious relation between guru and shishya. If we are bound to give a civilized society, we have to provide sex education right from the primary level and a full fledged support from the girl as well as her parents to the system dealing with sexual cases.

satellites carried were international customer satellites from USA (96), The Netherlands (1), Switzerland (1), Israel (1), Kazakhstan (1) and UAE (1).

This mission involved many technical challenges like realising the launch of a large number of satellites during a single mission within the time frame sought by the customers from abroad.

Besides, ensuring adequate separation between all the 104 satellites during their orbital injection as well as during their subsequent orbital life was yet another challenge associated with this complex mission.

With this successful launch, the total number of customer satellites from abroad launched by India’s workhorse launch vehicle PSLV has reached 180.

PSLV-C37 Successfully Launches 104 Satellites in a Single Flight

In its thirty ninth flight (PSLV-C37), ISRO's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle successfully launched the 714 kg Cartosat-2 Series Satellite along with 103 co-passenger satellites today morning (February 15, 2017) from Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota. This is the thirty eighth consecutively successful mission of PSLV. The total weight of all the 104 satellites carried on-board PSLV-C37 was 1378 kg.

PSLV-C37 lifted off at 0928 hrs (9:28 am) IST, as planned, from the First Launch Pad. After a flight of 16 minutes 48 seconds, the satellites achieved a polar Sun Synchronous Orbit of 506 km inclined at an angle of 97.46 degree to the equator (very close to the in-

Faridabad (NCR) | 16-28 February, 2017 www.theasianchronicle.com

5 haryana

Job opportunities for Hry sportspersons at National & International Levels

GURUGRAM: Haryana Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma said that the State has got recognition in the field of sports at international level. The State Government has formulated a policy for giving jobs in recognition of the outstanding performance of youth in sports at national and international level. Mr Sharma was addressing the sportspersons after giving away trophy and prize money of Rs 21 lakh to the winning team of Gurugram in ‘Haryana Premier League 2017 T20 Cricket Tournament’ here late last evening. The runner up team of Sirsa awarded with a prize money of Rs 11 lakh. He said that Haryana is celebrating its Swarna Jayanti year and this cricket tournament is organized as a part of the Swarna Jayanti year. He said that Haryana’s players are exhibiting their sterling performance in every field including Wrestling, Kabaddi, Boxing and Cricket and brought glory to the state as well as the nation. Congratulating the players of winning team, Mr Sharma asked them to continue exhibit same in future. He also asked players of other teams to take inspiration and try much more efforts in future.

Three arrested from Sector 43 for rape and murder of minor girl

GURUGRAM: Haryana Police has arrested three persons, including two residents of West Bengal and one of Uttar Pradesh, for kidnapping, raping and murdering a minor girl in Gurugram. While stating this here, spokesman of the Police Department said that on January 15, 2017, Salim Sheikh, a resident of Murshidabad Hall, Wazirabad Jhuggi, Gurugram, had lodged a complaint that his daughter had gone missing from Wazirabad Jhuggi. A case in this regard was registered under sections 363 and 366A of the Indian Penal Code at Sushant Lok police station on January 16. On January 23, it was informed by the control room that the body of a girl had been found lying in an empty underground water tank near Saraswati Kunj, which was later confirmed to be that of the missing girl. Sections 302 and 201of the Indian Penal Code and Section 4 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 were added in the FIR. He said that during investigation, the victim’s neighbours informed that they had seen about three persons making her sit in a black car. A search was launched for the car. Upon being interrogated, the owner revealed that the car was driven by Ejad Malik,a resident of village Kulgachhi, district Nadia, West Bengal. During interrogation, Ejad Malik, who was arrested from Saraswati Kunj on February 11, confessed that he and his two accomplices, Mukhtar Ali, resident of Jadupur, district Malda, Uttar Pradesh and Jalil,a resident of village Kulberiyan, district Nadia, West Bengal, had kidnapped the victim.

Mukhtar Ali and Jalil were arrested from Sector 43 jhuggis on February 13. During interrogation, the accused revealed that they had kidnapped the victim from Wazirabad Jhuggi and taken her to Sector 45 jhuggis where they held her captive and raped her for four days.

They had then strangulated her, tried to burn the body to prevent identification and dumped the body in an empty underground water tank. While Ejad Malik works as a driver, Mukhtar Ali pulls a rehri and Jalil is an autorikshaw driver, he added.

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No justice in sight for India's riot rape survivors nation

More than 60 people died and thousands were forced to flee their villages when Hindu-Muslim riots erupted in two districts of the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh in 2013.

The violence, sparked by the alleged harassment of a young Hindu woman by a Muslim man, lasted two days.

A few days later, seven women, all Muslims, went to the police alleging that they were gang-raped during the violence that broke out in their villages. The police took a year to arrest all the 29 accused, who were later released on bail.

The trials were supposed to be completed in special fast track courts within two months. But nearly four years on, the women are still waiting for justice.

Amnesty International's Mariya Salim has worked on a report tracing the legal journey of the women and says there is a clear lack of will on the part of the administration to ensure they get justice.

