gem

1. E-Newsletter-7/12
Green Earth Movement
An E-Newsletter for the cause of Environment, Peace, Harmony and Justice
Remember - “you and I can decide the future”
No more pesticides: How Kerala’s kitchen-garden
revolution is taking on tainted veggies
Haritha John| Thursday, August 18, 2016 - 19:15
A silent revolution unfolded in the backyards, terraces, poly-houses, road-sides and even in the
balconies of Kerala homes, with small scale organic farming undertaken by ordinary housewives
and husbands and even school children
For the last few years, Kerala has seen a lot of debate on the influx of pesticide-sprinkled
vegetables from neighbouring states. Malayalis saw the media, government institutions, social
groups and even political parties carry on a sustained campaign against such tainted veggies. In
parallel, a silent revolution unfolded in the backyards, terraces, poly-houses, road-sides and
even in the balconies of Kerala homes, with small scale organic farming undertaken by ordinary
housewives and husbands and even school children.
When Malayali’s favourite actress Manju Warrier made a come-back to the film industry in 2014
through a movie which propagated the idea of rooftop farming, she -by default- became the
brand ambassador for organic farming in Kerala. Veteran actor Sreenivasan too joined the
organic bandwagon with his highly publicized inroads into paddy-cultivation on leased lands,
with the harvest reaped from these garnering even more widespread applause.
Once upon a time, Kerala too was self-sufficient in vegetable-production and paddy cultivation.
The passing of years however saw it shift its focus to cash crops, thereby making it eventually
dependent on Tamil Nadu and Karnataka for vegetables, and on Andhra Pradesh for rice. With
alarming reports of large-scale use of pesticides and insecticides in Tamil Nadu farms, Kerala
was forced to take a relook at the options organic farming held out for a healthy life. People

2. across the spectrum took to it in a big way, with apartments, flats, houses and even road-sides
doubling up as unlikely but suitable venues for cultivation.
Speaking to The News Minute, Kerala Agriculture Minister VS Sunil Kumar was pleased to
inform that the state has produced 81,000 metric tons of vegetables in time for Onam -the state
festival due in September- that would ensure that Keralites will now not have to depend on
vegetables bought from across the state border. “For this year’s Onam, Kerala will not have to
depend much on vegetables from other states. We have made all arrangements to make 81000
metric tons of organic vegetables available for public consumption. Vegetables collected from
organic farms will be sold under the brand of Farm Fresh Kerala,” the Minister says.
Sunil Kumar reiterates that the LDF government aims to develop a concept of ‘quality’ as
opposed to ‘quantity’ among the masses. “Every house should have a small cultivable area, be it a
terrace, balcony or a backyard. Since most families are nuclear, very less space is actually needed
for the same. Kerala has now come to reflect such a trend,” he feels.
He also shares his vision for large-scale commercial farming. “Commercial farmers will be
encouraged to indulge in good agricultural practices which include use of organic pesticides and
fertilizers, and other healthy alternative solutions to meet their commercial targets,” he avers.
“Organic farming has largely increased in Kerala. Till a few years ago, more than 60% of the
vegetables were bought from other states. But now the situation has changed and we produce
more than 50% here,” shares Kerala Horticorp Managing Director, Dr Ranjan S Karippai with
The News Minute. “A large number of people are turning to farming in urban and semi-urban
areas. That is why the number of grow-bags sold by the department has seen a sudden spike,
with many people now approaching us for setting up of poly-houses,” he tells.
According to Ranjan, the department distributes an average of five lakh grow-bags every year.
“Kerala may not yet attain 100% self-sufficiency, but people are more aware now. They are
deeply concerned about the food they consume, so we could actually usher in a new trend,” he
opines. Studies conducted by the Kerala Agriculture University (KAU) over the years provided
the much-needed boost to this changing trend in an average Malayali’s food habits, as these
studies conclusively proved the presence of high amounts of pesticides in vegetables from Tamil
Nadu.
A recent report published by KAU in June 2016 have certified that the vegetables produced in
Kerala organic farms and made available at organic outlets are 100% safe to consume. Dr
Thomas Biju Mathew of the Pesticide Residue Lab at the Agricultural College in Vellayani says
that they are on a continuous research mode, so as to ensure that vegetables available in the
market even under the ‘Organic’ brand are safe for consumption.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) had opened around 200 organic vegetable stalls in the
last Onam season. Apart from cultivating on the land the party owns, it also encourages
individuals who are into both small and large-scale farming. This year too, the party has
announced the opening of more such vegetable stalls during Onam.
Colleges, self-help groups and even a few religious institutions too seem to have been bitten by
the organic bug. Both the Rajagiri Engineering College and the Sacred Heart College in
Ernakulam have been cultivating around three acres of land, with their last year’s bumper
harvest having even hogged headlines.
Given the nature of this green venture, the involvement of Kudumbasree self-help groups was
inevitable, and they now top the list, when it comes to setting up of organic vegetable markets
across the state. As per news reports, Kudumbasree alone farms around 50,000 hectares of land
in Kerala.

