This document provides a summary of several articles related to environmentally sustainable living. It discusses an Indian man named Solar Suresh who has built a self-sufficient home powered by solar energy. It also describes Mawlynnong village in India, which has been recognized as Asia's cleanest village due to community cleanliness efforts and innovative waste management practices. Additionally, the document outlines an eco-quiz competition held at a school in Mumbai to increase environmental awareness, and shares positive feedback from many of the 400 participants who found it informative.

1. E-Newsletter-7/19
Green Earth Movement
An E-Newsletter for the cause of Environment, Peace, Harmony and Justice
Remember - “you and I can decide the future”
Meet The Man Who Has Built A House That Satisfies All His
Needs From Food To Water To Gas
Koshika Mira Saxena
February 2nd, 2017
Solar power is reshaping energy production around the world. While people are choosing to
move to solar power in many countries like China, Japan, Germany, and the United States,
Indians are also changing their lifestyle to use solar power as a source of energy.
One such person is Dwarkadas Suresh, popularly known as Solar Suresh. An IIT Madras and
IIM Ahmedabad graduate, he lives in Chennai with his wife, son, and daughter-in-law. He
has worked in textile marketing industries in various capacities including as the Chief Executive
Officer, Managerial Director. He retired in 2015, and is now enjoying his green home.
The Logical Indian spoke to Mr Suresh to know more about his lifestyle, inspiration and
challenges.
What was the motivation to shift to solar energy?
I was in Germany and witnessed many rooftop plants there. I thought if a country with a lot less
sunshine can install these facilities, then why not implement the same in India which has solar
energy in abundance?When I came back, I interacted with a lot of vendors, but no one agreed to
install it. It was hard to find a suitable rooftop solar plant vendor and also to get a proper solar
inverter. Even big corporates did not show any interest. After some time, I located a local vendor
who had the same interest as mine. He manufactured and designed the solar power plant of my
home.
What changes have you observed since then?

2. I installed a rooftop solar plant of 3kW capacity four years ago. I connected one Air Conditioner,
Pump, Refrigerator, Fans, Lights, TV, Computer and Laptop, Mixer Grinder and Washing
Machine. I have not experienced power cut even for a minute in the last four years except during
Cyclone Vardah. There was no electricity for one day.
The electricity charges are saved by producing around 12-16 units a day. There are many other
advantages like no daily maintenance. It generates electricity even during mild and rainy days.
The major advantage is that solar produces non-polluting power, does not work on fossil fuel
and thus saves foreign exchange for the country.
The general idea is that solar plants are expensive, high
maintenance, etc. What is your take on this?
It is a one-time investment. Raw material is free for around 20 years, and the process of
generating electricity is also free for 20 years during the lifespan of panels. There is an inbuilt
insurance from future tariff increase which is certain. For example, the tariff was Rs 3 per unit
(beyond 500 units) in 2012 scaling up to Rs 6.60 now, an increase of over 120% in 3 years.
There is no separate wiring required. The standalone rooftop solar plant is a sustainable,
affordable, viable project, presently giving over 6 percent tax-free return including battery
replacement. With tariff increase, this return on investment will only increase. The installation is
also quite simple. It requires a shadow-free area, about 80 sq ft per kW.
What other projects have you started at your home?
Solar panels are reliable sources. I have also installed indoor biogas plant of 1 cubic meter to
process around 4 kg organic waste per day, and it produces to about 20 kg of gas per month.
There is no daily maintenance. The waste which is generated is converted into two useful
resources- cooking gas and organic manure. What can be a better way of garbage
management? Installation is also very simple process, and no odour is generated. The entire
process is automatic. There is no manual intervention except feeding the plant daily. There is no
pollution generated. There are also certain conditions like only organic waste such as cooked or
uncooked food, spoilt food, vegetable and fruit peels, etc. can be used as input. The other items
like lime, orange, onion, egg shells, bones, ordinary leaves should be avoided.
I also started rainwater harvesting around 20 years ago. Now there are two types of RWH – first
is filter and store use and second is recharge groundwater use. In the first case, rainwater is
collected and filtered through a simple organic filtration by using pebbles, charcoal and river
sand. This water can be used for cooking and drinking purpose. The second case is when the
rainwater accumulates or stagnates, a pipe of 15 feet length and 8-inch diameter with holes
every foot is inserted into the ground such that water goes into the pipe and recharges
groundwater. And then again there is no daily maintenance required. Just before the arrival of
monsoon season, the terrace space should be cleaned, and organic items like pebbles,
charcoal, sand are to be reused and kept tidy.
Apart from these, I have a terrace kitchen garden. Since I was a novice then and had no
knowledge about it, I started with five pots and sowed seeds. I watched vegetables like lady’s
finger, tomatoes, brinjal growing. Now there are 70 earthen pots, broken plastic buckets and
many bags. Organically we have grown about 15 types of vegetables. It is a very pleasant sight
to see my garden growing, and the vegetables from the garden are tastier than we get from the
market. We do not go to the market to buy groceries, and we just have everything on our
terrace.

