1. E-Newsletter-6/29
Green Earth Movement
An E-Newsletter for the cause of Environment, Peace, Harmony and Justice
Remember - “you and I can decide the future”
This Is How Goa Is Being Destroyed
- Claude Alvares
http://www.ndtv.com/opinion/this-is-how-goa-is-being-destroyed-1270131?pfrom=home-opinion
The naturally well-endowed state of Goa occupies less than 1% of India's landmass. Yet, the charm of the
place and the hospitable nature of its local inhabitants now draw some 3-4 million people to enjoy its
sheer beauty. Nothing of that awesome handsomeness has been constructed by any government. Almost
all of it has come from the labours of a community expert in the maintenance of rice fields, paddies,
khazan systems, and a low intensive life-style that is underscored by the spirit of soscegad (taking it easy)
- the key component of a tourist industry. The result of these efforts over decades is that the Goa region
looks like a painting and the local artists who created it have really never bothered about how many
people came to see it and enjoy it.
The government of Goa, however, has remained unimpressed. Over the years, it has tried zealously not to
build on those assets, but to grind them to dust. Not surprising, every single project conceived by
government or by companies or compradors have chewed up some part of Goa or another. The forests
have been assaulted by mining, led by Vedanta, headquartered in England. But almost every 5-star hotel
on the beach has been put up by operators and chains from outside the state. Each has taken down parts of
the pristine beach system and crammed it with their imported fantasias in concrete, disdainful of local
architectural designs.
Not unnaturally, the Goans have protested and continued to protest. Those promoting wholesale
industrialisation of the state cavil and complain that environmental agitations are the greatest disincentive
to a better economy for the state. They forget that even with the closure of mining, Goa's GDP, over the
past three years, averaged 9%, higher than the rest of India's. Not wanting to get their image tarred by
being associated with those bulldozing the environment for inappropriate development, the best names in
industry have remained aloof from Goa. Alas, that has brought in those with undoubted capacity to do
harm.
2. The state's land-use is controlled by the statutory Regional Plan, notified under the Town and Country
Planning Act. Village level planning and land use is kept with Panchayats under the 73rd Constitutional
Amendment. Both have significant inputs from the same villagers whose ancestors created the natural
wealth and endowments of the state. Few of them want that to be dismembered. The oppositions have
never ceased, since the government has no other wish but to impose. One former Chief Minister told the
media that his word was law because he had been electedby a formal election, and therefore, he would do
what he wanted, whatever the opposition.
It has been obvious to the Goa government that its hukum (authority) nonetheless is circumscribed with all
the notifications and regulations all sourced to itself, and unless these are changed, done away with or
bypassed, nothing will move. For example, it had to cancel more than one dozen SEZs in one single day.
It had to scrap the statutory Regional Plan of 2011 in toto and go for a redesign from scratch because the
public demanded so. It had to cancel DuPont. It is unable to allow promoters to put up yet more hotels.
One hotel resort proposed by one more Delhi company has been unable to lay a brick on its properties on
a south Goan beach because the local villagers refuse to have it there.
Instead of dealing with this issue with care and compassion, the almighty government, quite clearly riled
beyond tolerance, has decided instead to take back all those rights and powers it had granted to the local
communities and local statutory bodies by simply bypassing them altogether.
So first, the government amended the Industrial Development Act and removed all industrial estates from
the jurisdiction of the Panchayats. Next, it announced a Goa Investment Policy (August 2014) and
followed this up with the Goa Investment Promotion Act. This Act is designed to provide a "single-
window" clearance in lieu of clearances under the Regional Plan, the Land Revenue Code, any notified
development plans, and even the Panchayat Raj Act. In fact, the Act ominously states: "All provisions in
Government of Goa Acts and Statutes cease to apply" in all those areas declared "Investment Promotion
Areas." The Act is to be implemented through the Goa Investment Promotionand Facilitation Board
(GIPFB). Interesting, the composition of the Board comprises the same bunch of officials and individuals
who have been singular failures in the past: the CM is chairperson; there are three VPs (the Ministers of
Industry, Tourism and IT), two Secretaries of Industry and Tourism, six persons associated with industry
associations and industry.
The Board's task is to give an omnibus clearance, notwithstanding all local laws, to any project proponent
who "promises" investment of Rs. 5 crores and above, and local employment. How such an
unconstitutional policy can become the basis of any development in the state is difficult to fathom. It is
bound to get knocked down by the courts one day or another.
The Goa Investment PromotionAct has been followed by changes in the Town and Country Planning Act.
The amendments to the Act now allow those owning lands in excess of 20,000 sq.mts in eco-sensitive
zones notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change to put up ecotourism projects
in 5% of the area. Obviously, no aam aadmiin Goa owns that much land, only khaas aadmis do. Neither
has the MoEF&CC finally notified the zones. But the Goa government is already rushing in anticipation
to ensure that the people who have acquired large tracts of lands will not be inconvenienced in any way by
the declarations. The purpose of declaring an area as an eco-sensitive zone is to protect it. However, here
we have a situation where law is being amended even before the notification is issued, so that powerful
actors can gird themselves to do the necessary damage.
These changes in the Town Planning Act have been put as well outside the scope of the Regional Plan and
the Land Revenue Code.
This process of exclusion of the rights of people to a planned environment and as members of local bodies
3. is being extended to trees as well. The coconut tree has been recently defined out of existence to enable
industries and real estate developers to engage in mass slaughter of palms.
If you wish to understand how these profoundly undemocratic laws are interlinked and enmeshed with
each other, take the case of Vani Agro in South Goa. The plot on which this new alcohol plant is proposed
has a thousand coconut trees and 500 cashew trees. The proposal has been approved by the GIPFB, which
means the restrictions governing the statutory land use in the Regional Plan do not apply, and there is no
need of getting any approval from the local authority either for the construction licence. The final nail on
the coffin: the coconut and cashew trees can be felled with impunity, almost with a vengeance. That's
pretty much how Goa is being governed nowadays.
Most of this population is literate. One prominent Goan, Keith Vaz, occupies high posts in the UK
government. Another Goan origin resident of Portugal has recently become its Prime Minister. Writers
like Sudhir Kakkar and Amitav Ghosh reside here, together with Patricia Sethi, Maria Aurora Couto and
Wendell Rodricks. The government of Goa, however, remains unimpressed. In the last year and week, it
has moved rapidly to introduce draconian super laws that allow decision-making contrary to the
requirements of basic democratic canons of consultation and transparency. Either it does not trust the
voters who pitched it to power, or it does not think they are worthy of any consultation. It considers Goan
citizens as simply irrelevant to the entire business of governance.
