education

1. E-Newsletter-8/2
Green Earth Movement
An E-Newsletter for the cause of Environment, Peace, Harmony and Justice
Remember - “you and I can decide the future”
‘Our goal, no coal’: Droves of Goans stay up half the
night at green hearing to oppose JSW port plan
The state aims to increase coal imports at Mormugao Port and
transport it through the state to steel factories in Karnataka.
Nihar Gokhale, Scroll.in
Published Apr 27, 2017.
“Maka coal naka [I don’t want coal].” “Goa against coal.” “Our goal, no coal”. Those were among
the signs on display as nearly 1,500 Goans gathered at a ground in the Vasco Da Gama town on
Wednesday for a crucial environmental public hearing on whether the administration should
permit the construction of facilities to allow large amounts of coal to be transported through the
state. At stake, opponents of the idea contend, is the health of those who live near the proposed
projects as well as the risk of increased environmental pollution. The arguments were so
passionate, the hearing continued until 1 am on Thursday, and were slated to continue for a few
hours through the day.
As Scroll.in recently reported in a two-part series (read part one here and part two here),
Mormugao Port Trust, a government-owned port located near Vasco, plans to increase the
amount of coal imported there each year, from around 12 million tonnes now to 51 million
tonnes by 2030. The coal will be transported by road and rail to steel factories in north
Karnataka. Coal is handled at Mormugao Port Trust by JSW and Adani Ports, while Vedanta
Resources recently proposed a coal terminal. Various parts of this expansion are seeking
separate environment clearances. Three proposals are up for public hearings from Wednesday to
Friday.

2. Wednesday’s hearing was for JSW’s proposal to double the 7 million tonnes of coal imported
annually at its two berths at Mormugao Port Trust. JSW has been the main handler of coal at
Mormugao Port Trust since 2005, and is blamed for increasing the air pollution in Vasco, caused
by the fine coal dust that rises from the port facilities. There also concerns that the increasing
coal will affect fish populations. After Wednesday’s hearing was announced, activist
organisations in the state, including one affiliated to the Roman Catholic Church, asked
residents to attend the proceeds to show their opposition to the projects. The Congress and the
Nationalist Congress Party also made their presence felt.
The public hearing was held with an unprecedented three-barricade separtion between the chair
and the public, and strict entry checks by the police, who prohibited participants from carrying
cameras, hard disks and water bottles. Companies of the Indian Reserve Battalion and Goa
Armed Police were on standby. The hearing lasted all day and saw over two dozen speakers
making written and oral submissions, all asking for the project to be scrapped. They argued that
the environment impact assessment conducted by JSW paid no heed to the concerns around air
quality and fishermen’s concerns about its effects of fish catch. They also asked how Goa’s image
as a tourism hub would be affected by movement of the coal, which will cut across the state on
road and rail.
“There is fine coal dust on the trees near my house,” asked Chandrashekhar Vast, a resident of
Vasco. “What measures have they implemented so far to reduce dust pollution? What new will
they do now?” Said Fiola Rego, who was chairperson of the Mormugao Municipal Council in
2012, “There is no health survey done in the impact study about breathing ailments in Vasco
because of coal. I had a friend who had severe asthma, which has got cured after she moved out.
This itself shows how harmful their activities are.” TT Shreedharan, whose fought a High Court
case against the pollution that led to two berths being shut, said that as per the court’s 2012
judgement, all coal handling should be in enclosed facilities, which none of the operators are
planning to instal.
Environmental public hearings are necessary for projects to obtain environment clearances. The
Environment Impact Assessment Notification, 2006, says that such projects proponents have to
submit an environment impact assessment study for impacts within 10 kilometres of the project.
The study is then released to the public, and a hearing held to receive objections or suggestions.
The hearing has to be organised by the state’s pollution control board and chaired by the district
collector. The comments have to be considered by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and
Climate Change before it gives a clearance to JSW’s plans. It is empowered to even scrap the
proposal, although that has rarely happened.
Avinash Tavares, a spokesperson for the Goa Congress, said that the process of conducting the
environment impact assessment was flawed. According to the regulations, the study must be
conducted in a 10 sq km area. However, Tavares claimed that air pollution was monitored only
in a 5 km radius. “And the readings are only taken in summer... even a child knows that air rises
in the heat and pollution levels are lower,” he said. “Why didn’t they take measurements in the
winter?”
Despite the elaborate arrangements, there is a possibility that Wednesday’s public hearing was
actually legally invalid. Terence Jorge, a researcher of public hearings, pointed out at the hearing
the Environment Impact Assessment study had not been translated to the state’s official
languages, Konkani and Marathi, as is necessary. Even of the English version was not submitted
to many villages in the 10 km radius of the proposed projects nor to the state central library in
Panaji. While the district collector said that the objection would be put on record and considered
by the Ministry, Jorge said that the hearing was liable to be stayed by the courts.