"Research tells us that there have been only three convictions in rape cases during Hindu-Muslim communal riots since the country's partition, and that hasn't changed even now. We have seen delays at every stage", Ms Salim says.

The BBC's Divya Arya travelled to the area to listen to the women's stories.

"No video recording and no photos on the internet," was how Rubina greeted me when I visited her

new home, 30km from the village where she lived before the riots.

In the aftermath, many Muslims were forced to leave and settle elsewhere.

The Muzaffarnagar-Shamli districts are now dotted with ghettos, where those displaced by the riots have bought land and constructed houses after the Supreme Court directed the state government to pay them compensation.

Rubina is a middle-aged woman.

She stood before me with a baby resting on her elbow and shoulders and two young children tugging at her tunic.

"I am tired of having my grandchildren complain to my daughter that they are humiliated at school because some child saw their 'rape victim' grandmother's photo," she told me later.

Rubina said she was gang raped by four men, including her neighbours.

"I fell unconscious, and when I came to, I just ran, with everyone else in the village."

They had no time to pack or take any money with them.

Together they lived in relief camps for months on end. Shared trauma and difficult circumstances bred strength and sisterhood.

But then there were the threats.

"The accused threatened to kill

Haryana Secondary Education Department has issued the schedule for admission of students belonging to Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) and Below Poverty Line (BPL) categories to Classes IX to X plus two in private recognised schools under Rule 134A of Haryana School Education Rules, 2003, as amended in 2013. While stating this here today, a spokesman of Secondary Education Department said that the private recognised schools would charge fee from these students at the same rate as is being charged in government schools. He said that according to the schedule, advertisement regarding admission to private recognised schools for EWS and BPL category seats would be published in leading newspapers by March 1, 2017. The District and Block Level Commit-

tees would be published by March 10. The schools would display the vacancies for 2017-18 on the notice board and school website by March 20, and submission of information on the MIS Portal hryedumis.gov.in would also be carried out by the same date. He said that the students would be able to submit applications in online or offline mode from March 20 to April 10. The Block Education Officers and Block Elementary Education Officers would publish list of eligible applicants by April 12. The assessment test would be conducted on April 16 and result would be declared and April 18. The first draw of lots at block level would be held on April 19 and admissions would be conducted on this basis from April 20 to 25. Similarly, second draw of lots for remaining seats, if any,

Divya Arya | BBC

my children, so I once retracted my statement, but after my husband and lawyer reassured me I testified before the judge with the complete truth."

Charges have still not been framed in her case, despite her giving testimony, undergoing medical tests and attending endless rounds of court hearings.

Rubina said she didn't see the point of continuing. Struggling to make ends meet, she feels uprooted and lost.

"All I've got is the tag of fallen woman, I'm exhausted. Why should I pursue the case?"

Just like the other alleged rape survivors, Nafeesa cannot read or write.

"I had only ever heard of the Delhi gang rape incident before my own rape, so I thought the accused would get punished as soon as I identified them in my complaint," she said.

"Little did I know these cases can take so long."

Nafeesa grew quiet as if remembering that night all over again, where she says she was raped by five men, all known to her.

She alleged they threatened to kill her two-year-old son to stop her screaming.

Nafeesa now lives in a colony of the riot-displaced only 2km from her village.

"We would never go back there, there is nothing left for us, and they (Hindus) would dare not come here. We are safe here among people of our own religion," she said.

But it's a tough life. Many of these colonies have no electricity connections, drainage or roads.

Then she said: "Sometimes I

Children from EWS and BPL families to get admission in private schools

would be held on May 1. Admission on this basis would be conducted from May 2 to 5. If seats remain vacant after the second round, the schools concerned would submit their lists to the District Level Committee concerned

by May 12, he added. He said that the process of admission in Class X plus one would be started after the declaration of result of Class X. He said that recognition of schools failing to comply with the provisions of Rule 134A of Haryana School Education Rules, 2003, as amended in 2013 would be withdrawn by the Department under the relevant rules on recommendation of the District Level Committee. Any aggrieved person could submit their complaint either before the District Level Committee or the Block Level Committee, he added.

wonder why I filed this case. I haven't got any justice, and the threat to my life still remains."

"They [the accused men] live in their villages and roam free, they lost nothing; we lost everything."

Her voice stood out clear, crisp and fresh. If there were any signs of fatigue with the long legal battle, she hid them well.

"I won't leave them unpunished", she said over the phone.

"I haven't lost courage and I haven't forgotten anything, they will have to pay for my countless sleepless nights."

Khalida is exceptionally brave.

She has left Uttar Pradesh, where she alleges she was attacked by three men during the riots. They found her in fields where she had fled.

She is now in hiding with her children, but I was able to speak to her after meeting her husband.

He told me that the threats to their family are still grave and the pace of the trial very slow, so Khalida's lawyer has petitioned that her case be heard outside Uttar Pradesh.

But that petition was filed a year ago and is still waiting to be heard.

Just like the other women who have come forward, their livelihoods have also been disrupted by riots and fighting the rape case is as much a legal matter as it is a financial one.

But Khalida's husband told me he'd go to any length to support his wife's quest for justice.

As I began to hang up the phone, Khalida said: "He is very fond of me... I'll continue to fight with his strength."