In just one day in the Goa Assembly, the government got a bill passed that amended the Goa Preservation
of Trees Act, 1984. The amendment moves the coconut tree outside the zone of protectionand permits
anyone to fell it freely, as often as one wishes.
It has determined that the hoary coconut tree and the cashew as well, both intimately linked with every
Goan soul, are obstacles to development. Both have been offloaded from the botanical train in order to
make way for development. If that were not bad enough, it brought in an amendment the same day to the
Town and Country Planning Act. The amended Act will entertain applications from persons or developers
in possessionof 20,000 sq.mts and above for ecotourism resorts in the ecologically fragile areas. The
areas are yet to be declared ESAs by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change. However,
advance preparations for introducing eco-resorts insuch areas are already underway.
In 2014, the same government came up with another draconian Act, called the Public Investment Act.
This Act enabled anyone ready to make an investment of Rs. 5,000 crores and above to get any area he
wished as "industrial area". After that was done, no State laws including the Planning Act, the Panchayat
Act or the Land Revenue Code would apply.
(Claude Alvares is an environmentalist based in Goa.)
LETTER From,
Joseph Rebello <asjrebello@yahoo.co.uk>
Can the Goans in Goa replicate what this Marathon Era Cooperative Housing Society has done
whereby the residents have created a waste sorting area that is divided into two sections of
1,500 square feet each. While biodegradable or wet waste is composted in one section, the
other part is used to collect recyclable items like plastic, glass, paper and discarded electronic
items. Every month, the society generates nearly 600kg of fertilizers from the composted
garbage. The manure generated is used at the society’s garden as an organic fertiliser and the
excess is distributed to residents.
4. Letter From,
jam_pereira@hotmail.com
I greatly appreciate and rejoice that there is such a recycling effort by the Co-op housing
society.. I, a proud product of the Jesuit School from Goa, now in Canada, do follow the
recycling procedures, and when in Goa, I can get you publications from our local municipality
which guides us, individuals and families (hose holders) how to do the Recycling.
Regards Father Felix,
From Joao Manuel Pereira.
San Francisco Becomes The First City to Ban
Sale of Plastic Bottles.
Courtsy: https://www.facebook.com/gem.enewsletter.
For the PowerPoint Presentations (PPT) on Bottled water visit –
www.stfrancisxavierpanvel.in, go to GEM section and read PPT no. 21 and PPT
no. 31 – Say no to Bottled Water.
During this summer let’s PLEDGE never to buy bottled mineral water and never
to distribute water in small throw away plastic glasses during our family or parish
celebrations, and during the deanery or diocesan programmes.
There are other eco-friendly options to provide clean drinking water which we
used to follow before the discovery of small throw away plastic glasses or
mineral bottles. By this way we will not only help save Mother Earth, but also
save money (I guess - mineral bottled water costs Rs 20/- per liter, and small
throw away glass costs 3 to 5 rupees!!! where as we can provide free water to
our guests and congregations during our family and church programmes). Let’s
not show off our modernity and ability to spend money, and destroy God’s
creation.
Remember the wise advise of Pope Francis, “If we destroy creation, creation will
destroy us”.
If you agree with this, feel free to forward this message to your contacts.
5. Fr Felix
Mumbai to lose 12,000 trees to freight corridor
Yogesh Naik and Alka Dhupkar TWEETS @yogeshMIRROR
24 villages in Raigad rise against the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor
The train track will cleave the national park and eat into two forest divisions
Thane and Dahanu
Just under a week after this newspaper reported the forest department's clearance to let the
Delhi-Mumbai Freight Corridor to run through the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, both the
environmental damage and the human displacement the project will cause is becoming clear.
While senior forest officials on Monday admitted that the Mumbai Metropolitan Area will lose
nearly 12,000 trees, 20,000 families in 24 villages around Dighi port in Raigad district have now
refused to give up their land for the Delhi-Mumbai-Industrial Corridor, of which the freight
corridor is a part. The Delhi-Mumbai-Industrial Corridor is one of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's
pet projects. The project, likely to cost more than $ 90 billion, involves building a 1,483-km long
rail line linking Nhava Sheva near Mumbai to Dadri in the National Capital Region in Uttar
Pradesh and then developing large industrial zones around it.
The environmental damage that the rail line will cause to Mumbai has shocked
environmentalists. The freight corridor will cleave through the Sanjay Gandhi National Park
Mumbai's green lung and the only national park in the middle of an urban sprawl and eat into at
least two more forest divisions of Thane and Dahanu. Of the two, Dahanu, by the forest
department's own admission, is one of the most eco-sensitive areas of the state. According to
the details procured by this newspaper from forest authorities, Thane and Dahanu will together
lose over 11,900 trees to the freight corridor. While 10.55 hectares of the national park has been
set aside, over 1,300 trees inside the park will be chopped off to make way for the train tracks.
The forest division in Thane district -where 16.17 hectares has been diverted for the train line -
will lose 678 trees; whereas in Dahanu, denuded of the largest chunk with 31.11 hectares, the
rail route will run over close to a 10,000 trees.
While the forest authorities said they will try to make up for the loss by planting 10 trees for
every one axed, environmentalists said such projects are taken up only to deflect heat from
environmentally damaging initiatives. Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor's chief project manager A
K Rai disputed the count of trees to be axed in forested areas. According to Rai only 279 trees
will be cut in SGNP, 628 in Thane, and 431 in Dahanu forest divisions. He, however, admitted
that “the total number of trees cut, including in non-forested areas, will be close to 12,000“.
6. In Dighi, meanwhile, the villagers have put their foot down. After several agitations, the villagers
recently shot off a letter to the Rajya Sabha's standing committee on the industrial corridor.
According to Ulka Mahajan, who heads Sarvahara Andolan, a body leading the protests against
the industrial corridor, the consequences of this forced land acquisition will be damaging in the
long term. “The project will lead to massive displacement. The violation of coastal regulation
zone would create havoc. Such projects require a large amount of water, where will they get it
from? It will create a water crisis. Also, changing the land use pattern from agriculture to
industrial will put food sovereignty at stake,“ she said.
In Raigad district, 5,400 hectares land will be acquired for the industrial corridor. “Initially they
wanted to acquire 27,000 hectares of land. It was reduced to 5,400 hectares after we sought
clarifications. But land records of the excluded villages still carry the stamped note of “proposed
to be acquired,“ Mahajan said. Farmers alleged that there is no transparency in the acquisition
process and no dialogue with farmers. In fact, the acquisition is being carried out under the
MIDC Act, denying villagers the benefit of the new Land Acquisition Act, 2013.