3. How does it feel to go green?
Oh, it feels wonderful. In fact, we have created a forest atmosphere. There are growing bamboo
plants, creepers to flow over them. When you peep from the terrace, one gets a feeling of being
in the forest and not in Kilpauk. I cannot see neighbouring buildings and chaotic traffic. I am
surrounded only by greenery.
You can get in touch with him at his email-id sureshd157@gmail.com
This IsAsia’s ‘Cleanest Village’And It Is In India
Written By Saptarshi Dutta | Edited By Priyanka Bhattacharya, courtesy: Banega Swach India
| February 15, 2017)
Mawlynnong in Meghalaya has earned the distinction of being the ‘Cleanest Village in Asia.’ Regular
community cleaning programmes, a strict ban on plastic and tobacco and unique methods of garbage
disposal have ensured that this village remains a clean and green one. When Prime Minister Narendra
Modi cited the example of Meghalaya’s Mawlynnong as India’s cleanest village last year, it didn’t come
as a surprise. In 2003, a journalist from Discover Magazine visited this remote village in Meghalaya and
was so impressed with what he saw that he dubbed it ‘Asia’s Cleanest Village’. Since then, the moniker
has stuck and Mawlynnong continues to be one of India’s cleanest villages.
From having a dedicated and environmentally conscious village population to zero tolerance for littering,
let’s explore how Mawlynnong has managed to sustain cleanliness.
United in Cleanliness
Sanitation is considered a community responsibility, and the villagers of Mawlynnong participate in
cleanliness chores from a very young age. Children storm the streets armed with brooms, sweeping up
garbage before leaving for school. Hand-woven, cone-shaped baskets which are scattered throughout the
town are emptied by the children. Daily cleaning for children and adults is a regular activity, while the
village leader assigns out work to be completed for the village’s collective good. The village community
has collectively banned smoking and plastic usage, thus ensuring basic environmental cleanliness.
Innovative Waste Management
The residents of Mawlynnong have come up with innovative ideas to manage waste. Biodegradable
wastage such as leaves are buried and used as manure. Other wastage is driven far away from the village
and burned. Materials such as plastic, which is toxic when burned, is reused in the form of planters and
swings. The village has also eradicated open defecation with the presence of toilets in each of its
households.
Clean and green surroundings

4. Mawlynnong boasts of houses with clean and green surroundings. Natural basins for rainwater harvesting
in front yards give the houses a unique look. Add to them the bougainvillea and orchid draped patios, and
impeccably maintained gardens. The surroundings ensure that the environmental sanctity of the village is
maintained.
But fame often brings downsides with it and Mawlynnong is no exception. In recent times, villagers have
complained of increased noise pollution and lack of privacy because of the large number of tourists who
visit the village. However, Mawlynnong remains Asia’s cleanest village till date. The village has become
an inspiration for other villages such as Assam’s Shikdamakha. which is looking to eclipse Mawlynnong
as Asia’s cleanest village by engaging its inhabitants in similar acts of community cleaning and
environmental consciousness.
Infant Jesus High School
Golden Jubilee Project.
MEGA ECO QUIZ
Held on 12th February 2017 at infant Jesus High School, Jogeshwari-East, Mumbai.
This MEGA ECO QUIZ was specially organised to bring awareness on various environmental issues. The
quiz was held on 38 PowerPoint Presentations on the GEM PPTs. Each question set has 50 objective type
questions (just tick a, b or c) on 10 PPTs for each group.
There were four groups – Group A-Parents, Group B-ex-Students, Group C – students 3rd to 5th std and
Group D – students from 6th to 9th Std.
In all, 400 contestants participated in this MEGA ECO CONTEST. The break-up is:
GROUP A – 55
GROUP B – 3
GROUP C – 85
GROUP D – 257
TOTAL = 400
(For further details of the MEGA ECO QUIZ including Rules, entry form, SET 1 and SET 2 of MEGA
ECO QUIZ question papers (with answers) etc visit our website – www.infantjesusjogeshwari.in GEM
section(MEGA ECO QUIZ). GEM PPTs are available in the PPT section.
FEEDBACKS – WHAT THE PARTICIPANTS OF MEGA ECO QUIZ SAID
There was a space for optional FEEDBACK sectionin the MEGA ECO QUIZ question set. The following
are the interesting and inspiring FEEDBACKS received by the participants of various groups:
FROM GROUP A
1. Participation in this MEGA ECO QUIZ made me aware of how to live eco-friendly life, and give
back to nature. I liked this contest very much, because it had opened my eyes as to the importance
of saving nature for future generations.- Abdul Shaikh
2. Thanks Father for this ECO QUIZ. Because of this I came to know lot about taking care of the
earth – Meena D’Souza