Names of all the rape survivors have been changed. Courtesy BBC

Delhi 2005 blasts:

Alleged 'mastermind' jailed for 10 years

Tariq Ahmed Dar, who police accused of masterminding the attacks, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for funding terrorism.

Two others, who were accused of murder and attempted murder, have been acquitted of all charges.

India had blamed militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba for the attack on three busy marketplaces in the city.

The casualty figures were high because the blasts occurred days before the Hindu festival of Diwali, which is celebrated on a grand scale in Delhi.

Courtesy BBC

Faridabad (NCR) | 16-28 February, 2017 www.theasianchronicle.com

Mannual Scavenging: The work against human dignity?

opinion

Writing on such a big problem is a tough task to do. The writer understands that the laws are enacted for the betterment of the people, and when laws which are enacted for a specific class of people, it could be said that the law must be of utmost necessity. Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, was a necessary step toward making such employment illegal and the making of insanitary latrines was also prohibited. On paper, it looked like a very stringent step towards the healthy sanitation of the Sparsh Upadhyay people of India. But the law has not been Email ID -13bal055@nirmauni.ac.in able to remove the difficulty of the people who were the intended beneficiaries of the Law. It cannot be denied that the authorities which were entrusted with If we talk about the the work of implementing the law, have custom of carrying failed to do so and the under showing of the data by the states is a perfect example human waste and the in order to show that the Law of 2013 debates regarding it has utterly failed to achieve its motive have started around because of the lack of will of the ones who are made authorities under the act.

110 years back, but While talking to the people who work as only in 1993 the Gov- manual scavengers, the irony keeps on ernment came up with appearing as to how when the manual scavenging is prohibited, yet so many the law prohibiting the manual scavengers still do exist. same and which was Caste system has had a huge impact on the people as 95% of people are manual not working at all. scavengers because of their caste and After 20 years of imthat plays an important role in them being in the lower strata of the society. It plementing the law, is to be noted that the need of the hour is Government had to to identify the manual scavengers and come with 2013 law as then manually rehabilitate them, but that has not happened. The law was intended the previous law an to undo the effects of caste but the failure utter fail, which is also of it has led to no impact on the effects failing like the earlier of the caste system. This is because of these reasons that there are suggestions law of 1993. that the Manual scavengers may be released from the shackles of oppression

only by three ways:(a) By themselves, when they on their own leave the work and pledge not to take up any work related to manual scavenging or sewage cleaning. For this a lot of awareness and programs are needed to be examined and implemented, an alternate has also to be looked for in terms of work. ‘BhimYatra’ has been a great example whereby awareness was spread regarding the law and leaving such work.

(b) Conversion of insanitary latrine into

sanitary latrines under section 5(2) of the 2013 Act.

(c) Preparing list of manual scavengers

as according to section 11(7) of the act once the list is prepare all manual scavengers are discharged with immediate effect from their previous work.

It is to be understood that these manual scavengers depend heavily on the earning from such work and to rehabilitate them would cause great efforts as it would require their arrangements in some other work, also such arrangements must be made which do not led them to go back to their work because of less income in other work, also there shouldn’t be any stigma attached to them which makes it impossible for them to get some other work. The need is also to spread awareness about the law, as most manual scavengers have seen to do not know the law in place for them, NGOs along with the states can be instrumental in bringing about the awareness amongst them. In the paper, the researcher has already explained the rehabilitation and schemes as mandated under the law; their proper Implementation is what is suggested. The biggest problem is that the law has not enough outreach so as to directly affect the intended beneficiaries

and this makes the task really difficult to make the manual scavengers come under one umbrella and get rehabilitation.

Concluding the researcher wants to suggest few points so that the rehabilitation is smooth and effective:(a) Rehabilitation should be in terms of livelihood: The foremost important thing is regarding the existing manual scavengers and what would happen to them considering the fact that manual scavenging is now prohibited. Would they be expelled from work? No, section 6(2) of the 2013 act, mandates that the workers be given some other job at equal salary, however the trade unions and other organisations should also implement the law as it is not binding upon them. The families must be identified who have been doing manual scavenging with the help of social organisation, and not just the bread earner be skilled in some other form of work but all family members be involved in such training. It is to be taken care of that there remains no caste stigma upon them and that children do not face any discrimination or untouchability.

Faster loans be available to them at subsidized rates or their loan waiver be granted.

(b) Housing schemes be given to them: Need of a proper, permanent house is very necessary and that is to be necessarily provided as most of them have no home and they live at isolated places which further deny them the right to involve with the mainstream society.

(c) Education facilities are provided:

They are to be equipped with education facilities and it is to be seen that the children do not get discriminated in the schools.

(d) Health cover schemes: They must be joined with health schemes as they are exposed to many diseases which are very detrimental to health and which may cost life if not treated properly. A separate schemes be planned for them and they be assisted for the enrolment of the same If we talk about the custom of carrying human waste and the debates regarding it have started around 110 years back, but only in 1993 the Government came up with the law prohibiting the same and which was not working at all. After 20 years of implementing the law, Government had to come with 2013 law as the previous law an utter fail, which is also failing like the earlier law of 1993. The laws are implemented keeping in the view that the question is all about sanitation, but it is often forgotten that the question is also about Caste, inequality.

