1. E-Newsletter-7/13
Green Earth Movement
An E-Newsletter for the cause of Environment, Peace, Harmony and Justice
Remember - “you and I can decide the future”
Zero-garbage goal makes Siddhivinayak first green
temple
www.dnaindia.com
Mumbai's 350-year-old Siddhivinayak Temple has been felicitated with Platinum Award by the
Indian Green Building Council. The structure is unique because it utilises almost 100 per cent of
sunlight, and therefore, is the first green temple in the country. Till now, IGBC was focusing on
government, commercial, residential buildings and hotels but for the first time it awarded green
rating to a temple. Shree Siddhivinayak Ganapati Mandir Nyas Trust Chairman Narendra Rane
told DNA that an IGBC team visited the temple and took stock of the measures taken by the trust
towards the zero-garbage goal.
Besides, the Laddu prasad at Sidhivinayak temple has also been lauded at the national level by
the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India since it is prepared with a standardised
process and for being natural. Sanjiv Patil, Chief Executive Officer of the Trust, informed DNA
that the temple has been declared as the first green temple of India. He said that the certificate
also has been issued to the trust and the Laddu prasad at the temple was shown as an example
during a meeting called by FSSAI CEO Pavankumar Agarwal. In this meeting representatives of
all religious places including churches, gurudwaras and mosques were asked to follow the
example of Siddhivinayak temple while preparing prasad.
Rane informed that the temple trust has solar panels fitted on its building and also made
arrangements for the rain water harvesting which is collected from two terraces of an area of
3,000 square feet each. He said that the trust has also made arrangements for a sewage
treatment plant and 2,500 litres of treated waste water is used for toilet and other purpose
within the temple premises. Furthermore, the flowers, garlands and coconuts offered to the deity
are segregated. Grated coconut is used for making a sweet prasad for devotees and the waste is
sent for treatment.
2. The IGBC has suggested a few measures so that the temple can attain zero-garbage status in the
next six months. The Trust is generating 20KV of electricity through solar panels fitted at the top
of its two buildings.
Solar roof project helps Siddhivinayak temple save
40,000 every month
Hindusthan Times
COSTEFFECTIVE Experts say city’s power situation can be
transformed if buildings generate their own electricity
Moving away from the usual carbon-emitting process of using electricitygenerated from burning coal and
gas, a popular temple in Mumbai has gone the solar way and reduced their monthly electricitybill by
30%. The two century-old Shree Siddhivinayak Ganapati temple at Prabhadevi has been saving Rs 40,000
per month for the last four years. A 20 kilowatt-hour (Kwh) solar rooftopproject, comprising of 72 panels
on top of the five-storey Prathisthalaya temple building is used to power lights and fans on every floor,
reducing their dependency on the grid.
“With lakhs of devotees visiting our temple every day, our attempt was to encourage them towards taking
up renewable sources of energy so that the carbon-footprint on the city’s environment could be reduced,”
said Narendra Rane, chairman, Shree Siddhivinayak Ganapati Temple Trust. “We have plans to install a
100 Kwh project across remaining parts of the temple to reduce 100% dependency from the grid in the
next two years.” Experts said that the city’s power situation can be transformed if we construct buildings
and temples which generate their own electricity. “In a city like Mumbai, such a project will be very cost-
effective. Not to mention the reduction in carbon footprints,” said Rangan Banerjee, head of department,
department of energy science and engineering at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay.
The temple also adopted rainwater harvesting in 2011, and in the last five years they saved over 35 lakh
litres of rainwater, which is reused for non-potable purposes.
Even the flower waste and coconut shells from daily offerings, amounting to 1200kg per day, are
recycled. Marigold flowers are collectedand segregated into clean and dirty petals. The clean ones are
recycled to make an orange paste, used to colour ladoos (see box), and the dirty petals and coconut shells
are composted to make manure.
Where will Mumbai’s waste go in 8 months?
Sanjana Bhalerao, Hindustan Times, Mumbai
3. Eight months from now, Mumbai will have no space to dump the 5,200 metric tonnes of garbage
that travels from our homes to the Deonar and Mulund dumping grounds every day.
Why?After frequent fires at the Deonar dump yard earlier this year, a Bombay high court order
in February said the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will not be allowed to dump
any more waste at the two main dumping sites starting June 30, 2017. But does the country’s
richest civic body have a backup plan? The BMC has to either figure out a way to process this
waste or find a new dump yard for it. Those in the know say neither seems likely.
