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1. E-Newsletter-7/6
Green Earth Movement
An E-Newsletter for the cause of Environment, Peace, Harmony and Justice
Remember - “you and I can decide the future”
Could we set aside half the Earth for nature?
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/radical-conservation/2016/jun/15/could-we-set-
aside-half-the-earth-for-nature
A bald uakari monkey (Cacajao calvus) in the flooded forest of the Amazon in Brazil. The IUCN
Red List categorizes this species as vulnerable. Photograph: Alamy
As of today, the only place in the universe where we are certain life exists is on our little home,
the third planet from the sun. But also as of today, species on Earth are winking out at rates
likely not seen since the demise of the dinosaurs. If we don’t change our ways, we will witness
a mass extinction event that will not only leave our world a far more boring and lonely place, but
will undercut the very survival of our species .
So, what do we do?
E.O. Wilson, one of the world’s most respected biologists, has proposed a radical, wild and
challenging idea to our species: set aside half of the planet as nature preserves. “Even in the best
scenarios of conventional conservation practice the losses [of biodiversity] should be considered
unacceptable by civilised peoples,” Wilson writes in his new book, Half-Earth: Our Planet’s Fight
for Life. One of the world’s most respected biologists, Wilson is known as the father of
sociobiology, a specialist in island biogeography, an expert on ant societies and a passionate
conservationist. In the book, Wilson argues eloquently for setting aside half of the planet for
nature, including both terrestrial and marine ecosystems. He writes that it’s time for the
conservation community to set a big goal, instead of aiming for incremental progress.

2. “People understand and prefer goals,” he writes. “They need a victory, not just news that
progress is being made. It is human nature to yearn for finality, something achieved by which
their anxieties and fears are put to rest…It is further our nature to choose large goals that while
difficult are potentially game-changing and universal in benefit. To strive against odds on behalf
of all life would be humanity at its most noble.” The reason why half is the answer, according to
Wilson, is located deep in the science of ecology. “The principal cause of extinction is habitat
loss. With a decrease of habitat, the sustainable number of species in it drops by (roughly) the
fourth root of the habitable area,” Wilson wrote via email, referencing the species-area curve
equation that describes how many species are capable of surviving long-term in a particular
area.
By preserving half of the planet, we would theoretically protect 80% of the world’s species from
extinction, according to the species-area curve. If protection efforts, however, focus on the most
biodiverse areas (think tropical forests and coral reefs), we could potentially protect more than
80% of species without going beyond the half-Earth goal. In contrast, if we only protect 10% of
the Earth, we are set to lose around half of the planet’s species over time. This is the track we are
currently on. “The extinction rate our behavior is now imposing on the rest of life, and seems
destined to continue, is…the equivalent of a Chicxulub-sized asteroid strike played out over
several human generations,” Wilson writes in Half-Earth, referencing the asteroid that wiped
out the dinosaurs – at least those that didn’t evolve into birds.
According to the World Database on Protected Areas, the world has protected 15.4% of
terrestrial area, including inland waters, as of 2014. But protection of the oceans lags far behind
with only 3.4% of marine environments under some form of protection. The
Aichi Biodiversity Target has set a goal of protecting 17% of land areas and 10% of the oceans by
2020.
But Wilson writes in his book that this is “in fact nowhere close to enough.” Wilson’s big idea, of
course, is not without its critics. In an essay for Aeon, Robert Fletcher and Bram Büscher, both
social scientists with Wageningen University in the Netherlands, dub Wilson’s idea “truly
bizarre.”
IISc mini forest a pristine green space within concrete
jungle
Naveen Menezes, Bengaluru, June 20, 2016, DHNS:
While the once ‘air conditioned’ Bengaluru has become a heat trap withincreasing highrises, a
mini-forest inthe IISc shows how a green lung space can thrive withinthe city.
Situated in the core area of Bengaluru, the ambience in the 400-acre Indian Institute of Science campus is
in stark contrast that of the city. While the streets outside the campus are milling with people and noisy

3. motor vehicles, the stress-free atmosphere within is serene, with lush greenery and many bicycles, besides
two-wheelers and cars going around silently. While this is just part of the campus, the 1.5-hectare mini
forest has much more to offer and is a perfect habitat for birds and animals. This kind of green patch is not
only an arboretum for evergreen tree species but also serves as home for several fauna and adaptable
species. The undisturbed greenery also serves as an efficient carbon sink, trapping free carbon in the
atmosphere, bringing the temperature down by a degree.
Encouraging people and the government and even spiritual leaders to replicate a similar model in their
respective neighbourhoods, Prof TV Ramachandra, Centre for Ecological Sciences, IISc wanted more
green pockets in and around other urban spaces. He said saplings of 49 species of trees from Western
Ghats were planted inside the IISc premises in 1983 and their performance was monitored for more than
two decades. “Contrary to the belief that tree species are very sensitive to change of location and
conditions, the introduced trees have grown as well as they would do in their native habitat and
maintained their phenology. Further, they have grown in perfect harmony with trees native to the
location,” he noted.
Besides, the undisturbed mini-forest plot progressively developed rich micro- and macro-fauna, from
insects, frogs, snakes to birds and smaller mammals like the most elusive Slender Loris. The entire plot is
amazingly transformed into the type of a habitat that prevails in the moist forests of Western Ghats, the
study observed.
On the other hand, the temperature profile analysis through the computation of Land Surface Temperature
(LST) showed that the temperature in this area was at least two degrees lower than the surrounding
regions. And the water table at this location was at about 3 to 3.5 m below the ground, while it is in the
range of 60-70 m depth in the IISc campus,” the study noted, indicating how land cover dynamics play a
decisive role in recharging the groundwater sources.
From
ShankarSharma
shankar.sharma2005@gmail.com
Private Consultancy
IISc mini forest a pristine green space in a large concrete jungle called
Bangalore
DearDr. Ramachandra,
Congratulations to you, your team and all concernedin IISc to have created a mini forest within IISc campus.
WheneverI visited IISc, I always felt that I was in a different world because ofthe greeneryand the serenity.
I had mentioned to Dr. Atul Chokshi,how I felt envious of those staff members ofIISc who were fortunate to
live in such a green environmentwithin a large concrete jungle known as Bangalore.
Mostimportantly, your efforts should be a clear warning to the state govt. authorities on the looming crises of
ecologyin Bangalore city, in particular, and elsewhere in the state of continuing to neglectthe environment.
Let us hope this article will awaken ourforest departmentmandarins (who seem to have forgotten their basic
science and the implied oath to save the environment)quickly of huge opportunities available within
Bangalore and othercities to turn the tide of global warming.