The government doesn’t look serious, apart from implementing the law and the

6

society as a whole is also at fault. The awareness is not proper amongst the manual scavengers, which is one of the reasons why manual scavenging is still prevalent, however the people voluntarily are not leaving the work because they do not have their future secured in the schemes of the Governments. States like Kerala, who are otherwise developed also, have this practice prevalent and they are not reporting correct data regarding the number of insanitary toilet and manual scavengers.

The making of the Law, was the result of many social movements and activist trying hard to protect the rights of manual scavengers. The census report of 2011 also indicated that there is large number of manual scavengers working.

In every Government department, cities, Panchayats, authorities, the manual scavengers are employed, as we have discussed that in the previous headings.

This law extended the definition of manual scavengers, who were then intended to be rehabilitated, and that is why this 2013 act is powerful than the previous act. The new law is not only concerned with the sanitation issue only, it also concerns itself with the issue of forced labour, dignity and rehabilitation. These positive changes can make the situation happy, if the law be implemented strictly.

However there are still some lacunas in the act for example it does not talk about the people who have already left the work and the question of their rehabilitation is left unanswered.

On a larger scale, the Dalit Muslims are doing this work, and for them SC/ST Atrocities Act doesn’t work, so for their protection the 2013 Law doesn’t have anything to say. For the question of Railways, time bound elimination of the manual scavenging, nothing has been said. The issue of railway manual scavenge was added to the list of manual scavengers but no time limit has been set as to when the railways would become manual scavenging free. Regarding the identification of the manual scavengers, the task was given to the state authorities under the old act, but they have been in denial mode everywhere, from courts to public domain. This has been in trend for past 20 years, now same authorities have been tasked to identify the manual scavengers, which appeared to be problematic.

The need is to make this act implemented in strict and time bound manner and the states have to play a good role in doing that. The writer concludes by remembering a line spoken by one of the lady who was questioned during the research on this article.

“×ñÜæ ÉUôÙæ ÀUôǸ Îô Ìô âé¹è ãUôßð ÂçÚUßæÚU ÀUßé æ-ÀUÌê ¥õÚU ÖðÎ-Öæß ·¤è ç×ÅU Áæßð çÎßæÚU”

7

Faridabad (NCR) | 16-28 February, 2017

health

Winter is a time to care about your intake “Life is good till you are not fat because soon the deposited fat starts to harm you.” says dietitian

Sheela Seharawat.

Indeed, having so much fat in the body that one starts to call you fat, chubby or obese is a point that starts to harm you.

By Dietitian Sheela Seharawat Your body is not fit and good to go as it can challenge your health and can be life threatening sooner or later in your life. So there is no wonder if you think about your healthy life. You need to care about weight and if you have put on weights then weight loss program ought to be your first step toward better healthy living. Diet certainly requires healthy lifestyle and the right nutrition at the right time.

In fact, the right timing is very important. Suppose you are eating at 12 at night then going to sleep by 1 a.m. then it is hard to maintain a good body weight no matter how less or more you eat. Wrong timing affects your body.

Some people start to skip their breakfast as they are late risers and they get their breakfast nearly at lunch time and the push lunch further to the evening tea time and again eat dinner late at night.

Such lifestyle will never let you be healthy.

If your lifestyle is not good then it is no wonder that you put on weight. As your body gains weights, your entire body responses to this change. The first noticeable change could be walking style as it also changes with the gained weight. The position in which you stand will also change. You may start feeling

heavier, etc.

Sometimes it is actually indicating some major problems. It is possible that you may consider it all just a result of your weight gain but your weight gain can tell a very serious story about your health.

Particularly in female, it can trigger some hormonal imbalance. There is a chance of getting PCOD as in this condition a woman finds a strong craving for high fat sweets and carbohydrates.

According to UK a patient study shows that in 40 % cases woman who is experiencing PCOD becomes overweight or obese. Indeed there are many other symptoms that also soon follow which can be tested. But be careful as you start gaining sudden weight or your lifestyle has suddenly changed and you start to gain weight s it can indicate arrival of another disease into your body.

“In several cases situation is not always so bad. I find several clients who are returning to me due to weight gain after winter and are still healthy and maintaining normal healthy life but some find ailments which really need some medical checkups and therapeutic diet plan along with weight loss diet,” says dietitian Sheela Seharawat It is really natural that you are gaining weight in the winter and losing some weight in summer but this natural process is not always so simple especially if you have gained a lot of weight.

If your weight increased just by 2-5 kg in the 3 winter months, then that is fine else you need to follow your weight loss diet plan.

In fact everybody has their measurements of weight and height. Your body weight must be in between your weight and height. If your weight is higher than your prescribed limit then you have to be careful.

Yes, it is possible that your weight is higher than the prescribed limit in case you are a body builder but the percentage of fat will be less and you may have higher amount of muscles. Yes, it is possible and it is healthy. Having muscles is good.

Your body fat also depends on your age and sex. For example if you are a female of 25 years old, a healthy body fat would be between 21-32 percentages.