The villagers alleged that no Environment Impact Assessment or Social Impact Assessment has
been carried out. Some villages to be acquired fall in the Eco Sensitive Zone. However, this
aspect has also been ignored. A note prepared by Sarvahara Andolan says: “The lands
acquired in the name of industries in the vicinity are lying unutilised for the past three decades.
For example only 50% of the land acquired in Vile Bhgad Industrial Area has been utilised.
While nearly 764 hectare was acquired in 1992, only five industries are operational today and
only 59 local youth have got employment.“
BMC told to go green for its coastal road project
Yogesh Naik TWEET @Journoyogesh
The Maharashtra coastal zone management authority (MCZMA) has cleared the coastal road
project of the Brihanmumbai Munici pal Corporation--with some caveats. The BMC must
consider adding a tram on the seaward side of the coastal road as it is eco-friendly and will also
boost tourism, instead of a Rapid Transit System (also known as the dedicated bus corridor).
The MCZMA has told the BMC that at no cost, the interchanges can be built on mangroves and
that the road at Malwani must be built on stilts and not, as was planned, on mangroves. The
BMC was also told to allow ingress of water in mangrove areas so that mangroves are not killed.
The BMC was also told to plant five mangroves for each mangrove that is destroyed. A report
prepared by consultants for the BMC says that 47 hectares of mangroves could be disturbed.
The BMC had provided for cycle tracks from Malad to Bandra, but the MCZMA wants a
dedicated cycle track with entry and exit points at all interchanges. The BMC has been also told
to provide cycle parking at all locations. The BMC has been told to have sitting and resting
benches at all intervals. The BMC has also been asked to install a solar lighting system for the
7. coastal road. The BMC has also been told that livelihood of the fishing community must not be
affected at all. A majority of the Koli community in Mumbai, a voting base of the Shiv Sena had
raised a hue and cry against the coastal road. The BMC has proposed a wall for the protection
of the landward structures, but the MCZMA wants the BMC to explore the possibility of green
structures for protection of the coast.
The 30.07 km road will provide an eight-lane link from Nariman Point to Kandivli. It was a pet
project of the then chief minister Prithviraj Cha van and then given a boost by chief minister
Devendra Fadnavis. The CM wants to do a grand ground breaking ceremony by October or
November this year.Though it will be executed by the Shiv Sena controlled BMC, the BJP wants
to showcase this as its gift to Mumbaikars. The project has been sent to the Ministry of
Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MOEFCC) for the final go-ahead. In December last
year, the central government amended the Coastal Regulatory Zone notification to allow
reclamation of land to build the Rs 14,000-crore coastal road, and gave an in-principle go ahead
to a project that has been pending for years. Once completed, officials claim that it would be one
of a kind road in India on par with roads in San Diego and Sydney. The BMC will also construct
two tunnels a 3.2 km tunnel from Tambe chowk near Chowpatty to Napean Sea road and a
4.25 km tunnel from Khar Danda to Juhu beach.
More recently, the BMC has decided to extend the coastal road of Mumbai from Kandivali to
Mira Bhayander and thereafter connect the coastal road to the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway,
despite all objections from environmentalists. The BMC first revealed this plan in a meeting with
the chief secretary Swadheen Kshatriya last month and the chief secretary has asked them to
draw up detailed plans for these. A senior officer of BMC said, “We have decided in principle to
take the road ahead because the Western Express Highway is choked and has reached its
capacity.'' The coastal road will be constructed by BMC and the plans to take it to Kandivali have
already gotten the approval and the tender process will start soon.
The design of the Kandival-Mira Road stretch is yet to be worked out, but Gorai residents are all
set to oppose it if it passes through their village, as they are opposed to urbanisation of their
villages. So far, they have successfully kept the Madh Gorai sealink at bay.
Kandivli hsg society takes solar power revolution to next
level
Chittaranjan Tembekar, TOI
Special Meter Helps It Gain Green Rebate
Picture courtesy: Internet
A month ago when Hemant Parekh and 67 families living in Arkade Bhoomi Heights, Kandivli
(W), installed a `reverse net meter' on their rooftop solar panels, none realized they were
8. ushering in a green revolution of sorts. The meter could deduct the power generated by the
rooftop solar power panels from the conventional electric power consumed by the society (for
common facilities) through utility wires and thus, trim the monthly power bills. For the Kandivli
society , the meter saved Rs 14,400 of its Rs 43,500 monthly electricity bill for facilities such as
lifts, water pumps and staircase lights.
“The solar panels of 1,200 units capacity help reduce 900 units used by our common facilities.
After installation of the net meter, we can put the unused 300 units on the common grid or
utility wires for public use. Thus, the panels are giving a net rebate of 1,200 units, which is the
full capacity of the system. The unused 300 units are deducted by the net meter from the units
consumed by the society from utility wires, fetching rebate on the power bill,“ said Parekh. The
solar panel units cost Rs 8 lakh but residents said they would break even in less than 5 years.
Another resident Amit Shah said these systems save 35% to 40% of the bills.“The system's
capacity can vary from 6KW to 50KW , depending upon the roof space. Our society has a
10.8KW system with 36 panels, each of 300-watt capacity . We also have to consider the power-
loading capacity of the utility wires and transformers as additional solar power is put on the grid.
In our case, Reliance has allowed us to instal a 21KW system. Hence, we can instal another
10KW system, provided we have additional roof space,“ he added.
Reliance officials said three net meters have already been installed in the suburbs and 16
applications are being scrutinized. “There are over 100 enquiries, proving the trend is catching
on,“ an official said. With net-metered solar sy stems, Mumbai can save 1200MW out of its
3,500MW supply . The Thane, KalyanDombivli and Navi MumbaiRaigad belts can save 350MW
out of their 1,000MW supply .MSEDCL, BEST, Reliance and Tata have 80 consumers with net
meters. The Consumer Guidance Society of India was the first to adopt the `reverse net meter' at
its Azad Maidan office. V Bondal, who helped the Kandivli society get the system, said more
societies are likely to switch to net meters.
Kanjurmarg waste-to-energy plan ready to roll
Clara Lewis | TNN | Mar 14, 2016
Mumbai: Mumbai's degraded waste at Kanjurmarg will produce electricityfrom April. The Rs 4.5 crore
Guascor engine from Spain, to convert methane gas into electricity, will arrive at the landfill site on
March 25 and the project will be commissioned next month. If it succeeds, it will be the city's first waste-
to-energy project. The earlier one at the Gorai dumping ground for which the BMC even won an award,
did not take off. "The engine is already in use in sugar factories, distilleries and even at the Solapur
dumping ground where it generates 5MW electricityand is connected to the state electricityboard's grid.