4. The benefits of the mini forest in IISc campus,as mentioned in the article, should have been obvious for any
high schoolstudent, butyour efforts to demonstrate the same with a practical example so close to the centre
of power,should be a lesson for our government,as to whatcan be done,and mostimportantly, whatmust
not be done.
Every govt. department/facility with a large estate, and every educationalinstitution with a large compound
around should considerestablishing such a miniforest /micro environmentwithin large urban areas.Letus
also hope that this article will persuade ourauthorities to protect and enhance the ecologyofopen spaces
available within urban areas,such as parks and lakes.
Congratulations to all of you once again.I shall be happyto share this article with hundreds aroundthe
country of the good work done in IISc.
Regards
ShankarSharma
WALK WITH NATURE
By Gyalwang Drukpa, TOI
We all come from nature and are a part of nature, we are nature. When we think life is just
horrible, if we walk with nature for a little while, we are often able to broaden our view and see
life in a different, better light. Nature doesn't worry about the past or race to the future. Even in
our urban environments, taking time to look around and enjoy the journey from one place to the
next will often result in noticing things that surprise and delight us. Nature also has a way of
bringing us into the moment and into our body , sometimes to help us contemplate and often to
help us let go of our worries and get back to the basics.
Modern technology and communication mean that we now spend so much time in the virtual
world that it is easy to lose our connection with nature. I myself end up looking at the computer
for hours, and yet, often little is achieved, it is a true challenge to one's powers of attention. We
cannot simply sit still and quiet in our surroundings without pulling out our phone or sending
another email. This is far from calming or comforting; our minds whirr away , just like our
gadgets, on permanent alert, flitting from one thing to the other.
It becomes difficult to focus on just one thing, just this moment, what we are doing or who we
are with right here in the present. I know people who have thousands of `friends' they have
never even met. We have to be the boss with technology and not let it take control of us; we
have to be careful and mindful.

5. Government set to plant 3 crore trees tomorrow
DNA CORROSPONDENCE
To take the forest area in the state to 33% up from current 20.01%, the state government has
chalked out an ambitious plan to plant 3.11 crore seedlings in Maharashtra on July 1. However,
space-starved Mumbai city and the suburbs will see a minimal share in the plantation drive.
Maharashtra will see 3,11,66,057 seedlings being planted with peoples' participation, surpassing
the earlier target of 2 crore trees. Finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar, who is also the state's
forest minister, said they planned to plant 50 crore trees in the next three years including over 3
crore this year, 3 crore next year, 10 crore in 2018 and 25 crore in 2019. In addition, 12.27 crore
trees will be planted in gram panchayat areas.
He added that to take the forest cover to 33% as envisaged in the National Forest Police, 1988,
the state needed to plant 400 crore trees on 40,000 sq km to take the forest area to around 1
lakh sq km of the total geographical area of over 3.07 lakh sq km. Thus, plantations will also
have to be undertaken non-forest areas. On July 1, governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao, chief minister
Devendra Fadnavis, Mungantiwar and celebrities will plant trees at the Mahim nature park.
However, Mumbai city and the suburbs, which suffer from a space crunch, and lack of adequate
open spaces will see just 8,054 and 15,596 seedlings being planted respectively by the forest
department and other entities like NGOs. This covers just 0.03% and 0.05% of the plantation
drive at 146 sites.
The highest tree plantation will happen in Nashik (9.71%), followed by Pune (6.90%) and
Ahmednagar (6.84%). Even neighboring Thane will see trees being planted on 1,136 sites with
10,39,984 seedlings being planted covering 3.34% of the saplings to be planted in the state. A
total of 147 varieties of trees will be planted. The state will adopt the "Bihar pattern" wherein one
family will be appointed to take care of 1,000 planted trees. Plans have been chalked out for
drought-hit Marathwada with the Eco Battalions of the Indian Army.
For a PPT - BEST TREE CONTEST
visit www.infantjesusjogeshwari.in
Go to GEM PPT section and click BEST TREE
CONTEST

6. BEST TREE CONTEST
Organised by
GEM
and INFANT JESUS HIGH SCHOOL,
Jogeshwari-East.
For further details read the PPT
State govt will be fined if it is found violating green laws
TNN | Jun 26, 2016, 12.56 PM IST
Mysuru: Justice Jawad Rahim, judicial member, National Green Tribunal (NGT, New Delhi) on
Saturday said that if the state government is found guilty of violating the provisions of Forest Act
or environmental laws with regard to development projects taken up at Chamundi Hills, there is
a provision under the NGT Act to impose a fine of up to Rs 10 crore on the government.
The state government has started various development works worth Rs 78 crore atop Chamundi
Hills and reserved another Rs 30 crore for road widening. But green activists are crying foul,
claiming that the government has not obtained clearance from the forest department for the
project. City-based Mysuru Grahakara Parishat and Let's Do It! Mysuru, a citizens' forum, had
expressed their displeasure by staging protests against the proposed projects that are under
way, claiming that the works may imbalance the ecology. Following pressure from various
organizations, DC C Shikha convened a meeting on June 22. After interacting with officials and
organizations, she immediately called upon the authorities concerned to stop the ongoing work
till they get environmental clearance.

