E-Weekly-6/20
Green Earth Movement
An E-Newsletter for the cause of Environment, Peace, Harmony and Justice
Remember - “you and I can decide the future”
Is encyclical's clear, timeless message accessible to
all?
The drive for social mobility overrides man's search for meaning
By Jayeel Serrano Cornelio
Manila: Laudato si' begins with a Franciscan exaltation that recalls humanity's union with
the rest of creation. In a manner with which even New Age spiritualists would resonate,
Francis of Assisi's canticle declares that "Mother Earth ... sustains and governs us". But the
pope wastes no time in sounding the alarm. Immediately in the second paragraph, the
encyclical brings our attention to an urgent matter. Mother Earth, who is also humanity's
sister, "now cries out to us because of the harm we have inflicted on her".
Pope Francis, known for his lifelong work with the oppressed, now speaks for battered
creation. In this encyclical, Christians are called to an "ecological conversion" in which a
genuine encounter with Christ must be accompanied by conscientious stewardship of
creation. Thus the bulk of the encyclical is devoted to theological reflections on creation,
stewardship, and the relationship between God, humanity and the environment. But the
power of Laudato si' is not only in calling for ecological conversion. It is also a powerful
critique of the state of affairs in the world today.
To Pope Francis, the ecological crisis in water, biodiversity and climate change finds its
roots in a technocratic paradigm and misguided anthropocentrism. In spite of its promise
of progress, this paradigm is at its core more exploitative than caring. Its view of nature is
one whose resources ought to be extracted. And it has consequences on economic and
political life. He critiques, too, the view that market growth is adequate in solving the
problems of global hunger and poverty. He even suggests that proponents of this view
have "no interest in more balanced levels of production, a better distribution of wealth,
concern for the environment and the rights of future generations".
A common enemy
Although he does not discount the contributions of technological advancement, he wonders
if enough questions are being asked on the moral dimension of "environmental
degradation, anxiety, a loss of the purpose of life and of community living". Workers, for
example, are easily replaced by machines. Laudato si' is therefore not just about the
environment but the fundamental dissonances of human existence today.
In a way, then, Laudato si' is a good sociological document. It enfleshes the Harbermasian
assessment of how the lifeworld is being colonized by the system. The lifeworld is the
space where human existence naturally develops based on shared cultural and practical
understandings. It is our everyday life with all its cultural richness and human
relationships.
The system is that part of society whose operations are governed by instrumental
rationality — corporations, the bureaucracy and even the scientific enterprise. The system
colonizes the lifeworld when instrumental rationality trumps every other way of thinking,
speaking, and behaving in everyday life: culture, traditions, religion, and morality. In this
light, Pope Francis is justified in claiming that there are no "genuine ethical horizons to
which one can appeal".
The care for our common home therefore should recognize that there is a common enemy.
Without moral grounding, biological technologies, the free market and labor can all be
exploited without regard for the dignity of human beings, especially the poor. The irony is
that where advancement in knowledge is premised on progress, in the end it can benefit
only a few. The worst part is that the exploitation of our environment has backfired.
For the sociologist Ulrich Beck, technological advancements have in fact created
environmental risks now experienced by everyone but from which only the affluent can be
protected: pollution, disease, social inequality, and even war. And as far as the encyclical
is concerned, without a moral drive, humanity's vision of a bright future would remain
elusive. All humanity's efforts would be an endless cycle of palliative care.
Sociologists like myself thus stand with the pope on the principle of the common good, "a
summons to solidarity and a preferential option for the poorest of our brothers and
sisters".
An accessible message?
Encyclicals are powerful documents. Their circulation is wide, especially among Church
leaders, policy elites and opinion makers. Like many of its predecessors, Laudato si'
received tremendous coverage in the media and will most likely be part of the canon in
theology classes. But ironically, its status as a regal document can limit its potential to
speak to all people of good will. Although its message is clear, it is hefty and may not be
readily accessible to the general public.
Its message is timeless, too: "We must regain the conviction that we need one another,
that we have a shared responsibility for others and the world, and that being good and
decent are worth it." Powerful institutions of society including the Church, education, and
the family have a role in making its message clear and real in everyday life. But I wonder if
it is a message that ultimately resonates with the everyday person. For it to happen,
growth in neoliberalism necessarily rests upon the logic of competition among economies,
corporations and individuals.
In the fast-changing societies of Asia, I wonder if there is space for people to pause and
question the very ethos that now fuels daily existence. The drive for social mobility, among
other aspirations, places the search for meaning only secondary to everything else. Can
Laudato si' speak to them too? My worry is that the encyclical, although strongly worded,
would merely be one of those feel-good writings that in the end only give momentary
inspiration.
And so I can only say amen to Pope Francis' prayer: "Enlighten those who possess power
and money that they may avoid the sin of indifference, that they may love the common
good, advance the weak and care for this world in which we live. The poor and the Earth
are crying out."
Jayeel Serrano Cornelio is a sociologist and director of the development studies program of
the Ateneo de Manila University. He is a member of the Board of the Philippine Sociological
Society. He conducts research on religion, youth, education, and the city.
Source: UCAN
Soldiers like Father Bismark are needed for our
fight
07 Nov, 2015, 07:02AM IST, www.heraldgoa.in
Father Bismark isn’t really someone who would vanish into the dead of the night with beer
bottles and with two other fellows and dive into the waters off St Estevam and simply slink into
the dark and not to be found. Therefore his mysterious disappearance is a matter of not just
alarm, intense worry and yes, fear, but raises several disturbing nightmares about the way our
Goa has become.
Even as this is being written, it is a struggle to delete the past tense when we refer to him and
change it to present, making our hearts believe in eternal hope that he will be found. That he will
be there as a comrade, standing shoulder to shoulder, singing songs of protest, marching
through villages, giving speeches, taking on the powerful, fighting cases and yes, increasingly
defending them. At the time of his disappearance, the cases he was immediately involved in
was one he filed in the National Green Tribunal, again on an issue of environmental violation
and then he was getting ready to defend a Rs 2 crore defamation case slapped on him by
someone in the village for calling him a “robber” or some such banality. And if he was not
missing, he would, on this Saturday morning be getting ready for his trip on Sunday to Tuem to
sing and shout in support of Amarnath Naik, the villager from Tuem whose land was cruelly
taken away by the state headed by a Chief Minister who has been a local boy. Hopefully Father
will still make it.