It will surely work," said Shiju Antony, director, Antony Lara Enviro Solutions. The company has been
awarded a 25-year contract for the landfill site.
9. Of the 141 hectares of salt pan land allotted to the BMC for a landfill site, it has been allowed to use only
66 hectares. Last month, Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) permitted use of
an additional 52.5 hectares of Coastal Regulation Zone-III land for waste processing. The current
technology being used at the landfill site is a bioreactor. Around 3,000 metric tonne of mixed waste is
dumped in a 12-hectare cell that has been further sub-divided for proper dumping of waste. When a
sectionis filled with 10,000 metric tonne of it, which takes three days, waste on the fourth day is dumped
into a new section. For every four-metre height of waste, two parallel pipes are laid—one to collect the
leachate and the other, a perforated one, to collect gas.
The gas is brought to a flaring point where, at present, it is flared so that it does not escape into the
atmosphere and catch fire. Once the engine is installed, the pipe will be connected to it and the methane
will be converted into electricity. "Initially we will use it as a captive power plant. The electricity
generated will be used by us for street lights at the dumping ground. At present, 3,000 metric tonne of
mixed waste daily generates round 380 cubic metre of gas. In the long term, it is estimated to generate
12MW of electricity. Our requirement is 2MW, the rest can be sold by the BMC to generate revenue,"
said Antony.
It was estimated that methane's release would begin only after 18 months; though, in fact, it started being
released within six months. "The quality of waste reaching the dumping ground is largely wet waste and
hence the quick generation of methane. There are a lot of plastic bags less than 50 microns and huge
quantities of chindi(small pieces of cloth). Plastic bottles and metal are all picked up by rag-pickers,
dumper drivers and cleaners as they have monetary value. Very little of it reaches the dumping ground,"
said Antony. The liquid that drains out from the garbage called leachate has been prevented from seeping
into the ground by laying six layers of different materials on the bed of the cell on which the garbage is
dumped. Beside the bottom, at every four metres, pipes have been laid to capture the gas and the leachate.
That the leachate does not percolate into the ground is regularly monitored by National Environmental
Research Engineering Institute and Maharashtra PollutionControl Board. The leachate is collectedin a
leachate pond. A leachate treatment plant with a capacity to treat 250 cubic metre of the liquid has also
been set up. Some of the raw leachate is recirculated into the garbage depending on the moisture required.
The remainder is treated and the water is used for gardening and dust suppression. "This keeps down
suspended particulate matter," said Srinivasan Chari, business development manager. The company was
awarded the contract in 2009 and is paid Rs 600 per tonne of garbage as tipping fee. Work on waste
processing could start only last year as the matter was caught in litigation. Activists had raised issues of
mangrove destruction.
At the time, it had said a composting plant would be set up at the site. While the equipment was brought
in 2011, work could not start due to court cases. The technology called windrow is being now installed on
12 hectares of landfill site. It will treat another 1,000 metric tonne of waste. "It allows segregation of
waste. The plant consists of a material-recovery facility where all recyclable and inert material is
separated from biodegradable waste. The latter is put into various cells where the temperature is
maintained at 70 degrees centigrade. After 28 days, it will be converted into pure compost."
The dumping mound is maintained at 35 metres on account of aviation restrictions. It's covered with soil
so there is no visible garbage except in the area where dumping is on. While stench continues to be a
problem though enzymes are sprayed to neutralize it, contractors have set up a citizens helpline
(8080032282) to call if affected by it. "We immediately spray the enzymes," said Chari.
10. Neat move: Pali Hill residents make sweepers compete
to keep area clean
Courtesy: TOI, Richa Pinto
Mumbai: Residents of Bandra's upscale Pali Hill, in an interesting move to dispose of garbage,
have brought in competition among the locality's sweepers. As a pilot project, which started a
week ago, sweepers at 24 buildings have been asked to segregate and remove garbage; the
most efficient ones will be given prizes. If it works, the model will be implemented at all buildings
in the area. Pali Hill, home to yesteryears superstar Dilip Kumar and Hindi film actors like Rishi
Kapoor and Sanjay Dutt, has over 100 buildings and 25 bungalows.
“Healthy competition always helps bring out fruitful results. Sweepers are segregating waste
themselves. They either sell dry waste or dump it in municipal vehicles that come every week,“
said Madhu Poplai, secretary , Pali Hill Resi dents Association. “Before the project started, the
garbage bins of the 24 buildings could be seen to overflow. Now it is no longer so. We want to
make Pali Hill a zero garbage locality before the monsoon.“ The resident association's chairman
Amitav Shukla said gradually more buildings in the locality are being told to segregate waste.
Civic officials are all praise for the residents association. “They are segregating waste on a large
scale. We are providing them with necessary assistance.Making Pali Hill a zero garbage area is
an ambitious project, but not impossible. We are identifying places for compost pits in the area
so that even wet waste does not go out of Pali Hill,“ said Sharad Ughade, assistant municipal
commissioner, H-west ward.
So far, three compost pits have been identified, one of which is adjacent to the Pali Hill
reservoir. Corporator Asif Zakeria said that after the composting project becomes successful in
Pali Hill, it can be extended to adjacent areas like Union Park and even Carter Road. “Manure
generated from the compost pits can eventually be used for the BMC's gardens.“
Andheri complex clears the way by managing its waste in-
house
Shibu Thomas, TOI
11. Two years ago, Vijay Nagar Society in Andheri (East) used to generate 8,700kg of garbage
every month. It used to go straight to the dump yard. Today , of the 14,700kg waste the society's
515 families produce, less than 10% is sent for dumping. The remaining goes through an in
house waste management process--6,000kg wet waste is used for bio-composting and gets
converted to manure, while around 7,500kg of dry waste is sent for recycling.
The zero garbage project of the society is one of few success stories in Mumbai, achieved
through collaboration of determined citizens with NGOs, with BMC support. The impetus was a
long pending demand of the newly redeveloped society to remove two large dustbins installed at
the society's gate by the BMC. “When we raised the issue with the corporation, they assured us
of support if we managed to ensure waste segregation,“ said Mahesh Athalye, former secretary
of the society and one of the brains behind the zero garbage project. What followed was months
of creating awareness among members with street plays by children and door-to-door
campaigns. The project was inaugurated on January 1, 2015, after the necessary infrastructure
was set up, including separate dustbins for dry , wet and other waste, and six compost pits. The
NGO Stree Mukti Sanghatana was appointed to manage wet waste, while the NGO Aakar
Sanghatana helped the society to take away dry waste for recycling. Around 500kg of manure
produced from wet waste every month is retailed under the brand name Harit Vasundhra'.