This can slightly increase with age, as: u Age from 40 to 59 a female can have body fat ranging between 23-33 %. u Age from 60 and above a female can have body fat ranging between 24-35 % For Men, this fat percentage varies with their respective age. u Age from 18-39 a man can have body fat in between 8-19 %

u Age from 40-59 a man can have body fat in between 11-21 % u Age above 60 a man can have body fat in between 13-24 %.

This is a healthy and normal barometer of fat according to the gender and age which helps you to maintain a healthy level of body fat.

Fats are very important for your body.

In no way you can avoid eating fat. In fact, our body has two kinds of fat, as: u Essential fat: it is stored in small amounts in bone marrow, organs, the central nervous system and muscles and helps in normal healthy functioning of your body. u Storage fat: it is stored for energy.

Again the essential fats percentage varies from weight to gender. u For men, essential body fat must be around 3 % of total body weight. u For women, the essential body fat percentage is higher. It is 12 %. It is because it includes amounts in the breasts, pelvis, hips and thighs and it is necessary for normal female reproductive function.

It is a very common practice that many of my clients go for vacation or break their diet plan during winter and restart with advent of summer.

Sneha Gupta, 33 New Delhi says: I have been following my diet plan regularly for last five and half months and I have made a mistake to think to take a break for a month as there was a marriage in my family and after a long my whole family had gathered and there was so much fun that we had no idea when we were sleeping and when awakening. Tea, coffee, snacks had no counts. Breakfast, lunch and dinner were all rich and heavy. I was sure all this will put on my weight but when you sit in the group of friends and family you eat more. Certainly I gained weight and when I got back from the marriage I was thinking to talk to Sheela but I remained busy for longer and now I need to be very strict with my diet plan and put off the weight soon.

As you gain weight your body starts telling you that you have gained weight and your fitting dress starts telling you again but in the winter when you have so much to wear and so much to eat then it is possible that you overlook those early signs and soon you end with a choice that you either change the whole wardrobe with bigger size or your change the size of your plate.

Anu Sharma, Chandigarh says: I have been in contact with diet clinic for long as I had some medical issues and

doctor had asked me to keep my weight under control but I am not a model type woman, nor my husband wants me to be so. We love eating both non veg and veg food. Earlier I was so fond of eating but due to some medical issues I need to control it. Sometimes I eat a lot but my dietitian manages me. The whole year I control a lot but during winter chill time it is so good to eat some samosas and pokoras, parathas with butter that I can’t resist the temptation which results into extra weight gain instead of weight loss.

Clients certainly need a right amount of motivation along with the diet plan. Those who take break often miss the motivation and end up eating a lot of fat and then they need to start all from the beginning.

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health

Faridabad (NCR) | 16-28 February, 2017

Count your calories

before eating One fine evening Rajiv insisted me to go out and have a cup of coffee. It was a fine evening and I could see the fine colorful evening which could retire after some time. I feel to go after a little push but I needed to have a refreshing bath and then go.

Rajiv is a man who is always ready in an instant so I needed to be fast if I really wanted to catch him with his fine mood. Honestly I didn’t take much time to get ready.

He actually had no idea where we were off too.

He was driving and moving from one place to another and finally he found a suitable restaurant and bar that has nice conversational music on.

We sat and he ordered garlic cheese bread with two cups of coffee.

As we were about to eat, I heard someone from behind called my name. I turned back and there was a lady who later I learnt that she had once came in my office for weight loss. She was a little tipsy and she straight away came on her point without any extra words as how did she gain so much weight?

I smiled and turned to look at her table. There were 3 ladies with one big Pizza and Sangria glasses. Well, answer was on her table itself. I had not needed to explain much. One big Pizza of 12 or 14 inch has nearly 2300 to 2600 units of calories.

A 4 ounce of sangria normally has 115 calories but it all depends how it is prepared. If you are taking just one with a few slices of pizza then certainly you are taking more than what you are required to have in one go. u A man required nearly 2400 – 2500 calories u A woman requires nearly 2000 calories.

If you divide your 5 times intake, then naturally you are supposed to have 400 – 500 calories in your one-time meal. This much of intake is enough for your healthy body but if you double just one of your meals then the result will certainly accumulate under your skin and it will adversely affect your body if you skip one meal in order to compensate for your calories intake.

Food is something that makes your body. This relationship between you and food is much deeper than you think. Food can change the way you think. It can change your whole way of perception. The bonding of food is very strong. You can divide yourself between hungry and satiated as there exist two different worlds for both individuals.

Once the great Sufi poet Rumi said, “A satiated man and a hungry man do not see the same thing when they look upon a loaf of bread.”

When you are hungry or keeping your body hungry to lose weight then instead of losing weight the body will start to store its fat for the unfavorable time and you will gain weight with your extra amount of eating. Never starve your body – keep this as a thumb rule.

When you are feeding your body with at least three meals and two snacks then body is sure that food is there to come so it needs not to think

about the rainy days. You will also know that you are eating regularly on time and having no desire to feed yourself with extra foods only because soon - after some time you are to eat again.

This systematic eating helps you to regulate your eating habit. When you are clear on the topic of the times of eating then comes the important aspect what you are eating. If you are eating fats then surely it will take time for your digestion so better eat carbohydrate.