At Deonar, the city’s largest dump yard functioning for more than 90 years, tenders are yet to be
floated to set up a waste processing unit. Even if the BMC works around the clock to get
clearances and find contractors for the project, it will take two years, experts said. And, with
tender conditions putting the onus of getting environmental clearances from the centre and state
on the bidding companies, experts fear closing the Deonar dumping ground will be delayed
further. Other roadblocks include green rules and high court orders that don’t allow the
construction of such a plant in highly populated areas. In some cases, the HC has ruled such
plants should be up to 50km outside the city. The amount of work remaining to open a waste
processing unit is such, said analysts, it cannot be started in eight months, let alone completed.
Steps to safely close down the Mulund dump yard is already running into trouble. After three
deadline extensions for tenders over three months, the civic body has not received a single
bidder.
“This is first time in the country that projects of such a large scale (Deonar and Mulund) have
been taken up. We want to take suggestions from IIT and NEERI,” said a senior civic official,
who did not wish to be named. If waste processing units are not set up in time, the city does not
have enough land to which the waste can be redirected. The state is yet to allot a proposed
dumping ground at Taloja in Navi Mumbai. While setting the June 2017 deadline, the HC also
appointed a six-member committee to ensure there were no more fires and to check if the civic
body was working towards meeting the deadline.
“There have been five meetings with BMC, but at the present pace, it is impossible for BMC to
meet the deadline,” said a committee member, not wishing to be named.
Waste solutions
-As per the Bombay High Court order, BMC cannot dump fresh waste at Deonar and Mulund
from 30th June 2017
-9,500 metric tonnes of waste is generated in the city
*The two dump yards together hold 14.38 million tonnes of waste.
Amount of waste at Mulund is 5.35 million cubic meters or 2.38 million tonnes (MSW
compacted in truck density considered is 1 cubic meter is 444.95 kg)
4. Maharashtra may make fast food costly so you
eat healthy
Faisal Malik, Hindustan Times, Mumbai
Fast food may soon become expensive across the state, with the Maharastra government mulling measures
such as a fat tax to get its people to eat healthy. Sources said the state believes fast food is a leading cause
for obesity and lifestyle diseases such as diabetes. It has constituted a 17-member task force to make
suggestions for a policy that will help curb deaths from such diseases. Experts said the state government
may come up with measures such as high tax rates on fast food to make them expensive and barring fast
food companies from advertising. The Kerala government this year proposed a 14.5% tax on fast food.
The task force has health experts, who will suggest to the government measures to control deaths from
obesity and diabetes, a senior official from public health department told HT.
“The task force will analyse the causes for such non-communicable diseases and give us
recommendations. The objective is to bring a policy that promotes good health,” the official said.
According to a government resolution(GR) issued by the public health department, one of the major
responsibilities of the task force is to suggest ways in which curbs could be imposed on companies
making fast food . Dr Subhash Salunkhe, a former director general health services, who is on the task
force, said there are no scientific studies done so far to prove junk or fast foods cause obesity. “The task
force may suggest to the government to carry out such a study to find out the prevalence of obesity and
diabetes in Maharashtra. Once this is done, the government can come out with an effective policy,” he
said.
The government also needs to involve legal agencies as a part of the policy so that it is implemented
better, experts said. For instance, just like tobacco products are harmful for health, the government can
impose high rate of taxes on fast food making them expensive and this can be used as a deterrent, Dr
Salunkhe said.
JUNK FOOD – A SLOW POISON..
Go to GEM PPT section of this website, and read
PPT 3-JUNK FOOD - A slow Poison.
Following are the list of GEM educational and awareness PowerPoint
Presentations (PPTs) which are available in the website
www.infantjesusjogeshwari.in
go to GEM PPT section.
5. These PPTs can be used for various groups like school/college students,
youth groups, SCCs and other church groups, NGOs etc.