“Initially there was some resistance, but once people started noticing the benefits of a greener
and more eco-friendly society, they started supporting the initiative,“ said Athalye, who is now
invited to talk about the successful model by the BMC. The corporation kept its promise and
removed the two garbage bins from the area.
State puts waste disposal onus on housing societies
The state government's new directives for effective waste disposal puts the onus on citizens and
housing societies. The state in a circular on February 15 told the BMC to implement measures
for waste segregation so that biodegradable waste can be processed in a decentralised manner.
The circular was issued following the Bombay high court's ban on new residential and
commercial constructions in light of the city's acute garbage problem. The court told the state to
make changes in the development control regulations to make its order mandatory. TNN
Signature campaign to shut Deonar dump gathers steam
Members of the group mumbaipollution.in (derived from their own website) on Sunday morning
held a signature campaign at Chembur's Diamond Garden to demand from the government that
the Deonar dumping ground be shut down and garbage management their be made scientific. It
will soon submit over 10,000 signatures, taken from the residents of areas like Deonar,
Chembur and Ghatkopar, to the chief minister's office. The group was formed after the January
28 fire at the Deonar dump, which had devastating consequences for the city. TNN
SHRINKING GREENERY MAKES BMC EXPLORE
ROOFTOP GARDENS
By Sanjeev Shivadekar, Mumbai Mirror | Mar 13, 2016
ST FRANCIS XAVIER CHURCH, PANVEL TERRACE GARDEN VISIT:
https://www.facebook.com/gem.enewsletter.
12. With massive rise in construction resulting in diminishing open space, the idea of terrace
gardens is emerging as a sustainable solution to meet the city's green cover. To promote rooftop
greenery, the BMC plans to make changes in the development control (DC) rules. "The norms
will be amended in such a manner that it will leave little or no scope for developers to ignore the
aspect of terrace or vertical gardens," said a senior civic official, who wished to remain
unidentified. BMC's tree authority met on Friday to discuss the issue of dwindling green cover in
the city and ways to promote rooftop gardens in housing societies and high-rises.
Tree authority member and Shiv Sena corporator Shubha Raul, who proposed the idea, said,
"The city has lost its green cover and it will deplete further in coming years. As there is hardly
any scope for expanding the existing green lungs, the BMC should make rooftop gardens
mandatory." Shrinkage of open spaces has been a major fallout of concrete development, with
environmentalists pegging city's green ratio at 0.03 acre per 1,000 persons as opposed to the
established norm of four acres per 1,000 persons. Appreciating the suggestion at the meeting,
sources said, BMC chief Ajoy Mehta talked of similar concepts in cities like Singapore, Chennai
and Bengaluru. "The commissioner assured that he would consider the suggestion while making
changes in the DC rules," said an official who attended meeting.
Raul, a former mayor, said the primary idea of having greenery atop a building is to improve air
quality and counter heat. "Not just flowers, one can even grow vegetables in such gardens." But
many citizens are a bit sceptical about idea. "Having a terrace garden would lead to seepage and
even structural damage in the long run," said Kailash Dhuliya, chairman of a society in Andheri.
Abhay Yawalkar, an energy expert at Marathi Vidnyan Parishad, sought to allay the fears saying
the idea is workable if precautions like proper water-proofing of terrace are taken at the
construction stage. "Garden terrace can be successful for two reasons. One, it gets direct sunlight
and needs lesser water. Second, it will help Mumbai restore its lost green cover."
NOTHING FOR LANDFILLS Civic officials are encouraging locals to
visit Vivekanand Education Society campus in Chembur to learn from
their waste-segregation project
MUMBAI: Six kilometers away from Deonar dumping ground, an educational institution has set an
example for residents in the vicinity by sending zero waste to the landfill. The civic body has recognised
two campuses of the Vivekanand Education Society (VES), Chembur, as the first educational institutions
in the city to recycle wet, dry and electronic waste, which is part of its solid waste disposal programme
under the guidance of United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
13. The campuses, spread across four acres each, produce 100kg wet and dry waste every day. Nearly 70kg of
biodegradable waste is segregated for composting, while the remaining 30kg of dry waste is collectedby
NGO Stree Mukhti Sanghatna for recycling. “The dry waste from the VES campus is collectedby a
vehicle (not dumper trucks) provided by the municipal corporation, while the wet waste is degraded at the
campus itself. The combination of both makes the institution a zero waste campus,” Harshad Kale,
assistant municipal commissioner, M ward, BMC. “We have been inviting residents of M ward to see the
project and replicate it in smaller ways at their households,” he said.
In addition to horticultural waste such as garden clippings and dried leaves, a large amount of
biodegradable waste comes from the canteens. The dry waste is collectedfrom nine higher education
institutes spread across the two campuses, schools, a junior college and their sports academy. Dr
Jayashree Phadnis, principal, VES, said, “The fire at Deonar dumping ground made it difficult for
students and teachers to attend college. Awareness about treating our own waste is key to solving the solid
waste management problems. Inspired by the project, staff members have begun composting wet waste.”
The institute has spent Rs18,000 for the project that was started under the guidance of Stree Mukhti
Sanghatna in 2014. Three tons of organic manure has been generated so far. “The quantity of compost
produced every month is close to 130kg that is used at football fields, gardens and potted plants,” said
Sunita Patil, coordinator, Shri Mukhti Sanghatna.
Electronic waste such as battery cells and other devices are collectedand sold to scrap dealers every six
months and the money is used to maintain the compost pits and provide water to the open grounds. “The
daily news on Deonar dumping ground and hazardous chemical in the air around Chembur is a big
concern. The best way to make the city care about the environment is through students and projects like
these that will ensure a safer future for them,” said Mahesh Tejwani, president, VES.
Don’t shed Aarey’s green cover for Metro car shed’
Somit Sen | TNN | Mar 19, 2016,
MUMBAI: The Aarey Conservation Group (ACG) on Saturday threatened an agitation if chief
minister Devendra Fadnavis issues work orders for the Metro-III car shed. Activist Stalin
Dayanand said they were not against the Metro but objecting to the car shed at Aarey. "If we
pushed to the wall, we will agitate aggressively," he warned.
On Wednesday, the state government decided to hand over three hectares of land at Aarey to
the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) for the Metro-III project. Sources said this made it
clear that the government was keen on setting up the car shed there—a move which activists
fear can "disturb the area's eco-system".
