Kere Habba 2016

Bhoomi Utsav : Fri, 2nd Oct @ Bhoomi Campus, Bangalore

Cycle Day, Malleshwaram: Jan 2015

Cycle Day @ HSR : Nov 2014

Cycle Day February 2014

 23 Feb 2014 - Sunday 8am-11am
 10th main, near Chandraguptha Maurya Ground, Jayanagar 5th block
 

EUPHORIA Festival at The Energy and Resources Institute

The increase in demand for energy in response to industrialization, urbanization, and societal affluence has led to considerable fossil fuels burning which in turn has an adverse impact on environment. Thus, it is of paramount importance that energy is conserved and efficiently used. It has been estimated that nearly 25,000 MW can be saved by implementing end-use energy efficiency and demand side management measures throughout India. It is also important to use energy efficiently and conserve it due to the fact that one unit of energy saved at the consumption level reduces the need for power generation by 3 times.
With this, The Energy and Resources Institute have initiated Project, ‘E for Energy Efficiency’ in association with POSOCO (Power System Operation Corporation). The project aims to sensitize students on the optimum utilization of depleting energy resources and to ignite their minds by encouraging them to actively participate in efforts to conserve energy. The Level 1 of the Project was implemented in 20 schools each in Bengaluru and Mumbai. The Level 2 of the project will involve new schools including Delhi to spread awareness among students about energy efficiency.

‘E for Energy Efficiency’ Level 2 will reach out to the teachers and students of Standard IV – VII from 7 school each from Bengaluru, Delhi and Mumbai.

The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and POSOCO (Power System Operation Corporation) are proud to present EUPHORIA – a fun filled educative half day festival on 14 February 2014 at The Energy and Resources Institute, 4th main, 2nd cross, II stage, Domlur, Bangalore. This festival is conducted to sensitize the participants on electric safety through various modes like information material/ movie screening/ training by experts, hands on activities, inter school competitions etc.

This year, TERI and POSOSCO, are celebrating EUPHORIA Festival at The Energy and Resources Institute, 4th main, 2nd cross, II stage Domlur, Bangalore. Mr. P R Dasgupta, Distinguished Fellow & Director, TERI-SRC, Mr P R Raghuram, executive director, SRLDC, POSOCO, Mr Anbunesan Govindaswamy, Additional General Manager, System Operations, SRLDC, POSOCO, Abdulla Siddique, Engineer,SRLDC, POSOCO and Avanti Roy Basu, Associate Fellow and Area Convener, TERI ; would be gracing the EUPHORIA Festival with their presentations and talk.

EUPHORIA Festival is expected to sensitize the participants on electric safety through various modes like information material/ movie screening/ training by experts, hands on activities, inter school competitions etc. The festival will have an assured participation of around 150 students and 15 teachers from all the seven project schools under the project E For Energy Efficiency.

Festival Highlights

Wealth out of waste: Students of 6-7 std from project schools of Bangalore are going to take part in this competition presenting their creative items using which they will be made out of E waste
Poster making competition: The participants for this competition will be from 4 std making posters on the theme which will be announced on the spot.

Fun learning on electrical safety measures: This workshop is for students of 4-7std, teachers and parents the participants will get to learn a few tips on electrical safety measures.

Wealth out of waste: Ms Swapna from Glassy Dreams will teach students on making creative stuff out of used newspaper and bamboo material.

Magic show: Mr Badri Jadav will be conducting a energy theme based magic show.


Date: 14 February 2014
Venue:
The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI)
4th Main, II Cross,
Domlur II Stage,
Bangalore-560071.

Save Horamavu Lakes Walkathon

The second walkathon in the Connect-the-Lake series by Save Bangalore Lakes Trust is scheduled to be held in Horamavu in northern Bangalore. (The first walkathon was held at Halanayakanahalli Lake in Jan 2014.)

 

In July 2013, this blog carried a post on the status of the two lakes of Horamavu, Jayanthinagar (Horamavu) Kere and Horamavu Agara Kere, which can be read here. The Save Horamavu Lakes Group has been working rectify the problems faced by the lakes and get them restored. 