5. 3. It is a wonderful chance for parents to learn about the environment. If parents learn, automatically
children will learn from their parents. Kudos to father and school for this wonderful opportunity
provided to the parents – Vincent D’Silva
4. This quiz gives us a very strong message to save nature and Mother Earth. I have learnt specially
the importance of saving water – Vanita D’Souza
5. Dear sir/madam, I am participating in this MEGA ECO QUIZ because it is very much beneficial
for me. It has also increased my general knowledge and better aware of various environmental
problems faced today like how plastic bags harm animals. So we will all join together and say NO
to plastic bags and do our best to save nature – Shahin Khan.
6. Due to this quiz, I recognised the importance of clean environment, how important it is to protect
nature – Alice Fernandes.
7. This quiz has helped me to refreshmy knowledge on environment and kept me updated. Thanks to
the school/parish team for organising this kind of quiz – Shaikh Nizamuddin
8. I am really happy to give this quiz which reminded me my school days. Take one more such quiz.
Thanks for the Infant Jesus school for this MEGA ECO QUIZ – Deepak Bhatt
9. It was a great opportunity to participate in this MEGA ECO QUIZ. Reading all the PPTs gave me
a lot of help as to how to save the environment. I get to know the do’s and don’ts and to act
responsibly. As individuals and as a societywe never take the initiative to improve our
environment. In the PPTs like, Plastic-a boon or bane, dangers from soft drinks and junk food for
our health, rain-water harvesting etc I got a lot of knowledge. Not only me, I am telling my friends
and neighbours to care for environment. I am very grateful for giving me a chance to be a part of
this MEGA ECO QUIZ. It has enhanced my knowledge to be responsible individual towards
societyand towards environment. – Alka Khanna.
FROM GROUP B
1. Participating in this MEGA ECO QUIZ made me aware of the various issues with a closer
perspective. I realise how we tend to ignore the environmental threats we face each day. This quiz
really helped me to know about environment in an interesting way. It also gave me a reason to
revisit good old school days! – Sadiya Safir
2. When I heard about this ECO QUIZ and hoping people to aware of their environment. While
writing this quiz, I realised how much careless we people are. We are doing unwanted and
unpardonable things eventually killing ourselves. I benefited a lot in this quiz – Swaleha Patel.
FROM GROUP D
1. This ECO QUIZ is a great quiz. I came to know a lot about how pollution can harm human
beings, animals, forests etc. We need to be caring towards Mother Earth and save it for the
future generations. I am looking forward to the next MEGA QUIZ – Elvis Lobo, 9a
2. Because of MEGA ECO QUIZ I got to know lot about environment and our duty towards
saving it. I feel gardening is a good hobby. It can help our environment. I thank for this MEGA
ECO QUIZ which was an opportunity to learn more on environment – Shumaila Shaikh, 8a.
3. I got a lot of knowledge about peoples, plants, animals etc. I liked this quiz and am confident to
participate in this kind of quiz whenever I get an opportunity. Whether I lose or win is not
important. – Aliza Yunus, 8a
4. From this quiz, I got to learn various threats to environment, and our duty to take preventive
measures – Anish Kumbhar, 8b
5. I am so excited to take part in this quiz. I was benefitted a lot on learning various PPTs,
especially Joy of gardening. I am so thankful – Noorain Shah, 8b
6. I benefitted a lot by participating in this quiz. I came to know more about Global Warming
because of cutting of trees. We should not cut the trees, but water them – Surayya Salim, 8a.

6. 7. Participation in the MEGA ECO QUIZ helped me to learn something new, like how to save our
environment. I didn’t know many things about nature. Because of my participation in this quiz,
I got a lot of knowledge about environment – Santiya Ramalingam, 8b
8. Due to my participation in the MEGA ECO QUIZ, I have come closer to nature, not to cut
trees, save animals and birds, to do gardening etc. – Farzeen Shafi, 8b
9. By participating in this quiz, I understood many things on saving environment, by keeping it
clean and avoiding all kinds of pollution. By this quiz, I understood that, nature is our friend
and we should take care of it. I thank our school father, principal for conducting this quiz
which is beneficial for our future. I pray that, little bit of hard work can change the whole
world – Yahya Sayyad – 9b
10.I liked this quiz. It was very much interesting. It made me aware of many things on
environment – Dipali Jadav, 8a
11.This MEGA ECO QUIZ was a chance for us to learn something new about environment it also
encouraged us to take steps to save nature - Tania Mahadik, 8b.
12.It was very interesting and very enjoyable. I am excited to see my results. It is full of G.K. This
exam is more enjoyable than our school exam. I love this exam – Unnati Salvi, 8a
13.I came to know lot about water pollution, consumerism, gardening, carbon footprints, declining
of bees, and many other useful things which I didn’t know before. – Diya Bangera, 8a
14.My participation in this MEGA ECO QUIZ helped me to know many things like carbon
footprint which I didn’t knw before. I really enjoyed writing this quiz – Sejal Pasi, 8a
15.Well conducted! Nice! Intelligent questions! Very easy! Very interesting! Conduct this kind of
eco quiz again and again in our school – Melroy Soares, 9a
16.It was very nice and interesting quiz. Thank you for it – Kusum Salvi, 8b
17.I like this quiz because it made me aware of the importance of nature and how we must take
care of it – Jennifer Menezes, 9b.
18.I have benefited a lot in participating in this MEGA ECO QUIZ. It has helped in getting more
knowledge about environment. It has introduced me to the various situations faced by nature. It
also encourages me to take care of nature – Sanskruti Pawar, 8a
19.The eco quiz was really very good and I loved all the questions that had asked. I love this quiz.
Next time if it is held, I will again participate – Mehreen Shaikh, 6b
20.The quiz was very nice. From this quiz I learnt a lot about environment – trees, bees, pollution.
I learnt that, we should not harm bees by using pesticides, not to pollute, prevent water
pollution, protect birds, use only CNG fuel, say goodbye to plastic etc – Pranoy Mane, 8a
21.First of all, I would like to thank the people who are involved in organising this quiz. I got very
inspired towards my Mother Earth. I felt a privileged and honorable student of INFANT
JESUS HIGH SCHOOL. I came to know more about the dangers caused by Carbon footprints
and what are the solutions to reduce them. I love to plant a sapling near our balcony or terrace
as my small contribution to Mother Earth. I was benefitted a lot from the GEM PPTs which are
on the website. I will spread the teaching I learnt from the MEGA ECO QUIZ. My humble
request that, MEGA ECO QUIZ should be organised every year so that many people may be
inspired to protect Mother Earth – Tejas Rahate, 9b
22.I was benefited a lot by taking part in the MEGA ECO QUIZ. I learnt about joy of gardening,
Carbon footprints etc. it increased my knowledge. I feel very joyful – Smriti Sharma, 8a
23.I enjoyed answering this quiz. My teacher also encouraged me a lot. I like this MEGA ECO
QUIZ – Rafe Ansari, 6b
24.The MEGA ECO QUIZ was very interesting. It was a great opportunity given by our school to
learn more about environment. By writing this quiz, I became a “Devotee of Nature” – Rushali
Rane, 9a
25.Eco quiz was very good 2] eco quiz was very simple 3] eco quiz is a good compettion 4] from
this quiz I learnt a lot on environment – Uman Imtiyaz, 8a
26.I benefitted a lot from the MEGA ECO QUIZ. By reading the PPTs I learnt a lot like
gardening, Bees, carbon footprints, and so on. Now whenever teacher asks me any question in