1. Twenty Simple Tips
2. Solar Energy
3. Junk Food
4. Plastic – a boon or bane?
5. Green Passion
6. Zero Garbage
7. Soft drink – A Health Hazard
8. Waste to energy
9. Rain Water Harvesting
10. Eco-friendly Religions
11. Happy Green Diwali
12. Climate Change
13. The future of Biodiversity
14. Genetically Modified Foods
15. Waste Water Treatment
16. Body, Organ, Tissue Donation
17. Organic Farming
18. Waste to cooking gas
19. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
20. Protect Mangroves
21. Say NO to Bottled water
22. Save Lakes and Ponds
23. Forests are green lungs
24. Coal Mining and Ecology
25. Sin of Food Waste
26. Climate change and Poverty
27. Stop Water Pollution
28. Carbon Footprints
29. Parks and Open Spaces
30. Rising Sea Levels
31. Laudato Si – Pope’s Encyclical
32.Air Pollution
33. Life Style Changes
34. Water Pollution
35. Sand Mining
36. Bees and Environment
37. Joy of Gardening
IF CHILDREN LOSE CONTACT WITH NATURE
THEY WON’T FIGHT FOR IT!
The Guardian.com, Goerge Monbiot
Living in a virtual world is a total disconnect; we cannot understand the miracle of life by sitting
in a room staring at a screen. This is not true learning – it may be good for ‘academia’ but it is
soul destroying! We may accumulate dry knowledge by Googling everything but it will not be
direct experience. We will be divorced from ‘knowing’ and ‘wisdom’. If you look at a tiger on the
screen, that ‘experience’ has nothing to do with seeing, hearing and interacting with a tiger in
6. real life. The sheer majesty, power and SMELL of that wild beast makes an indelible impression
on the human psyche.
The tiger is primal, it is connected with the Earth… with life itself. It presents an opportunity to
connect with a larger reality, a mystery that goes beyond anything we can learn through a screen.
Seeing a tiger in a zoo is better that watching one on a screen (it still breaks my heart to see such
a majestic animal in a less than ideal environment, whether it’s for safety or for man’s
entertainment!), but doesn’t compare to the rawness and beauty that its presence in the wild
evokes.
Swimming in a river or ocean, hiking up a mountain, playing in the sand or grass… the greatest
joys of nature are unrehearsed and unscripted! Nature is a vast playground of immense
possibilities that stimulate us in healthy ways… most people feel good outdoors, most of the
time. The ones who don’t probably have not spent much time there, and have become used to a
more disconnected state of being. Screens are a distraction from life. They are a necessity in this
digital age but we must not forget our ‘earthy’ roots.
The collapse of our children’s engagement with nature is happening even faster than the collapse
of the natural world. Take note! There are several reasons for this collapse: parents’ irrational
fear of strangers and rational fear of traffic, the destruction of outdoor parks where previous
generations played, the quality of indoor entertainment, the structuring of children’s time… but
most of all, the criminalisation of natural play. The rise of diseases such as obesity, rickets and
asthma as well as the decline in cardio-respiratory fitness are documented clearly.
Research conducted at the University of Illinois suggests that playing among trees and grass is
associated with a marked reduction in indications of ADHD, while playing indoors or on tarmac
appears to increase them. Perhaps it’s the environment, not the child, that has gone wrong. This
is not a new theme… many have said it. We are disconnected from the source of our life, out of
touch with the Great Mother (Gaia), and each other. In her famous essay the Ecology of
Imagination in Childhood, Edith Cobb proposed that contact with nature stimulates creativity.
In the groundbreaking book, Earthing, it is obvious that we have lost contact with our electrical
roots, making diseases of mind and body more prevalent.
Children’s games are more creative in green places than in concrete playgrounds. Natural
spaces encourage fantasy and roleplay, reasoning and observation. The social standing of
children there depends less on physical dominance, more on inventiveness and language skills.
Today, parents and teachers are hopefully realisng that forcing children to study so much, rather
than running wild in the woods and fields, is counter-productive and counter-intuitive. But the
real tragedy is this: those how fight for nature are those who spent their childhoods immersed in
it.
“Without a feel for the texture and function of the natural world, without an intensity of
engagement almost impossible in the absence of early experience, people will not devote their
lives to its protection.” There are many organisations who are now trying to bring children and
the natural world back together. Let’s help them by raising awareness of this important issue.
Today, it is imperative we wake up from our hypnotic slumber, where we are trained to be ‘good
servants’ of a system that encourages isolation plus materialism. These two alone are recipes for
disaster of immense proportions.
We are fighting invisible forces which, if they cannot be turned, will strip the living planet of the
wonder, delight and ecstasy that have drawn children from all walks of life into the wilds for
millenia.