 

The present problems include:
* Fencing broken in many places
* Massive encroachment of the lake areas
  - A recent post on the groups' blog gives a Google Maps view of how the boundary of the Horamavu Agara Lake has changed over time, since 2002
* Dumping of construction waste
* Destroyed Raja kaluves
* Outlet streams blocked, leading to flooding
* Raw sewage discharged into the lakes
* Groundwater/borewell water contaminated
* Foul stench that makes living unbearable
* Usage of the lakes as open toilets
* Breeding ground for dengue and malaria causing mosquitoes. 

To learn more about how the lakes of Horamavu were connected, and what you can do to help, do attend the walkathon. 

Date: Sunday, February 16, 2014.

Time: 8 am to 11am

Place: South end of Horamavu Agara Lake - the meeting point is shown on the map below, and Google Maps here.

For more details, please contact Mr Ted Dass, of the Save Horamavu Lakes Group and Trustee, SBLT (Cell 9900569955, ted.k.dass@gmail.com).

Waste Unwasted Maker Camp

International KrishiMela-2013

BioFach India 2013: International Organic Trade Fair

BioFach India together with India Organic offers the whole world of organic products from the Indian subcontinent to you.

Venue & next date
	Palace Grounds, Shri Krishna Vihar, Mekhri Circle, Bangalore November 14 - 16, 2013
Opening hours
	10 am to 6 pm
Event cycle
	Annually
Exhibition Opening Times / Conference schedule
	November 14, 2013 Opening Ceremony 10:30 am onwards November 14 - 16, 2013 Exhibition times for visitors 10:00 am – 6:00 pm Business hour (trade visitors only) 10:00 am – 3:00 pm General visitor and consumer hours 03:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Producers and Growers from India and international suppliers meet for business and showcase their organic products in Bangalore, one of the key economic centres of India with easy access for domestic and international trade buyers.

Use BioFach India together with India Organic as your platform for local and international sellers and buyers.

These products are on display!

• Organic aquaculture
• Organic cashew, walnuts, coconuts and other nuts
• Organic coffee, tea and cocoa
• Organic cotton and cotton products
• Organic essential and ayurvedic oils
• Organic fresh and dried fruit, fruit concentrates, fruit juices
• Organic grains, kernel and pulses
• Organic herbs, herbal extracts, herbal and medical teas
• Organic oils and oil seeds
• Organic processed and semi-processed food
• Organic rice, honey, sugar and syrups
• Organic spices and seasonings
• Organic vegetable
• Natural cosmetics and personal care items
• Services and consultancy for the organic production
• Ministries, associations and media

BLR Cycle Day

 
What are your plans for this Sunday? Ride with us in and around Cubbon Park, Cycle Day morning between 7-10 am. Hit "Join" on our event page shared below!

https://www.facebook.com/events/346953122108476/
 
Too far? Carry your cycle on any BMTC Volvo bus between 6-11am on Cycle Day!
Don't have a cycle? We have cycles on rent at Cubbon Park. All you need is a photo ID. =) 

October 27 at 7:00am

Cubbon Park in Bangalore, India

Make The Change Day

I Lead Bangalore team is conducting the biggest campaign on Oct 2nd! @Church Street. Reporting time - 8.30am, opp Matteo Cafe, Church Street

Join us in the change events!

What will we do?

1. Wall Art – Beautify Church - 1 wall at a time

2. Pavement Beautification – Make them so beautiful, You ll want to visit again and again

3. Clean The Mess – Freeing the street from litter plastic cups, cigar butts, wrappers, covers etc

4. Debris Removal – Clearing of all Abandoned Debris like rocks, broken sign boards etc

5. Freeze Mob – Lets STOP for CHANGE (Rehearsal on Sunday, 12 PM Opp Matteo, Church Street)



FILL UP FORM TO REGISTER -

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/15IX5650_wLRXrliZUmVtLUAJEVGaqr7Y8PFc2dmLGSo/viewform

Farm Trail for Children

An Organic & Terrace Gardening Workshop

Date: 20th July 2013, Saturday
Time: 8:30 am to 5:30 pm

Venue:  Bhoomi Network
              Prakriya School Campus, 
              Off Sarjapur Road
              Bangalore
 For whom: People who wish to take charge of their ‘wellness’ and ‘health.’
 For generations in India, having a kitchen-garden was integral to a complete home, where freshness and nutrition from a variety of vegetables were given significance and the words ‘pesticides’ and ‘chemical fertilizer’ were unheard of. There was no concept of wastage because everything was re-used in some form or the other. Natural resources were respected and utilized responsibly so as to preserve them for future generations – that was the prevalent culture! This forgotten and neglected way of life in urban spaces  needs to be revived.