3. BE A TREND SETTER
Do you know from May 1, 2017 onwards the Devendra Fadnavis government will make it compulsory to
start ZERO GARBAGE. Why wait someone to force you to do something good for Mother Earth which
has given so much for you?
You may be a Managing Committee member or an ordinary resident of your Housing Society, here is an
opportunity to be a TREND SETTER. Being a TREND SETTER, you can show to the world that, you
are a responsible citizen and can do something noble for environment without having to force it on you.
Following is a simple STEP-BY-STEP plan you can propose to your Managing Committee to start the
ZERO GARBAGE PROJECT in your housing society.
Step 1-AWARENESS AND EDUCATION: Today, in spite of so much information available on any
subject just by a click of button, there are so many who are still ignorant on the issue of Waste
Management. Perhaps, they have not felt the need of knowing about this subject. As a first step in
launching ZERO GARBAGE PROJECT, residents need to be made aware of the seriousness of this issue
and motivate them to do something about it. In this regard, you can take a bold step to contact your
housing society office bearers to call a meeting of society members to bring awareness on ZERO
GARBAGE. Today lot of material is available in the internet. Besides, regular ads are given on TV.
STEP 2-CIRCULAR TO FAMILIES/FLATS: This circular, preferably signed by the housing society
office bearers can contain the dates to begin the segregation, instructions to families to keep 2 bins in the
kitchen for wet and dry waste, list of wet waste and dry waste, method/timings of collectingthe waste by
the housing societyworkers etc etc. WET WASTE consists of bio-degradable waste which decomposes
easily and can used as compost for plants and trees like vegetable waste, fish/meat bones, left out food,
used tea powder, garden waste etc. DRY WASTE is the one which does not decompose at all, or takes
long time to decompose. This waste consists of materials made up of metal, plastic, glass, paper,
electronic items etc.
STEP 3: PROVIDE 2 BINS: It is a great motivation, if society office bearers use some society funds to
buy 2 waste bins for each household/flat of different colours for wet and dry waste, and gift it to each
family. If societyis not ready/willing to gift a set of waste bins, each family can make their own
arrangement to buy two bins. Forcing to buy two bins of their own money (though it doesn’t cost much)
may create some uneasiness amongst the residents.
STEP 4 – TRIAL SEGREGATION: As initially families may not be well acquainted with dry and wet
waste, there can be a trial segregation for few days. Based on the circular issued (list of dry and wet
waste), the residents may be given a few days, say 1 or 2 weeks for trial segregation. At this stage, the
societyworkers would make door to door collectionof waste in 2 separate bigger bins. The wet waste
handed over by each family is collectedin the WET WASTE BIN and all the dry waste of each household
is collectedin a big DRY WASTE BIN. After each days collection, the Monitoring Committee can

4. correct the residents wrongly segregating (mixing dry waste with wet or vice versa), and improve the
quality of segregation.
STEP 5: EVALUATION: The office bearers/Monitoring Committee can have an evaluation of the
response by the residents, and the quality of segregation done by the families. Results of the evaluation of
segregation can be communicated to all the families with any corrections needed to be done.
STEP 6: FINAL SEGREGATION: At this step another circular can be issued giving the details on final
segregation. At this stage segregation system has to be followed strictly. The monitoring committee will
continue to monitor if the segregation is properly done by each family.
STEP 7: COMPOSTING PITS/WET WASTE HANDLING: Success in convincing the residents to
segregate the garbage is like half the battle won. If societyhas some place for compost pits, the advance
planning can be done for composting of the wet waste. If no space available at the societycompound,
possibility can be explored to start the composting process on the building terrace There are professional
NGOs like Stree Mukti Sanghatana who take up this project on contract basis. If for some reasons
composting of wet waste is not possible, the wet waste will go to the BMC vans as usual. At least your
societyis succeeded in the first step of segregating the garbage.
STEP 8: DRY WASTE HANDLING: As said in the STEP 4, when all the families segregate the waste
into dry and wet, all the waste collectedby the housing workers is accumulated in two separate big bins at
the societypremises or on the terrace. The wet waste goes for composting purpose. What is left out is dry
waste. Now, after successful segregation process, the dry waste is free from all kind of smell as smelling
items like veg. waste, fish/meat bones, food waste is already taken out for composting purpose. Now, the
dry waste can be sold to the scrape dealers, or alternatively, societyworkers can segregate and pickup the
reusable and recyclable items like metals, plastic, papers etc easily. This can be sold as a scrape and earn
some money. This money can be used as per the decision made by the Managing Committee. Managing
committee can decide to give a part of the proceeds sold to the societyworkers as an incentive for their
extra work. This will be a motivation for them to further improve the segregation as better segregation
means more money.
DRY 9: PROPAGATE: Once your society/institution succeeds in starting the ZERO GARBAGE
PROJECT, start publicizing and help your neigbouring societies to follow suit.
SO WHY WAIT SOMEONE TO FORCE YOU TO START ZERO GARBAGE, AND KEEP YOUR
OWN PREMISES CLEAN AND HEALTHY? FEEL PROUD TO SHOW YOUR LOVE FOR MOTHER
EARTH, AND BE A TREND SETTER BY STARTING THE ZERO GARBAGE IN YOUR HOUSING
SOCIETY OR INSTITUTION.
Fr Felix Rebello
Infant Jesus church
Jogeshwari-East
Letter from reader
Dear Fr Felix,
Thank you for your informative and formative newsletters. i am now placed in
one of our missions in Mozambique, Africa. Here i am in-charge of a new
mission station with 109 sub centers. we have no house of our own. we are
staying in the Grass roofed house here. It is quite difficult for me to cover all
the mission stations with the lack of vehicle. Now i am in the look out for