7. On INFANT JESUS CHURCH, Jogeshwari
SCC ECO KIDS CLUBS
Visit www.infantjesusjogeshwari.in
Go to the GEM PPT section and read
SCC ECO KIDS CLUBS.
You can use this PPT for bringing awareness for
various church and other groups.
Citing Delhi smog, Venkaiah Naidu says focus on
environment in smart city plans
Keeping environmental issues in mind, Naidu said, the smart cities would go
forward with "innovative ideas and learning from others' examples".
With national capital region grappling with heavy smog, Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu today
strongly pitched for keeping environmental aspects in mind while framing smart city plans.
Stressing that the severe pollution level in the NCR region is due to neglect of environment over
a long period of time, he said everybody needs to do “their bit” to tackle the situation. “We have
to be cautious about the environmental aspect also (in smart cities). Environment and
8. development must go hand in hand. If you neglect environment what will happen you have the
example now. But this is not a one day affair,” he said.
“Environmental issues that have come up now are not a political issue or a one-day affair. Every
one of us from citizen to the Centre, from cities to states, everybody has to do their bit to tackle
the issue,” Naidu said while addressing ‘DoPT in-service training programme on smart cities’.
The Minister also took a dig at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, saying, “Odd-even will
remain odd. Odd karega, warna God karega (Either it will be odd-even or it will be left to the
God). It is not a God’s creation but of humans… everyone has to do their bit to tackle such
problems.” His remarks came a day after Kejriwal said that his government was mulling on
resuming the odd-even scheme of restricting vehicle use to alternate days as part of efforts to
tackle the smog.
Keeping environmental issues in mind, Naidu said, the smart cities would go forward with
“innovative ideas and learning from others’ examples”. He said smart cities are based on “critical
pillars”, including governance, sustainable environment, transportation, information and
communication technologies, building with provision of solar energy, rainwater harvesting and
greenary, among others. To deal with the peaking pollution level, Kejriwal yesterday announced
a series of emergency steps including shutting down of schools till Wednesday, banning all
construction works for five days and temporary closure of a power plant.
COMMANDMENTS FOR ECO-FRIENDLY
LIVING
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
9. 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).
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.
Golpark in Kolkata emerged noisiest locality in India on
Diwali night
Krishnendu Bandyopadhyay| TNN | Nov 6, 2016
KOLKATA: Golpark in its southern part of Kolkata emerged noisiest locality in the country on the night
of Diwali. On Diwali night, the noise level ranges between 54 dB in Delhi, Mandir Marg (Silence) to 81
dB Golpark in Kolkata. The Central Pollution Control Board's (CPCB) study of noise level on Diwali
night laid bare an uncomfortable fact about the city where the permissible noise level of fireworks is 90
dB as compared to 125 dB in rest of the country.
The CPCB recorded noise level at seven cities on Diwali night. The maximum sound level observed at
10. Golpark followed by Guindy and Perambur in Chennai. The minimum sound level observed at Mandir
Marg (Silence) and Gachibowli (Silence) in Hyderabad. Trend analysis with respect to previous year data
reveals that 56 locations have decreasing trend and 10 locations show increasing trend during day time.
With respect to previous year data, it reveals that 53 locations have decreasing trend and 14 locations
shows increasing trend during night time.
No change observed at Sowcarpet (Residential) in Chennai, WBPCB HQ (Commercial) and RG Kar
(Silence) in Kolkata and RSC Aliganj (Commercial) in Lucknow during day time whereas Whitefield
(Industrial) in Bangalore, Taratala (Industrial) in Kolkata and Hazrat Ganj (Commercial) in Lucknow
during night time. "It is a myth that Kolkata has fewest violations of noise rules on Diwali night. This
year, initial approval of chocolate bombs had encouraged traders to have a huge stockpile of bombs which
were burst randomly," said ambient air quality expert SM Ghosh.
India's apex pollution watchdog conducted real-time continuous ambient noise monitoring at 56 locations
in seven cities with populations of over a million each, including Delhi, Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane,
Chennai, Kolkata, Lucknow, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. In March 2011, the central government set up the
National Ambient Noise Monitoring Network (NANMN) through CPCB and the state pollution control
boards (SPCBs) to monitor noise on a 24x7 basis in India's seven largest cities.
Under NANMN, 70 monitoring stations have been set up in seven cities - each in Delhi, Bengaluru,
Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Lucknow and Mumbai (including Navi Mumbai) - which are operated by
state-level pollution control boards.