7. the class on environment, I can read the PPTs and will able to answer. I want to thank the
conductors of this quiz for such a beautiful contest. – Sayyed Abdulla, 8a
27.I came to learn many different things from this quiz. I thank you for conducting this quiz. I
enjoyed appearing this quiz, I love it – Diya Singh, 6a.
28.I learnt many good things about Mother Earth by participating in this quiz. I am happy that I
participated in this contest. I will take part in many competitions to know and learn many good
things – Dhruvika Poojary, 6a
29.I felt very nice and good by participating in this MEGA ECO QUIZ. I came to know that, we
should have all kinds of knowledge, not just school study. I really thank the Infant Jesus High
School for organsing this quiz for us. I really thank for a change of activity given to the parents
and students, so that we can understand various things. Thank you teachers and principal –
Aditi Sawant, 6a
30.The benefit of eco quiz is great and very helpful. Thank your for organising this quiz. Please
have this competition every year. – Shravan Thombre, 8a
31.I am very lucky that have participated in this MEGA ECO QUIZ. It was very nice. I hope that
I will be a winner – Sania Qureshi, 6b
(For further details of the MEGA ECO QUIZ including Rules, entry form, SET 1 and SET 2 of MEGA
ECO QUIZ question papers (with answers) etc visit our website – www.infantjesusjogeshwari.in GEM
section(MEGA ECO QUIZ). GEM PPTs are available in the PPT section.
Fr Felix Rebello
1. Twenty Simple Tips
2. Solar Energy
3. Junk Food
4. Plastic – a boon or bane?
5. Green Passion
6. Zero Garbage
7. Soft drink – A Health Hazard
8. Waste to energy
9. Rain Water Harvesting
10. Eco-friendly Religions
11. Happy Green Diwali
12. Climate Change
13. The future of Biodiversity
14. Genetically Modified Foods
15. Waste Water Treatment
16. Body, Organ, Tissue Donation
17. Organic Farming
18. Waste to cooking gas
19. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
20. Protect Mangroves
21. Say NO to Bottled water
22. Save Lakes and Ponds
23. Forests are green lungs
24. Coal Mining and Ecology
25. Sin of Food Waste
26. Climate change and Poverty
27. Stop Water Pollution
28. Carbon Footprints
29. Parks and Open Spaces
30. Rising Sea Levels
31. Laudato Si – Pope’s Encyclical
32.Air Pollution
33. Life Style Changes
34. Water Pollution
35. Sand Mining
36. Bees and Environment
37. Joy of Gardening