5. generating funds for buying a car which will be conducive for our journey in
the jungle and sandy areas. And i have been writing letters to many of my
friends and it is in this process i am writing this letter to you dear father. In
what ever small scale you can help our mission we would be very happy to do
our mission fully..Hoping for your reply with prayers i remain.
with love
Fr Antomsfs
antomsfs@gmail.com
SCCs AND THE ENVIRONMENT
A paper which can be used for parish groups and SCC meetings
prepared by Bp Agnelo Gracias.
1/ EARTH SEEN FROM A SPACESHIP
Today,people speakof space travel.If we were totake a space shipandlookat the worldfromupthere,whatwouldwe
see:Twocontrastingpictures:
A very beautiful world: A very ugly world:
 Progress. + Destruction
 Care and concern + Cruelty
 Unity + Division
God gave us a garden and we have made it a desert! Let us look at creation when it first came from God’s hands.
2/. SCRIPTURE PASSAGE: Genesis 1: 28,31 (NRSV)
Read and reflect over this Scripture Passage silently:
God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it;
and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over every living thing
that moves upon the earth.” […] God saw everything that had been made, and indeed, it was very
good. And there was evening, and there was morning, the sixth day.
A member shares a reflection: God made human beings “stewards” of creation. Human beings received the
command from God to subdue the earth and to have dominion over every living creature. Creation belongs to
God and not to human beings. Words like “subdue” and “dominion” have at times been wrongly understood. The
one who subdues need not crush; the one who has dominion need not be a tyrant. Since human beings are
entrusted with the development of creation, human beings are accountable to God for the way they use or
misuse or abuse creation.
3/ INPUT:
 The environment is our surroundings that exist around us. There is the natural environment and the man-
made environment. The former would include: air, water, trees, animals, birds and water bodies. While the
latter would include buildings, roads, and all the other things that are constructed by human beings.
 We need the environment, we are heavily dependent on it. It gives us air to breathe, food to eat, water to
drink, clothes to wear and material to build our houses. Besides these basics, it provides various other
things likes stationary, sports … the list goes on. For something so important ….

6.  Our environment is made up many components, so let's deal with them separately:
i./ Trees: Cutting them for fuel, to create space for human dwelling, for development, paper, medicine. Trees are
cut, but seldom replanted.
Consequence: Trees use up the carbon dioxide we breathe out and give out oxygen that we need. With the cutting
of trees, there is an increase in harmful gases.
ii./ Water: Water is wasted because of man's negligence and it begins at the individual level. Water is also polluted
when garbage and chemical waste is thrown into rivers, lakes, and seas, cattle are bathed etc.
Consequence: This type of pollution makes water unfit for drinking. It kills fish and plants, and causes widespread
diseases.
iii./ Air: the air is polluted by factories, industries, burning fuel, gases emitted by vehicles. The noise of car horns,
blaring music cause noise pollution.
Consequence: People fall sick and a good number of sicknesses are caused because we have neglected to take care
of the environment.
4/ GROUP DISCUSSION
a/ Share in small groups:
1. God gave us the ‘Good Earth’. But we human beings have destroyed the earth. One sign of this destruction
is what we call Global Warming and Climate Change . What are the signs that you see in the
weather/climate that indicate a problem – Global Warming and Climate Change?
2, How can you as an individual and together as a Small Christian Community can be stewards of God's
creation?
b/ SHARE SOME OF YOUR REFLECTIONS WITH THE WHOLE HOUSE
c/ POOLING IN THE SHARING (Animator):
 Longer and hotter summers, shorter winters, more intense cold spells, disturbed rainfall, reducing glaciers,
shrinking polar ice-caps, extinction of species, rising sea levels, dying of corals, diminishing fish yield,
changing bird migration patterns...these are some of the signs of a fast changing climate. From the start of
the Industrial Revolution, human beings have put more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than in all the
previous hundred thousand years of human existence.
 While carbon dioxide is naturally present in the atmosphere, a sharp rise in the levels has a cascading effect
on various natural elements: the ocean, the atmosphere, climate, marine life, and water quality.
 Carbon dioxide traps solar heat in the lower atmosphere and that warms the surface of the earth. Carbon
dioxide above a certain level causes heating beyond normal levels.
 A warmer surface melts snow and ice, reduces glaciers, and contributes to sea level rise. This will affect
coastal regions and islands (Mumbai is both).
 Since there are mainly two bodies that absorb carbon dioxide: forests and oceans. With forests and trees
being cut down indiscriminately, the quantity of carbon dioxide absorbed by forests reduces and the oceans
have to take care of the rest, hastening the acidification process.
 A warmer atmosphere increases evaporation of water resulting in erratic rainfall. Rainfall is encouraged by
forests, which are being destroyed.
 We can go on, but this is enough to make us realize we have a serious problem on our hands. As human
beings, we were placed in a beautiful world which we are called to nurture and sustain.
5/ FOR ACTION:
What can we do? Let the group share some ideas. Then the leader puts it together:
1. Don’t over-consume. Repair. Reuse. Recycle.
2. Save energy. Replace burnt-out light bulbs with more energy efficient ones.
3. Conserve water. Turn off the tap while brushing teeth or shaving; water the lawn after sunset.
4. Take public transportation, share a cab/car, bike or walk to and from work.
5. Don’t litter anywhere: on a street or a beach, in a park or a theater.
6. Keep down your Hi-fi or music system. Avoid noise pollution.