Carb also has a limit that is why it is always said to eat a balanced diet. Balanced diet will make you eat all in the right proportion which

will always keep you satiated, well-nourished and light weight.

A woman is supposed to eat less than her male partner as her daily calories requirements are less and in similar fashion she requires to drink less water. Your intake depends on your height, weight, gender, age, physical activities and other factors too. Your physical activities burn these calories around 60 – 70 %.

According to a study the difference can be very easily understood. Male and female athletes of 160 pound and 130 pound who run 30 miles a week need different calories intake, as: u A male athlete requires to eat 3200 calories per day. u A female athlete requires to eat 2400 calories per day This simple example very meaningfully demonstrates that our intake requirements differ and so you should be more careful about your intake. The shape of your body fully depends on your intake and physical activities.

When you gain weight that actually means your body gained more fats deposition than muscles and that first starts with cheeks, face, belly, wrist, waist, bust lines and thighs.

It is always good that you check the amount of food and calories intake the moment you see the difference in your body shape. Be true to yourself and act smart else you need to work long on your

diet plan to reduce your weight.

Obesity has now become the world’s biggest health concern. If you as a mother are overweight then it is very likely that your children will have the risk of being obese. You can yourself image that India is now the third most obese country in the world.

New study says that there is great increase in over-weight children and adolescents in urban areas. It is estimated that there is great growth in obesity rate i.e. from 16 % - 29 % in age group of 13-18 years of children in last five years. Be safe, keep your family safe, enjoy a healthy life style and love longer. The key of your happiness is in your hands so rev up your life with healthy start.

By Dietitian Sheela Seharawat

Faridabad (NCR) | 16-28 February, 2017 www.theasianchronicle.com

9

art & culture

Poetry triumphs A Glimpse from Kala Ghoda Literature Festival once again ...

By Candice Vaz

In a world where people are too engrossed in their own daily stories, Subhrajyoti Parida, an officer in Hindustan Aeronautics and author of the book ' Bouquet- of feelings, emotions and thoughts' gathered his shattered pieces of life back on tracks by wrenching his heart out via poetry post his mother's death due to cancer last February.

He had almost drowned in the ocean of unfathomable despair and agony. As they say, family remains your backbone even if the flesh shreds off. Fortunately, with constant support from family members and his dear wife, he could pull himself out of the whirlpool of despair and agony. Subhrajyoti then decided to share with the world the waves of emotions, feelings and the thoughts that were tossing his heart and mind like a ship trapped in a tempest. He chose poetry as his media of expression and quite inevitably, dedicated the book to his late Mother. The book, as the title suggests, is based on a plethora of themes such as Mother, Goddess, Love, War, Soldier, Nature, Earth, Freedom, Time, Life, Ambition and also on the social issue of female foeticide which has been an indelible stigma on our society since ages together.

Celebrate Urdu literature with: AFREEN, AFREEN

Conceptualized & curated by Rakhshanda Jalil, "Afreen Afreen� a day-long celebration of Urdu literature was organized at Oxford Bookstore collaboratively by Hindustani Awaaz and Oxford Bookstore. The idea behind this initiative was to give young audiences a taste of the many delights contained within the literary culture of Urdu. The event has been conceptualized as a taster’s menu, a sampler, a smorgasbord of the many flavors, voices, themes, tones and topics in Urdu.

The event started with an introductory note by Rakshanda Jalil, which was later on followed by the interactive sessions of Danish Iqbal & Salma Raza, Saif Mohammad and many more literary personalities associated with Hindustani Awaaz & Urdu literature. The event was divided into sessions comprising readings and recitations & on themes

as diverse as wit, humor and satire, dissent, erotica, piety, modernism, afsana nigari, etc.

The event concluded with a heartwarming qawaali by young and enthusiastic Dhruv Sangari aka Bilal Chishti.

"Hindustani Awaaz, which i set up in 2003 to create a space for Urdu in mainstream cultural hubs across Delhi, has done its bit to pull urdu out of the thrall of ghettoes - the anjumans, academies and departments. Hindustani awaaz relies solely on the goodwill of a growing band of Urdu enthusiasts" - said Rakshanda Jalil, founder of Hindustani Awaaz Oxford Bookstore is not only about books of various genres, but recently it has also emerged as a hub of many cultural events, in-depth discussions & interactive interesting talk sessions which are held with famous personalities of the society.

Prachi Jain

The name Kala Ghoda means Black Horse, a reference to the presence of a black stone statue of King Edward VII(as the then Prince of Wales) mounted on a horse that was built by Jewish businessman and philanthropist Albert Abdullah David Sassoon, although this statue was removed from the precinct in 1965 and subsequently placed inside the Byculla Zoo. Kala Ghoda, the name is significant enough with youth. The most awaited fest of Mumbai begins every year in month of february and this year was another year where the festival witnessed all over the globe irrespective of the fields they belonged to. It isn't just confined to a fest, it gets the entire Mumbai together and pains a magnificent picturesque of art combining the culture . Each person celebrates Art on a grand horizon. A fiesta for artisans and art-lovers is what it offers.