3. Catholic Church in Kerala bats for sustainable lifestyle
It called upon on all social service organisationsrelated to the church to take up the activities to
conserve water in wells.
ucannews
Kochi: The Catholic Church in Kerala has called on its members to adopt sustainable measures to
conserve water and also protect the water bodies from contamination and pollution. In a circular issued by
the Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council (KCBC) commission on social justice and development, the church
has asked its bishops, clergy and the laity to observe the ongoing ‘Year of Mercy' by respecting and
refraining from abusing earth and nature.
Man as the protector of environment has to treat mother earth and nature as God's gifts to mankind, it said.
"Against the backdrop of rising issues of drought, drinking water shortage and contamination of water
bodies, it has become necessary to launch a water conservation awareness programme for the society." It
called upon on all social service organisations related to the church to take up the activities to conserve
water in wells. Calling for tapping rainwater and diverting it to the traditional wells which would recharge
the groundwater, it asked the laity to ensure that every drop of rain water is conserved. "Though the state
gets 3,000 mm of rains in a year, more than 70% is drained off. This flow must be prevented."
The circular said that most houses had either tiled or tarred the roads and the paths as a result of which the
water flows on. Rain collectiondrains or rain holes should be made so that the water flows down into the
mud and thus goes into the groundwater system. The waste water from the house should be reused for
gardening or washing. People have to undergo a self-realisationthat fall in rains could lead to severe
water shortage in many areas. "We have been doing a lot of work in spreading the message of sustainable
living. The Year of Mercy comes to an end of next month but we don't want people to forget it. So we
have issued the circular to tell people to make it a way of life," said KCBC deputy secretary general Fr
Varghese Vallikkat.
He said that each diocese would work to ensure that it become a practice in the society. These were some
practical guidelines for people to implement in their life, he added.
Source: Times of India
Delhi's garbage problem alarming: Supreme
Court raps AAP govt
TNN & Agencies | Updated: Oct 21, 2016

4. NEW DELHI: Terming Delhi's garbage problem as alarming, the Supreme Court on Friday
asked all concerned authorities, including the AAP government, to devise a scheme for its timely
disposal. The SC also objected to AAP government's plea that its MLAs should be kept apart
from the sanitation drive as it is the job of local bodies. "It's a bully who blames others for
problems. Don't say MLAs have no responsibility in keeping the city clean. You have large
number of MLAs and you must ask them to spread awareness about keeping the city clean," the
SC said. "45 metres of height of garbage in places are alarming," the SC bench said.
"People are dying" due to lack of proper disposal of waste, the Supreme Court had also said on
October 17 as it expressed concern over garbage dumped at landfill sites in the national capital.
On October 6 also, the apex court had criticised the authorities over the handling of dengue and
chikungunya menace in Delhi and observed that they here were "not interested" and the people
have been "left to suffer". The apex court had also expressed disappointment over the outcome
of October 5 meeting between the LG, CM and others on curbing vector-borne diseases like
dengue and chikungunya and had asked them to hold another meeting on October 6.
The bench had directed that participants should discuss the steps to be taken to prevent the
problem faced by people of Delhi this year and also the future measures. The apex court had on
October 3 imposed a cost of Rs 25,000 on Jain for failing to file an affidavit disclosing names of
officials whom he had alleged of not cooperating in checking the menace of dengue and
chikungunya in Delhi. It had earlier taken suo motu cognizance of the death of a seven-year-old
boy due to dengue last year after being allegedly denied treatment by five private hospitals and
the subsequent suicide by his parents.
At Chhoti Chowpatty, plastic trash endangers marine
life
Rizwan Mithawala| TNN | Updated: Oct 13, 2016
MUMBAI: A stray dog sifts through heaps of shredded polythene for a morsel. After a futile attempt, it
settles for a plastic liquor bottle and sits down gnawing at it gazing at the Marine Drive skyline in the
distance. This scene plays out frequently at low tide on the iconic Chowpatty beach in the monsoon
months when heaps of plastic are washed ashore.While the popular tourist stretch of the beach is now