8. Mumbai school dumps old ways, recycles
3,000-kg waste
Badri Chatterjee
Hindustan Times
An international school in Mumbai is doing its part to help the city reduce its waste. The school has
recycled more than 3,000kg garbage on its campus in just six months, preventing it from being sent to
overburdened landfills. About 100 students and staff of Dhirubhai Ambani International School, Bandra
Kurla Complex, are part of the drive to compost 15kg vegetable waste daily and convert it into manure.
The efforts are spearheaded by 25 students of Prakruti, the school’s eco-club. About 80kg compost is
generated a month, which is used to nurture the campus grounds.
The school’s efforts were recognised in August 2016 after it was awarded the title of ‘first platinum-rated
school building’ by the Indian Green Building Council. “The idea is to help the pioneers of tomorrow
emerge as responsible citizens by making them energy-conscious, through recycling, conserving water or
saving electricity,”said Abhimanyu Basu, deputy head of international curriculum. At the school,
composting is carried out in two containers called ‘agas’. Each has a capacity of 75kg. The process began
in July last year, with the help of social enterprise Daily Dump.
The waste is mixed with sawdust and bioculture for speedy results, said teachers. “While sawdust helps
churn the vegetable waste, the organic bioculture helps the waste degrade into manure quickly,” said
Manisha Nanda, round square coordinator and supervisor of the eco-club. “The manure does not have a
foul odour. We use compost water to nurture the grounds.” Five years ago, the school tied up with NGO
Acorn Foundation and began recycling paper. About 75kg paper is generated a month and about 50kg is
sent to Acorn to be recycled. “Paper is segregated at each class. No paper is wasted. Paper that is not
recycled is shredded and reused to make items or props from paper mâché. These are displayed at annual
exhibitions,” said Basu. Until four years ago, the school would use 65,000 litres of water a day. Through a
number of homegrown initiatives, the faculty managed to reduce that by 53% — to 30,000 litres —
through various water saving drives.
“We first diverted water using reverse osmosis (RO) – a filtration process. We used RO to turn off
washroom taps when water was not required. Students were taught to adjust the flow so that only the
required amount of water was used and the excess saved. The supply of water has been regulated and we
ensured that there are no leakages,” said Yassir Choonawala, head of administration at the school. “Our
students visited office complexes in BKC to spread awareness about conserving water.”
The school adopted two villages in Maharashtra — Hassachipatti in Matheran and Khumbarghar near
Patalganga, both in Raigad. At Hassachipatti, solar lamps were set up in 60 households encompassing an
entire village. Six years ago, a rainwater harvesting tank was installed at the village. In Kumbargarh, the
school used ‘green bricks’ made of waste to convert 36 of 40 houses from kuccha to pucca.

9. What do the students do?
Apart from recycling waste and conserving water, the school prevents electricitywastage. All the school’s
lights are LED, which saves energy. The administration has devised a way to keep tabs on the working
hours of each classroom so power can be regulated. If a classroom is empty, power is automatically
switched off. Once a year, the school recycles e-waste. “We decide on a day and collect e-waste. More
than a 100 electronics — mostly comprising computers —were given to scrap dealers last year. They
assured us that the functional machines would be reused. Those that are not operational will be recycled,”
said Yassir Choonawala, head of administration at the school.
Authorities say
“One of the most important ways to protect the environment and improve the city’s air quality is to
decentralise waste management and treat it at the source. Dhirubhai Ambani International School has set
an example for schools across the city. Other schools can easily implement a basic model such as this,”
said a senior official from the BMC’s solid waste management department.
Students say
“When we were first told about composting in a theoretical manner, it seemed difficult. However, when
we experienced the process, we realised its benefits. We realised that this can be replicated at every
household in the city. Some of the students made sure to create similar models at home,” said Prarthana
Chabria, a Class 8 student.
Organised by the PPC in
collaboration with other parish
groups
Date: Sunday, March 5, 2017
Chief Guest: Bishop Percival
Fernandez
First part: Walk for environment
The participants (all faiths) of each community will gather at a
designated spot at a specified time with pre-prepared eco-friendly
all language banners/placards in your respective areas. Dress
code may be decided by the animators. Please time the rally in
such a way that you will reach the church entrance between 5 to
5.30 PM. Procession duration must be at least half an hour to one
hour, so that the message is conveyed to as many people as
possible.
SECOND PART
Stage items on the theme of environment put up by the KIDS ECO

10. CLUBS of our parish. For further details click the following link
http://infantjesusjogeshwari.in/category/scc-environment-rally-plan/
Toxic flames emanate from Bengaluru lake,
civic body passes the buck
Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)
Bengaluru, Feb 18: Normally people use water to douse fire. But the city has witnessed
incidents even in the past which went on to prove that lakes can be set afire, thanks to sinful acts
of the greedy and unscrupulous people who choose to dump effluents and garbage into lakes to
save cost of scientific disposal. On Thursday February 17, Bellandur lake went up in flames,
covering the entire area in the vicinity with thick cloud of smoke. It reminded one of a similar
phenomenon witnessed on August 12, 2016. Many had termed that incident as man-made. The
current incident went to prove that water can turn toxic and poisonous if unbridled release of
waste into it is continued over a period of time. Biomethane build up at the lake caught fire, it is
gathered.
Bellandur lake has not been cleaned during the last four decades by the local administration.
Factories and apartments lining the tank have been liberally pouring waste into this lake. As a
result, silt to a depth of 40 feet has got accumulated in it. The water of the lake is so much
polluted that even touching it might give rise to skin-related ailments. Due to the filth that got
stored and decomposed here for long, highly combustible biomethane gas got produced, and the
lake caught fire, experts said. Scientists say that it takes seven years for waste to get decomposed
and biomethane to get produced.
About 40 percent of the waste from the city is getting into Bellandur lake, the largest in the city.
The lake has acquired the dimensions of a volcano that might explode suddenly one day, experts
have warned. Environmentalist, A S Mallappa Reddy, has warned that unless the lake is cleaned
up immediately, a catastrophe that might be many times more devastating than that the
Thursday incident, might occur anytime now. Biomethane gets produced here because of
accumulation of human excreta and such other things which produce this gas, he added.
The fire which was witnessed at the lake was doused with the concerted efforts of the fire
department. But the situation might go out of hand next time. At present, an estimated Rs 800
crore would be required to clean up this mess we have created. Any delay will only see the cost
going up and also the danger posed by the lank getting up more grave.
Civic bodies pass buck
Bengaluru, Feb 18 (DHNS): A day after a fire raged for four hours at Bengaluru’s largest
water body, civic agencies began pointing fingers at one another. A thick cloud of smoke rose
from the 920-acre Bellandur lake as illegally dumped garbage erupted in flames on Thursday.
On Friday, legislators and officials of the Bangalore Development Authority, Bruhat Bengaluru
Mahanagara Palike and Karnataka State Pollution Control Board visited the spot.
BDA officials blamed the BBMP for not stopping garbage dumping. “The BDA is the custodian of
the lake, but it is the BBMP’s job to protect it from garbage dumping,” said Veersingh Nayak,
BDA executive engineer, east zone. He said combustible chemicals had mixed with the garbage