7. 7. Encourage children to be good stewards through example and community cooperation. Build up an ‘Ecology
Club’ among the children of the SCC
6/ PRAYER
“God, enlarge within us the sense of fellowship with all living things…to whom thou gavest the earth as their
home in common with us. “In the past we have exercised the high dominion of (humankind) with ruthless cruelty
so that the voice of the earth, which should have gone up to Thee in song, has been a groan of travail. “May we
realize that they live not for us alone but for themselves and for Thee, and that they love the sweetness of life.
Amen.” St. Basil the Great.
7/ PLEDGE
"We are protectors of our environment. We promise to strive to save our resources. They have sustained our life.
We shall try to do the same for them. We will not misuse it, but save our environment. We will not be afraid to
speak out when others misuse the gift of creation."
8/ SONG: This world you have made
Mining dust eats into Villages, Tribal lives at
Goa’s Sonshi village in Sattari taluka
www.business-standard.com
Sonshi (Goa): Although annual school exams are around the corner, homework or preparing
for the series of tests is the last thing on the mind of 10-year-old Vasudev Gawde of Sonshi
village, literally a speck in North Goa’s dusty mining belt. Gawde as well as more than a dozen
other minors are awaiting the release of their parents from incarceration. They were among the
45 people arrested on April 11 for protesting against dust pollution caused by the transportation
of iron ore in trucks, the paucity of water due to mining in the village’s vicinity, and an ore
transportation jetty several kilometres away.
“There is too much dust in the area. Coming and going to school is very difficult due to the
movement of trucks. We want clean air and water… I am not afraid because my parents are in
jail. They have done it for me,” Gawde told IANS. Last Sunday, Gawde was among 25 children
who led a protest to the Valpoi police station demanding the release of their parents. The
incarcerated, including 23 women and one senior citizen, were arrested by personnel attached to
the Valpoi police station and booked under various sections of the IPC.
“We have to act as per the law. The company has a high court order which clearly states that
nobody can stop them from carrying out mining activities in the area. This order was issued by
the court after the company had complained against the villagers in 2014 when they tried to stop
the trucks,” Valpoi Police Station in-charge Inspectpr Deepak Pednekar said. While those
arrested continue to languish at the Colvale Central Jail in North Goa, due to their collective

8. inability to obtain bail by posting bonds of Rs 10,000 each, the Bombay High Court bench in
Panaji has suo moto taken up the issue of their incarceration and ore dust pollution.
The court has now directed the police to update it on the action taken against the villagers, while
the Goa State Pollution Control Board has been asked to submit a report on pollution in the
Sattari sub-district.
City lawyer and activist Aires Rodrigues has also filed a petition with the Goa Human Rights
Commission (GHRC) seeking access to drinking water and clean air for the residents of Sonshi.
“I have drawn the attention of the GHRC that the Supreme Court has held that the right of
access to drinking water is fundamental to life and that there is a duty on the state under Article
21 of the Constitution to provide clean drinking water to its citizens,” Rodrigues told IANS.
But, amid the petitions, more urgent existential issues continue to plague the inhabitants of the
village, mostly women and senior citizens of Sonshi. “There is no food in the house. My children
keep on asking about their father. What should I do? First they took our land, then polluted our
place. There has to be an end to this,” rued Geeta Nile, a housewife.
Iron ore mining has been one of the mainstays of the Goan economy, especially in the
hinterland. The multi-billion rupee industry was banned for two years from 2012-2014 following
a mammoth Rs 35,000 crore ($5.5 billion) illegal mining scam. No major mining industry player
has been arrested by the police, despite the Justice M.B. Shah Commission appointed — to probe
the illegal mining scam — by the Union Mines Ministry indicting nearly every mining company
operating in Goa, as well as top bureaucrats and politicians in the state’s largest scam ever.
While the industry was at its peak, Goa exported nearly 55 million tonnes of iron ore. Following
the ban, however, the Supreme Court, which is hearing the illegal mining case, has imposed an
annual ceiling of 20 tonnes on the extraction of iron ore.
The Weight Of Waste In India: The Need For
‘One Nation, One Policy’
India has a serious garbageproblem. The need of the houris to
start segregating waste as if we ignore it further then our
country will soon drown in its own garbage Waste
Management
Written By: Anisha Bhatia, ourtesy: NDTV, banega Swach India