A peoples priest and now a people’s fighter, Father Bismark has moved from praying and
healing to a straight path of fighting and confrontation to snatch justice for the people if their
prayers for justice are not being answered. Yes he irritates many, but he never causes a tear to
be shed from the eyes of those who love Goa and are pained at its destruction. He fights to wipe
the tears of those whose hearts bleed at the Goa of today.
Now we cast no aspersions, blame no one, point fingers at none because we are and we need
to be responsible. Yes there are enemies of the state who are always there to get those who
fight for the state but those who pass judgments or jump to conclusions should divert their
energies to what is needed now. And here is what is needed. a) A thorough police search and
rescue operation to find him. If he is found and it’s a case of an accidental calamity, we move on
heartbroken b) But if the worst does happen (and we pray that is not the case) the probe has to
be handed over to an outside agency c) If he is found in good health or otherwise, but it is found
that that there was attempt at foul play, the task of getting to the bottom of this should be again
given to outside investigating agencies.
The state should accept this because in this milieu of suspicion and mis-trust- for absolutely
obvious reasons-the state is not expected to be on the side of the victim.
As we put yet another edition of Herald to bed, we pray, on behalf of all of Goa that our beloved
soldier Father comes back to us at the crack of dawn with his fists clenched, his head held high,
shouting “I am back”. And we will then tell him “But you were never gone Father”.
LETTER FROM Jose Fr
valanvellore@yahoo.com
Congrats Felix for your initiative. All the best. I oblige to your socially concerned request. I
am with you.
See Fr Felix, I am priest of Vellore diocese, being part of Dalit struggles for last 36 years;
also support other social issues. Be assured of my support in what ever simple ways
possible. Fr. Jose, Vellore dioicese
Dear Fr Felix,
I hope you are doing well in your new church in Jogeshwari. Here are two articles that
appeared in Down to Earth, the environmental magazine published from Delhi, that might
interest you: The first is about Copenhagen as a bike-friendly city and its implication for
Gurgaon, which is planning to go car-less for a
day. http://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/can-gurgaon-follow-copenhagen--51333
The second is about Sweden's waste management system, the most advanced, and the
lessons for India. http://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/how-sweden-got-out-of-thegarbage-dumps-51598
Hope you enjoy the two articles.
Regards
Emmanuel
Dr Emmanuel D'Silva
Environment Scientist
Mahim, Mumbai 16
Can Gurgaon follow Copenhagen?
By Emmanuel D’Silva
Environmental scientist, writer and lecturer, Dr D’Silva has worked for
three decades on development projects around the world; he now
focuses on waste management and waste recovery issues.
Gurgaon made news by becoming the first major city in India to go “car-free” for a day on
September 23. Delhi has announced it will follow on October 22. Sadly, no other city is joining in,
including Mumbai. Gurgaon plans to follow “no-car day” every Tuesday, while Delhi has opted for
one ‘car-less’ day a month. Even if initial compliance is low, and the campaign is restricted to a few
areas, its significance should not be underestimated in a country where a car is more often a
status symbol than a means of transport.
Three days before Gurgaon took the bold step, I was in Copenhagen, Denmark, rated as “the most
bike-friendly city in the world”. Copenhagen has a population of 562,000 compared with Gurgaon’s
876,000, but bicycles outnumber people in this Scandinavian city. Copenhageners love their bikes;
50 per cent of the citizens cycle to work or school every day. Separate bicycle lanes cover over
390 km, giving Copenhagen the numero uno bike city position for 2014. The rich and the middle
class, students and businessmen, young and old use this mode of transport. It is reported that 63
per cent of Danish MPs go to Parliament on their bikes!
City guide Laura pointed to a car park close to City Hall that had been closed. A thousand trees
are to be planted and bike stands erected instead. “Parking in the city is virtually impossible and
very expensive,” she added. If a car is a must, then you better buy an electric one to avoid stiff
duties. A diesel or petrol version will cost 180 per cent in taxes.
What Copenhagen and Denmark are doing is worth noting for campaigners in India who want the
public to use more public than private transport to reduce congestion and pollution. Policymakers
in Denmark have been reminded of studies that show that for every kilometre cycled, society
enjoys a net benefit of 23 cents, compared with a net loss of 16 cents for every kilometre traveled
by car.
Not surprisingly, the Danes have a long-term vision for a cleaner and healthier world. The
government has announced its intention to become free of fossil fuels by 2050. The city of
Copenhagen plans to be carbon-neutral by 2025. To achieve these goals, the country will double
its output of wind power to reach 50 per cent of total energy by 2020, which analysts say will
probably be reached ahead of schedule.
For Gurgaon and Delhi, understandably, the goals are modest: get people to think of public
transport. But there is no reason why campaigners in these two cities cannot think big, while
calibrating actions gradually. What Denmark has done is make people think about lifestyle
changes. Switching cars for bikes is one such change.
A similar thinking is needed in India. Owning a car should not be mistaken for success, specially in
Delhi where 1,400 new cars add to the pollution every day and the city has won the dubious
distinction of being the most polluted on earth. Riding a bike to work or play should be promoted as
being cool! Once a sufficient number of people take their bikes on the road, there will be pressure
to improve infrastructure for alternative transport.
ehdsilva@yahoo.com
How Sweden got out of the garbage dumps
By Emmanuel D’Silva, Environmental Scientist
Anita Petterson refuels her car in a municipal biogas station at Boras (Phot by Emmanuel
D’Silva)
Most mornings Anita Pettersson drives her Volkswagen Passat from her home in the countryside to
her office 22 kilometres away. Pettersson is a senior lecturer in waste recovery at the University of
Borås. Her car is fuelled by biogas derived from municipal solid waste.
Borås, with a population of 66,273 in 2010, was a textile town for over a century, she says. Until the
1970s, it was very polluted. The river ran red or blue depending on the chemical dyes used in the
textile mills (numbering 243 at its peak in 1944). Coal dust settled on roads and trees. The air was
not healthy to breathe and the water not safe to drink. The municipal leaders realised they needed
to do something.
In 1991, Borås became the first municipality in Sweden to prepare a waste management plan.
Today, a mere 0.06 per cent of waste goes to a landfill. Of the rest, 27 per cent is recycled; 30 per
cent is converted into gas for buses, trucks or cars; and 43 per cent incinerated to produce energy
for heating homes. The tap water is fit to be drunk and the river is safe to swim in.