Why do urbanites have to grow organic food for consumption?

Due to migration of people to urban areas, fertile agricultural land has been converted into houses and other infrastructures thus reducing the land for cultivation. But there is a movement around the world today to transform this barren city-scape into a green and valuable contributor to health and ecological balance. Estimates show that as many as 20 million people are engaged in urban agriculture all over the world. Half of Latin American cities, 72% of urban - house holds in Russia and 14 largest cities in China produce 85% of the vegetables not only from terraces but also on empty sites, unbuilt areas, parks, etc.
 In this age of pesticide-driven agriculture most of the vegetables and fruits available in the market seem to add to human diseases and ill-health. But they are packaged well and look good on the shelf. How can we then be sure if we and our children are eating pure and fresh foods? The best way  to grow our own organic vegetables and greens.

What do we believe in - chemical fertilizers and pesticides, decorative plants and imported grass which yield neither flower nor fruit - or do we believe in safe, flavourful, native, nutritious produce for our kitchens? It is for us to choose and learn a meaningful way of spending some of our leisure time.

What you can expect from the workshop?

This workshop will help us understand the basic principles of gardening and then apply it to our own context – homes, apartments or terraces. This workshop will focus on the practical aspects, so that we get a first hand experience with earth, soil, compost, nutrients on the field. It will include pest and disease management also.

Rajesh Thakkar committed to organic gardening and farming will be the faculty for this workshop. 
 Gardening is a healthy hobby, not only to keep one engaged for a couple of hours in a week but it gives the pleasure of being in the midst of a growing garden. Let’s jointly experience this workshop and start making our own little gardens.

With best wishes,

A.Santhilakshmy
Director,Programmes
Bhoomi Network


Registration Details
Fees: Rs 1200/- per person (Lunch & Snack included)
Limited number of seats
*Registration closes by 17th July 2013 (Wednesday)
Contact Person : Santhi
Contact No:  9449853834 / 28441173
Please send in the details of your Name, contact numbers and email id along with the payment.

Mail, payments by cheque to:
Bhoomi Network
No,70, Prakriya School Campus,
Chikkanayakanahalli, off Doddakannalli;
Sarjapur Road, Carmalaram Post
Bangalore - 560035

Painting Competetion : World Environment Day 2013

The Karnataka State Pollution Control  Board is organizing Painting Competetion on the occassion of World Environment Day 2013 for Primary, Middle and High school children.

Date: 01 June 2013 Saturday

Time: 1030 to 1130am

Venue: Bal Bhavan, Cubbon Park, Bangalore

All interested students are welcome to participate.

Competetion Theme: Think-Eat-Save

• Competition is free
• Drawing sheets will be provided by organizers
• Children should bring their own coloring materials- paints etc
• Prize Distribution at Chowdiah Memorial Hall on 05 June 2013.

Go Cycling Go Green: Volume 3

 

On the occasion of World Environment Day, Buzzintown brings to you,’ Go Cycling Go Green – Volume 3′. In Association with Vasundhara Association (An association working towards the conservation of Nature and Wildlife)

Let’s pedal to celebrate nature on June 1, 2013 (Saturday) along with Bangalore’s favorite artistes - RJ ‘Darius Sunawala’,  Fitness Queen ‘Wanitha Ashok’, Comedy king ‘Praveen Kumar’, Scientist and Environmentalist ‘Harish Bhat’ and others!

Go Cycling Go Green – Mission: We are a cycling community which pedals for a social cause. Join us in our sojourn for a healthier tomorrow!