9. When you are throwing waste in the bin that doesn’t mean that it is the end, the process of
managing waste, in fact, begins from there. Segregation of waste should the first step of waste
management. Yet in India this process is non-existent. Today, India alone generates more than
1,00,000 metric tonnes of solid waste every day, that’s higher than many countries’ total daily
waste generation taken together. And, the number is continuously rising because nothing is
being done about ‘Waste Management’ in India.
When it comes to managing the waste, India is among the poorest of all countries. Currently,
every year approximately 31 million (70-75%) of waste is dumped straight into the landfill sites –
in an unhygienic manner. The end result is that we have already run out of landfill space. All
major landfills in India like Deonar in Mumbai, Ghazipur in Delhi and Kodungaiyur in Chennai,
to name a few, are way-past their capacity and are over-flowing dreadfully. So, what exactly are
we doing? Every problem has a solution but it seems that India’s waste miseries don’t have any
shorter way out yet.
One of the biggest issues when it comes to tackling waste management in India is unawareness
and education among the waste generators. Waste is the result of human activities; if we as
waste generators don’t have a proper understanding of waste issues then the success of even the
best-conceived waste management plan becomes questionable.
The Growing Need Of One Nation, One Policy
Even though there are separate bins available at some of the public places in India in order to
attempt waste segregation at source, people throw waste randomly in any bin without any
attention to the coloured bins. This can be due to two reasons – the careless attitude of waste
generators towards waste management and lack of uniformity in colour codes of these bins. As
per Bureau of Indian Standards, green bin is for biodegradable waste, blue or white bin is for dry
recyclable waste and the red bin is for domestic hazardous waste.
Coloured bins are one thing, there are various other rules and regulations for Waste
Management in India which is passed by the government, but the issue which persists is its
implementation. Reiterating this Arun Krishnamurthy adds, “When it comes to waste
management, there are rules and regulation available but when it comes to implementation
nothing is being done. The moment it comes down to municipal level for implementation, the
guideline gets haywire and loses its track.”
In Need Of Hefty Penalties
There are ‘Spot Fines’ for littering or polluting the environment, but, still, the polluters continue
to dump hazardous waste anywhere and everywhere. The reason is simple – There are no hefty
fines for acts like these. Another reason is that the fines are way too less and is not uniform
across the country.
What Our Government Is Doing
Though there is no one holistic plan for waste management with the government as of now,
there are few steps being taken by the government in order to deal with India’s growing waste
woes. However, its implementation still remains a huge problem. The Union Ministry of
Environment, Forests and Climate Change came up with the new Solid Waste Management
Rules 2016 (SWM) which has a guideline for all waste generators to segregate waste at
source. The Ministry of Urban Development recently issued guidelines to all states civic bodies
in order to encourage source segregation of waste by introducing a two-bin system – wet waste
in Green and dry waste in Blue. This guideline if implemented effectively, will tackle the problem
of uniformity in colours of bin across the country.

10. Lack of segregation is simply the reason why India is drowning in its own garbage. If we start
segregating the waste into biodegradable (waste that can be quickly broken down by
microorganisms in normal environmental conditions) and non-biodegradable (waste that takes
time to break down naturally. This type of waste is mostly recyclable) then we can save our
landfills to a great extent which is currently on the verge of dying. In India, the problem is that
most of the waste ends up directly in the landfills without any treatment. End results – The
overflowing landfills which is also the root cause of blocked drains, soil and water pollution.
Thumb rule for waste segregation should be to send a minimum amount of the waste to the
landfills. The aim should be to reuse maximum of the waste. Talking about the benefits,
segregating garbage helps pick out recyclable and reusable material from other waste matter
which in turn helps in reducing the garbage overload from our planet. This process needs to be
adopted by both waste generators and policy makers, no one alone can adopt this practice.
Expert Speak: The Way Ahead
Looking at the current scenario, if India continues to generate waste at the same speed as it is
generating now then by 2030 we will need a landfill as big as Bengaluru to dump all the waste.
Following the footsteps of organisations or states that have managed to solve their waste issues
should be the first priority for India. Swati Singh Sambyal adds, “If we talk about Delhi, how
many successful waste management campaigns have happened in the past, wherein local
residents or RWAs have been educated on the importance of segregation. Say, for example,
Defence Colony, Vasant Vihar, to name a few. But then, these models are not being replicated.
There is still a hindrance towards segregation because it requires extra work. People need to take
waste management seriously; it is equivalent to getting up and brushing your teeth. The problem
of waste management in our country is because we have not learned to segregate. That lesson
has to be taught and taught well.”
A river reborn: How 700 workers cleaned a once-
still river in Kerala’s Alappuzha
Courtesy: The NewsMinute
Minister G Sudhakaran taking a tour of the river on a boat, after its
revival
Kuttemperoor river in Kerala was dead for 10 long years. But not any more.
A tributary of Pampa and Achankovil rivers, Kuttemperoor has now had a rebirth, thanks to the
efforts of 700 workers for 70 days. Environmentalists have always said that any water body can