“Borås is not unique,” says Weine Wiqvist, CEO of Avfall Sverige, the Swedish Waste Management
Association, with 400 members representing municipalities, companies, and others. “There are
many Borås all over Sweden,” he adds, and mentions Trollhättan and Falun as among the trend
setters in waste management.
Sweden, a country of nine million people, generates 4.5 million tonnes of municipal waste a year;
of this 2.4 million is combusted for heat and electricity and 0.6 million is treated biologically to
produce biogas for vehicles and fertilizer for agriculture. The balance one-third is recycled. Barely
0.6 per cent of the waste goes to a landfill.
In contrast, there are no accurate figures of how much waste is produced in India; one estimate is
that 188,500 tonnes came from 366 towns and cities in 2011. Municipalities merely collect garbage
and haul it to a nearby dumpsite with hardly any treatment. A few cities like Pune compost some of
the organic waste. Whatever is recycled (estimate for Mumbai stands at 25 per cent) is through the
unplanned efforts of thousands of invisible scavengers.
What is remarkable about Sweden is that incineration of waste has not led to a public outcry. “The
debate on incineration is settled in Sweden,” says Wiqvist. Incineration—also called waste-to-
energy—is a secondary objective. Recycling is the primary goal. In fact, Sweden has increased the
recycling target from the present 33 per cent to 50 per cent, beyond which it is regarded not costeffective.
Incineration of waste is hugely controversial in India. A few incineration projects that started near
Delhi or Vijaywada have either not functioned well or have closed down. Mumbai has sought
proposals for three waste-to-energy plants to process 3,000 tonnes of waste. Civic officials say
there has been good response from private companies, but the project has not made much
headway. One of the concerns is that lax controls by the regulatory authority will result in the
spewing of dioxins and other toxic pollutants.
“I can understand these concerns,” says Mohammad Taherzadeh, professor of bioprocess
technology at University of Borås. “If there is a lot of food waste and the temperature inside the
incinerator is lower than 800 degrees Celsius, there is a serious risk of dioxins and other toxic gases
being produced.” Wiqvist says for incineration to be successful, it should be accompanied by strong
recycling efforts. The two should go together. Incineration should not be the primary goal of any
waste management system.
Sweden recently made news by announcing plans to import 1.5 million tonnes of waste from the
United Kingdom, Norway and other European countries under strict controls. It seems Sweden’s
4.5 million tonnes of waste is not enough for its super-efficient waste-to-energy plants.
I visited one such waste-to-energy plant in Malmö, a city of 318,000 people in southern Sweden.
The Sysay plant, owned by the local municipality, incinerated 553,500 tonnes of waste (25 per cent
of it imported) in 2014 to produce 1.4 Twh of heat sufficient for 100,000 homes and 255 gigawatthours of electricity equal to the power of 50 wind mills. The plant’s advanced flue gas cleaning
ensures that emissions are below European Union norms and also lower than those of most coalfired power plants.
The key lesson from Sweden is that recycling should be the main basis for waste management in
which local people participate. What cannot be recycled, composted, or converted into biogas could
be considered for incineration with strict controls. Blindly opposing incineration does not make
sense. The alternative of letting waste rot in dumps and of untreated leachate polluting
groundwater is not a good option. India can meet 15 per cent to 20 per cent of its energy needs
from its municipal waste through incineration or gasification.
The writer was in Borås, Sweden, before writing this blog. He can be reached
at ehdsilva@yahoo.com
ARCHDIOCESAN OFFICE FOR
ENVIRONMENT (AOE),
NEWSLETTER
Nov. issue of the AOE newsletter.
Although “the wickedness of man was great in the earth” (Gen 6:5) and the Lord “was sorry that
he had made man on the earth” (Gen 6:6), nonetheless, through Noah, who remained innocent
and just, God decided to open a path of salvation. In this way he gave humanity the chance of a
new beginning. All it takes is one good person to restore hope! (Laudato Si’ #71).
For further reading visit - www.stfrancisxavierpanvel.in, GEM section. Click AOE-Nov. 15.
This Diwali is more about light than sound
By MiD DAY Correspondent , 11/11/2015
Diwali has turned out to be a bit of a damp squib for firecracker traders, who are complaining
about a 50 per cent slump in business this year. They have blamed this drop in sales on the
growing number of awareness campaigns against the adverse effects of bursting crackers. While
this may be a loss for the vendors, it is a triumph for activists and citizens who have long been
fighting against fireworks and the noise and air pollution they cause. Such ‘go green’ campaigns
might, at first, have been just fashionable phrases bandied about at cocktail parties, but they are
finally starting to show results. We see a marked drop in decibel levels this festive season, which
is a good thing for patients in hospitals or people convalescing at home. This points to greater
sensitisation of the public. Of course, rising inflation may have also affected sales. With food
prices spiralling, the middle class is finding budgets strained to breaking point. All across,
festivities have been muted and that may be one reason why cracker sales have been slow.
Having said that, one must add that even children are more aware of the dangers of crackers,
with campaigns reaching out to schools and colleges. One must commend the role of educational
institutions, which have reinforced the message that by saying no to noisy crackers, one does not
become a party pooper, but is simply being sensitive to a number of issues. Very importantly,
this has been backed by parents who are asking kids to go slow on the noisy bombs and make do
with lights and other aesthetics for celebrations. As a result, this Diwali is more about light than
sound.
Let us hope this awareness stretches to everyday things like less honking on our roads, and,
respect for the ban on loud music late in the night. A green Diwali should be the starting point
for a greener New Year.
To Infant Jesus High school staff and students, SCC KIDS
ECO CLUBS and parishioners of Infant Jesus church for your
involvement in the
GREEN DIWALI CAMPAIGN
Here is an opportunity for you train kids to be the
ECO WARRIERS of the future.
If you would like to start SCC wise KIDS ECO
CLUBS in your parish, visit –
www.stfrancisxavierpanvel.in, GEM section for
guidelines including invitation letter, feedback
report, suggested projects for the next 6 months
etc.