7. Speaking to STOI on the sidelines of an event, Justice Jawad Rahim said: "Violation of rules
governing protection of environment attracts a fine. The issue of development projects at
Chamundi Hills and the controversy surrounding it has not come to my notice. If the government
is found to have violated the norms to make way for development projects, there is a provision
to levy a fine of up to Rs 10 crore." Any citizen can file a petition and all complaints will be
treated seriously. "Once we receive complaints, we will inspect the spot and will take suitable
action to protect nature. There are instances where the tribunal fined government agencies, "
stated Justice Jawad.
Bhamy V Shenoy of MGP said that a formal complaint was filed with NGT (Chennai) in May.
"But they have returned the file. We may file a PIL," he said.
Nashikites walk an extra mile to save river
Sumita Sarkar| TNN | Jun 22, 2016,
Nashik: All that one remembers after a walk along the stretch of Nandini, now known as Nasardi
nullah, from Takli Sangam to Tapovan Road are the stink the river emanates and the sewage
and household waste choking its flow. Debris piled along the river after trenches were dug years
ago, making room for the water hyaninth to spread gradually and garbage and plastic finding
place.
On Tuesday morning, the Times Group (Maharashtra Times and The Times of India), which has
taken the initiative to clean the river, conducted the first heritage walk from Takli Sangam to
Tapovan Road as part of the campaign and it was attended by several government officials,
local corporators and activists. The pledge after the walk was loud and clear - to do away with
the debris and sewage and start extensive plantation of indigenous trees along both sides of the
river.
Nandini originates from Santusha hill near Mahirawani and Belgaon Dhaga and meets the
Godavari at Takli Sangam. From Pimpalgaon Bahula, where the Nandini enters the municipal
limits till its confluence with Godavari at Takli Sangam, the river is in a sorry state. The
Maharashtra Pollution Control Board had in 2012 announced it the worst polluted river in the
city. And the river has not been able to shed the tag so far.
Additional municipal commissioner Jeevan Sonawane and other civic officials, corporators
Rahul Dive, Megha Salve and Archana Thorat and several environment activists associated with
the Times Group project participated in the heritage walk. "We have to remove the debris at any
cost and plant indigenous trees on either side of the river. The leaks meeting the river have to
be stopped," an activist said.

8. At some places, sewage bypasses the chambers. One big pipeline enters the river near Takli
Sangam from the military area. "We will talk to the defence authorities to treat the water before it
is released into the river. Solid waste can be addressed through awareness, for which we are
preparing an action plan. Phytorid treatment can also be done," the activist said. "With the help
of tree activist Shekhar Gaikwad and school children, we will get the trees planted," said
corporator Rahul Dive. Municipal commissioner Sonawane said the civic authorities would
ensure that the debris by the river and on the compound road were picked up.
Mumbaikars take the ‘cycle2work’ challenge
Alka Dhupkar, Mumbai Mirror
Rains fail to dampen spirits of cyclists who reached their offices from areas in and around the
city including Thane, Borivali, Kandivali, Mulund; participants vow to take up the routine every
last Friday of the month
For Mumbai Port Trust employee Darshan Kalarickal (43), Friday morning was different. He did not have
to take the usual autorickshaw from his house in Char Bungalows, Andheri, to the railway station nor did
he have to jostle for space in the overcrowded local train He even reached his office near the Government
Post Office at Fort, earlier than usual. What drastic and costly lifestyle change did he make?
He just rode a bicycle to work. “I have heard people complaining about how bigger vehicles curse cyclists
all the time but I came across none of that. In fact, people were curious than annoyed, and some even
showed me thumbs-ups along the route,“ said Darshan. One of the participants of the `cycle2work'
campaign launched by the Smart Commute Foundation (SCF), founded by Firoza Suresh, Darshan is now
a changed man. He plans to be a regular participant of the campaign, agreeing to ride the 56 kilometre
(two-way) stretch every last Friday of the month.
“To ask people to ride cycles to work everyday is a difficult proposition especially with most offices not
having proper shower facilities for them to freshen up. We are in talks with the BMC Commissioner who
has sought a report on the necessary infrastructural policy changes required,“ said Firoza. Darshan is
among many who participated from Thane, Borivali, Kandivali, Mulund and other areas in and around
Mumbai. Some even marked their attendance on the `Smart Commute' app an Android app developed by
Chetan Temker, another active cycler, for this purpose.
Even the morning rains in different parts of the city delayed their starts, it failed to dampen their spirits.
The participants took care to ensure their bicycle's visibility to other vehicles on the road by employing a
variety of measures including installing front and backlights, reflectors under the seat and sticking glow-
in-the-dark stickers on the tyre rims.