11. be given a rebirth despite how severe its pollution problems are, or how near it is to death, and
Kuttemperoor will go down in history as an example for this.
Kuttemperoor before it died
At one point, Kuttemperoor was Budhanoor’s lifeline. The residents of the village never
experienced drinking water crisis, nor did they have a shortage of water for irrigation. In fact,
the river was a source for irrigation for about 25,000 acres of paddy fields. Back then, the river
was also used by local traders to transport their goods. It also helped control the flood in many
places, because when Pamba and Achankovil overflowed, Kuttemperoor took in the excess
water.
According to old government records, the 12km long river, which stretched through Budhanoor
panchayat in Alappuzha district, was over 100m wide. But by 2005, it had shrunk to just 10-15m,
thanks to sand mining and dumping of waste in the water body. The president of Budhanoor
panchayat, Viswambara Panicker, says that the river had a slow death.
How sand mining and waste dumping killed the river
“It became a spot for tanker lorries to dump their septic waste. Apart from that, tonnes of plastic
wastes were also dumped here in the river,” Viswambara says. The pollution in the river was so
bad, that in 2011, a country boat which was brought from Chennithala for a boat race in
Aranmula was stuck in the motionless Kuttamperoor river, trapped between the water weeds.
The situation was so dire, that firefighters were called in to rescue the boat and travellers.
The river was also facing the threat of illegal land grabbers. While sand mining was legal in the
area till 1997, the panchayat withdrew its permission for mining after that. However, the area
soon became a hub for the sand mafia. And as the misuse of the river continued, the water body
died slowly.
The project to revive Kuttemperoor
In 2013 though, as many organisations raised their voice to save Kuttemperoor, a project for the
rejuvenation of the river was proposed, and the Budhanoor panchayat spearheaded the
initiative. “But it couldn’t start for another four years. Finally, we launched the project in
January 2017,” Viswambara says. “The project was implemented under the Mahatma Gandhi
National Rural Employment Guarantee (MGNREGA) scheme. We spent around Rs 1 crore just
to remunerate the labourers,” he adds. And as 700 women and men spent 40,000 man days
cleaning up the river, things finally started looking up.
They got into the dirty water and cut out the water weeds in the beginning. The next step was to
remove the plastic waste, and finally, they cleaned the clustered thick waste at the bottom of the
stream. By Day 45, the still river had started flowing and new water started coming in.
But the cleaning process was not yet complete. The sewage, plastic waste and clay sediments
were so thick that for the workers, it was a herculean task. “It wasn’t just a job for the sake of
money for them though, they were sincerely trying to bring the water body back to life,”
Viswambara says.
And by Day 70 - on March 20, 2017 - the ‘Bhagiratha Prayathna’ came to an end. “Finally, the
water became clear and flow was normal. To our surprise, the water levels in the neighbouring
wells had considerably increased,” Viswambara says. Although the water is not used for drinking
and cooking for now, the residents of Budhanoor are confident that over time, they will be able
to do so.
“It had a lot of waste, so at present, we don’t use it for drinking. It is used for all other purposes
though, and within a short period of time, we will be able to use it for drinking too,” Viswambara

12. says. Adding to the happiness, there are fish in the recently reborn river now, and the village is
ready to start fishing soon.
“We had an acute water shortage issues for last many years, this project has finally been a
solution for it. It is the success of a group of socially responsible people,” Viswambara says.
TAKE A TEST
Are you an eco-friendly person?
Answer the following questions. Just say 'YES' or 'NO'. For each answer give 1 mark.
Total the marks, and see your results at the end.
SIMPLY SAY YES or NO
1] Do you use reusable cloth/jute bag for all marketing purpose?
2] Do you carry home water bottle wherever you go out?
3] Do you avoid drinking soft drinks?
4] Do you abstain from eating junk food?
5] Do you use reusable glasses/plates etc during your SCC, parish or family celebrations?
6] Do you manage your life without having to install an A/C at your home?
7] Are you alert enough to switch off electrical appliances when not in use?
8] Do you give lift to others whenever you get an opportunity?
9] Do you avoid taking your vehicle and walk for short distances?
10] Do you segregate your kitchen waste, and propagate its importance to others?
11] Do you donate your unused things lying at your home which are useful for lesser fortunate?
12] Do you use water consciously?
13] Do you use office stationary creatively like using both sides of paper, using used envelopes
etc?
14] Have you planted atleast one tree or, at least kept a potted plant?
15] Are you a member of any NGO which works for environment?
16) Are you a person who can manage with minimum personal belongings like clothes, footwear,
gadgets etc?
CHECK YOUR RESULTS

13.  All 16 'YES' means you are exceptionally eco-friendly
person. CONGRATULATIONS
 10 to 15 'YESES' means you are an eco-friendly person.
 5 to 9 YESES means, you need to develop your eco-
consciousness.
 Less than 4 YESES means, you need to change your life
style radically.
More than 250 water springs have gone dry in
Chhattisgarh, thanks to the Chirimiri coal mines
Makarand Purohit, , 25 APRIL 2017, COURTESY: YOUR STORY
Chirimiri Coalfield is a part of Central India Coalfields, located in Koriya district, Chhattisgarh. It is
spread over 125 square kilometres, with estimated total reserves of around 312.11 million tonnes. In the
last 70 years, more than 250 springs that used to be the primary sources of drinking water for the people
of Chirimiri have gone dry due to continuous coal mining. Blasting and drilling around the coal mines
have severely affected the movement of water in the underground aquifers, which in turn have impacted
the flow of water in the springs. Aquifers take thousands of years to form but are destroyed in mere
minutes causing the springs also tend to die or become polluted.
The CMC procures water from the Surbhoka dam near Chirimiri but has not been able to supply water on
a daily basis as per CPHEEO norms. "The water supplied by Chirimiri Municipal Corporation (CMC) is
not treated properly. Due to water contamination, typhoid cases are are on the rise", says Dr. Jayant
Kumar Yadav, Medical Officer, Chirimiri Community Health Centre.
"With the expansion to coal mining in the area in the last 6-7 decades, there is a threat to the existing
springs. 20 springs out of 300 have died every 10 years or so. Now, the number of springs in Chirimiri has
reduced to 30," says Girish Kumar, senior researcher and resident of Chirimiri. These 30 springs still cater
to the drinking water needs of 70-80 percent of Chirimiri's population and are still the first choice of the
people, but if the springs die, then it will lead to acute water crises as well as destroy livelihoods.
The demand for spring water in Chirimiri has increased in the last one decade as the people prefer it over
the water supplied by the CMC. While the spring water is free, most residents don't want to take the pain
of walking to a hilly area to bring water back. Instead, they pay people who can do this for them. Thus,
the spring water provides a livelihood to more than 100 families.

