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Environment

PMC initiative pays off, 2 lakh idols immersed in water tanks

Friday, 20 September 2013 07:07 administrator
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The Indian Express                20.09.2013

PMC initiative pays off, 2 lakh idols immersed in water tanks

Pune Municipal Corporation's (PMC) joint initiative with social organisations and citizens groups has yielded good result as citizens preferred to immerse Ganesh idols in civic water tanks than in water bodies across the city.

Of the 3.57 lakh idols immersed in the city, over two lakh were at civic facilities. These included 1.59 lakh in the concrete tanks constructed by civic body at various locations while 44,000 in steel water tanks. Around 59,000 idols were immersed in river, 52,000 at ghats, 38,000 in canals, 1,000 in wells and 500 in lakes.

The PMC had put up garbage containers at 99 locations in addition to 97 specially designed containers across the city. The civic administration collected 432 tonnes waste at the immersion locations and it includes citizens' participation in collection of 97 tonnes of nirmalya before it could pollute the water body.

Around 125 wastepickers of SWaCH, cooperative of wastepickers, with support of 400 volunteers, collected 97 tonnes of nirmalya at various immersion spots, mostly alongside Mutha river. The volunteers included school and college students, representatives of social organisations and corporate sector. The waste collection continued throughout the immersion period despite heavy rainfall.

The waste comprised paper, plastic, thermocol, flowers, coconuts, fruits and cloth apart from idols made of sand and plaster of paris. The SWaCH members part of door to door collection work have been recovering organic and inorganic waste, and ensuring that it enters the recycling stream. The bio degradable nirmalya is transported to different agencies for processing into compost.

This year, bio-degradable nirmalya has been sent to various locations for composting, including Kothrud Blind School, Dilasa School, Sangam World Centre, Aundh Ramp, SWaCH offices in Kothrud and Katraj Ramp.

 

Nashik Municipal Corporation urges citizens to buy 'shadu' idols

Tuesday, 10 September 2013 08:09 administrator
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The Times of India             10.09.2013

Nashik Municipal Corporation urges citizens to buy 'shadu' idols

NASHIK: A day prior to Ganesh Chaturthi, the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) displayed hoardings appealing to citizens to buy 'shadu' clay Ganesh idols for the festival.

The hoardings have been put up by the environment cell of the NMC at four different locations - Gadkari Chowk, Veer Savarkar swimming pool, Trimbak Road signal and near HPT College.

"This is an NMC initiative to encourage an eco-friendly Ganesh festival amongst people so that they use clay idols for the festivities. This is just the beginning. Next year onwards, we will plan the drive better," said NMC's environment cell chief S R Vanjari.

Environment activists from NGOs across the city have joined hands to promote an eco-friendly Ganeshotsav this year. They have also volunteered to help the NMC in promoting the eco-friendly festival and to assist the officials on the final day of immersion rather than doing the same individually.

"We had appealed to the NMC officials to publicise the use of shadu clay idols for an eco-friendly festival this year. They have put up hoardings in the city," said Jagbir Singh, an environment activists promoting eco-friendly festivites

In a joint meeting held on August 27, the NMC had also appealed to the Ganesh mandals in the city to observe an eco-friendly festival by buying shadu clay idols, not using plastic and thermocol decorations, using 'nirmalya kalash' for pooja material and donating the idols instead of immersing them.

The NMC also plans to put up advertisements to encourage donation of idols and to using nirmalya kalash three days prior to the final immersion day. Besides, in addition to the 29 artificial ponds last year, the NMC will be providing a few more in all the divisions. "We have called for a meeting of all the divisional officers on Tuesday for gauging the exact number of new ponds that will be needed this year," said Vanjari.

 

Allahabad Municipal Corporation aims to turn roads green

Tuesday, 10 September 2013 07:42 administrator
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The Times of India             10.09.2013

Allahabad Municipal Corporation aims to turn roads green

ALLAHABAD: Keeping in view the depleting green cover and ecological imbalances, Allahabad Municipal Corporation and the forest department are working on a project to provide 'green belt' to the city. In the first phase, saplings and shrubs would be panted across a dozen main roads. Landscaping would be done to enhance the green cover.

AMC had prepared a comprehensive project to plant saplings across the main roads of the city. Roads have been divided into four categories, depending on the vacant space.

In the 'A' category, the vacant space on the road should be 18 metres. Landscaping would be done across this category. Fencing would be erected of iron wires. Saplings and shrubs would be planted across this category. In the 'B' category having vacant space of 12 to 18 metres, landscaping will also be done. Here, various kinds of saplings and shrubs would be planted and fencing will be done around the vacant space.

In the 'C' category, roads having vacant space of three to 12 metres would be placed. Here, saplings would be planted and fencing done with iron mace. In the 'D' category, the vacant space should be three metres. Here, saplings will be planted and T-guards placed to protect it.

In the first phase, green cover would be provided across a dozen main roads like Mahatma Gandhi Marg, Maharishi Dayananda Marg, Tashkent Marg, Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg, Nawab Yusuf Road, Sarojini Naidu Marg, Lohia Marg, Kasturba Gandhi Marg, Kamla Nehru Marg, Lowther Road, Amar Nath Jha Marg and Malviya Road.

Landscaping would be done across three main roads of the city including Mahatma Gandhi Marg, Sarojini Naidu Road and Kamla Nehru Road. It would enhance visual appeal of the road and provide green cover. Landscaping will be done at certain patches of the roads where there is sufficient space, uninterrupted by the entrance of bungalows and offices.

On Dayanand Marg, fencing would be done erected around the vacant space and saplings planted inside it. Various kinds of shrubs and sapling would be planted. On Tashkent Marg and Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg, fencing would be erected across roads and sapling planted inside it.

Saplings of large trees and shrubs would be planted across Mahatma Gandhi Marg. Fencing would be erected from All Saints Cathedral to Motilal Nehru Medical College. From there, landscaping would be done till CMP Degree College as there is open space, punctuated by entrance of bungalows.

On Nawab Yusuf Road, fencing would be erected in the vacant space across the road. Saplings would be planted inside it and T-guards placed for protection. Fencing and landscaping would be done on Sarojini Naidu Marg. Partial fencing and T-guards will be placed around the saplings on Lohia Marg and AN Jha Marg. Partial fencing and landscaping would be done at Kasturba Gandhi Marg.

Stanley Road is very busy and connects with a national highway. T-guards would be placed around the saplings for protection.

 
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