Addressing the media, Stalin said: "There is apprehension the authorities will open up the area
for real estate. It could be a commercial hub on the lines of Bandra-Kurla complex." MMRC
14. officials denied it. Stalin added: "If the car shed is built, during monsoon the plot's water
retention ability will be lost due to concretisation and excess water will find its way to the Mithi
river, which will increase risk of downstream flooding in Chakala and international airport area."
"In Metro projects across the country and globally, we found there is no compulsion for the car
shed to be set up at the termination point. Depots can be located anywhere along a route, why
encroach upon the city's only big green space?" argued Stalin, adding Delhi Metro was a prime
example.
"We have conducted a feasibility study and Aarey seems to be the right choice at present," an
MMRC source said, adding the Kanjurmarg plot was under litigation. But Stalin said just one plot
considered at Kanjurmarg was under litigation.
Work on Metro-III to begin by mid-2016: Fadnavis
Somit Sen & Sujit Mahamulkar | TNN | Mar 19, 2016
MUMBAI: Civil work for the Metro-III project, which will link Nariman Point to the international airport
and Girgaon in the island city to Goregaon in the western suburbs, is likely to begin soon. Chief minister
Devendra Fadnavis said while the project will be completed by 2020, its first part will be completed by
2019. "The project has been evaluated and recommended by the Japan International Cooperation Agency,
which has also agreed to give a loan at a very low rate of interest for the next 40 years. The work order
will be issued in the next two months," the CM stated. "In the 2016-17 budget, the state has proposed an
outlay of Rs 90.47 crore for this project which is expected to be completed by 2019," said state finance
minister Sudhir Mungantiwar.
Since a major stretchof the Metro line will be underground, Fadnavis said the debris from the excavation
will be used for the coastal road and for the proposed Chhatrapati Shivaji International Memorial to be
built in the Arabian Sea. Sources said that the Centre and the state will equally contribute to the project.
Further, a cost of around Rs 777 crore will be borne by the Mumbai International Airport, since the metro
will pass through the MIAL areas. The 32.5 km Colaba-Bandra-Seepz Metro will comprise 27 stations,
out of which, 26 will be underground and one at the Aarey Colony, Goregaon, will be at the ground level.
15. It is expected to cost around Rs 23,136 crore. The corridor will carry 13.9 lakh commuters daily by 2021
and 17 lakh by 2031, respectively, sources said.
The 27 stations on the corridor are Cuffe Parade, Vidhan Bhavan, Churchgate, Hutatma Chowk, CST,
Kalbadevi, Girgaon, Grant Road, Mumbai Central, Mahalaxmi, Science Museum, Acharya Atre Chowk,
Worli, Siddhivinayak, Dadar, Shitladevi Temple, Dharavi, BKC, Vidya Nagari, Santacruz, Chhatrapati
Shivaji Airport (domestic), Sahar Road, Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Marol Naka, MIDC,
Seepz and Goregaon.
The project will be developed in seven parts and will comprise 4-5 km long twin tunnels.
Citizengage - Engaging Citizens to Make Our Cities
Much Cleaner
J. Vignesh
Startup creates network to convert waste into resource
A drive around Bengaluru is enough to make one realise the need for effective waste
management. What if, one could recycle a majority of the waste that is generated and do their
bit in making the city cleaner? A Bengaluru-based waste-to-resource startup, Citizengage,
promises to do just that.
Pronita Saxena and her cofounder Ashish Malayil were earlier a part of NextDrop, a civic
startup, and had been approached by a few citizen communities to tackle the waste issue.
“Ashish and I were curious so we started exploring the problem. We realised that 85% of India's
waste is recyclable but 90% is sitting in landfills. That's when we got to know that there was a
huge opportunity in building a better waste-to-resource management system,“ said Saxena.
The startup has created a real time network that connects waste generators to collectors and
processors who can then repurpose the waste into a resource. “A huge component involves
generating data that's never existed before and building technology for foot soldiers who can't
read English and don't know how to navigate a smartphone. We're literally `Making in India' for a
Swachh Bharat through digital India,“ said Saxena. The startup targets large residential
communities and commercial establishments and charges a monthly subscription fees to
manage their internal and external waste-to-resource systems. “In terms of the potential of the
platform we're building, even accessing 10% of our addressable market, which is just large
residential communities and commercial establishments, could earn millions in revenue just
across the top 15 cities in India each year,“ said Saxena.
16. “Bengaluru is full of waste everywhere.Indiranagar 12 th main, which is the high end street, is
the same. I used to think that something has to be done. That's when I met Pronita in a ladies
event. No need to remind them (collectors), they come in each morning and clean it completely.
The whole process, they do it very neatly. They are doing a great job,“ said Zarine Kharas,
partner at Red Fork Deli restaurant, a customer.
Citizengage, since January 2015, has serviced over 1,050 households and 55 businesses, and
manages close to 100 tons of waste each month. Till date, the startup has diverted over 350
tons from landfills channelling it to biogas plants, composting facilities, and recycling centres for
use as secondary raw material. This 18 member social startup, which was bootstrapped until
recently is now looking to raise a seed round, with Sahil Barua, CEO of Delhivery, as its lead
investor.
“It comes down to the great team and a great market. There is certainly a space in India to do
this. Apart from the business, I think it is topical problem and it has social value to it,“ said
Barua.
Taloja industries' effluents pollute creek, raise a stink
Vijay Singh
Navi Mumbai: The effluents being released into the sea by industries at Taloja has become a
cause of concern with railway commuters travelling between Kharghar and Mansarovar stations
having to bear with a foul smell emanating from the creek everyday . The damage caused by the
effluents that are released into the creek is evident from black patch in the waters. “It is a well-
known fact that the pipeline carrying treated effluents from Taloja industries leads to the creek.
However, last year, the pipeline was damaged and it resulted pollution. I don't think the pipeline
has been repaired. Ideally the effluents should be released deep into the sea, away from the
coast and the mangroves lining it,“ said activist Anarjit Chauhan.
Deputy engineer of Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) at Taloja, Santosh
Kalaskar, told TOI: “Efforts are on to repair the pipeline that carries the effluents into the sea. I
cannot give out all the details over the phone, but the matter will be resolved soon.“ The
president of Taloja Industries Association (TIA), Satish Shetty , said, “There are nearly 980 small
and big industrial units under TIA, and all their industrial waste is first sent to the Common
Effluent Treatment Plant (CEPT) before being released into the sea. Since it is scientifically
treated waste, it can't cause marine pollution. However, if there are still any issues over it, we
will notify the authorities concerned.“
Shetty said they are in touch with the MIDC, pollution board and CEPT officials regu larly to
ensure that there is no problem in and around Taloja.“About 22.5 million litres of industrial waste
is discharged by CEPT per day after being treated. Hence, we too are concerned about the
17. pollution aspect,“ he added. Industries in Taloja are spread over 863 hectares and provide
employment to over 76,000 workers. In the past too, there had been a few complaints from
locals with regards to air pollution and water pollution in a nearby river. These issues were
addressed by the TIA and resolved.