9. Meanwhile in Ghatkopar, a group in association with the BMC, has been renting out cycles on a trial basis
for a daily rent of Rs five. According to Kisan Gopale, who founded the Cycle Parivhan Seva in
Bhatwadi, Ghatkopar, the service has received a good response.
Underbellies of city’s flyovers to get the green
facelift
toi
Mumbai’s first garden under flyover
After opening the city's first park under a flyover in Matunga, the municipal commissioner has
directed BMC officials to come up with suggestions to beautify flyovers in their areas. They also
discussed illegal encroachment and desilting work. At the meeting with junior officers, civic
chief Ajoy Mehta applauded the first garden created under the flyover on the Dr Babasaheb
Ambedkar Road in Matunga. He directed all zonal deputy municipal commissioners to choose
two flyovers under their jurisdiction and prepare plans for their beautification. In many areas,
the place under flyovers have become dump-yards are not in any public use. An official said they
are studying how the BMC can develop areas under flyovers across the city after beautifying
them. Ahead of the inauguration of the Matunga garden, the BMC ruling party and opposition
indulged in a political war, with both the parties attempted to take credit for creating the garden.
During the meeting, Mehta also issued instructions to officials to remove all encroachments on
two crucial roads, SV Road in the western suburb and LBS Marg in the eastern suburb. Officials
said both the roads witness heavy traffic regularly and illegal encroachment on these roads
created bottle-neck at some places. Officials have been asked to remove such encroachments.
The BMC has also come up with a list of 125 nallahs , which, officials claim, had been cleaned but
have again become garbage dump yards. The civic body will put display boards near such nallahs
along with cleaning details. Officials claim that despite repeated requests, residents continue to
throw garbage in the cleaned nallahs, which can cause flooding during the monsoon.
MUMBAI NEEDS MORE SPACES LIKE MATUNGA’S
UNDER-FLYOVER GARDEN
Ismat Tahseen, toi
The city that never sleeps wears only a few colours brown, black and grey being its usual hues -
for concrete Mumbai offers little in the way of a green environment.But that may have changed a
little in Matunga since last Sunday , where an area tucked away under a flyover was opened as
a `flyover garden'.Called the Nanalal D. Mehta Garden below the Tulpule Flyover, this 600-
metre stretch has greenery and rock formations and is a perfect respite from the busy city just

10. outside its gates. Since it has opened last week, neighbouring citizens, kids, families and even
those from other areas seem to have made this spot their hang out.
HOW THE GARDEN CAME ABOUT
You have to hand it to the citizens for this. The garden came into existence owing to the
persistence and efforts of a citizens group in Matunga. “Prior to this it was an empty stretch, with
hawkers, squatters and taxi drivers. We wanted a space that people could enjoy and we took up
the matter with the F-ward,“ says Sashin Shah of the group. After it was cordoned off, they
initially actually crowdsourced funds to get security for the area and got it cleaned regularly. The
goal was to build a green space and after a few approvals, things swung into place. Two years
of groundwork later, the garden has finally got ready. It is based on the Narmada theme and the
pathway of the garden also looks like the flow of the river. It snakes through the entire stretch,
replete with rock formations on the sides. A beautiful island of greenery is built toward the
Southern end, and all along the route are places where you can sit. The highlight? The garden's
beautiful lights in different colours that make it come alive at night.
IT'S A NEW PLACE TO MEET AND CONNECT
For Meenal Sawant, a housewife from Parel who drops off her daughter to a drama class nearby
, the garden is an apt space to work out in before picking her child up. “I love the smooth track
here, which makes it easier to walk on.“ she says, adding, “This is also like a readymade roof for
us in the monsoon.“ Kritida Patel of Kapole Niwas just across the road, also hasn't missed a
single day here. “To get a space in such a crowded area is a boon. It's also fun as I meet my
building friends here and we finish our walk together,“ she says.
Being so close to their home, senior citizens from the buildings on the adjoining road gather
here every evening for a chat. Post sunset, you will also find children skating and a regular
bunch of night joggers, most ly office folk, who unwind here after work. However, there are also
a few suggestions from walkers here.Currently the garden has just two gates which lets people
get to the other side of the flyover, but these are not enough as it is a long walk from end to end.
Homemaker Nita Ramesh says, “We need at least two more as you don't want to walk the whole
stretch just to make an exit.“
GREEN SUGGESTIONS FROM CITY ENVIRONMENTALISTS
While Nanalal Garden has turned into a success story , this may not work when it comes to
other flyovers, feels city-based environmentalist Hema Ramani.“Considering that it may be a big

11. change from a space that is earlier used as a dumping spot or car park, it's fine. But we are so
used to blindly replicating ideas, we must also realise not all flyovers can made into gardens.
See Byculla or Sion; crossing to get here itself is a task, so it's not feasible.“ Why just a flyover,
one may start from one's home, she suggests. “How about building and society compounds,
which are a great potential opportunity for a green area? Kids today have no space to play . This
area is usually concretised as it has a monetary advantage for pay and park, so let's start there.“
Adds another environmentalist, Debi Goenka, “Unfortunately , there is a huge pressure on most
societies to provide car parking space. But people must realise that if you concretise the com
pound, rain water harvesting goes for a six. There is no water percolation due to this. I think in
the final development control regulations, the municipal commissioner must ensure that a
minimum of 20 per cent is kept open to the sky and kept green. That is the only way you can
have greenery in your closest environment.“
Other suggestions for Mumbai include a rooftop gardens with plants and the concept of a
`vertical garden', which has taken off in Singapore.
Tots plant saplings in school, to ‘tend’to them till
class X
Sandhya Nair, Mumbai Mirror
A school in Vasai has made its class I students plant trees on its premises and take care of
them for the next 10 years till the children get to class X. On Saturday , when the 6year-olds
walked into New English school in Mulga on, Vasai (west), the 160odd students in four divisions
of class I were told about “planting a sapling and growing with it“. Each division planted a four
saplings -a bakul tree, a kanchan tree and two neem trees -and take care of them as they
progress from one class to another. Said principal Manik Dotonde, “These students are with us
for the next 10 years. They will learn to take care of their sapling and will be happy to seeing it
grow.“
The school decided to plant local trees that have a better chance of survival.The students will be
exposed to fertilizers and will be guided on how to ensure that the saplings grow into trees.
While the class I students will be the `parent' of each of the four saplings, those from other
classes will also be encouraged to water the saplings. The school will put up boards announcing
which sapling belongs to which class. “If a sapling fails to survive, students will be encouraged
to plant another. They will also learn why it could not survive,“ said Dotonde.The students'
request to celebrate the birthday of their tree every year was accepted amid cheer. Teachers