Event Focus and objective. 
•         For a greener cover: To strengthen the legacy and mileage that ‘Go cycling,
Go Green’ event created, a move to create a greener Bangalore.
•         Aimed at creating a sense of environment consciousness on the occasion of
World Environment Day.
To build effective cycling communities in Bangalore.
Target group: Cyclists- Professional and amateur (above 12yrs)
•         To promote cycling and a healthy heart: Cycling improves heart health,
cardiovascular fitness, builds stamina, is fuel efficient and is one of the best
Forms of physical exercise.

Activities at the Resort.
•         Nature visits, music, games, Saplings plantation, talk with the scientists and
Environmentalists, & drum circle by Drums Events India.
•         Lunch & High tea.

Expected cyclists 200 numbers.

All you have to do is get onto your cycles for a 20km fun-filled ride from Hotel Pride Richmond road to the exotic Khedda resort, Kanakapura Main Road, Bangalore.

Your breakfast, refreshments, lunch, hi-tea will being taken care by us.
As you dedicate this day to the environment, we have a power-packed day planned for you…

Nature walk, games, rain dance, swimming pool, sapling plantation, drum circle, musical show, laughter session, environment discussions and all await you at the Khedda resort, which is the perfect place to unwind after a slightly tedious ride! But it’s all going to be worth it at the Khedda nature resort. With the hint of nature’s splendour strewn all around, we are sure that it is bound to fill your heart with glee!

But you’ll have to be there to experience it first hand and get to know what we are talking about!
Lots of surprises, gifts, performances and live shows are in store for you as you join us in our sojourn for a greener tomorrow!

Please note:  If you do not have a cycle, we will hire one for you.

Registration charges:
Rs. 499 per person (Inclusive of taxes+ 1 Tee Shirt +Power breakfast+ Refreshments + Lunch + Hi- Tea + Unlimited entertainment)
To hire a cycle, just pay extra Rs. 299/-
There are not much dos and don’t s, just get your swimming costume and an extra pair of clothes for rain dance and pool, and for people hiring a cycle – an identity proof is required)
All queries are welcomed, for more details contact: Ahmed: 09986984878 ahmads@buzzintown.com, ahmedroshan27@gmail.com

HippoCampus: World Environment Day 2013

Age Group: 4 to 14
Event Date: 29-May-2013 to 05-Jun-2013
Activities : Art & Craft,Others

Contact Person: Team Hippocampus , Contact No:91-80-25630206
Email ID: learnmore@hippocampus.in Visit Us: blog.hippocampus.in

Waste Management in Apartments - Awareness and Best Practice Sessions by ApnaComplex

ApnaComplex with active support of Bannerghatta Neighborhood Association (BANA) is conducting Waste Management in Apartments Sessions for Gated Communities in Bangalore.

Event will include presentations by Daily Dump, Ragpicker, Saahas, Youth for Seva - organizations dealing in Waste Management and Best Practices from Apartment Complexes who have successfully implemented Waste Management in their respective societies.



Where: Club House, Vithola Apartments, Kalena Agrahara on Bannerghatta Road (when coming from Jayadeva Circle, around 2 KMs after Royal Meenakshi Mall, On the road opposite to Decathalon Sports.

When:  Sat 24 Nov '12, 10:00 am To 01:00 pm

Agenda:
     Introductions & Welcome
     Need of Waste Management & the options available  - Video Presentation
     Waste Management for Dummies by RagPicker  - Mr. Vijay Krishnan
     Saahas Presentation  - Ms. Wilma R
     Daily Dump Presentation - Ms. Poonam Kasturi
     Tea Break
     Best Practice Sharing from BANA
     Best Practice Sharing from Sobha Azalea & Althea
     Best Practice Sharing from Ferns Paradise
     Youth for Seva Presentation on their services
     Vote of Thanks

Who can attend:
Any one in and around Bangalore who is part of a gated community (Managing Committee Members, Green Committee Members, Facility Managers, Residents of Apartment Complexes, Villa Layouts)

Does it cost?
The event is free for ApnaComplex paid customers and for BANA members.
For others, Rs. 100/- shall be collected at the venue on the event day to cover the incidentals.