14. "India is a seriously water-stressed nation, and is faced with the prospect of becoming the planet’s most
populous country by 2050, with an estimated population of 1.6 billion, while only having 4 percent of the
world’s water resources," says a Greenpeace report. It also says, "Coal mining, especially open-cast
mining, is responsible for complete environmental destruction, and has huge impacts on local water
resources; groundwater needs to be pumped out of the ground, forests needs to be cut down and fertile top
soil are removed in order to access the coal; and in the process destroying valuable underground aquifers,
streams and rivers."
A film, titled The Dying Springs of Chirimiri, focusses on the devastation of natural resources and its
impact on community life in Chirimiri.
'What I saw sent a shiver up my spine':
Oz farmer on Adani's project in Gujarat
CATCH TEAM| Updated on: 20 April 2017, 19:59
HERE ARE SOME OF HIS FINDINGS:
Bruce Currie is a cattle farmer in Queensland, Australia, who is actively involved in campaigns
related to the environment. Protection of groundwater is an issue he is particulalry concerned
about. Concerned with the Adani Group's Carmichael coal mining project in Queensland, Currie
went on a fact finding mission to Gujarat to examine the impact of Adani's projects on local
communities in India. His findings were published in the North Queensland Register.
“I wanted to know what sort of company we’re dealing with, and whether the reports of Adani’s
poor treatment of local communities and the environment in India stacked up,” he wrote.
“What I saw sent a shiver up my spine.”
 I visited small villages in Mundra and Hazira and met with Indian farmers and fishermen.
We found much in common. They told me familiar stories of a big company that gets its foot
in the door by promising local jobs and a boost to the local economy, but at the end of the day
doesn’t really give a damn about their community.
 I heard from locals about how Adani has allegedly polluted groundwater, seized land
illegally and bulldozed mangrove forests.
 The fishermen we met in Hazira say their fishing catch has been reduced by a whopping 90
per cent since Adani built their port. They complain their catch now smells and even tastes
bad.
 In Mundra I met a date farmer called Valji Gadhvi who lost his entire 10 acres of crop due to
coal dust from the nearby Adani power plant. His cotton and castor oil crops have also being
damaged.
 What worried me most of all were the reports by farmers and pastoralists of their
groundwater being polluted and watercourses blocked.

15.  It was clear that local people who live cheek by jowl with Adani’s coal projects have had their
lives made worse, not better.
 Many have had their livelihoods destroyed. And, like me, some have been forced to use what
little resources they have to fight this big mining company in the courts to get some kind of
justice. Some have even been forced to move away.
 When I was in India it became very clear to me how dangerously powerful Adani is there
and how the company uses its influence to its own advantage. We see it in Australia too.
 The Adani Group has Queensland Labor, our local mayors and the Feds bending over
backwards to get their mine over the line. Their biggest backer is Matt Canavan of course,
who is desperate to loan Adani (who’s a billionaire himself) $1 billion of taxpayers’ money to
allow the project to go ahead.
Where Are Gau Rakshaks Now? Hundreds Of
Cows Die In Tamil Nadu Due To Lack Of Fodder
And Water
www.indiatimes.com
Drought has not just affected the crops and farmers in the state but cattle as well. In the last
five months, nearly five cows have died every day in Tamil Nadu's Nilgiris district. In villages
of Moyar, Masinagudi, Balacola alone, nearly 300 cattle have died. The reason for the
deaths is lack of green fodder and water.
R Narayanan, 45, a farmer in Moyar said he had lost more than 50 of his cows to drought in
the last six months. "Even today, nearly five cows have not returned after grazing. I will have
to go check tomorrow if they are alive," he said. Another farmer at Masinagudi said, "Last
week nearly 20 cattle died in the village. The revenue officials are always informed about it
but no steps are taken. They do not even conduct post-mortem," said a farmer.
Narayanan said often the doctor is not paid by the district authorities for conducting
postmortems on the carcasses. "So, doctors refuse to come and ask us to click pictures and
cut open the cows on our own. We refused to do that and dumped the carcasses," said
Narayanan. "These cows were not just our livelihood but a part of our lives as well. I spent
nearly 8 lakhs in the last year to get fodder for my cows. Yet, I could not save them,"
he said.
Environmentalists say districts such as Erode, Salem and Coimbatore were also equally
affected. In 2000, during a similar drought, a number of cattle had died. "At that time, rains
arrived and the deaths stopped after a few weeks. But this time, the cows continue to die,"
said Narayanan.