5. maintained with a tractor-mounted cleaning machine, the Chhoti-Chowpatty stretch is only cleaned
manually which takes days to complete. Meanwhile, the following high-tides take the trash back into the
sea and return it in the form of even smaller shreds.
Devidas Kshirsagar, assistant commissioner of D-ward has his reasons. "There is no access-way to take
the large machine to the Chhoti-Chowpatty . Hence, we have appoin ted a dedicated team of manual
labourers to clean that particular stretch. Meanwhile, we are also exploring options for mechanical
cleaning," he says. While plastic trash on the ach is an eyesore, it has ad beach is an eyesore, it has
adverse effects on marine life."Sea-turtles can't distinguish between plastic bags and jellyfish, which is the
primary diet of certain species. Since plastic cannot be digested, it clogs the turtle's intestine and leads to
its death," informs veteran marine biologist B. F .
Chhapgar. According to a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal last year,
90 percent of seabirds ingest plastic trash now and 99 percent of all species will be consuming it by 2050.
"Apart from the major plastic waste there is also the bigger threat of microplastics (tiny plastic added to
cosmetics, often in scrubs for cleansing)," says Arpita Bhagat of the Kachra Project. While inspiring a sea
change in public behavior will take years, the civic body should take these events as an opportunity to
clean our seas, says marine conservationist Pradip Patade. "When the sea brings all the trash at the beach,
it should be cleaned quickly , before the next tide cycle pulls it back into the sea," he says.
TIMES VIEW:
The sheer amount of waste that washes up on Mumbai's shores reflects the urgent need to
reduce the use of non-recyclable material and find better ways to dispose of trash. Why
can't BMCrestrict the use of plastic bags? Enforcement and penalties combined with
awareness drives are the need of the hour.
Great things can happen by doing series of small things
COMMANDMENTS FOR ECO-FRIENDLY LIVING
1] Carry reusable bag (jute, cloth, thick plastic) when you go for bazaar. Refuse to
take thin plastic bags.
2] Avoid using vehicles for short distance. Walk.
3] Carry your own water bottle wherever you go, and avoid buying mineral water.
4] Try to save cooking gas by avoiding heating food repeatedly. Family can eat
together and avoid heating food at different times.
5] Avoid compulsive shopping. While shopping question yourself – do I really need
this item (cloth, utensil, gadget, furniture etc)
6] Try to use the household items, gadgets etc till it becomes completely useless
(use it as long as possible).

6. 7] Reduce, reuse, recycle – Reduce means buy things only if it is really needed. Reuse
means, use things which can be used repeatedly (example - plates, glasses, spoons),
recycle means, instead of sending certain items to the dumping grounds, sell them to
the scrape dealers who use the items for recycling purposes.
8] Segregate garbage into wet and dry. Wet waste can be used for composting.
9] Save water creatively – if possible avoid using washing machine which takes lot of
water, avoid big size toilet flushes or pour water in the mug instead of pressing
flush after each time you use the toilet, recycle the water – example, after washing
clothes, cleaner water left out can be used for plants, washing floor/toilets etc.
10] Save electricity by using energy saving bulbs. Wherever possible make use of
the natural light.
11] Do not discard papers without making full use of the blank space. Example use
both sides of the pages, reuse envelopes for internal correspondence
12] From time to time take the inventory of the things lying at your home. Question
‘do I need these things’? Things which are not used by you for long can be donated
to charitable NGOs or needy families.
Courtesy: GEM E-NEWSLETTER
OPEN FOR ALL, VISITED BY ALL
Mumbai Mirror
Sheila Raheja Manoranjan Udyan in Malad fares well on most counts and is
a favoured haunt for morning and evening walkers
Standing in stark contrast to the congested city just outside, the Sheila Raheja
Manoranjan Udyan in Malad East is frequented by close to 700 morning and evening
walkers on weekdays. On weekends, this number swells up to 1,000. Maintained by the
Sheila Raheja Foundation (through its sister concern Ferrani Hotels Pvt Ltd), it is one of
the few public gardens in the western suburbs that have been maintained well and
draws hordes of residents looking for some quiet. Scoring high on cleanliness and
amenities provided to visitors, the ground fared well at Mumbai Mirror's open spaces
audit, falling short only at implementing the BMC mandated 15 hours open time.