Another most awaited time for photographers too. They try their best in attaining perfect captures in vivid dimensions.

From implementation of stalls , installation of lights or performance by various artists from theatres to nukkad-plays. Along with Arts, literature, music, drama it is majorly the celebration of humanity as well.

An innovative installation that grabbed the eye balls of most of the visitors was the horse who was completely injured but he was standing straight which depicted the courage to move ahead and the showed stability in him. Another exceptional thing was the Fortis hospital stall where they were promoting organ donation and another one was "My Hair For Cancer" by

both the places, one in oval maidan and the other at Kala Ghoda lane.

Overall, every corner of Kala Ghoda Festival had the entire South Mumbai spinning with enthusiasm then be it with food, music, drama, plays, fun-fair or dance.

Everything in a spick and span manner!

Richfeel and NargisDutt foundation. The creamy treat of cake by Monginis was a irresistable craving delight.

Coming to an initiative that took major attention of the people was the wishing tree, an installation put up by Bajaj, where people shared their ideas on how to conserve energy. It was put at

Faridabad (NCR) | 16-28 February, 2017 www.theasianchronicle.com

events

Stylish Birthday Soiree

‘Tumhre Payar Ka Mausam’

by Gita Setia

Gita Setia Unveiling the CD - Singer Gita Setia with Ustad Amjad Ali Khan Padma Vibhushan , Ministry of External Affair Mr. Dbyaneshwar Mulay with Dr.Madhup Mohta.

Singer – composer Gita Setia With her soulful and melodious voice hosted an evening to release her new album ‘Tumhre Payar Ka Mausam’ at Juniper Hall, India Habitat Center, New Delhi.

She is an absolute talent-house, who managed to enrapture the audience with her melody and lyrics. The guest of honour for the evening was Padma Vibhushan Ustad Amjad Ali Khan.

The inaugural evening began with lightening the lamp ceremony, and launching the Album and CDs of " Tumhare Pyar Ka Mausam' in the presence of Ustad Amjad Ali Khan Padma Vibhushan followed by performance by Singer Gita Setia.

Mr. Dnyaneshwar Mulay- Ministry of External Affair & Overseas Indian Affair, Mr. Sunjoy Roy- owner of Jaipur Lit Festival, Mr. Sandeep Marwah-Owner of Noida Film City, Celebrated Poet Sudeep Sen , Gen. Rajesh Sahai, Designer Varija Bajaj, Vinita Bakshi, Dr. Bharti Taneja , Designer Kapil & Moinka and several others attended the evening.

Kanika Saluja

Sheetal Kaoor & Sonali Bhasin

Ishika Agnihotri, Shayana Singh, Steffy Singh

The birthday bash of fashion designer Shivaang Kapoor hosted at the RSVP nite club in the capital was a stylish affair. With the glam set of Delhi, turning out in full force to raise a toast for their friend, guests were spotted letting their hair down till the wee hours of the morning. While cocktails & canapés doing the rounds, among the prominent guests spotted at the bash included Punjabi rapper Navneet Dhillon, Dinesh Aneja, designers Ashfaque Ahmed, Sadan Pande, models Himani Thapa, Aanuradha Sharma, Rajul Gupta, Ishpy Kaur, Annamika Benn, Neetu Singh, Karishma Shandil, Rochita Rao, Ishika Agnihotri and Aafreen amongst others.

Charu Sharma

Ashfaque Ahmad, Ishpy Kaur

The Indian Luxury Expo, a unique exhibition showcasing leading luxury brands across various lifestyle segments, hosted their extravagant and opulent Gurugram edition at the Porsche Centre, Gurugram.

Held over a wine and cheese soiree, The Indian Luxury Expo hosted the creme de la creme of Delhi’s social glitterati. Seen at the event were Deepika Krishna, Garima Nagpal, Kanika Saluja, Mallika Jain, Sheetal Kapoor, Sonali Bhasin and Ashish Bhasin, amongst others.

The Indian Luxury Expo that has evolved as the single largest firm for luxury exhibitions and private showcasesbrings uberluxury brands under one roof and promises to be a glamorous extravaganza for the rich and the wealthy. It’s an exclusive platform for luxury brands and their target audience to connect directly with one another. The expo consists of a highly esteemed advisory board and personally invited guests, which make it a perfect opportunity for networking.

The Indian Luxury Expo

Ritu Batra & Neetu Kapoor

10

Shivaang Kapoor

Karishma Shandil

Silki Sehgal & Ashish Bhasin Dr. Deepika Krishna

Garima Nagpal

Karan Bhangay

Bharat Kathuria & Insha Soni

Lisa Verma

Mallika Jain

Vishal Reddy

11

Faridabad (NCR) | 16-28 February, 2017 www.theasianchronicle.com

issue

Rainwater Harvesting Not Just an Option but A Necessity since rainwater is pure. Rainwater collection systems use modern yet extremely simple technology, and their care simply involves occasional cleaning of pipes and the storage tanks to ensure the rainwater gathered is not contaminated.

Actually, rainwater harvesting can be used by anyone. Installation of gutters is step one for buildings that lack them, together with a filtration system to make certain that any other sort of debris or leaves will not find their way into the storage tanks. Safety precautions include having locking bars or lids to stop the breeding of mosquitoes or other forms of pollution of the stored water.