Philippine church groups call for action on global
warming
Time to work for a 'productiveenvironment and climate justice' is
now, activists say.
Posted on March 16, 2016, courtesy: ucannews
Manila: Church groups in the Philippines called on environmental advocates to seriously work for a
"productive environment and climate justice" to address the roots of global warming and to bring about
strategic and lasting solutions. "People rise up, speak out and take concrete actions," read the March 16
statement from the group Stewards of Creation. The group issued the statement following this week's
Climate Reality Project event led by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore in Manila. The Stewards of
Creation noted that the Philippines has been on the receiving end of extreme weather conditions resulting
in super typhoons and long droughts.
In the 2016 Climate Change Vulnerability Index, released by risk analysis company Verisk Maplecroft,
the Philippines ranked 13th among the most climate-vulnerable countries. With the onslaught of this
year's dry season, the country expects crop losses and lower livestock and poultry production. Jose Arnel
Aguilar, spokesman of Stewards of Creation, noted that world leaders have failed to address the root
causes of climate change. "After more than two decades of climate summits ... the poorest and most
vulnerable people remain at the margins, experiencing not only an inconvenient truth but a harsh and
dangerous reality," said Aguilar.
In the central Philippine city of Cebu, environmental groups band with the church and educational
institutions to amplify their call for discussion of environmental agendas during the electioncampaigns of
presidential candidates for this year's elections. The Concerned Cebuanos for the Environment, a newly
formed group, said the environmental issue is an "urgent and important cornerstone platform and agenda."
"It's high time that politicians prioritize a green agenda and ensure implementation," said Sister Virgie
Ligaray of the Association of Women Religious of Cebu.
Source: UCAN
18. Buddhist and Christian clergy talk ecology and faith
Interreligious workshop held in India to discuss the state of
the world.
Posted on March 10, 2016, ucannews
Patna: An interreligious workshop in the eastern Indian state of Bihar focused on ways religions
can work together to create a healthy and peaceful planet. The Jesuit Conference of Asia-Pacific
Region organized the three-day workshop on Buddhist-Christian dialogue, which concluded
March 7 in Bodh Gaya, the town linked with Buddha's enlightenment. "Gone are the days of
individual salvation. One can no longer today attain salvation without the community and the
entire creation, that is why we need to mend our ways and heal the wounded planet," Jesuit
Father Jose Kalapura said at the workshop. Quoting Pope Francis, the Indian church scholar
contended that those who have destroyed the common home must rebuild it.
The workshop, held under the Interreligious Wisdom Sharing Program and organized by the
Indian Buddhist Jesuit scholar Lawrence Eucharist, dwelt on the theme — ecology and religion.
Jesuits from Korea, Indonesia, Thailand and Japan and more than 100 Buddhist monks and
nuns from the monasteries in Bodh Gaya took part in the event. Jesuit Father Cyril Veliyath,
coordinator of the Dialogue Commission of Asia-Pacific Jesuit Conference, said that the Catholic
Church teaches that every religion includes elements of truth and "that is why we should reach
out to other religions and dialogue so that humanity improves."
Noel Seth, prominent Jesuit scholar on religions, stressed on the need for a multireligious
identity. "One needs to go beyond one's own religion and learn to treat all with respect, which is
the only way to reach our destination," he said. Buddhist monk Kabir Saxena argued that "we
have still not discovered nature and the creation." "We have become self-forgetful, imitative and
artificial. The call is to become original and thus restore the true creation," he said. Father
Lawrence Eucharist said that, "in an age of religious violence and exploitation of nature, the
enlightened believers should come together to appeal to the world about the essence of religions,
which is love, compassion and peace and also jointly care for mother earth."
Father Bernard Senecal, a French-Canadian Jesuit who teaches a course on Buddhism at the
Sogang Jesuit University in Seoul, South Korea, considers himself lucky to visit Bodh Gaya
because of its importance to the Buddhist religion. "What touched me most was the deep
personal sharing by some monks as to how Buddhism has changed their lives," he said.
Father Ingun Joseph, a Korean Jesuit working in Cambodia, shares the same feeling. "This was
the sixth such workshop held in various parts of the world, but the first in India. Dialogue of this
kind is very enriching and ennobling," Father Joseph said.
Source: UCAN
19. San Francisco Becomes The First City to Ban Sale of Plastic
Bottles
Courtesy: Internet
In a bold move toward pollution control, San Francisco has just become the first city in America
to ban the sale of plastic water bottles, a move that is building on a global movement to reduce
the huge amount of waste from the billion-dollar plastic bottle industry. Over the next four
years, the ban will phase out the sales of plastic water bottles that hold 21 ounces or less in
public places. Waivers are permissible if an adequate alternative water source is not available.
One of the larges supporters of the proposal was the Think Outside the Bottle campaign, a
national effort that encourages restrictions of the “eco-unfriendly product.”
San Francisco’s ban is less strict than the full prohibitions passed in 14 national parks, a number
of universities and Concord, Mass. Violators of the ban would face fines of up to $1,000.
Joshua Arce, chairman of the Commission on the Environment, said the ban is “another step
forward on our zero-waste goal.” The City wants to have no waste going to its landfill by 2020.
Its diversion rate now stands at 80 percent. Past efforts toward the goal included banning plastic
bags and plastic-foam containers.
“We had big public events for decades without plastic bottles and we’ll do fine without them
again,” Arce said. The American Beverage Association, which includes Coca-Cola Co. and
PepsiCo, said in a statement that the ban was “nothing more than a solution in search of a
problem. This is a misguided attempt by city supervisors to decrease waste in a city of avid
recyclers.”
Power or forest: Bangladesh’s difficult choice
Proposed coal plants threatens world's largest mangrove forest.
ucannews
Dhaka: For the second time in three years, hundreds of activists in Bangladesh have made the long march
from the capital Dhaka to Sundarbans, the world's largest mangrove forest in southern Khulna district, to
protest government plans to build two coal plants near the World Heritage Site-listed forest. The March
20. 10-13 protest aims to garner public support, in order to persuade the government to drop plans to
construct the power plants, which would jeopardize environment and biodiversity of the forest and
livelihood of local community of rice farmers and fishermen.