11. and sparked the conflagration. “This would not have happened had the BBMP taken action
against those dumping garbage,” he contended. BBMP officials in turn blamed the BDA. “How
are we responsible when they are the custodians? If they could build a boundary wall with a
mesh, there would be no dumping. They have no funds to take care of any of the city’s lakes,” a
municipal official said.
Civic incompetence
The pollution control authorities are slamming the BDA, BBMP and BWSSB? for the pathetic
condition of the lake. Lakshman, KSPCB chairman, said he had issued notices to all three
agencies. “We have also told them to implement the expert committee report on the rejuvenation
of the Bellandur lake,” he said. Officials of the Karnataka Lake Conservation and Development
Authority also visited the lake. G Vidyasagar, its chief executive officer, said his organisation was
ready to take care of the lake once its boundaries were fixed. The tahsildar has written 13 letters
since 2013 to the BBMP and BDA to mark out the boundaries. But nothing has happened, he
said.
Clean Ganga: Funds flow generously for project,
but river far from clean
Malavika Vyawahare
Hindustan Times, New Delhi
After facing the National Green Tribunal’s wrath earlier this month for failing to clean the Ganga, inister
for water resources Uma Bharti announced that a committee of secretaries would be set up to expedite the
process. MC Mehta, a Delhi-based lawyer, was not impressed. The long-winded saga of Ganga’s clean-up
has had as many turns as the river itself, with Mehta witnessing them all. He had filed a public interest
litigation (PIL) with the Supreme Court in 1985 for cleaning the river. A few months later, then prime
minister Rajiv Gandhi launched the first Ganga Action Plan. Two action plans have been completed and
hundreds of crores of rupees spent since then, but the river still remains heavily polluted. “Not a single
drop of the Ganga has been cleaned so far,” the green tribunal noted at a hearing in January.
Mehta says the only things that changed under the Narendra Modi government are ministries, names and
budgets. Cleaning the Ganga was one of the cornerstones of Modi’s campaign in the 2014 elections, when
he fought and won from Varanasi – one of the holiest sites located on the banks of the Ganga. The call to
revive a river that is sacred to the Hindus, and a lifeline for almost 40% of the country’s population,
helped propel him to power. His administration made a promising start. In his first year, Modi launched
the Namami Gange programme with a whopping budget of 20,000 crore for a five-year period ending
2020.

12. This was at least 20 times more than what had been spent on Ganga rejuvenation projects since 1985.
However, as his government nears the three-year mark, it is becoming increasingly clear that lack of funds
was never the problem. An RTI reply from the PMO last year revealed that about 20% of the Rs 3,700-
crore funds allocated in the first two years of the programme was not utilised. The committee formed by
Bharti is part of the latest in a series of steps taken at the central level to reinvigorate the programme.
Under the banner of the Namami Gange programme, the National Ganga River Basin Authority
(NGRBA) – tasked with the overall planning, implementation and monitoring of the project – was
transferred from the ministry of environment and forests to the ministry of water resources (renamed as
the ministry of water resources, river development and Ganga rejuvenation). Then the NGRBA itself was
replaced by the National Council for River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protectionand Management) or the
NCRG.
An empowered task force was set up in 2016. The newest committee has been formed under the aegis of
this task force. For a mechanism as elaborate as this, the government seems woefully unprepared to even
diagnose the problem – leave alone implement solutions. “The people implementing the project know
nothing. They don’t know how many polluting industries are there, what is the length of the polluted
stretches, or the number of villages dependent on the river,” said Mehta. According to documents
submitted to the court by the Centre, the number of grossly polluting industries (GPIs) affecting the
Ganga was 764 in 1985. In 2017, government officials were still listing the number of GPIs as 764.
There is lack of clarity on the number of major drains that discharge pollutants into the Ganga and its
main tributaries. While the CPCB pegs the number at 30, the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board
claims that at least 150 directly join the Ganga and its tributaries. “Government data is often ill-founded,
and it hardly reflects ground realities,” a green tribunal panel observed when an expert group presented its
findings in December 2016. The group, comprising IIT professors, cited multiplicity of authorities as a
major stumbling block for the programme. RM Bhardwaj, a senior scientist at the Central Pollution
Control Board (CPCB), blamed lack of coherent information about the river’s condition on the ministry’s
over-reliance on state governments for data. “Now, these things are emerging only during the judicial
process,” he said.
CPCB is the agency charged with monitoring water quality. The Ganga basin, the largest river basin in the
country, serves Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, and parts of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal
Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal. Lack of coordination between the Centre and state
governments have also been blamed for poor implementation of Modi’s pet project. “Our regulatory
system is not strong,” said Bharadwaj. “The industry is not honest, and there is no culture of owning up to
one’s mistakes. If we are able to take care of the major industries, it will be a big achievement.”
Earlier this year, the Supreme Court had entrusted the green tribunal with hearing the petition for cleaning
the Ganga. The apex court directed the tribunal to submit progress reports on the case every six months.
The tribunal held a hearing this week. The National Green Tribunal ordered a CBI inquiry into the setting
up of sewage treatment plants and network in the Garhmukteshwar area in Uttar Pradesh as part of the
clean Ganga programme. “People like you sit on your chairs and waste public money, Ganga is what it is
because of people like you,” Justice Swatanter Kumar, who heads the bench, lashed out at the officials.”
However, Mehta, who was present at the hearing, said it does not matter which arm of the judiciary
handles the petition. When it was pointed out that the green tribunal would pronounce its verdict on the
PIL this month, he simply asked: “The courts can keep passing orders, but who is implementing them?”
The Modi government had promised the country a clean Ganga by 2020. The water resources minister set
an even more ambitious deadline of 2018. With just a year to go, the country should be pardoned if it
doesn’t hold its breath