7. SIGNAGE
As per the BMC's open spaces policy, the caretaker has installed two signboards
declaring the civic body as the owner of the ground.Additionally, separate boards at the
entrance clearly mention the opening and closing time of the ground, and also specify
the Rs 5 entry fee.
ACCESS
While a notice board inside the premises list 6 to 9 in the morning and 4 to 9 in the
evening as open hours (totalling just eight hours), Mahendra Chande, CEO of the
foundation and K Raheja Construction, said the ground remained open for close to 14
hours every day, from 5.30 to 12 in the morning, and 4 to 11 in the evening. “Often
senior citizens, women or children want to spend more time and we let them sit on,“
said a worker. The foundation charges Rs 5 as entrance fee but senior citizens and
children below 12 years of age are exempted. Entry is free for all on Tuesdays.
INSTALLATIONS
The park has an office, an amphitheatre, a yoga zone, children's play area, public
toilets, and a changing room for guards. The structures do not violate BMC's rule that
limits construction on recreation grounds to 10 per cent.
CORPORATORSPEAK
Manisha Patil, the local corporator, did not respond to this reporter's text messages or
calls.
'SHUTDOWN VITAL FOR UPKEEP'
Despite BMC mandating a minimum 15 hour open time for open spaces, the foundation
has said this is not implementable. “As is evident, the ground is indeed a class apart.
And we can maintain this standard only if we let our staff carry out daily gardening and
cleaning of the premises tasks which are best left unhurried,“ said Chande.
The foundation employs 50 watchmen and 25 gardeners in addition to managers and
ticket-checkers, to maintain the space.
Bandra gears up for 'Zero Garbage' Project
Saturday, October 15, 2016
By Aishwarya Nair

8. As the civic body is struggling to get bidders for the Deonar dumping ground, the H/West ward,
commonly known as the 'queen' of suburbs, i.e. Bandra, has initiated several innovative projects
in order to restrict the waste from ending up at the dumping ground. Post the Deonar fire,
resident groups, along with Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), are working towards
treating the waste at source. “Zero Garbage is a distinct dream, but our plans are almost ready.
Maybe in few years we will achieve it,” said Sharad Ughade, Assistant Municipal Commissioner
(AMC) of the H/West ward.
Started with Self:
The BMC has started the project by installing a biogas plant in the H/West office itself. “It has
been four months now, the kitchen waste gets treated with the help of the plant and reused.
Thus, BMC itself produces 'zero garbge',” said Ughade.
Waste treatment compulsory for bulk generators:
Bandra is the only suburb where large number of hotel chains function, thus the project also
tried to rope in some huge restaurants like Olive Bar & Kitchen, Taj Lands End, etc. “We will try
to make it compulsory for such bulk generators of waste to install waste processing machines,”
said Ughade.
Gymkhanas and gardens will also be included in this plan. The Khar Gymkhana has already
installed a waste treatment machine. Afternoon D&C has reported in its September 18, 2016
issue about the 400kg biogas plant installed at the K.B Bhabha hospital in Bandra. Bhabha is
the city's first hospital to do so. Leelavati and Holy Famlily hospitals have agreed to set up a
biogas plant to treat the waste as well.
Separate vans for dry and wet waste:
Although the civic body made available two dustbins with an aim to segregate dry and wet
waste, criticism arose as only one truck was available to collect waste from both the bins,
resulting in a mixture of both dry and wet waste, negating the process in the first place. This
problem is solved with H/West's pilot project, i.e. multi-collection van. The van is specially
designed to collect any type of waste at the same time. “Some vehicles are ready, the vans will
start functioning from Diwali. This will be only for our ward, around 10% of waste will be
segregated,” said Ughade.
Anti- Plastic drive:
The drive aims to rope in stall and shop owners of busy shopping streets like Linking Road and
Hill Road in Bandra to reduce the use of plastic bags. The ward has already banned usage of
plastic bags below 50 micron. Among the stalls in the ward, 100 stalls have come together and
formed a uniform dustbin and also appointed sweepers to maintain cleanliness. “If you visit the
Linking Road, it has become much cleaner now. We will provide cotton bags to the stall owners
as an alternative for plastic bags,” said Ughade.
Behavioural change among citizens:
This part of the project is still in its planning stage where strategies will be adopted to bring a
behavioural change in people. The aim is to change their attitude and motivate the people to
stop littering in their surroundings. “This is still in a raw stage, it will be implemented slowly. I am
planning to start it with school students in a week or two,”said Ughade.
Ragpickers for unattended waste:
As the motive is 'Zero Garbage', the plan aims to cover every aspect in treating waste. As a part
of the project, the BMC is also trying to include ragpickers' associations. The ragpickers will be
appointed to collect the unattended waste where the garbage truck fails to reach.