16. S Bharatidasan of Arulagam, a member of an NGO, said he had found as many as 59
decomposed bodies of cows in just 1 sq km while on a visit to a village in the Nilgiris. "I was
shocked to find 59 decomposed bodies of cows in just one sq km area. This is atrocious. If
the same cows were killed by a tiger, it will be a national issue," he said, adding that almost
all the cows had lots of plastic waste in their intestines. "Lack of fodder must have made
them eat garbage," he said.
Sweden Opens World’s First Mall for Repaired
and Recycled Goods
Courtesy: GoodNews Network
A new generation of recycling has now gone from local drop-off centers to a shopping mall that
sells only repaired or upcycled products. The new recycling establishment, ReTuna
Återbruksgalleria, has nothing to do with the fish; instead, it was named after the Swedish town
in which the building is located, Eskilstuna, Sweden.
The facilities contain both a recycling center and a shopping mall. Customers can donate the
items that they no longer need, then shop for something new – all in one stop. Dropped off
goods are sorted into various workshops where they are refurbished or repaired accordingly.
Products are then sorted into 14 specialty shops that include furniture, computers, audio
equipment, clothes, toys, bikes, and gardening and building materials; all garnered from second-
hand products.
The center also includes a café and restaurant with a heavy focus on organic products, as well
as a conference and exhibition facility complete with a specialty school for studying recycling.
The center, which is operated by the local municipality, has benefitted the local economy by
creating 50 new repair and retail jobs, and providing space for private start-ups and local
artisans. The biggest bonus for the Swedish community is how the center relieves local
government from the tremendous burden and expense of disposing of unwanted goods while
turning potential “waste” into profits.
“Our idea is that the customer comes here and leaves for example some furniture and clothing
that can get tired or have no use for anymore,” says Anna Bergström, center manager ReTuna
Recycling Galleria. “Then you go a lap at the mall. Maybe find a new jacket and a new
framework that will make the photograph of the grandfather unique and extra fine. Since you eat
organic lunch in our restaurant to gather strength to go another lap and find new flowers for the
garden and a new lamp for the living room. When you leave here, you should feel that you did
something good for the environment and that they shopped climate.”

17. Meet The Man Who Has Been Providing 10,000
Litres Of Water In Latur Every Day For The Last 3
Months
The Logical Indian
April 28th, 2016
Latur has been in the news for quite some time now as it is reeling under severe water crises.
Over half-a-million people of the drought-hit region have been running around trying to find
water from elsewhere. Amidst such hostility, one man is distributing water in his
neighbourhood for free so that they might get some relief from the crises. Sheikh Mateen Musa
has been distributing over 10,000 litres of water every day for the last three months and
providing hope to around 300 households. Mateen draws water from his bore well manually and
distributes it to people who stand in long queue with their buckets and containers. He serve
these people without any monetary gain. Neighbours often tell him to charge money for water,
but he sternly refuses and tells them to take as much water as they want.
Mateen Bhai’s story was brought to light by a video on the Facebook page Voice of Ram, which
shows his benevolent actions. A mathematics teacher in a local school, Mateen Bhai considers
his act to be a responsibility, as his house is the only one that has water in the entire
neighbourhood.
Latur has been one of the worst-affected area in the parched state of Maharashtra. The
government has been sending water in trains as a relief to people, but that alone is not meeting
their requirements because nearly 60 million litres of water will be required to every day to
suffice the need of the entire population of the region.
WANTED HELPING HANDS- Courtesy: Daijiworld.com
For more appeals visit – www.daijiworld.com - charity
Prakash(39),4-187/38B, Sri Devi Kripa, Anand Nagar, Akash Bhavan, Mangaluru
575015

18. Prakash(39),whose kidneys have failed is registered for deceased donor Kidney Transplant at KMC
Hospital. The cost of the transplant would be around Rs 6,00,000 to Rs 8,00,000. He has a three years
old daughter and he is the only breadwinner in the family. Therefore, he has requested for monetary
help from generous people for the surgery and medical treatment.
Kindly send your remittances to his following bank account:
Bank Account No.: 018002101000293
Name of the Account Holder: Prakash
Bank: Corporation Bank, Lalbagh,
Mahatma Gandhi Road, Mangaluru
Bank IFSC Code: CORP0000180
Telephone No.: +91 99729 88863
Perpethin D' Souza(46), 118, Neergadde, Mundalli, Bhatkal
Perpethin D' Souza(46), W/o Sebastian D' Souza, has Chronic Kidney Disease stage V and is on
Maintenance Haemodialysis. She needs Renal Transplantation. The cost of the surgery is Rs six lacs
and cost of post-transplant immunosuppression is Rs 25,000 per month initially for the first six months
followed by fifteen thousand per month life long.
She comes from a very poor family.
Her husband works as a daily wage construction laborer. Her three children are studying. It is quite
difficult for the family to bear the expenses. Please help the family in whatever way you can.
Kindly send your remittances to their following bank account:
Bank Account No.: 54058965347
Name of the Account Holder: Sebastian Antony D' Souza
Bank: State Bank of Mysore,
Chandra Complex Branch, Bhatkal – 581320
Bank IFSC Code: SBMY0040897
Telephone No.:+91 8105443064
Published by Fr Felix Rebello
c/o Infant Jesus Church, Jogeshwari
Mob. 9819688630, Email:frfelixrebello@gmail.com, gemenewsletter@gmail.com
website: www.infantjesusjogeshwari.in
GEM E-Newsletter Facebook Link
http://www.facebook.com/gemenewsletter