Goa (Sankali): Used milk packets feed Sakhali
school kids’ eco drive
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Used-milk-packets-feed-Sakhali-school-kids-ecodrive/articleshow/49375361.cms
PANAJI: While the state grapples with its garbage problem, environmentally-conscious students
in Goa's hinterland areas are actively working to remove plastic, albeit one type of the nonbiodegradable waste, from their neighbourhoods. Concerned about their surroundings, two
Class VII students, Rudraksh Kanekar and Yusuf Karol, of Progress High School, Sakhali,
together with their geography and Marathi teacher, Umesh Sarnaik, contacted Goa Dairy, aka
the Goa state cooperative milk producers' union, desperate for a solution.
The year was 2013 and the dairy informed them that it was launching a revised version of its
decade-old waste management scheme where one free milk packet is provided to anyone who
hands in 100 used milk packets. Under the revised version, the dairy had extended the scheme to
educational institutions.
Under the scheme, each educational institution opens an account with Goa Dairy and instead of
exchanging 100 used milk packets for one fresh milk packet, the equivalent money of the fresh
milk packet is credited to the account, giving the school the opportunity to have not only milk
but flavoured milk, paneer, shrikhand and other milk products worth the same value delivered
to the school during school hikes, sports day and annual gatherings.
Progress High School was the first to take the initiative in April 2013 and soon close to 120
educational institutions enthusiastically followed suit, opening accounts with Goa Dairy. Today,
only 50-odd educational institutions are regular in supplying used packets to the milk
cooperative. At Progress High School, all systems are in place to ensure that the project is a
success. Each class has a 'sub-in-charge' who collects packets from each student towards the end
of the month, recording how many each one has brought.
Kanekar and Karol coordinate the efforts of all the students and have been maintaining
meticulous records on their laptops right from the initiation of the project. The school collects
2,000 milk packets on an average each month. "We collect empty packets not only from our
homes but from our neighbours, relatives and nearby hotels. We have collected almost 27,000
milk packets till date and are happy that the project is growing," says Kanekar.
Karol adds that he doesn't mind the extra work of washing, drying and bundling the packets and
actually enjoys the entire process because "we're helping conserve our planet". He adds, "People
worry about keeping their own houses clean, but don't often take the initiative when it comes to
cleaning up their surroundings." Their teacher Sarnaik is proud of his students' efforts and is
amazed how serious they are about it. Goa Dairy supplies 85,000 litres of milk on an average to
the state each day, generating an average of 1,70,000 milk packets.
Under the scheme each student is given a target of bringing in 365 empty milk packets during
one academic year. The packets are then sent to scrap dealers. N C Sawant, managing director,
Goa Dairy, says the scheme helps inculcate good habits in children and teaches them the
importance of keeping their environment clean. "If more people are drawn to purchasing milk
from the milk cooperative because of this initiative, it will only help milk producers in the state,
including the mining-affected who have turned to dairy farming," he says.
With environmentally-conscious children like these, we can be rest assured of a cleaner, greener
future, he adds.
Mangaluru: Inspiring documentary film by Fr Nelson to be
released on Children's Day
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru
Mangaluru, Oct 28: St Joseph Seminary professor, Fr Nelson D'Almeida has produced a
unique documentary film titled 'My Country, My Life', an educative film for schools,
colleges and for every citizen of India. The documentary will be released on Children's Day,
November 14 at 9 am at St Agnes Higher Primary School.
The documentary film stresses on the importance of respecting the country and upholding
its dignity. The message is carried forward by a six-year-old child who is inspired by the
lesson taught by the teacher on keeping motherland India, clean and tidy. The child
addresses the issues in the school general assembly and later literally plunges into action.
She individually meets persons and creates awareness about respecting one's motherland.
Speaking to daijiworld, Fr Nelson said, "The documentary is made for two purposes. First,
it encourages children to build a respectful attitude towards the country. Secondly, it
conveys the message to each and every citizen of India to draw inspiration from the
powerful message given by a little child. The most impressive and the key role is played by
tiny tot Mahima Blessy along with 550 other little children. The two institutes, St Agnes
Institutions, Bendore and St Joseph Seminary, Jeppu have extended their total support in
the shooting of the film."
MLA JR Lobo will release the film and Msgr Denis Moras Prabhu will grace the occasion
while Fr Dr Joseph Martis, rector, St Joseph Seminary, Jeppu, Daijiworld founder Walter
Nandalike, Sr Maria Roopa, superior, St Agnes Convent, Bendore, and Sr Jyothi,
headmistress, St Agnes Higher Primary School, will be the guests at the programme.
Daijiworld 24x7 channel will telecast the film after its release.
Thick or thin, State to ban all plastic
Bengaluru: Oct 20, 2015, DHNS:
The State Cabinet on Tuesday decided to ban manufacture, sale and use of several
plastic items, like publicity materials and those used in functions, irrespective of their
thickness.
Thus, publicity materials like carry bags, banners, buntings, flags and flexes, and those used in
functions, like plates, thermocol cups and sheets used on dining tables, are slated to go off the
market. The Cabinet approved a draft notification that seeks to impose the ban under Section 5
of the Environment Protection Act. The Department of Environment, Forest and Ecology will
soon issue a notification inviting suggestions and objections from the public in this regard,
sources said.
However, exemption has been granted for manufacturing plastic materials for export. Briefing
reporters after the Cabinet meeting, Law Minister T B Jayachandra, however, said all plastic
materials with less than 40 micron thickness would be banned. The ban will come into effect
from the date the government issues an order in this regard. The minister did not mention the
draft notification banning plastic carry bags, flexes and buntings irrespective of their thickness,
which highly-placed sources confirmed would be issued soon. The minister said about 450
industries are involved in manufacture of plastic materials of below-40-micron thickness.
The move will not affect them as they can easily adopt technology to manufacture goods above
40 microns, he added. The Cabinet also decided to abolish trade licence issued by local bodies,
fulfilling the long-standing demand of the industry. This applies to small, medium and large-scale
industries. Appropriate amendments will be brought to the Karnataka Municipal Corporation Act
and the Karnataka Municipality Act to facilitate the change. The Cabinet decision has come
ahead of the global investors meet “Invest Karnataka 2016” scheduled for February.
Mangaluru: Green Tribunal stays work on new DC
office
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)
Mangaluru, Oct 22: National Green Tribunal has issued stay order against undertaking
works on the new office of the district deputy commissioner that has been planned to be
built on forest department land at Padil in the city outskirts.