Please register your details at  http://bit.ly/VZkCUd

If you have any questions or want to participate as a vendor, please email to support at apnacomplex.com
You can also call +91-80886-11229 for any queries.

Sign up to make Bangalore a Waste-less City

Sign up to make Bangalore a Waste-less City

It is a disturbing indicator of the disconnect between people of Bangalore and civic agencies that an article on the prevailing garbage (mis)management in New York Times does more to alert authorities to a crisis, than does protests of rural communities against dumping of about 50,00,000 kilogrammes of the city's 'waste' daily on their fields, forests, grazing pastures, canals, tanks, etc. Clearly, villagers aren't willing to take any more of this attack on their Fundamental Right to Life and to a Clean Environment resulting in garbage piling up on the streets, possibly threatening the outbreak of an epidemic. This situation would never have occurred if the Government genuinely involved the public in decision making and ensured appropriate planning and management of the municipal solid waste stream. The only auspicious occasion for such beginnings is NOW, else it will be NEVER.

The current crisis is also a direct consequence of a crore (10 million) people behaving with an “out of sight, out of mind” approach when disposing their waste. Villagers around Bangalore don't generate waste and yet have borne with extraordinary patience the pollution of their lands, soil, water, air, and also the contamination of their bodies and that of their cattle, due to toxics from the city's waste. When villagers protest this attack on their Fundamental Rights, civic agencies, state government and the police have employed brute force in an attempt to crush the resistance and also fabricated false criminal charges against key leaders in a vain attempt to stymie the resistance. Meanwhile, many many promises made by various Commissioners and Mayors over the years that the damage done would be contained, victims compensated, and the villages improved, remain unfulfilled.

This situation was brought to the attention of the Karnataka High Court recently in a PIL and the Court has observed that “(t)here can be no gainsaying that the landfills are not a permanent solution”, that the “matter requires urgent decision” and that “(e)very citizen needs to be reminded that he/she has Fundamental Duties … to keep the environment clean by ensuring waste is segregated in each household..”. (These decisions may be accessed at http://tinyurl.com/cvqsgco and http://tinyurl.com/cz8tumu.)

Appropriate technological solutions, social response strategies and necessary legal standards to tackle this problem have been around for a very long time. In fact the Municipal Solid Waste Management Rules were brought into effect by the Indian Environment Ministry 12 years ago! According to these Rules, cities are required to segregate waste at source, compost organic waste locally, ensure maximum recycling, treat biomedical and hazardous wastes carefully and only dispose inert material into scientifically designed and managed landfills. The Indian Supreme Court has supervised the evolution and enactment of these standards and keen that it must become part of ordinary municipal practices imposed December 2003 as a deadline for major cities to comply with the Rules.

Since then, many Decembers have come and gone, but civic agencies like Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP, Bangalore's civic agency) continue to violate with impunity these legal norms and judicial directives on waste management. It is this callousness that has resulted in the current stinking state of affairs, which, without doubt, is a shameful statement on a city that prides itself as the knowledge and IT capital of India. However, hope resurfaced when BBMP issued a series of full page advertisements on 1^st October promoting segregation of waste at source as the fundamental basis of its solid waste management effort.

Shortlived it seems now because in a meeting held by the Chief Minister on this issue on 26^th October 2012, a decision was taken to reopen landfills in Mavallipura, Mandur, Doddaballapur, etc. under police protection (a copy of this decision is accessible here: http://tinyurl.com/bwpadqo). This has been followed by another decision in the BBMP Council on 30^th October approving the purchase by a private firm of 400 acres of farm land off Bagepalli (near Chickaballapur), a full 100 kilometres from Bangalore, to set up the largest landfill ever conceived in India!

So if ever one imagined that the dumping culture was going to end soon, it seems unlikely if the BBMP has its way. Once more the Principle of Prior and Informed Consent of impacted communities has been fundamentally violated.