9. The ward alone produces 325 metric tonnes of waste everyday. The 'Zero Garbage'
project aims at sending lesser waste to the dumping ground. With less garbage, less
vehicles will be utilized, thus saving a lot of petrol.
Following will be a part of this project : Educational Institutes; Shopping Malls, Churches,
Residential Complexes, Hospitals, Gardens
Treat waste at source, BMC tells Bandra’s biggest
hotels, gymns
HT, Mumbai
In a first-of-its-kindmove, the H/West ward (Bandra) of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation
(BMC) is initiating talks with bulk producers of waste to treat it at the source. The ward office confirmed
that it is in talks with hotels like Taj Land’s End and Olive Bar and Kitchen, hospitals and gymkhanas.
The ward alone produces 300 metric tonnes of waste every day, sources said. According to officials, if the
bulk producers started treating waste at the source, it will reduce 20% of the quantity going to the three
dumping grounds in the city.
Sharad Ughade, assistant commissioner of the H/West ward said, “There are already prototypes of these
institutes in the ward. The Bhabha hospital, Khar gymkhana, H/West ward office and the post-office have
adopted the zero-garbage model. We are in talks with Bandra gymkhana and Otter’s Club who have
agreed to implement the model.” Recently, the KB Bhabha Hospital in Bandra also inaugurated a biogas
plant in its premises to process its kitchen waste. Currently, the ward is making a list of all the bulk
producers and the amount of garbage produced by them. While the wet waste can be treated at source, the
dry waste can be sent for recycling.
A senior civic official said that once the model proves successful in the H/West ward, it can be
implemented all across the city. Residents of Bandra have welcomed BMC’s move to provide relief to the
dumping grounds. Anandini Thakoor, managing trustee of the Khar Residents Association said, “We are
going to start composting at the Khar market soon. The ward officer has been very supportive and we are
looking at implementing the zero-garbage model in a lot of places in Bandra.”
By producing 9,000 metric tonnes of garbage on a daily basis, the city is reeling under a waste crisis. Of
the three dumping grounds in the city, Mulund, Deonar and Kanjurmarg, waste is treated scientifically
only at Kanjurmarg. Earlier this year, a huge number of fire incidents were reported at Deonar resulting in
health issues for citizens living in the nearby areas of Mankhurd, Shivaji Nagar and Govandi.