13. Climate change affects all, but women are facing
new, more severe challenges
IANS | New Delhi January 30, 2017 Last Updated at 11:02 IST
Men migrating to bigger towns in search of employment, to support their families back home in
the villages, is not uncommon. Climate change, which has caused a spike in natural disasters,
has upped this "push" factor, adding to others like poverty and unemployment.
But what about women?
Not only has there been a rise in trafficking of women, but a World Bank study has also found
that 14 per cent households in India are now women-headed, mainly because of male migration,
creating an additional burden on them. This feminisation of climate change-induced challenges
has, however, not got the attention of government agencies. This is a serious gap that needs to
be addressed, says a new study by ActionAid, Climate Action Network-South Asia, and Brot
Fuer Die Welt (Bread for the World). The study, Climate Change Knows No Borders, analyses
climate-induced migration and the challenges involved in South Asia, including India.
Take the case of 45-year-old Sandhya Kar of a village in Bolangir district in Odisha. Her 17-
year-old son had to leave his studies mid-way and join his father who had migrated to Kerala for
work after the village was hit by drought last year. "We have agricultural land -- three acres. But
the crop died as the rains did not come on time last year. The ponds in our village dried up.
What could we eat? We are not a family of menial labourers; we are farmers, but my son and
my husband had to leave home because of this disaster," said Kar, who now lives with her
daughter.
As the men in the household left, the additional burden of tending to the agricultural land, over
and above the household chores, fell on Kar's shoulders. "My daughter helps me out, even then
it's a lot of work," she said.
Rapid feminisation of agriculture as a result of male migration, the study says, has led to women
reporting exhaustion, poverty and hunger. "The shortage of available labour can leave fields
uncultivated during planting season," the report says. A 2015 UN Women study on the impact of
climate-induced migration on women in Bangladesh found that "in most cases, migrated male
family members were unable to or simply unwilling to send money back to their households,
leaving the women (to seek) other means of survival during the period of migration".
"A growing trend also has been noted of men who have migrated to cities abandoning their
families and not returning," the study says, adding that in the absence of their husbands, women
in some Bangladeshi communities reported high levels of harassment, including sexual

14. violence. The study also points to the vulnerabilities of women and young girls migrating alone
across borders from Nepal and Bangladesh to India in search of employment. They take the
help of "agents" who turn out to be traffickers, forcing them into brothels in cities. "While this
phenomenon has been happening for years and is widely recognised, the extent to which
climate change is contributing to this, and further threatening girls' safety, is not fully
understood," the study notes.
Within India, climate-induced migration of women and girls from states like Assam -- annually
ravaged by the floods, leading to loss of life and property -- to bigger cities like Delhi and
Mumbai for employment has caught the attention of a child rights NGO. "A number of young
girls are promised jobs in cities by the agents, who are actually traffickers. Trafficking cases see
a spike especially after a natural disaster," said an activist of Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA)
that is headed by Nobel Peace laureate Kailash Satyarthi. On the positive side, the study says
that as a result of climate-induced male migration, women are discovering new roles as
decision-makers and that they can cope in adversity. Strategies that encourage women to
realise their potential and not buckle under negative social pressure may be key to their survival
when they are left behind by migration.
"In the face of increased risk of climate-induced disasters, the empowerment and training of
women in disaster-preparedness strategies, including early warning systems, search and
rescue, emergency response, and relief distribution may be key to their own and their
communities' survival," the study suggests, especially in the backdrop of the 2015 earthquake in
Nepal, where some communities had to rely on their women, children and the elderly to try to
dig the survivors free.
Further, the study also recommends research on the impact of high levels of migration on
women and communities left behind, apart from developing targeted policies to tackle such
challenges.
(Azera Parveen Rahman can be contacted at azera.rahman@ians.in)
--IANS
Brazil may soon refuse all GMO imports from the
United States
Wednesday, February 01, 2017 by: Ethan Huff
Tags: Brazil, corn, GMO
(Natural News) There has been all sorts of talk in recent days about the incoming Trump
administration’s refusal to let other countries continue taking advantage of the United States in