The CPCB analysis asked state governments "to take measures for abatement of pollution emanating from
various noise sources and ensure that the existing level do not exceed the ambient noise standards".
31 brick kilns closed in Tripura
Biswendu Bhattacharjee| TNN | Updated: Nov 6, 2016,
AGARTALA: Following directions of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), the Tripura State Pollution
Control Board (TSPCB) recently issued closure notices to 31 brick kilns in the state for non-compliance
with environmental norms. MK Das, scientist at the TSPCB, said the kilns had been operating without
valid clearances from the board. In the inspection, it was discovered that they were flouting environmental
mandates. District magistrates have been asked to ensure their closure.
After a complaint was lodged against brick kilns in the state for violating environmental norms and
causing pollution, NGT had issued notices to 348 brick kilns. NGT also instructed the board to file an
inspection report. Inspection revealed that five kilns had been running without the board's consent and 126
had taken consent for operations long ago but had not renewed these.
"Some brick kilns operate very close to human habitation, not following the statutory environmental
mandates," Das said.
11. Two months ago, NGT had slapped fines of Rs 1 lakh against each of the 126 non-compliant kilns. For
those which are operating without any permission whatsoever, a fine of Rs 1.5 lakh was levied. However,
31 kilns did not deposit the fine within the stipulated period.
"We had issued at least four reminders. The last date was October 16. Finally, we had to close the non-
compliant 31 brick kilns," Das said.
NGT is scheduled to issue the final decision against the illegal brick kilns on Wednesday.
Climate change rate to turn southern Spain to
desert by 2100, report warns
Www.guardian.com
Mediterranean ecosystems will change to a state unprecedented in the past
10,000 years unless temperature rises are held to within 1.5 C, say scientists.
Southern Spain will be reduced to desert by the end of the century if the current rate of
greenhouse gas emissions continue unchecked, researchers have warned. Anything less than
extremely ambitious and politically unlikely carbon emissions cuts will see ecosystems in the
Mediterranean change to a state unprecedented in the past 10 millennia, they said. The study,
published in the journal Science, modelled what would happen to vegetation in the
Mediterranean basin under four different paths of future carbon emissions, from a business-as-
usual scenario at the worst end to keeping temperature rises below the Paris climate deal target
of 1.5C at the other.
Temperatures would rise nearly 5C globally under the worst case scenario by 2100, causing
deserts to expand northwards across southern Spain and Sicily, and Mediterranean vegetation to
replace deciduous forests. Even if emissions are held to the level of pledges put forward ahead of
the Paris deal, southern Europe would experience a “substantial” expansion of deserts. The level
of change would be beyond anything the region’s ecosystems had experienced during the
holocene, the geological epoch that started more than 10,000 years ago.
“The Med is very sensitive to climatic change, maybe much more than any other region in the
world,” said lead author Joel Guiot of Aix-Marseille University. “A lot of people are living at the
level of the sea, it also has a lot of troubles coming from migration. If we add additional
problems due to climate change, it will be worse in the future.” He said that while his study did
not simulate what would happen to production of Mediterranean food staples such as olives,
other research showed it was clear the changes would harm their production. Climate changehas
already warmed the region by more than the global average – 1.3C compared to 1C – since the
industrial revolution.
The real impact on Mediterranean ecosystems, which are considered a hotspot of biodiversity,
could be worse because the study did not look at other human impacts, such as forests being
12. turned over to grow food. “The effect of the human is to deforest, to replace with agriculture and
so on. You change the vegetation cover, the albedo, the humidity in the soil, and you will
emphasise the drought when you do that. If you have the [direct] human impact, it will be
worse,” said Guiot. The researchers fed a model with 10,000 years of pollen records to build a
picture of vegetation in the region, and used that to infer previous temperatures in the
Mediterranean.
They then ran the model to see what would happen to the vegetation in the future, using four
different scenarios of warming, three of them taken from the UN’s climate science panel, the
IPCC. Only the most stringent cut in emissions – which is roughly equivalent to meeting the
Paris aspiration of holding warming to 1.5C – would see ecosystems remain within the limits
they experienced in the Holocene.
“The main message is really to maintain at less than 1.5C,” said Guiot. “For that, we need to
decrease the emissions of greenhouse gases very quickly, and start the decreasing now, and not
by 2020, and to arrive at zero emissions by 2050 and not by the end of the century.”