Another decision taken by the BBMP Council has been to scrap all garbage collection contracts and reissue new one's at whopping cost of Rs. 305 crores annually. The new contractors, reportedly, are to collect only segregated waste. But it is not at all clear how this will be achieved given our common understanding of the low levels of competence of such operators to work with communities and make this transition from a dumping-to-segregating-waste-culture happen. Could the outcome be more pollution, more protests from villagers, more of garbage piling up on the city's streets, more of the same?

We can risk waiting, or we can act now to safeguard our collective interests to ensure Bangalore will make the transition from a waste-full city to one that is waste-less. With this objective, ESG has put together a plan of action consisting of highly achievable and required actions that provide short term and long term solutions to help make Bangalore India's first Waste-less city. We request you to review this strategy and endorse it by signing the petition at this link: http://tinyurl.com/chkc9mh.

Please note that every time you sign, a copy of your endorsement along with the petition will reach each and every decision maker connected with the waste management stream in Bangalore.

Thank you for your cooperation and support.

Yours sincerely,

ESG Team

Petition

To:

The Chief Minister of Karnataka

Mayor and Commissioner of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike

Chairman, Karnataka State Pollution Control Board

Dear Sirs,

I/we write to adopt the enclosed series of actions which can ensure Bangalore transforms into a Waste-less city from its current status of “garbage city”.

1. Segregate, compost, recycle: A massive campaign approach must be immediately adopted to educate communities to segregate waste at source. Organic matter must be composted locally to the maximum extent possible. Yes it is possible to adopt very simple techniques to compost organic refuse within households, apartments, offices, etc. and thus turn what is now waste into valuable manure. This will help allow recovery of recyclable material, safe handling of hazardous waste and only inert waste may need to be land-filled. This will bring tremendously reduce the volume of waste, thus helping save valuable land, public funds now wasted on trucking waste out and protect us from pollution. Burning waste must be totally banned as it causes very serious health hazards. Businesses, institutions, households, people must be encouraged to shift away from using non-biodegradable material (Eg.: disposable plastic cups, PET bottles, thermocol, etc.). Use of cotton, paper, jute and other such biodegradable packaging material must be aggressively promoted, and become the norm for most packaging to the maximum extent possible.

2. Campaign approach to educate people: BBMP must immediately constitute an advisory network of not-for-profit voluntary organisations who have promoted this approach for decades and successfully demonstrated its feasibility. BBMP must also immediately fund the dissemination of excellent education material that voluntary organisations have already produced on progressive methods to resolve the waste problem and ensure that it reaches everyone across Bangalore. Students and workers from corporate bodies, industries, public institutions and volunteers must be drafted in every neighbourhood to support this campaign on lines of the successful Polio eradication and Literacy Promotion efforts.

3. Power to the People: Systematic, democratic and meaningful involvement of people in municipal decisions is fundamental to the success of any short term and long term solution dogging our cities. The best way to achieve this is to immediately constitute Constitutionally guaranteed Ward Committees with appropriate representation from local voluntary organisations, RWAs, schools, colleges, corporates, hotels and officiated by the Corporator and BBMP staff. For greater functionality, these Ward Committees may be further decentralised into sub-ward and street level committees to specifically find solutions to highly localised waste management problems and on a case to case basis. This method of public involvement is far more effective in dealing with the current crisis, as the norm for urban governance, and also in responding to any emergency. The current reliance on elite forums to search for solutions must be abandoned, as they are unconstitutional, undemocratic and unnecessary.

4. Collaborate, Cooperate and Share Information: Corporators and BBMP environmental engineers must lead, support and work with ward, sub-ward and street level committees to ensure that correct methods are employed. They must make public all information relating to waste management at the local levels, including maps, details of workforce employed, waste collection routines, contractors details, and the like. Such an exercise will help build transparency and public confidence in the overall effort. BBMP must immediately and completely share all details of waste management at the city, ward, sub-ward and street levels on its website as part of its suo moto information sharing obligation per the Right to Information Act, 2005.

5. Inform and Communicate Change, All the Time: BBMP must put out educational material and provides helplines in every Bangalore One Centre to assist people to understand and work with this transition to a Waste-less City. Progressive, responsible, considerate, socially just, ecologically sound and humane approaches must be constantly broadcast and popularised, so that they become widely practiced for the benefit of present and future generations.