A decision to build the district deputy commissioner's office complex at the land belonging
to Karnataka Forest Development Corporation at Padil had been taken after several rounds
of meetings District in-charge and forest minister, B Ramanath Rai, had given his nod for
this proposal. The state government had released Rs 41 crore for the purpose, and the
responsibility to construct a five-storied building at the spot was given to Karnataka State
Housing Board. The forest department had given its permission for the clearance of trees
standing at the spot.
Environmentalists have been saying that this spot houses some of the rarest bio diversity,
with 478 trees standing here. It has also been home to foxes, civet cats, peacocks, and
iguana among others. Moreover, six breeds of frogs, which are considered very rare, have
also been found here, they argue.
Even as the Housing Board geared up for the task by inviting tenders, Daniel Tauro and
Suma Nayak had approached the High Court against the project, but their petitions were
dismissed for various reasons. Suma Nayak then filed petition in National Green Tribunal,
and secured stay order on September 30. Nayak said that the stay order will continue in
operation till the deputy commissioner, who has been named as defendant, furnishes reply
to the notice.
Improve solid waste management or face action, 184 civic
bodies told
Vishwa Mohan, TNN | Oct 21, 2015
NEW DELHI: Taking note of its internal report which showed severe negligence on part of municipal
bodies in managing solid waste, the central pollution watchdog has issued notices to civic authorities of
184 cities/towns across the country asking them to pull up their socks or face action. Besides, the
environment ministry has decided to depute 20 joint secretary-level officers to undertake assessment and
periodic review of all 43 Critically Polluted Areas (CPAs) - mainly industrial clusters -- across the
country to see whether the central action plan is being properly implemented or not to minimize the
impact of pollution.
The country's CPAs include Delhi's Najafgarh drain basin area, Faridabad, Panipat, Ghaziabad, Noida,
Agra, Kanpur, Korba, Ahmedabad, Ankleshwar, Bhavnagar, Vapi, Vatva, Dhanbad, Mangalore, Greater
Kochi, Indore, Chandrapur, Navi Mumbai, Chandrapur, Tarapur, Angul Talchar, Ludhiana, Bhiwadi, Pali,
Jodhpur, Visakhapatnam, Asansol and Haldia among others.
At present, seven of these CPAs come under a moratorium on consideration of any developmental project
for environmental clearance. These include Ankleshwar and Vatva (Gujarat), Chandrapur (Maharashtra),
Pali and Jodhpur (Rajasthan), Vellore (Tamil Nadu) and Najafgarh drain basin (Delhi).
Under the notices to civic authorities, municipal commissioners have been asked to complete all civic
formalities and "seek consent" under the Water Act within 60 days to set up sewage and solid waste
management facilities. "Once they finalize the plan and get the required consent in two months, the Centre
will pitch in to help the state in setting up these facilities in a time-bound manner," an environment
ministry official said. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), in its notices, also asked civic bodies
to statutorily comply with provisions of the Water Pollution Control Act and rules relating to Municipal
Solid Waste Management. "These directions under the Act are statutory and non-compliance of these
directives will attract legal proceedings under the law," it said.
If the local officers fail to adhere to dos and don'ts under the existing laws and dither on complying with
the notices of the central pollution watchdog, they will be deemed to be guilty under the Water Act and
the Environment Protection Act and will be liable to be proceeded against in a court of law. "An officer
will, however, not be liable to any punishment if he/she proves that the offence was committed without
his/her knowledge or that he/she exercised all due diligence to prevent the commission of such offence,"
the official said while explaining the action which may be taken against erring officers. The CPCB swung
into action after it observed that waste dumped unscientifically into landfills was causing serious
environmental damage including water and air pollution. It also noted that majority of the civic authorities
did not have a systematic, time-bound action plan for management of municipal work.
Highlighting these action, environment and forest minister Prakash Javadekar on Tuesday said the
'Swachh Bharat' campaign could not happen without the wholehearted participation of municipal/civic
corporations and gram panchayats. "We are finalizing Waste Management Rules and will be publishing
these Rules by the year-end. Our inspection has brought to the fore a dismal picture of negligence by
some municipalities towards municipal Solid Waste Management," Javadekar said in a statement. On
critically polluted areas, the minister said, "We have provided transparent processes, done away with
delays and enabled ease of doing business for responsible businesses. Now, our thrust will be on
compliance."
Issuing notices to civic authorities of 184 towns, the CPCB rued that the municipal authorities have not
given due attention for ensuring proper management of domestic sewage and municipal Solid Waste. "The
sewage is disposed off into rivers, lakes or allowed to seep into the groundwater. This has resulted in
worsening of groundwater quality and caused many water-borne diseases", it said. Accordingly, the
pollution watchdog directed the civic authorities not to dispose off untreated sewage into the river or any
water bodies and set up set up Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) of adequate capacity and provide
sewerage system to cover the entire urban areas.
The municipal authorities have also been asked to submit a time-bound action plan for proper collection,
treatment and disposal of sewage. "Such plan shall be submitted by the municipal authority to the state
pollution control board (SPCB) with copy to the CPCB within a period of 90 days", it said.
MoEF issues stricter norms for controlling pollution
from slaughterhouses
Wednesday, 21 October 2015
At a time when conflicts over beef, cow slaughter and meat exports are on the rise, the ministry
of environment, forests and climate change (MoEF&CC) has brought out fresh norms to
tightenpollution generated in slaughterhousesacross the country. There are around 4,000
authorised abattoirs in the country but it is the unorganised sector that generates the maximum
pollution, said officials of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
Although, there is no official count of the unauthorised abattoirs, ministry officials said that they
may number more than 30,000. CPCB officials also said that it is the responsibility of civic
bodies to manage solid waste and liquid waste scientifically who more often than not dump the
organic solid waste from slaughterhouses into landfills. "The large professional slaughter houses
are not a problem. The medium and small enterprises are the ones not adhering to norms. Also,
each major city has slaughterhouses that have now aged and the waste disposal is outdated,"
said a senior CPCB official requesting anonymity.
Slaughterhouses fall in the 'B' category of projects as per the environment impact assessment
notification and thus only require state clearances. But according to some ministry officials, they
may soon require a clearance from Centre too. Though the Central Pollution Control Board
(CPCB) already has norms in place to regulate this industry, its officials said that stricter norms
and adoption of new technology is the need of the day.