He said the main limitation of the study was the relatively simple model at its heart, but this was
offset by the fact it was used consistently, to reconstruct the past and to forecast future
vegetation.
Protests against mining gains attention after priest’s
arrest
Ucananews.com
Social activism against mining in Kurinji and Kottamala mountain ranges
started to intensify in 2013.
Kottayam: The arrest of a Catholic priest and 30 others in Ramapuramin Kottayam district of
Kerala on Nov 1 when they staged a protest against quarrying has grabbed public attention and
also hardened the agitation. Apart from Fr Thomas Ayalukkunnel, vicar of St Sebastian's Church
in Kurinji in Ramapuram panchayat, representatives of local bodies and several anti-quarrying
activists were among those arrested for leading an agitation demanding the licence to a rock
quarry issued by the panchayat at Kottamalabe revoked.
The agitators staged a dharna in front of a village office, allegedly blocking the movement of Pala
Revenue Divisional Officer, police said after the arrest. The arrested priest and activists were
produced before a local court which remanded them to judicial custody for two weeks. Social
activism against mining in Kurinji and Kottamala mountain ranges started to intensify in 2013
after about 100 acres of the mountains were purchased for three major mining projects.
13. Kottamala is the boundary of Idukki and Kottayam and the zone's ecological health affects the
health of the sensitive environment here. Rivulets originate from here and the fragile ecosystem
is home to rare flora and fauna. All these seem to have escaped the eyes of concerned officials.
Even when there are rules that prevent mining in mountains that have slopes of more than 45
degrees, authorities have shown that they have utter disdain for such rules. More than 60 per
cent of the mountain stands at more than 45-degree slopes. Even a small rumble would cause
stones to fall to the ravines below. After people complained about the precarious state of the
mountains, scientific studies were conducted which backed claims of the people and advised that
any activities that could disturb the rocks and their balance should not be conducted here.
Mean while bail has been granted to the 31 people detained by the police and the released were
received by hundreds. The people made a show of the release and organized a public function in
which thousands took part. A hartal on Nov 2 to protest against the arrest went off peacefully
and all sections of the society took part in the public’s show of strength.
Source: Manorama online
Udupi: 70 years of blissful married life - Noronha couple
inspires younger generation
Daijiworld.com
Udupi, Oct 27 : In India, marriage is conceived to be life-long bond. It envisages fusion of two
souls and pledge of sharing of challenges and joys together. Selfless sacrifice and understanding
each other is the essence and soul of the relationship that is created through marriage. Of late all
of this is changing. Many a time we come across couple who get fed up with each other within a
few years of their marriage. The patience, perseverance, excusing each other and overlooking the
mistakes needed to make the marriage work are often lacking. The couple in course of time
might decide to part their ways or lead a life in which they become opposing entities living under
a single roof out of compulsion. Amid these developments, here is a contrasting report from
Shirva that is very rare and heartening indeed.
A couple from Shirva near here has been celebrating 70 years of togetherness. Both the husband
and wife are enthusiastic about celebrating platinum jubilee of their marriage. They are Pascal
Noronha and Bridget Mathias. A candid smile appears on the lips of these two elderly people
when a mention about their marriage is made. The man is 94 now, and the wife, 88. Both move
about with agility, and whenever they venture out, they hold each other's hands to support one
another. They were 24 and 18 years old when their arranged marriage was conducted. Because of
14. old age, they are unable to recollect exact dates. At present, they are living in the affectionate
company of great grandchildren.
The sharp recollection of utter poverty of yesteryear brings tears in the eyes of the woman even
now. She says that her husband worked in a small bakery at Mumbai even when he was very
young. After working there for about 20 years, the couple settled in their native place here and
eked out a living by growing vegetables together. They too have minor fights occasionally, which
end quickly. None of the fights have been extended so far as Pascal readily offers to strike a
compromise, she confesses. For their age, the couple is quite active. Pascal goes for a walk every
morning. He cannot do without a newspaper thereafter. He also does Yoga practice, washes his
own clothes, prepares coffee for his wife, and does other errands. He has not lost interest in
working even at this old age. Bridget in comparison, goes through some ups and downs in health
condition. Otherwise, she too happens to be active, does domestic work without problem, and
narrates interesting stories to great grandchildren. Guests visiting their house can feel the
warmth spread by the radiant smiles of the couple without fail.