12. and the alumni also planted a teak sapling. “While teachers will take care of the teak sapling, we
will chip in on holidays,“ said Chinmay Gavankar, an alumnus.
For A PPT on ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS
FOR ECO KIDS or other groups
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'India's toxic, growing e-waste needs better
handling'
Porisma Pompi Gogoi (IANS)
27 June 2016

13. It can be toxic and hazardous to health. Yet, only a fraction of India's e-waste is recycled,
making the country its fifth largest generator in the world. Better awareness and proper
implementation of e-waste norms alone can address the issue, experts maintain. A series of
studies led by Assocham reveal some disturbing facts. An estimated 1.8 million tonnes of e-
waste is generated in the country, and is likely to grow to 5.2 million tonnes by 2020 at the
predicted annual compounded growth of 30 percent, says one of its reports with cKinetics, a
consultancy on sustainable business based here and in Palo Alto.
"But the sad part is a mere 2.5 percent of India's total e-waste gets recycled," said another of
the chamber's study, in collaboration with Frost and Sullivan, attributing it mainly to poor laws
and lack of adequate infrastructure. "There are two reasons for the e-waste problem -- people
are not aware about e-waste, and they do not have solutions to this issue," said Deepak Sethi,
Chief Executive and Co-Founder of Delhi-based recycling company, Pompom.
"Worse, the waste that is segregated by the informal sector is either dumped or burnt, which is
not the right thing to do," Sethi told IANS. "It is dumped in dustbins or sold, which is wrong. We
should make sure e-waste goes to the right channels -- this is what needs to change." India
does have what is called E-Waste Management and Handling Rules since May 2012, which has
laid the onus of recycling on companies along with an extended producer responsibility to
ensure their efficient and appropriate collection. But the role of consumers is unclear.
Such waste includes discarded computer monitors, motherboards, cathode ray tubes, printed
circuit boards, mobile phones and chargers, compact discs, headphones, white goods such as
liquid crystal displays, plasma televisions, air conditioners and refrigerators. Computer
equipment account for 70 percent of e-waste material followed by telecom equipment (12
percent), electrical equipment (8 percent), medical equipment (7 per cent) and other equipment
like household e-crap (4 percent), says an Assocham-KPMG study.
Why such emphasis? This is because e-waste can contains toxic substances such as lead,
mercury, cadmium, gases and heavy metals, as also non-bio-degradbles like plastics, which are
threats to both humans and the environment, if not handled properly. Studies show that millions
of people in India are involved in scavenging e-waste or in waste management, and because of
the exposure to toxic material, 30 percent of their income goes towards medicines with a life
expectancy of just 45 years.
Also, as a KPMG study points out, one segment alone needs better handling. With over one
billion mobile phone subscribers, 12 percent of the e-waste is accounted for by the telecom
sector. As 25 percent of the devices end up as e-waste each year, collection targets need to be
put in place. At the same time, Assocham has also said a system of feasible checks is needed
and e-waste collection targets must be implemented in a phased manner with lower and
practically achievable target limits. The growing e-waste problem is compounded by increasing
amount of e-waste dumping into India.
"But before looking at how we can curb the import of e-waste, it is important to understand why
the e-waste is being exported from another country in the first place," said Rohan Gupta, Chief
Operating Officer of Attero Recycling that promotes reuse and recycling of electronics.
"In most cases, countries of origin do not have required recycling technologies," he said, adding:
"Since e-waste management rules, which prohibit import of e-waste, are already in place, the
government must ensure stricter implementation of these laws to keep a tab on that."

14. Go green, and cut prison time too
Naziya Alvi Rahman naziya.rahman@dnaindia.net
Mumbai: Plant a tree, reduce jail time. That’s the Maharashtra government’s mantra to not just green the
environment but also help reduce overcrowding in its jails by remitting as much as 30 days in a year from
a prisoner’s sentence. The unique initiative, which kills the proverbial two birds with one stone, is a
brainchild of the state’s home ministry. The scheme, limited to jails that have the space to plant trees, will
offer remission in proportion to the number of trees inmates plant and maintain during their jail term.
Mumbai’s Arthur Road and Byculla jails have been excluded because they don’t have the space.
Giving details, an official said each inmate would be given two plants to sow and maintain to earn a
minimum of 10 days of remission. The remissioneventually would be calculated considering the total
number of the plants an inmate has sowed and on how he/she has maintained them. The maximum limit of
the remission, however, cannot exceed 30 days in a year. The proposed scheme, however, is likely to
exclude rape convicts from the benefit of the scheme. Also, inmates serving life term for murder would
only be entitled to the benefit of the scheme on completion of 14 years in prison, an official disclosed.
“The main purpose of the scheme is to contribute to the environment,” Dr Vijay Satbir Singh, principal
secretary, home department, told dna.
“Moreover, gardening is a stress buster and should help bring down stress levels among the prisoners. The
hope of remission on the other hand will encourage them to do the task,” Dr Vijay Satbir Singh said.
However, sources claim the move is aimed at shortening stay of inmates who have maintained discipline
and improved their behaviour over time. “The Maharashtra prison manual has the most strict rules for
remission in the country. This has led to overcrowding in jails,” said a senior jail official, adding that the
department had long been contemplating ways of making remissioneasier. With an approximate 30,000
prisoners in 53 Maharashtra jails, the government is aiming at adding 1,00,000 new trees across the state
every year through the proposed scheme. The extent of overcrowding is around 3,000 prisoners.
As per government norms, each of Maharashtra’s nine central prisons has been constructed in an area of
75-100 acres.
The state’s 31 district prisons are spread over 40-50 acres of land. Besides, there are 13 open prisons on
huge plots that are already being used for cultivation purposes. The details of how much of this land
would be used for planting trees have not yet been specified.
Other moves
In April this year, the home department initiated the process of hiring a consultant for overall
modernisation and upgradation of prisons. In the same month, the department also signed a three-year
memorandum of understanding with the Tata Institute of Social Sciences to help more prisoners get
medical and legal aid.