If not halted, the government would start constructing this year the proposed 1,320-megawatt Rampal coal
plant and 565-megawatt Orion coal plant 14-kilometers within the Sundarbans, listed as a UNESCO
World Heritage Site and a protected wetland under the Ramsar convention. The forest is spread between
Bangladesh and India, but the largest portion lies in Bangladesh. The Rampal plant is a joint venture of
the national power companies of Bangladesh and India. The Indian company had to abandon two projects
in India in recent years due to strict environmental guidelines and mass protests.
The Sundarbans already has been facing threats due to air and water pollution due to overpopulation and
encroachment. Activists fear smoke, ash and noise from the plants would slowly destroy the forest,
making millions of coastal villagers more vulnerable to natural disasters. "The Sundarbans is not just a
World Heritage Site but a source of livelihood for 1 million people, a natural shield for 40 million coastal
people, which these plants would jeopardize. Moreover, they threatens the unique biodiversity, animals,
birds and fishes, which would slowly go extinct," says Anu Muhammad, an economist and secretaryfor
the march organizer, the National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral, Power and Ports.
Tens of thousands of local villagers who depend on the Sundarbans for livelihood — from fishing, shrimp
farming to honey production — might also pay dearly once the plants are in the place, he says. "These
power plants are destructive, treacherous projects and we will resist them by raising public awareness to
save the Sundarbans from human greed," he says. The committee organized a similar protest march Sept.
24-28, 2013, but failed to dissuade the government.
Power vs. forest
Leaning toward coal for power shows hunger for power in Bangladesh, a nation of about 160 million,
where about a third of people lack power. Presently, the country can produce maximum of 8,000-
megawatts of power, mostly from natural gas. Despite Bangladesh's vocal stance on climate change
globally, the country is turning more to cheap power solutions like coal. By 2030, the government aims to
generate 15,000-megawatts from coal power, raising it to 50 percent from the current 1 percent, through a
dozen of coal plants like those proposed near the Sundarbans.
Approximately, the plant will require one shipment of coal everyday through narrow rivers of the forest,
triggering fears of a possible spill. It will take about 219,600 cubic meters of water from the Passur river,
which is likely to change salinity and temperature of water which sustains the mangroves. These
altogether might be an insidious threat to Bangladesh's dwindling population of Royal Bengal tigers found
in the Sundarbans. A recent survey found only around 100 tigers in the Bangladesh side of the forest,
down from 440 in 2004. Wildlife of more 1,000 species including rare species of river dolphins and the
masked finfoot bird , might also be endangered.
Interests for future
Analysts see potential political and diplomatic interest for government in rushing the project. "There is no
doubt we need power, but there are other alternatives and places to generate power. No sane person can
accept a power project at the expense of the natural heritage site Sundarbans, except those who want to
fatten their pockets," says Mujahidul Islam Selim, president of Communist Party of Bangladesh that
supports the march.
"Moreover, the government wants to keep warm relations with India for future credit lines. For the Indian
company it's an opportunity to overcome losses from abandoned projects by making money from the
21. proposed plants," he says. Despite the warnings and dangers the government is adamant to continue with
project, citing that the power plants would create employment in the area, reduce poverty and contribute
to overall development.
However, a top government minister recently admitted to possible adverse impacts of the coal plants, but
added that the project can't be called off. "There will be some impacts obviously," Finance Minister
A.M.A. Muhith told reporters in Dhaka on Feb. 15, adding that boats carrying coal on a daily basis would
"substantially affect" flora and fauna. "Yet, this project can't be relocated," he said. The Catholic charity
Caritas runs various projects in southern Bangladesh for protecting the Sundarbans and livelihood
schemes for the local community. However, it has refrained from taking a stand on the issue.
Like Caritas most development groups and charities have refrained from taking a public stance on the
issue other than some outspoken groups and political parties, fearing backlash from the government,
possible hassles in approving and funding future projects. "We understand that power plants near the
Sundarbans would have negative impacts on the environment and local community, but we are not in a
position to take a stand because this is a government project," Tapas Sarker, disaster management officer
at Caritas Khulna, which covers the forest, told ucanews.com on March 10.
"Personally, I don't support the project, but organizationally we have no comments. If people think this
project is not right they would resist it in democratic ways," Sarkar said.
WANTED HELPING HANDS- Courtesy: Daijiworld.com
For more appeals visit – www.daijiworld.com - charity
Sweden D'Souza(17),C H S,B/103, 1st floor,Shivai Building,Vikhroli East - 400083
Tuesday, February 02, 2016
Sweden D'Souza(17), D/o Anthony D'Souza and Regina D'Souza,presently studying in 11th standard at St
Xavier's Junior College, Bhandup. Her father works in ONGC on contract basis and earns Rs.16,000 per month.
Apart from Sweden, he is having a younger daughter Avril and son Samuel both of whom are studying.
Sweden previously suffered from bone cancer and was recently curred after long medication but unfortunately
very soon again she was diagnosed with heart disease and underwent heart transplantation on January 3, 2016
with financial support from many well wishers. Unable to cope up with the increasing hospital bills, she has to
be shifted to a home made ICU at her one room kitchen home in Vikhroli.
However she needs medication for life time i.e. Rs 30,000 per month for medicines and minimum two biopsies
per year costing approximately Rs 60,000 each. Her father being sole earner for the family, he is unable to cope
up with the required expenses. Hence her entire family would like to request all the well wishers for financial
help at this
time of need.
22. Kindly send your remittances to her following bank account.
Bank Account No.: 2090122000007207
Name of the Account Holder: Sweden Anthony D' Souza
Bank: Citizen Credit Cooperative Bank Limited,
St Josephs High School,
Station Road, Vikhroli West,
Mumbai 400079
Bank IFSC Code: CCBL0209012.
MICR Code: 400209012
Telephone Nos.: 098693 36240, 97020 86567
Master Ashton D' Souza(3 years),Manjalakodi House, Borkatte post,Udupi 574502
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
Master Ashton D' Souza(3 years), S/o Stephen D' Souza, is suffering from an heart ailment
and needs open heart surgery which costs Rs 2,51,000. He is under treatment at Manipal Hospital, Bangaluru.
As his parents are poor, they have requested for your kind and generous monetary help so as to save the child.
Please send your kind remittances to their following bank account:
Bank Account No.: 32538704963
Name of the Bank Account Holder: Stephen D' Souza
Bank: State Bank of India, 270 Ward No. 2,
Ground Floor, Karkala
Bank IFSC Code: SBIN0005189
Mobile No.: 91 98441 85824
Published by Fr Felix Rebello
c/o Infant Jesus Church, Jogeshwari
Mob. 9819688630, Email:frfelixrebello@gmail.com, gemenewsletter@gmail.com
website: www.stfrancisxavierpanvel.in
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