The couple has six children. The couple had provided them good education in spite of poverty,
and all of them are in good positions. Eldest among the children is Thomas Noronha, while the
second one is no more. Third is Fr Francis Noronha, fourth one is Ronald Noronha, fifth is
Mabel Noronha, with the last one being Suneetha Noronha. All of them live happily with their
respective families.
The couple has proved to be very loving and caring grandparents for their grandchildren. They
also have found comfort in caressing and cuddling their great grandchildren. They have seen
four generations during their lifetime. There can be no two opinions about the fact that this
couple stands out as an excellent model for the modern day people. In their company, one
realizes that mutual trust increases the depth of bond between individuals.
In this era of technology and mechanical life, human relations are taking a beating. There is a
need for the parents to educate their children about the need to build a fulfilling relationship like
that of this couple.
Mangalurean lad's initiative to light up lives
of Odisha artisans
Courtesy: daijiworld.com
Bangalore, Nov 1 : A kind, noble thought and an unique initiative by like minded youngsters,
led by Mangalorean lad Calvin Pinto based in Bangalore and his two friends Philip Thomas and
M. Kishan, is taking shape in the remote village of Odisha. These bright, vibrant youngsters, all
in the age group of 24 - 26, manage promising, hectic careers but have yet found a way to give
back to the society and make a difference. Their objective is to light up the remote village of
Gotiguda in Odisha and brighten the lives of the poor villagers by providing solar energy. They
15. are doing this with the help of Mahashakti Foundation and TERI and their supportive friends
across India and abroad. They have started a crowdfunding campaign on Ketto, a secure
crowdfunding platform, to raise funds for the initiative. They hope that the community can
support them by making a small donation at www.ket.to/happylight/
The Team
CALVIN PINTO
Founder
Calvin is the Strategic Alliances Manager of GrabOnRent, a product rental company in
Bangalore. A graduate of SRCC, Delhi, he was an active member of Enactus and worked on its
micro-finance project to help uplift Delhi’s rickshaw-puller community.
PHILIP THOMAS
Co-Founder
Philip is an Analyst at Zeus Strategic Management Advisors, a boutique investment bank in
Delhi. A graduate from SRCC, he has strong micro-finance experience having interned with the
Grameen Bank.
KISHAN MADHAVAN
Co-Founder
Kishan is a branding professional who works as the Project Manager at iOceane Branding. A
graduate of Jain College, Bangalore, this project is his way of giving back to society.
These youngsters have come together and decided to do something for the society they live in.
With painstaking efforts, they have come up with their wonderful, yet simple initiative - Happy
Light Project Foundation. They have worked day and night during their spare time discussing
ideas and visited the remote villages of faraway Odisha and gathered information on the ground
reality of the plight of the poor villagers.
Project Details
The project is led by the Happy Light Project Foundation, the Non-Profit Organisation founded
by Calvin Pinto, Philip Thomas and M. Kishan. Happy Light Project Foundation is responsible
for the overall coordination and direction of the project and have taken on the task of raising
funds for it.
To ensure the operational success of the project, they have tied up with the Mahashakti
Foundation and TERI, two highly credible organisations. The Mahashakti Foundation are valued
on-ground partners. They will be interacting with the villagers on a regular basis. They have a
rich experience of over 10 years and have worked on a variety of projects aimed towards the
upliftment of Odisha’s underprivileged.
The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) is India's leading think tank dedicated to conducting
research for the sustainable development of India. TERI will be playing the role of a project
mentor and will also serve as the technology advisor, leveraging on their expertise in solar
energy systems.
About the Project
Village selected and their challenges -
Gotiguda, a village in the Raygada district of Odisha has been identified as a village in need of
assistance. It is a small village of 16 households and although connected to the grid, receives very
little electricity. The villagers depend on Dhokra metal art crafts for their livelihood and survive
on a household income of only Rs. 80 to 140 per day.
16. The villager’s primary occupation is Dhokra metal arts crafts. They are highly skilled artisans
who earn their income by selling their crafts. However, as their work requires fine detailing it is
important for them to have good lighting. Unfortunately, this is their biggest challenge. Today,
they rarely receive electricity and thus can work only during the hours of sunlight.
They also face another challenge - the metal craft that they create is unpolished. They do not
have electricity to run a polishing machine. As such they sell unpolished craftwork at low
margins to middlemen who get them polished and re-sold at significantly higher prices. If
Gotiguda has access to stable electricity and a polishing machine, they can significantly increase
their income and bring themselves out of poverty.