15. Aiming to enhance security and surveillance of prisons, the department is also working in close
collaboration with Israel based companies. Senior officials of Israel government and private companies
have already visited Nagpur and the Arthur Road prison for a recce. The work would focus primarily on
three fronts – installing jammers that are equipped with ‘selective jamming’, patrolling and fencing, and
installation of either chips or bracelets for tracking inmates.
Mumbai arms itself with seed bombs
Green thumbs | Nature lovers adopt novel technique this monsoon to improve city’s
green cover
Anagha Sawant correspondent@dnaindia.net
Mumbai: They love to go on a carpet bombing, but with bombs of a different sort. The aim is not
to annihilate, but to create greenery, by planting and nurturing more and more trees. And it’s this
time of the year, when the soil is saturated in showers, that the ffroge – Friends For Reviving
Our Green Earth – with bombs in hand, takes to the deforested areas in and around Mumbai.
The making of the bomb, however, starts in summer itself. The seeds are collected from the
public and schoolchildren and converted into seed bombs alias seed balls (see box). What next
is to identify the target areas for bombing near the water bodies.
Says Vikas Mahajan, a businessman who started this initiative a few years ago, “We pick
Sundays to go to the locations we have identified in the deforested areas. So far, over 400 seed
balls have been sowed. This Sunday, 250 seed balls – made by students of Roseneil High
School, Bhayander – will be sowed by our group in Shahapur, Kalamboli, Naigaon, Virar, Uran
areas.” The seeds used are of native fruits and vegetables like watermelon, mangoes, jackfruit,
lychee, chickoo, oranges, lemon. The technique is mainly employed in Japan. “Dispersing a
seed to grow trees has less percentage of success because the seeds are mostly eaten away
by ants or other insects. Seed bomb is a good method to increase the success percentage of
seed germination,” said Mahajan.
He says that the initiative is invoking good response from the public who are now coming
forward to contribute seeds. “Many have couriered us dry seeds. Some come in person. A
women group from Pune couriered me some seeds of mangoes, oranges, lemons recently.
Seeds can be gifted at any point of the year, and could be that of seasonal fruits and
vegetables. We will be sowing them once the monsoon commences,” he said. A nature lover
from Chembur, Shilpa Sharma, 45, has initiated it in her locality. Sharma has been talking to her
residential society members to collect the seed and make seed bombs to sow in the nearby
areas. “The initiative should be taken up by every individual, instead of discarding seeds along
with garbage. We are gathering like-minded people to team up for the initiative. This will help us
track the growth of the plants.”
What is seed bombing?
It is a technique of introducing vegetation to land by throwing or dropping seed balls. Often,
seed bombing projects are done with arid or off-limits areas. Provided enough water, adequate
sunlight, and low competition from existing flora and fauna, seed-bombed barren land could be
host to new plants in as little as a month.
How to make a seed bomb
*Wash the seed and dry it in indirect sunlight
*Mix 3 portions of mud and 1 portion of compost/manure
*Add water to the mixture and prepare dough
*Make small mud ball out of the dough and insert seeds
*Keep the balls in a tray and dry them in indirect sunlight

16. To contribute seeds or for more details, mail to ffroge@gmail.com
Mexican ambassador finds a novel way to help
reduce Delhi pollution
Leading by example | Melba Pria uses an auto-rickshaw as her
official vehicle to commute in and around national capital * Says she
may be Mexican but needs to think as a resident of Delhi
Iftikhar Gilani iftikhar.gilani@dnaindia.net
New Delhi: Life of a diplomat is usually associated with style, opulence, and luxury. Even head
of missions of poorest countries are seen commuting no less than in Mercedes, BMWs, and
other lavish brands on Delhi streets. But the Mexican ambassador to India, Melba Pria, has her
own style. She uses autorickshaw for transportation. It is an unusual sight on a Delhi road, to
see a beautiful white and floral painted autorickshaw, complete with a diplomatic “blue” number
plate and a Mexican flag to boot. Mexico, 15th largest economy of the world with $10,307.28
GDP per capita against $1,498.87 GDP per capita of India has learned lessons to avoid
pollution, but also to keep pace with manufacturing. The ambassador dumped her lavish
Mercedes and choose to commute in autorickshaw, to contribute to clean Delhi air. “I share the
same air and water as millions of Delhiites. While I am still Mexican, today, here and now, I must
think as a resident of Delhi.”
She recalls that in 1992, Mexico City had just eight good air quality days. But with the national
efforts, last year there were 214 good air quality days, against Delhi, which counted just 16 such
days. “This is a reality and we need to contribute our bit to increase air quality,” she said.
“We got panicked, when we traces of lead were detected in the blood of children in 1992. Same
year, in a survey conducted by ministry of education found that most of the children described
colour of sky as grey and brown. This was an awakening call,” said the ambassador.
Enumerating steps her country took to bring down pollution levels, Pria said the first step was to
coordinate actions between the national and regional governments. “We took heavy industries,
oil refineries out from the city, fixed air quality standards,” she said, adding that the country also
had a car restriction programme, but that was a little component of overall steps. It was made
mandatory for car manufacturers to sell cars fitted with converters. “Strict standards set for
industries did make them to adhere to norms. Initially for adopting to pollution free technologies,
government did help them with subsidies,” she added. On Delhi’s APP government’s 15-day
odd-even scheme, she said it would not make difference, unless accompanied by other steps as
well. Road in India are not finished properly. The edges continue to gather dust, which is main
pollutant in the city.