10. Recently, the Bombay high court also ordered a stay on new construction owing to the state government
and BMC’s failure to comply with the Municipal Solid Waste (Management and Handling) Rules at
Deonar and Mulund dumping grounds. The State and BMC has assured the court that by 2019, they will
be able to ensure scientific disposal of waste.
3-yr-plan to rid 20 cities of dump yards
Scheme To Target Delhi, Mumbai & Other Metros Under Swachh Bharat
Mission
The government has set itself an ambitious target: it wants to get rid of monumental dump yardsin at least
20 large cities, including 10 major state capitals such as Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Lucknow and
Ahmedabad, in the next three years under the Swachh Bharat Mission. On Monday, the municipal
commissioners of these cities agreed to formulate time-bound action plans by factoring in the solid waste
already dumped at landfill sites and the daily generation of such waste.
They participated in a review meeting on managing solid waste chaired by Union urban development
secretary Rajiv Gauba. The ministry will have a template ready within a week for the preparation of
detailed project reports. Sources said that while the focus will be on seeking to reclaim the landfill sites by
reducing the volumeof dumped waste before capping them with soil, the thrust of the action plan will also
be on recycling to minimise waste generated every day. Priority will be given to converting municipal
solid waste into wealth by setting up waste-to-energy and waste-to-compost plants, besides setting up
mechanised bio-mining plants for segregation of waste for recycling. Such projects can obtain financial
support from the National Clean En vironment Fund and the multi-lateral Green Climate Fund, both of
which are managed by the environment and forests ministry.
“A representative said urban waste accounts for the release of three per cent of climate change-causing
greenhouse gases,“ said an official. Officials from Mumbai and Pune shared how they had capped the
dumps by covering the waste with soil, representatives from Kumbakonam, a small municipality in Tamil
Nadu, detailed their bio-mining initiative to reclaim landfill sites. In this scheme, already deposited waste
is loosened and bulky items are removed. Subsequently, the old waste is sprayed with composting bio-
culture and then formed into conventional aerobic windrows on the site. The waste is then sterilised,
stabilised, and readied for segregation. It is then sent for recycling, re-use or composting. The bio-mining
process can reduce old waste by almost 40%.
“The secretary said while capping of huge dumps to convert them into green spaces can be proceeded
with where action has been already initiated, as in the case of Greater Mumbai and Pune, the focus should
be on reducing the volume and size of such dumps by segregating the dumped waste for reuse though
biomining and bio-remediation. All cities have agreed on this course of action,“ an official said. Bio-
remediation uses biological agents, mainly micro-organisms such as yeast, fungi or bacteria, to clean
contaminated soil and water.

11. FOR A BETTER ENVIRONMENT…
Shehzin Shaik, HT
Do you always indulge in activities that are environmentally-friendly? If so,
have you asked yourself a quintessential (yet often overlooked) question: does the
building I reside in, adhere to all the requisite environmental clearances and
necessary approvals? Read on...
Every citizen aspires to harbour an environ mentally-friendly approach. And how do they try to
achieve just that? Some indulge in tree plantation drives, the others endorse products that are
strictly organic. While there are many that display their social consciousness by pursuing such
activities, there are possibilities that these very people are perhaps residing in buildings that
have violated every single environmental norm laid out. So while these good-willed people are
trying to do no harm to the environment, they are infact, causing the largest harm (unknowingly
perhaps). And in this case, ignorance is no bliss. How would you have felt if you had purchased a
house in a building that violated every environmental regulation?
Wouldn't you feel cheated, if your building is deemed `illegal'?
There are a few cases (some that were heavily reported) known to public. Unfortunately, we have
seen a steady increase in cases wherein buildings have violated environmental norms and the
construction work had to be stopped mid-way. Experts say there has and will always be a trade-
off between economic growth and protection of the environment. Real estate markets, India's in
particular, have traditionally struggled to find a synergistic balance be tween successful real es
tate development and en vironment sustainability. “Keeping in mind the population explosion
faced by our country and also the demand for real estate in the larger real estate markets, we
find that developers tend to cut corners when it comes to compliance with environ mental
norms,“ says Nishit Dhruva, managing partner, MDP & Partners (Advocates & Solicitors). Since
environment is an important stakeholder when making a home-buying decision, it should figure
high on the list of potential home-buyers which may not always be the case.
THE CHECKLIST:
Two of the key environmental legislations are the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986; and the
Coastal Regulation Zone Notification, 2011. “The government has in place, several regulations
the most important of which has been the requirement of complying to the monitoring
standards while procuring an Environmental Clearance (EC) with an Environmental Impact
Assessment (EIA) for construction projects in India listed as Category `B' in Item 8 of the
Schedule (Construction Township Commercial Complexes Housing), which is basically an
assessment of the potential impact a particular project or activity may have on both, the natural
and social environment. The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has issued the
Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification in 1991 and subsequently in 2011 (2011 Notification)
for providing comprehensive measures of protection for coastal stretches (upto 500 metres from
the High Tide Line along the seafront and 100 metres from the High Tide Line along the tidal
influenced water bodies) and regulating the activities undertaken in such CRZ.Under the 2011
Notification, coastal areas have been classified as CRZ-I (ecologically-sensitive), CRZ-II (built-
up area), CRZ-III (rural area) and CRZIV (water area). A pre-clearance from the MoEF or from
the jurisdictional Coastal Zone Regulation Authority in a state is required before undertaking
construction or development activities in areas falling in the close vicinity or under the CRZ,“
adds Dhruva. Accordingly, the buyers should ensure that the developers have followed the
mentioned laws and obtained the necessary permissions approvals for construction.