The new norms have laid down effluent parameters and standards dividing them into two
categories based on the size of the slaughter house. Large slaughterhouses and meat
processing units slaughtering more than 200 large animals or more than 1,000 small animals
have to meet stricter norms compared to the medium and small slaughterhouses. The slaughter
houses also have to ensure scientific disposal of organic waste matter using approved
technology.
Organic matter such as rumen, intestinal contents, meat trimming and inedible meat is largely
left to rot and also causes diseases around landfills and near water bodies.
"The issue of pollution from slaughterhouses needs to attended to urgently as enforcement of
norms has been poor. The effluents from this industry are either entering the groundwater or
directly draining into water bodies," the CPCB official added.
Sugar mills barred from discharging waste in Ganga
TNN | Oct 20, 2015,
BIJNOR: To curb pollution in the Ganga, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has
ordered that sugar mill owners should stop dumping waste into the river or its tributaries. Just
before the commencement of the crushing season, the CPCB has passed instructions to the State
Pollution Control Board, Lucknow, to issue notices to 119 owners of sugar mills situated along
the Ganga in the state. Of these, nine mills are located in Bijnor district. The mill owners have
also been directed to use water for irrigation instead of dumping waste it into the river.
The state ground water department's data of last year shows that groundwater levels in 820
development blocks were 'diminishing'. Of these 820 blocks, 111 are 'over-exploited', 68 'critical'
and 82 in 'semi-critical' state. The state government has also directed the DMs of 75 districts to
take action on the groundwater crisis. The CPCB decision is being seen as one taken in the
backdrop of this report.
Giving information, regional PCB officer Ashok Tiwari said, "There are 119 sugar mills in the
state and they discharge waste water during the crushing season. The CPCB order directs sugar
mills to utilize waste water for irrigation instead of disposing it off in the river. Mills have also
been asked to install cooling towers. The water discharged by mills is warm. They have been
asked to use cooling towers to cool the water. These towers also serve as waste water treatment
units." He further added, "We will conduct online monitoring of these sugar mills. Web cameras
will be installed at these units so that we can closely monitor their work." The crushing season
lasts from November to April, during which water is continuously disposed of into the rivers.
Stating that water discharged from sugar mills was not harmful for crops, Bijnor district cane
officer OP Singh added, "It's not harmful but it has to be treated properly. This water contains
zinc, copper, sulphur, iron, nitrogen and phosphorous. These elements do not harm the ground
but can pollute the river." Regional PCB officer Tiwari added, "The DM issued instructions to all
officials concerned after the order was released. The CPCB sent this order to the state
government on September 26 and earlier this week, the government issued circulars to all DMs
concerned."
He said a team comprising the SDM, tehsildar and members of the state Pollution Control Board
had been set up to conduct checks on sugar mills. "These teams will conduct checks on sugar
mills before crushing begins," he added.
Meanwhile, sources told TOI that mill owners seemed worried about the new orders as any
further delay in crushing could cause them huge losses.
National Green Tribunal tribunal sends notice to Larsen & Toubro
Oct 20, 2015 | , Age Correspondent
New Delhi: Heeding to the plea of an environment activist who moved the National Green Tribunal
against the operation of concrete-manufacturing plant on Yamuna floodplains, the green panel has sought
a response from an engineering and construction major on the issue. A bench, headed by NGT
chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar, issued a notice to Larsen & Toubro which is carrying out the
extension of the third phase of Barapullah Elevated Road across the Yamuna. Advocate Kush Sharma,
appearing for Delhi Development Authority (DDA), told the bench that the allotment for the batching
plant near Sarai Kale Khan was done as per the tribunal’s order. “One of the sub-groups of the principal
committee, constituted by the tribunal, comprising the landscape officer and the chief engineer (EZ) of
DDA had visited the site in question. “After noting the violations (blocking the flow of Yamuna) by the
batching plants, DDA wrote to the public works department and the project proponent in this regard.
We were assured that the needful ould be done,” Mr Sharma said. The matter is listed for next hearing on
October 30.
Manoj Mishra of Yamuna Jiye Abhiyaan had alleged that the firm has violated the green panel’s order
which had prohibited any kind of construction activity on the flood plains on the river. The plea had
sought a stay and imposition of fine on the ongoing constructions on the floodplains that had taken place
on the riverbed in violation of the Tribunal’s January 13 judgment.
“Despite the clear direction of this Tribunal barring any new construction (temporary or permanent) in the
floodplain of the Yamuna, the activities of leveling of the flood plain and operation of batching plants
are going on opposite Mayur Vihar Phase I in the east bank and opposite Sarai Kale Khan in West Bank
respectively, by private parties,” the plea, filed through advocate Rahul Choudhary, had said. Misra had
alleged that the DDA and the U P irrigation department have allotted land in the Yamuna floodplains,
opposite Sarai Kale Khan on west bank and opposite Mayur Vihar Phase-I on east bank, to private parties
in violation of the Tribunal’s order.
“On September 18, during the meeting held in the Chambers of the Chairman of the Principal Committee,
set up to review the progress made by the DDA in implementation of the NGT orders, the matter
was again brought to the attention of the Chairman. “It is brought to the attention of this Tribunal that
during the meeting, the DDA agreed that it had made the allotment to M/s Larsen & Toubro. It is further
brought to the attention of this Tribunal that the UP Irrigation Department, however, reported that the
said construction work was going on without any allotment or approval,” the plea said.
Mishra had said that he also noticed dumping of soil on the river bed along the alignment of the proposed
phase III extension of the Barapula elevated road across the river from Ring Road to Mayur Vihar here.
“The planned elevated bridge-cum-road would irreversibly change the drainage pattern of the river bed
and inhibit the free flow of the river,” Mishra has said.
The Tribunal had on January 13 banned dumping of construction material into Yamuna while imposing a
fine of Rs 50,000 on violators and also restrained real estate developers from carrying out any
construction work.
Her diary: A day in the life of a cow in Noida, Uttar
Pradesh...A must read
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/her-diary-a-day-in-the-life-of-a-cow-in-noida-uttar-pradesh/
She is now the subject of intense debates and analyses. But this red-skinned bovine with a
snipped off tail isn’t listening. She is just eating – at garbage dumps, at the homes of villagers.