15. unfair trade deals. But what about when other countries decide to stop doing trade with the U.S.
because the goods we trade them are toxic and destructive? This is the current situation with
the South American country of Brazil, which appears poised to ban all imports of genetically-
modified organisms (GMOs) from the U.S. because a great number of them have never
undergone proper safety approvals. Brazil has rather strict guidelines for GMO approvals that
the U.S. does not have, thus there is a major holdup, particularly in the chicken industry.
While Brazil currently grows some 29 different varieties of genetically-modified (GM) corn, as
well as GM soybeans, there is a shortage of these commodities in the country that is causing
chicken producers, who require such grains as feed, to look elsewhere. But the most obvious
trade partner, the U.S. — which currently has a glut of GM corn ready to ship elsewhere — will
not be gaining Brazil as a customer. According to reports, there was not a single Brazilian import
of U.S. corn in 2016, despite the fact that U.S. stockpiles of GM corn have never been larger.
Companies in Brazil are refusing to buy American grain like GM corn because they know it will
fail to meet Brazil’s strict agricultural standards.
“In recent years, some of the largest commodity trading companies have refused to take certain
GMO crops from farmers because the seeds used hadn’t received a full array of global
approvals, something that can lead to holdups at ports or even the rejection of entire
cargoes,” Bloomberg recently reported.
The writing is on the wall: End the GMO poisoning or lose all relevance in the global
agriculture trade
Rather than risk importing a potentially dangerous load of U.S.-based GM corn that will likely get
rejected by officials monitoring it at ports of entry anyway, chicken producers in particular are
instead choosing to simply cut their output — in some cases by up to 10 percent — and just deal
with the losses. It is a problem that the U.S. will continue to face throughout the world market
unless it reverses course and starts rejecting the unmitigated spread of GM crops by
multinational corporations like Monsanto. The rest of the world wants nothing to do with these
contaminated crops laced with glyphosate, which have been linked to chronic diseases like
cancer.
According to the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications, there are
currently an astounding 43 different types of GM corn being grown in the U.S., with more coming
down the pipeline. This is in addition to the many different types of GM soy, canola, cotton, and
other crops that litter the American landscape. Even in Brazil, where many different GM crops
are grown, resistance to their use is growing. A labor group recently broke into a laboratory in
São Paulo where GM prototypes were being grown. Activists destroyed the entire lot of
samples, which numbered in the millions, because they contained a chemical pesticide known to
cause cancer.
Brazil also faces global trade issues itself, as Russia, much of Europe, and various other
countries across the globe have definitively rejected the cultivation and use of GM crops. If
Brazil, the U.S., and other countries that allow GMOs want to remain relevant in the global
agriculture trade, they are going to have to make some tough decisions, and soon.
“Russia recently banned all U.S. corn and soy imports due to possible GM contamination,”
explains OrganicAndHealthy.org. “Nineteen additional countries in the E.U. also banned all GM
crops, and dozens more have banned GM crops for import or growth in their country.”

16. WANTED HELPING HANDS- Courtesy: Daijiworld.com
For more appeals visit – www.daijiworld.com - charity
Victoria D' Souza(40 yrs), 2-187 Permannur, Kerebail, Mangaluru 575017
Victoria D' Souza(40 yrs), W/o James D'Souza,is suffering from end stage renal disease. She needs
hemodialysis thrice a week throughout her life. Her husband also in the walker suffering from bone
fracture permanently. Her mother in law is 85 years old.
They are living in a poor condition being unable to spend money for their treatment.
Kindly help them generously. Please remit your donations to the following bank account:
Bank Account No: 02392210020218
Name of the Account Holder: Victoria D' Souza
Bank: Syndicate Bank,
Kankanady, Mangaluru 575002
Bank IFSC Code: SYNB0000239
Telephone No.: +91 72594 72054
Fathima Zohara(33 yrs),Near KEB office, Nejar post,Udupi- 576105
Fathima Zohara(33 yrs),W/o Mohammed Sadik, is suffering from HTN, CKDV since seven years and
on haemodialysis since two and a half years. She has spent more than Rs 10 lacs so far and needs Rs
25,000 per month for continuation of MHD. She needs renal transplantation, the cost of which is around
Rs 10 to Rs 16 lacs and immunosuppression post transplantation is around Rs 20,000 per month initially
which will be less after six months.
As the family is poor, they have requested for monetary help from kind hearted individuals and
philanthropists.

17. Kindly send your remittances to the following bank account:
Bank Account No.: 1385101017094
Name of the Account Holder: Fathima Zohara
Bank: Canara Bank,
Kallianpura, Karnataka 576105
Bank IFSC Code: CNRB0001385
Telephone No.: +91 99006 55760
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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