12. Recently, the environment ministry has decided to exempt environmental clearances for
building and township projects of more than 20,000 square meters in size, which has become a
topic of debate between environmentalists and realty players. “The government and relevant
approval authorities are doing their best to ensure that real estate development projects are
environmentally-sensitive. Hence, it's important that home-buyers take cogni sance of this fact
and make sure that they invest in only those projects that have received a clearance from the
MoEF,“ says Radeka Patiil, senior VP and CEO design construction marketing, HBS Realtors.
DO NOT FALL INTO THE TRAP!
Urbanisation is also a reality, which cannot be sidelined. “In order to maintain a sustainable
lifestyle, it's important to ensure that your building follows the guidelines set by the MoEF such
as water treatment plant; sewage treatment plant; recycling of used water; use of solar lights,
etc,“ says Gurmit Singh Arora, co-chair, IGBC Mumbai Chapter. Prior to entering into any kind
of agreement for sale with the builder, the homebuyer should diligently inspect the title
certificate pertaining to such property and ensure that all applicable consents and permissions
have been obtained by the builder. “In the near future, the Real Estate Regulatory Act (RERA),
will come into force, and all the approvals will be online for customers to see and this will ensure
a level-playing field for all, thereby ensuring transparency,“ says Rohit Poddar, MD, Poddar
Housing and Development Ltd.
IN THE END...
Buyers, because of their lack of knowledge of environmental laws and rules sometimes invest in
the `wrong project', thereby causing themselves a lot of trouble. Hence, adopting due-diligence
is necessary to ensure that they create a sustainable environment for the future.
Pope Francis Slams Biotech Industry and GMOs
in World Food Day Letter
Posted on Oct 17 2016
Pope Francis has made his strongest attack yet on genetically modified plants and animals (GMOs) and
the Biotech Industry (which includes companies such as Monsanto, Bayer, Dow, Du Pont, Syngenta and
ChemChina), in a letter to the Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations (FAO) Professor José Graziano da Silva on World Food Day. Pope Francis developed his official
criticism of the Biotech Industry and GMOs, which began in 2015.
On Sunday, World Food Day, Pope Francis stated;
“From the wisdom of rural communities we can learn a style of life that can help defend us from the logic
of consumerism and production at any cost, a logic that, cloaked in good justifications, such as the
increasing population, is in reality aimed solelyat the increase of profit. In the sector in which the FAO
works, there is a growing number of people who believe they are omnipotent, or able to ignore the cycles
of the seasons and to improperly modify the various animal and plant species, leading to the loss of
variety that, if it exists in nature, has and must have its role. Producing qualities that may give excellent

13. results in the laboratory may be advantageous for some, but have ruinous effects for others. And the
principle of caution is not enough, as very often it is limited to not allowing something to be done,
whereas there is a need to act in a balanced and honest way.
Genetic selectionof a quality of plant may produce impressive results in terms of yield, but have we
considered the terrain that loses its productive capacity, farmers who no longer have pasture for their
livestock, and water resources that become unusable? And above all, do we ask if and to what extent we
contribute to altering the climate?
“Not precaution, then, but wisdom: what peasants, fisherman and farmers conserve in memory handed
down through the generations and which is now derided and forgotten by a model of production that is
entirely to the advantage of a limited group and a tiny portion of the world population. Let us remember
that it is a model which, despite all its science, allows around eight hundred million people to continue to
go hungry.”
Seoul Archdiocese launches ecological
apostolate institution
Part of the church's effort to help protect and restore creation.
Posted on October 12, 2016, ucannews
South Korea: The Pastoral Committee for the Environment in Seoul Archdiocese
officially established an ecological apostolate institute in order to boost the church's
movement to preserve God's creation. The committee held an inaugural Mass
called, "Sky, Earth, Water and Friend" at Myeongdong Cathedral on Oct. 4.
Participants pledged to "protect all forms of life and to work to make the society of
the kingdom of heaven full of justice, peace, love and beauty." Members will renew
their pledges every year.
"Men are called by God as stewards to protect creation but we have exploited and
destroyed it. Now we have a grave responsibility to restore creation," said Auxiliary
Bishop Timothy Yu Gyoung-chon of Seoul. "Establishing the ecological apostolate
institution will help Catholics live more ecologically," the bishop said.
The archdiocese began the environment movement on Jan. 1, 1990 when St. Pope
John Paul II released his World Day of Peace message: "Peace with God the
Creator, Peace with All of Creation."
The "Sky, Earth, Water and Friend" projects will be structured in small sizes groups,
parish and archdiocesan-level councils, according to the institute's manual.
Source: UCAN