17. But, her commuting in autorickshaw has its own travails also. In April, her vehicle wasn’t allowed
to enter premises of the India Habitat Centre, the cultural hub of Delhi, where she was invited to
deliver a lecture and ironically on transportation. Same is situation when she has to visit a five-
star hotel. When her office applied for a CD number to the protocol division of ministry of
external affairs (MEA), there were number of queries. Officials in South Block wanted to be
doubly sure, if she really wanted to commute in an auotrickshaw. Finally, though surprised, they
granted permission. While the ambassador says she has received a lot of positive response
from Delhiites, her driver is stumped at times, who was used to driving luxurious vehicles.
People sometime approach him to board the three- wheeler. “After long arguments, they realise
it is not an ordinary rickshaw, but not before threatening to go to police etc,” said the driver
Rajinder Kumar.
“When the ambassador first told me that I had to drive an auto-rickshaw, I was extremely
nervous,” he said. He has now driven this auto-rickshaw to Rashtrapati Bhavan, South Block,
and even to Delhi outskirts Gurgaon. The auto was designed by Mexican artist Senkoe, who
participated in the Delhi Street Art Festival this February.
HOW PIZZA SHOPS, STEAKHOUSES HARM
ENVIRONMENT
Courtesy: Internet
Many Of These Joints Use Charcoal Or Wood Burners Which Cause Significant
Emissions
Pizza shops and steakhouses using charcoal or wood burners can produce significant
emissions and damage the environment in major cities, according to a new study in Brazil led by
an Indian-origin scientist. Researchers used Sao Paolo in Brazil as a case study -a megacity
with a compulsory green policy on fuel, yet struggling to meet pollution standards less stringent
than Delhi or London. They found an emerging risk caused by wood burning stoves in pizza
restaurants and charcoal in steakhouses to the environment. Crosswind caused by the impact of
biomass burning of the Amazon rainforest and agricultural areas of Sao Paulo were also found
to be a contributory factor on why the city's air pollution is so toxic, despite a green vehicle
policy .
Sao Paulo is the only megacity worldwide that uses a much cleaner bio-fuel driven fleet. With
about 10% of Bra zil's total population, Sao Paulo's inhabitants fill their vehicles with a biofuel
comprising of sugarcane etha nol, gasohol (75% gasoline and 25% ethanol) and soya diesel. “It
became evident from our work that despite there not being the same high level of pollutants
from vehicles in the city as other megacities, there had not been much consideration of some of
the unaccounted sources of emissions,“ said Prashant Kumar, from University of Surrey , UK.
“These include wood burning in thousands of pizza shops or domestic waste burning,“ said
Kumar.

18. The city is home to around 8,000 pizza parlours that produce close to a million pizzas a day. In
addition to the 800 piz zas a day being made using old-fashioned wood burning stoves, a further
1,000 a day are produced for home delivery , with Sunday being the busiest day of the week.
“There are more than 7.5 hectares of Eucalyptus forest being burned every month by pizzerias
and steakhouses. A total of over 307,000 tonnes of wood is burned each year in pizzerias,“ said
Kumar. “This is a significant enough threat to be of real concern to the environment negating the
positive effect on the environment that compulsory green biofuel policy on vehicles has,“ he
said.
South Pole CO2 levels highest in 4m years
The earth passed another unfortunate milestone when carbon dioxide levels surpassed 400
parts per million (ppm) at the South Pole for the first time in 4 million years, said scientists. The
South Pole has shown the same, relentless upward trend in carbon dioxide (CO2) as the rest of
world.
Seminarians join drive to halt beach development
Protesters seek Indonesian interior minister's help to save scenic spot
from big business
ucannews
Dozens of seminarians joined environmental activists at a protest outside Indonesia’s Home Affairs
Ministry on June 14, to urge the minister stop developers building hotels in a popular coastal scenic spot
in predominantly Catholic East Nusa Tenggara province. According to the protesters, the provincial
government officials recently granted a 25-year concession to an investment company, which plans to
construct hotels on Pede Beach near Labuan Bajo in West Manggarai district. The move will take away
people’s right to freely enjoy a place of outstanding beauty and will destroy nature according to
Franciscan seminarian Charles Lelu Umbu Sogar Ame Talu. "This sort of privatization is a systematic
effort to mortgage people. According to Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato si’, such a scheme fertilizes the
culture of marginalization," he said.
"People are marginalized because their rights to enjoy green space and to earn a living are taken away.
This marginalization is a concrete expression of the culture of death, which is often practiced by those
with power," said the seminarian and member of Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation in Indonesia, a
church environmental group. The Catholic Church must not stay silent on this, he said. Yosef Sampurna
Nggarang, a protest organizer called on Home Affairs Minister Tjahjo Kumolo to stop the beach
development. "We want him to summon Governor Frans Lebu Raya and West Manggarai District Head
Agustinus Ch Dula. He must soon intervene in this case," he told ucanews.com.
He also referredto a 2003 law enacted after West Manggarai was established as a district that stipulated
that authority over land in the district lay with the district. "The governor ignored this stipulation and gave