6. Pourakarmikas must be respected and rewarded: Pourakarmikas are highly exploited and deal with our waste in the most inhumane conditions today. This must end now. Their health and occupational rights must be fully protected, their wages guaranteed, services professionalised, and they must become the fulcrum of solid waste management practices. The city must recognise and reward them for their unstinted efforts safeguarding our collective interests.

7. Every street must know and manage its waste: Decentralising garbage handling is the only way out of the current complex mess of waste accumulation. Public must be organised at highly local levels , such as the street, apartment block, etc., to develop local plans to process waste generated, including that which has accumulated in recent days. Based on public participation spaces must be identified in every ward/sub-ward for transit stations to process the waste stream, recover recyclables and remove inert and hazardous waste. Dead spaces, such as areas under HT power lines, must be identified for such activities. Where there is an acute constraint for space, such as in old neighbourhoods (Eg. Chickpet), or densely crowded and poorly planned neighbourhoods (Eg. Kumaraswamy Layout), agreements may be encouraged with space surplus wards encouraging renting of composting space.

8. Cut down Waste Generation: BBMP must take immediate steps to institute legal measures to cut down generation of wasteful plastics, PET bottles and thermocol materials which are major contributors to toxicity in the waste stream. Original Equipment Manufacturers must be compelled to take back waste (such as bottles, packaging material, etc). Such policies will force them to minimise packaging material, and conservation of material, energy and prevent pollution. Time tested systems of packaging groceries with paper, jute, cloth and other biodegradable and recyclable material must be encouraged and made the norm. This will minimise waste production and help create thousands of jobs in the small scale industrial sector.

9. Incentivise Changemakers, Encourage Urban Gardening: Those composting biodegradable waste at source must be incentivised by waiving their Solid Waste Management Cess on the recommendation of Ward/Sub-ward/Street Committees. BBMP must also actively encourage urban terrace gardening and farming, including in Raja Kaluves (canals which are now wrongly being cemented) and such other open spaces, on the lines of urban farming successfully practiced by people in Havana, capital of Cuba. Forest and Horticulture departments must support this urban gardening effort by providing saplings and seeds free of cost as an incentive to those who produce manure out of kitchen waste.

10. Formalise Livelihoods of Waste-pickers: Informal waste pickers provide tremendous service to society by recovering value out of waste. Ward, sub-ward and street committees must be encouraged to integrate them into waste stream management, thus enabling their safe livelihood options.

11. Penalise the Big Polluters first: BBMP must penalise large waste generators (kalyana mantaps, public institutions, corporates, construction sector, etc.) who fail to comply with norms. This policy must eventually be made applicable to households and small businesses.

12. Construction debris must be maximally reused locally: Construction debris today forms a major bulk of the waste stream and must be reused locally for road building or earth filling where possible. Only that which cannot find any use within the city must be landfilled.

13. Strict NO to toxic Incineration projects. Big YES to Biomethanation: Waste to energy projects based on incineration must be banned as they are failed technologies, extremely difficult to regulate and generally promoted by profit-hungry corporations who lie about its highly toxic impacts (Eg. Hihgly carcinogenic dioxin pollution). Biomethanation plants must be strongly supported and setting them up at the local levels, such as in apartment blocks, public institutions, etc., must be strongly incentivised.

14. Landfills must become a thing of the past: Scientifically developed landfills must be available only for disposal of inert and toxic material per applicable norms. Siting such landfills must be based on deep and democratic consultation and consent of local communities, and by ensuring all health and environmental safeguards are strictly implemented. Absolutely no dumping of organic waste in landfills must be allowed, as it generates climate unfriendly methane and toxic gases, and destroys the possibility of recovering carbon as manure.

-- 
Environmental, Social Justice and Governance Initiatives
Environment Support Group - Trust
1572, 36th Cross, Ring Road
Banashankari II Stage
Bangalore 560070. INDIA
Tel: 91-80-26713559~61
Voice/Fax: 91-80-26713316
Web: www.esgindia.org
Email: esg@esgindia.org