14. PROMOTE COUNTER CULTURE
Pope Francissays “Whenever materialthings, money, worldliness, becomethe center of
our lives, they takehold of us, they possess us; we lose our very identityas human
beings,”.
Materialismisthecultureof today’s world. We need to createa COUNTER CULTURE.
The Word of God hasthe power to do it.
Here is a success story of this PROMOTON OFCOUNTER CULTURE by encouraging
BIBLE READING amongst theparishionersthrough MONTHLY BIBLE QUEST (BQ). In
the BQ 14 held todayat Infant Jesus church, Jogeshwari-East 110 parishionershave
participated (seephotographs). Thismethod of biblequiz has been successfully
conducted for thelast 20 yearsin different parishes, and has been received with great
interest by the parishioners.
The successof Bible Quest is due to:
Consistency
Appreciation(ofparticipants)
A small investments(for prizes etc).
For 43 sets of monthlyBible Quests (4 year cycle), visit our church website
www.infantjesusjogeshwari.in
go to Resource section.
WANTED HELPING HANDS- Courtesy: Daijiworld.com
For more appeals visit – www.daijiworld.com - charity
Kenneth Naik(32),B/21 Green View,Ramdas Nagar,Navghar,Vasai east,Thane 401210
Thursday, October 13, 2016
Kenneth Naik (32) has been suffering and fighting Parkinson's Disease since January 2008.
As his condition is progressively worsening, he has been advised to undergo a DBS (Deep Brain Stimulation)

15. Surgery by his doctor at Hinduja hospital.
The estimated expenditure of the surgery is Rs 12.5 lacs. This is inclusive of the cost of the implant which is
costing Rs 8.5 lacs. As the cost is too high, the family is unable to bear it. Therefore, they have requested for
monetary help from kind hearted individuals and philanthropists.
Kindly send your remittances to his following bank account:
Bank Account No.: 002201506291
Name of the Account Holder: Kenneth Naik
Bank: ICICI Bank Limited,
Vasai branch,
Vasai (West), Thane – 401202
Bank IFSC Code: ICIC0000022
Telephone No.: 090499 42365
Kianne (3.5 years),D-2301 Ekta Meadows, Siddarth Nagar, Near Khatau estate,Borivali
east,Mumbai – 400066
Friday, September 16, 2016
Kianne (3.5years), D/o Suzana Pinto since birth has no hearing in both her ears. The parents realized it when the
child was 2.5 years old. They were sent for a series of medical tests thereafter. The MRI scan shows a very thin
auditory nerve in both the ears. Post consultation with Dr Milind Kirtane (ENT Specialist) at Mumbai, they have
been advised to go for a Cochlear Implant surgery in both her ears as the only solution so that she can hear and
speak. The surgery cost for each ear is INR 13.50 Lacs (Implant cost is INR 12.50 Lacs surgery cost is INR 1 lac).
The parents have sought Financial Assistance for the implant surgery of their little angel.
Kindly send your remittances to the following bank account of Suzana Pinto, the mother of the child.
Bank Account No.: 2090072000021822
Name of the Account Holder: Suzana Pinto,
BANK: Citizen Credit Co-operative Bank Ltd
Branch: I.C. Colony, Borivali West
IFSC CODE: CCBL0209007
They have requested an email confirmation to consuz@yahoo.com on transfers done.
Contact Telephone No. 00 91 9820754333/ 00 91 9819754333
Published by Fr Felix Rebello
c/o Infant Jesus Church, Jogeshwari
Mob. 9819688630, Email:frfelixrebello@gmail.com, gemenewsletter@gmail.com
website: www.infantjesusjogeshwari.in
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