The Solution -
Happy Light Project will be setting up a solar microgrid system and lighting solutions which will
help the villagers increase their working hours. Better lighting will also help them work on the
fine designs more easily. The villagers will also be provided 1 polishing machine which will help
them create the finished products and therefore earn more.
Benefits of the solution –
The solution will lead to the following benefits:
1. Increased working hours and product quality, leading to increased earnings
2. Reduced expenditure on kerosene, leading to savings.
3. Electricity and lighting will enable their children to study longer and the lighting makes
cooking easier and safer.
4. Improved health as the reduced kerosene consumption reduces smoke.
5. It will slow down the migration of the village youngsters who are unable to work on the crafts
and thus migrate to other states to work as labourers.
How the solution works -
The solution is not meant to be a stop gap solution. Nor is it meant to merely pass on benefits as
a handout. The solution has been designed to empower the villagers to help themselves. The
solution helps them overcome the infrastructure barrier. It is self-sustaining solution that
revolves around community involvement. It works as follows:
1. The project team (Happy Light Project Foundation, Mahashakti Foundation and TERI) will
set-up a solar energy micro-grid in Gotiguda. They will also supply a polishing machine.
2. The ownership of the villagers in the project is important to ensure that the project is self-
sustaining. The villagers are keen to play a role in their
upliftment and have agreed to pay a token amount per household and will be providing
community land for the micro-grid.
3. A village rural electrification committee will be set-up consisting of members selected by the
villagers among themselves. The village electrification committee members will be trained on
operating the grid and minor maintenance that may arise.
4. The committee members will collect a weekly electricity charge from each household and
deposit it into a bank account created in the committee’s name. The charge collected will be
lower than the amount usually spent on kerosene. This along with the increased income from the
sale of products will ensure that the charge is not a burden.
5. The fund so created will grow over time and will be used for minor repairs charges, for
replacing the battery after 5 years and eventually for replacing the entire microgrid after it’s life
of 25 years.
17. Thus, the solution is built to be self-sustaining. A few electricians from nearby more developed
villages will be trained to assist with basic solar micro-grid repairs and servicing.
For more details on the project, such as the project timeline, break-up of costs and more, visit
www.happylightproject.com
“I am hoping that the community can chip in and help support this noble initiative by one of
their own. It would be great, if members can spread the word about the project and make a
small, valuable donation.” Says Calvin Pinto, the founder of this innovative project who is
confident that he will receive the support from like-minded philanthropists and well-wishers,
which will encourage them to initiate other projects that will uplift the downtrodden.
The initiative taken by these youngsters, their friends and relatives is a benchmark for our
present-day generation. They have set an example for the modern youth.
Though they themselves have ample opportunities to lead carefree lives, they have taken on the
wonderful initiative to help the poor and needy. Their good work has already been appreciated
by the poor and skilled village artisans as well as the village elders who are ever grateful to them.
It is envisaged that people can come together to support these youngsters on this wonderful
initiative. Let us spread the word about the project and support them by making a small
donation at www.ket.to/happylight/
I LOVE MY OLD BIBLE, says Pope Francis
Pope Francis says, “You could buy me a new Bible for $1,000, but I would not want it.
I love my old Bible, which has accompanied me half my life. It has been with me
in my times of joy and times of tears. It is my most precious treasure. I live out of
it, and I wouldn’t give anything in the world for it”.
Read the complete article on ‘Pope and Bible’. Visit www.infantjesusjogeshwari.in go
to the BIBLE QUEST SECTION, page 4, article 3 in the website.
Following Pope’s example, can our parishes encourage the parishioners to read the
bible more frequently? Conducting monthly bible quiz is one of the best ways to
encourage people to read the Bible throughout the year.
For further details on organising monthly BIBLE QUEST visit the same website and
read ‘Introduction to Bible Quest’ article 1, in the same section. Conducting monthly
BIBLE QUEST is a good opportunity to revive the PARISH BIBLE CELLS of our
parishes.
18. 43 sets of ready to use BIBLE QUIZZES (with answers) are available in the BIBLE
QUEST section of the above website. BIBLE QUEST is successfully conducted in
the Infant Jesus church, Jogeshwari for the last one year and continuing this year
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)
Surgery by hisdoctor 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
19. 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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