The cow is hungry. Very hungry. At 1.30 pm, her lunch spread is a garbage dump off a busy
street in Sector 22, Noida. Her head bent, she sniffs and sifts through the heap of middle-class
discard — emptied packets of Tata salt, Haldiram chips, and Ashirwad aata, sullied pillow
covers and torn jeans — and nibbles on chappatis, leaves and rotten vegetables.
She shares her lunch with a group of dogs who also rummage through the dump. But while the
dogs are edgy, looking up every time a human or a vehicle passes by, the cow’s focus on her
food is unwavering. Neither a sudden brawl that erupts among the dogs nor the cacophony of
the honking vehicles distracts her.
“Look at the bell around her neck. She is not awaara (stray), has to be paaltu (domesticated),”
says Baleshwar, who runs a cement store near the dump. “People milk cows, but don’t feed
them. The owners, after milking them in the morning, let them wander the streets to feed on
trash. In the evening, some 12-15 cows crowd this dump,” he says. Cows, he adds, “never lose
their way and return to their owners at sunset, when it’s time to milk them”. Suraj, a scavenger,
stops his cart and takes out his gunnybag, stuffing it with polythene bags from the dump. “I visit
20 dumps a day. There are cows at each one of them,” he says.
A large, shining yellow bulldozer arrives at the dump. As the machine pushes forward with its
clawed shovel, the startled cow jumps back. She walks away, but brushes past an electrician
repairing cables fixed to a pole. Irked, he hits the cow with the tester he is holding. It’s 2.30
pm and the bulldozer has blocked the road, causing a traffic snarl. The cow, meanwhile,
saunters past small shops, stopping by a tiny mound of cement. She sniffs it, realises there is no
food, and walks on.
Gandhi Smarak High School, down the same road, seems to be familiar territory. She walks
through its gates. Ram Deen, the chowkidaar, shouts, “Nikal (get out)”, but she wriggles her way
in. Inside, a lush park is the cow’s pasture. But her joy barely lasts 10 minutes as Ram Deen
comes running with an iron rod. As the cow gallops out, he says, “She comes here very often.
She has brought down banana plants and broken flower pots.”
The cow walks on till it finds a garbage dump near a bus stop. After feeding on it for about 20
minutes, it seems she has had her fill. She sits down and begins chewing the cud, flapping her
ears, occasionally shutting her eyes. Naresh, a vendor from the vegetable market across the
road, throws a bunch of leaves in front of her and onion peels a few metres away. “The cow
doesn’t eat the peels,” he says. The cow, however, ignores the leaves and walks straight up to
the peels.
Anil Vashisht, a carpenter who runs a shop nearby, says, “Cows are so used to eating trash,
they ignore the greens.” As someone who also owns a cattle shed, Vashist knows a thing or two
about cows. He strides up to her, examines her and points out, “See, she is not able to move
her right hind foot properly. And look at her tail. It’s half cut.”
The cow sits down again for an hour-long round of chewing, her smooth red-brown skin
glistening in the sun. A bull brushes past the cow. She promptly gets up and walks straight past
him. Spurned, the bull begins feeding on the trash. The cow then takes a lane leading to Chaura
Ragnathpur village. For the next two hours, she walks down the narrow alleys of the village,
sniffing at anything that comes her way — bricks, crumpled paper, even sand. As she gets too
close to Amritsari Naan corner, a small, unmanned shack, a villager clucks in disapproval, then
slaps her from behind, saying, “Chal, hat (move away)”.
That’s a phrase that gets hurled at her every few minutes — when she tries to graze on some
fodder in the courtyard of a house and when she gets curious about the noodles that a few girls
are snacking on at a stall. A few more blows rain down on her but she walks on, unruffled.
“Chal, hat,” snarls a young man at whose house she decides to make a halt. When she doesn’t
budge, he wields a mop to shoo her away. Some, like a group of women huddled in a lane, are
kinder. As the cow walks past them, they stroke her back. “She wanders here often. We feed
her cauliflower,” says one of them.
In this village of mostly Pandits and Gujjars, nobody knows who owns the cow. Some say a
“Chauhan” who doesn’t live in the village owns her. Others say she “belongs to the garbage
dump where she will return at the end of the day”. The cow strays into almost every home in the
village, standing across the thresholds. At one of the homes, a girl feeds her mounds of atta and
then some chappatis, all the while stroking her forehead. Ten minutes later, the cow still isn’t
done and the girl gets impatient. “Chal, hat,” she says and slaps the cow’s back.
The cow now makes her way to a cow shed at the end of a lane. Three cows and a calf are tied
inside. The cow rubs her face against that of the calf, ignoring the fodder around, as if just glad
to be among her ilk. The owner is not at home. Villagers say the cow doesn’t belong to this
shed. Durga Devi, a villager, sits down to chat. “Cow are a lot like humans,” she says. “Like a
mother’s breasts ache when they are full of milk, so do a cow’s udders. Look, her udders are
swelling up, it’s time for it to return to her owner,” she says.
But the cow saunters for another half hour through the village. The sun has long set, but her
home is nowhere in sight. At 7 pm, the sky now inky black, the cow sits down in an empty plot,
chewing her cud again. “Probably her owner doesn’t want her anymore,” says an onlooker.
Saddled with old cattle, farmers abandon them
TNN | Nov 18, 2015
Farmers in Maharashtra and Haryana are increasingly abandoning their unproductive cattle they earlier
sold to buy new livestock. This, after their states promulgated the beef ban and right-wing groups got
active to save the 'gauvansh'. Kishore Tiwari, director of Vasant rao Naik Shetkari Swavlamban Mission
(VNSSM), a Maharashtra governmenT think tank on farmers' issue, concedes the ban has put farmers in
a fix. "Unless the old pair is sold, the farmer doesn' have money for a new one. Maintenance of
unproductive cattle is an issue."
An indicator of the shift was this year's Pola festival in Maharashtra, a traditional event where bullocks
are worshipped. "I observed a clear fall in the number of animals brought for dis play. Many farmers
couldn't buy new pairs," Tiwari says. Tiwari was appointed VNSSM director by the Devendra Fadnavis
government, which extended the beef ban to cover bulls and bullocks.