Catchment areas in a city may comprise paved regions for example roads and car parks, where water may be picked for several non-drinking purposes.

Anil Pharande, Chairman – Pharande Spaces In a land-locked city like Pune, the value of water is inescapable. Factors such as climactic changes happening at a national and global level are causing water levels to fall. Overpopulation has resulted in more and more acquisition and development of land - and, even worse, for landfills, cutting back on water bodies that were once available and accessible.

Deforestation has further compounded the deficiency of water, as this causes regional rain to eventually become unpredictable. Several areas are critically affected by a dearth of usable water – a city like Pune is, actually, a prime example of the happening throughout India.

More and more of the world's burgeoning populations will be moving to urban areas in the years to come. As a result of accelerated property development in our cities, the greatest requirement for critical resources such as water is focused in urban areas. As a consequence, multistory residential complexes are being constructed at an extremely rapid speed.

The earth’s surface is 70% water; yet, very little of this is actually usable or drinkable by humans. It is very likely that we will shortly reach a stage when the quantity of useable water present on the earth’s surface isn't sufficient to satisfy all of the requirements of the development occurring to accommodate the growing population.

Rainwater harvesting is the solitary realistic option to counter the growing menace of rapid water depletion - and this real and present option is definitely catching on in our cities. Rainwater harvesting involves accumulating, filtering and storing rainwater to be utilized for assorted industrial and residential purposes.

Rainwater is a clean, free source of

Need for more government support pressure on groundwater by making use of rainwater for all their requirements.

A perfect fallback position

potable water. Rainwater harvesting used in residential properties, which involves trapping rainwater from roofs and directing it into underground storage tanks or cisterns, can satisfy 50% of a regular family's water needs.

The truth is, rainwater harvesting isn't just a strategy to make maximum use of the natural resource - it also has minimal environmental impact. Naturally, it leads to substantial price savings on recurring water charges in residential buildings. In a city like Pune, a huge number of residential societies are dependent on expensive water tankers which extract 'hard' water from borewells - a process which further depletes ground water levels and causes all kinds of associated problems to the environment.

Urban water supply calls for pumping stations in addition to putting up treatment plants and supply conduits. With

the rate of increase in urban population, city planning authorities cannot match utilities in the majority of Indian cities.

Engineers and geologists are constantly fighting to discover new sources of water.

With borewell shafts going deeper as the hunt for more water continues in cities like Pune, water supply can actually be significantly supplemented by rainwater and decrease the pressure on the usual water supply.

When rainwater is harnessed in a housing complex, it can be utilized for assorted non-drinking functions that call for substantial volumes of water. Because rainwater can complement the traditional water supply system, this means considerably reduced utility bills.

Rainwater harvesting is equally appropriate for large manufacturing units that use up substantial amounts of water. Such industries can reduce the

Climate change has caused significant disruptions in the weather patterns in lots of Indian cities, resulting is decreased rainfall. Rainwater can be collected, stored and used during drought seasons to complement the ordinary water supply. In cities like Mumbai and Pune, the dreaded bane of rationing and water shortage is mitigated with rainwater harvesting, which also reduces the dependence on dams and water reservoirs.

When rainwater harvesting systems are used by a sufficient saturation of residential buildings in a city, there is a substantial drop in pressure on drainage systems, thereby reducing the possibility of floods, soil erosion, and surface run-offs. Rainwater harvesting is a perfect solution especially in low-lying regions, which are usually prone to floods due to over-taxed drainage systems.

The use of rainwater harvesting systems allows groundwater levels to recharge, which in turn aids in enhancing urban greenery; in fact, this is actually the sole dependable means of having green places without leeching away from the direly needed water supplies within urban areas.

Simple to set up and use

Rainwater harvesting systems are simple to put up and operate. There is absolutely no requirement for the complicated purifying systems which need to be applied to cleanse groundwater,

Most of the municipality areas of cities like Pune have a huge number of housing projects which don't have the required rainwater pits. In quite a few cases, the lack of space and the overall design of the project may not make rainwater harvesting pits feasible at all -but where it is possible, no effort should be spared to create them and put rainwater harvesting systems in place.

New apartment projects must, of course, be engineered from the world ‘go’ to incorporate rainwater harvesting systems.

While all such measures have been implemented in the more progressive PCMC (Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation) of Pune, the speed at which the Pune Municipal Corporation is moving on this front leaves a lot to be desired. Rainwater harvesting is a standard feature in PCMC's large integrated townships.

As rain is becoming noticeably scantier, the government has already begun undertaking measures to encourage residential societies, educational institutions, and similar buildings to optimize water use and exercise better principles of water economy.

The rapid, yet necessary proliferation of paved areas and roads in our cities is preventing the proper percolation of rainwater into the ground, and causing water bottlenecks on the outskirts. Establishing regularly spaced rainwater harvesting pits in urban localities is definitely the way to go, and must be implemented in cities like Pune without further delay. Additionally, the city authorities must put in greater efforts to educate citizens about the benefits and implementation of rainwater harvesting.