19. the land to investors," Nggarang claimed. During the rally, some protesters meet with Wahyu Negoro an
official from the ministry’s legal bureau who agreed to summon the governor and district head.
"We will soon talk about this," Negoro said. He agreed that development programs should prioritize local
people and that laws governing local authorities should be followed.
Mumbai city plan marks cemetery as homeless
shelter
About 500 municipal engineers, town planners and support staff were
involved in the fresh survey, which started a year ago.
Posted on June 5, 2016, 4:10 PM
Mumbai : Last week, members of a Poinsur church that dates back to the 16th century found
that the city’s revised Development Plan (DP) had marked their parish graveyard as a ‘shelter
for homeless people’. “It is quite awkward and embarrassing,” said Alfie Quinny, a church
member whose great-great grandfather was buried in the cemetery in 1929. The current DP will
be the city’s planning guide for 2014-34.The plans in 1967 and 1991 had marked the graveyard
correctly. In March 2015, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had released the first
draft of the current DP, but had to withdraw the document as it was riddled with mistakes.
Citizens filed around 50,000 objections and suggestions to be incorporated in the new draft. The
revised plan, released this month, was supposed to incorporate these corrections. If the idea of
the revised DP was to eliminate the glaring errors in the earlier draft, the objective has not been
served; the new version is also filled with errors.
Mahimdargah has been marked as an orphanage in both the drafts. St Michael’s Church, a
popular pilgrimage centre, and its cemetery have been marked as a school. Nariman Point,
Mumbai’s first high-rise business district, where only one of the 25-odd buildings is residential,
has been marked as a housing area. Hutatma Chowk, or Flora Fountain, which is made of two
triangular traffic islands, was shown as a parking lot and a garden/monument in the last draft;
the latest DP has not even marked the traffic islands in colours that indicate the land use. One
reason why the surveyors came up with the shoddy draft could have been the rush to meet the
May 31 deadline they had set for themselves.
About 500 municipal engineers, town planners and support staff were involved in the fresh
survey, which started a year ago, soon after the older draft was withdrawn. Mumbai is divided
into 24 municipal wards, so an average of 20 municipal officials surveyed each ward.
“In addition, the ward offices were asked to assist the team from the development plan
department as ward-level workers will have better knowledge of the layout of localities. Despite
this, they have repeated the blunders made in the earlier draft,” said Godfrey Pimenta, a lawyer.
In Pimenta’s locality – Marol in Andheri – the surveyors have drawn a non-existent road cutting
across the church ground and parish school. The mistake has been repeated from the old draft.
“When we found the mistake in the old draft, our parish had collected signatures of members
and filed a memorandum with the municipal corporation. The surveyors have clearly not looked
at the objections and suggestions before creating the new draft,” said Pimenta.
Pope at Audience: ‘Come to the Party! The Wine Can’t Be
Missed’
Posted by Deborah Castellano Lubov on 8 June, 2016

20. Come to the party, for the wine can’t be missed! This was the invitation made by Pope Francis at the
General Audience this morning in St. Peter’s Square when he reflectedon the first of Jesus’ miracles, the
changing of water into wine at the wedding feast of Cana. Recalling Mary’s observation that the newly
married couple ran out of wine, Francis lamented how a wedding party could not be properly celebrated if
it lacks this necessary element. While water is necessary for life, the Pontiff explained, “the wine
expresses the abundance and joy of the celebration.”
“A wedding party where no wine makes the newlyweds ashamed, imagine you finish the wedding party
drinking tea!’ Francis said, noting, “The wine is necessary to the party.” In this marriage, the Jesuit Pope
explained, a new covenant is stipulated, for not just the servants, but the whole Church are entrusted with
the mission of doing: “Whatever He tells you.” Serving the Lord, the Pontiff stressed, means hearing and
practicing His word, as Mary simply directed the servants to do. Recalling how the head of the banquet
tasted the water that had become wine and said, “You have kept aside the good wine until now,” Francis
noted how the Lord “continues to reserve the ‘best wine’ for our salvation.”
The Holy Father observed how St. John called these first miracles ‘signs’ because they were not done to
arouse wonder, but to reveal the Father’s tender love. Francis exhorted faithful to realize that they are
called constantly “to renew their love for the Lord, and to draw new wine, new life, from His saving
wounds.”
Highlighting that at Cana, Jesus’ disciples become His family, Francis reminded faithful that as members
of the Lord’s family, the Church, ‘We are all invited to the wedding, because the new wine is not to be
missed!”
WANTED HELPING HANDS- Courtesy: Daijiworld.com
For more appeals visit – www.daijiworld.com - charity
Victor Cardoza(48),# 2-198 Dailabettu Banangady
post,Kallamunkur,Niddodi,Karnataka 574227
Tuesday, June 21, 2016
Victor Cardoza(48) is suffering from major heart disease with triple vessel disease and has been
advised CABC Surgical treatment which may cost Rs 2-3 lacs.

21. Since he is poor and the only breadwinner in the family, it is not possible for him to bear this huge
cost by himself. Kindly help him generously to undergo the necessary treatment at the earliest.
Please send your kind remittances to his following bank account:
Bank Account No.: 116301050000114
Name of the Account Holder: Victor Cardoza
Bank: Vijaya Bank, Kallamunkur post,
Niddodi, Mangaluru 574274
Bank IFSC Code: VIJB0001163
Ph.No: 91 99009 25782
Muralidhar Raju Poojary(32),Aural Bailu Mane,Palimar grama 574103
Wednesday, June 22, 2016
Muralidhar Raju Poojary(32), S/o Gulabi R Poojary, is physically challenged due to polio since
childhood. He was taken to several hospitals for treatment but he has not recovered.
His mother Gulabi, a daily wage worker is unable to go to work as Muralidhar has to be looked
after at home like a small child. They have no other source of income. Therefore his mother has
requested for monetary help for their living and medical expenses of her son.
Kindly send your remittances to her following bank account:
Bank Account No.: 01292200008441
Name of the Account Holder: Gulabi R Poojary
Bank: Syndicate Bank, Palemar branch,
Palemar main road, Udupi district 574112
Bank IFSC Code: SYNB0000129
Telephone No.: 97395 20485, 85499 19523
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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