Sarpanch of Bembli in Osmanbad district Balasaheb Kanse explains the farmers' predicament. "We can
neither sell nor maintain our livestock. If an animal dies, we have pay Rs 2,500 to Rs 3,000 to bury the
carcass. People somehow get water to drink, but getting water for cattle is tougher," says Kanse. The
situation is no different in other states. In UP's Bundelkhand, a third consecutive crop failure has forced
farmers to return to the custom of 'anna pratha' -abandoning family bovines at the state borders. The
state government and VHP have incentives to discourage farmers from following this tradition.
The stray cattle problem has increased the load on gaushalas which now struggle to tackle the increased
load. "We can't bear the additional burden. Gaushalas are run on donations. We don't get any
government assistance and have limitations. The government needs to give assistance," says Ramprasad
Lakhotiya, trustee of Guru Ganesh Go Raksha Samiti, Latur, adding that Rs 100 is the minimum needed
every day for a cow's upkeep.
Losses on running shelter homes for bovines notwithstanding, gaushalas across the country are united
on saving cows from slaughter. Dharam Raj Ranka, involved with the Satyam Shivam Sundaram Gau
Seva Kendra, the biggest of Hyderabad's 45 gaushalas, says: "This is an abode for more than 5,000 cows
and calves. Most of them were rescued while on their way to illegal slaughter houses," he says.
INDIA : “Silence and prayer for the victims of Paris at
Eucharistic Congress” Card. Gracias
by Nirmala Carvalho Mumbai (AsiaNews)
Cardinals, bishops and participants in the National Eucharistic Congress (NEC), being held
in Mumbai (India), observed a minute of silence and prayed for the victims of the terrorist
attack last night in Paris, where about 130 people are believed to have died. Addressing
those present, Cardinal Oswald Gracias, Archbishop of Mumbai, said: "The participants in
the NEC observe a moment of silent prayer - ours is a cry to God that rises from deep in
the silence - to commemorate the victims of the tragic events that have taken place at this
time in Paris." Speaking of the tragedy, Cardinal Gracias said that "innocent victims have
been brutally torn from us by a senseless violence."
Our hearts, adds the cardinal, "cry out to the Lord Jesus" to "give comfort" to victims'
families, friends and the entire nation for an act that is "a heinous crime against
humanity." "We, the participants in the Eucharistic Congress - says Cardinal Gracias called to be bread for others, pray in solidarity" with the dead and their loved ones and ask
Jesus Christ "to turn our lives into a haven of peace and fraternity" . And through the
intercession of the Virgin Mary, he adds, "we become a piece of bread of life that Jesus,
your son, has broken for a new world".
This afternoon, announced the cardinal, the Eucharistic Congress delegates will participate
in a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady; along the way, they will be praying the rosary in
memory of the victims so that through Mary’s intercession “a culture of love, forgiveness
and reconciliation can be instilled, for which Jesus came among us." The archbishop of
Mumbai concluded “we ask Jesus that the Eucharist is a source of renewed hope and
momentum to push back with renewed force the ways of hatred and violence."
Church’s new medical college all set for launch
By Santosh Digal, Ranchi (Matters India via CNUA)
Stage is set for the inauguration of a new medical college under the Catholic Bishops’
Conference of India in Jharkhand, eastern India. Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das
will be the chief guest at the inauguration of the Constant Lievens Academy of Health
Sciences and Hospital at Mandar, near the state capital of Ranchi, on November 7. Political
and social leaders, besides top Church dignitaries in India, will attend the function to be
held at Holy Family Hospital, Mandar, says a note from Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas,
chairperson of the college’s executive committee. The ceremonies include Mass at 10 am
followed by inauguration of the college and cultural programs. The medical college aims to
take healthcare to a predominantly tribal region. It has come up after several initial
hiccups.
Earlier in an interview CBCI president Cardinal Baselios Cleemis described the medical
college as the “long cherished brainchild project” of the conference. He also said the
conference would seek the help of the Medical Mission Sisters (MMS), the North Eastern
Province of MSFS (the Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales, also known as the Fransalians)
and the Archdiocese of Ranchi to manage the project.
Fransalian Father Biju Kanichery, project director and CBCI Society for Medical EducationNorth India, said the project has gone through “a rather painful and discouraging” patch.
“But after a lot of hard work and efforts from many quarters things can now be speeded up
with the support of many,” he added. The priest said the project would be “a solace” to the
suffering people in India’s tribal heartland. “In the first phase of the project, infra-structure
for a 500-bed hospital and the medical college, nursing college, hostel facilities and other
ancillary units, are to be constructed,” the priest explained.
The new venture envisages holistic health for everyone, especially for tribal people and
other marginalized groups. The college’s mission statement says the project would create
“a seat of excellence in medical education” that would provide quality medical care and
prepare medical professionals who would cater to the health needs especially of the remote
neglected rural populations of the nation. It strives to offer continued compassionate care,
foster a high-spirited, collaborative team; educate future healthcare professional imbibed
with value. It would also provide state of art health service and combat local illness and
disease. Through discovery and innovation it would lead the nation in quality outcome and
patient safety.
The college is patterned on the CBCI’s first such attempt — St. John’s Medical College
Bangalore. The new project emerged from the CBCI General Body meeting held in
Jamshedpur, a major city in Jharkhand, in 2008. India has at least 176 government
medical colleges and 206 private medical colleges. As southern India has largest
concentration of medical colleges, large number of students from northern India goes there
for medical education.
Some 26.30 percent of Jharkhand’s population is tribal, which includes nine primitive tribes
whose literacy rate is less than 10 percent. The state was carved out of Bihar in 2000
mainly to focus the advancement of tribal people. The state contributes nearly 40 percent
of total mineral production in India, with 48 percent of coal, 48 percent of bauxite, 45
percent of mica, 90 percent of apatite, and 100 percent of kyanite. However, the state is
among the backward regions in the country. Industrialization and urbanization in
Jharkhand has displaced 2.5 million people, 40 percent of them tribal. Nearly 12.5 percent
households in the state are in the grip of severe food insufficiency as against the national
average of 2.3 percent. Some 43.96 percent of people are below the poverty line.
Nearly 80 percent child birth takes place at home. Maternal mortality is high at 371 for
100,000 live births. As many as 45 percent women have reproductive health problems and
30 percent complain of reproductive tract infections. Some 70 percent of women in
Jharkhand are anemic. Among pregnant women, only 38 percent receive antenatal care.
The infant mortality rate in the state is as high as 69 deaths 1,000 live births. Some 60
percent of infant deaths are neo-natal. Only 52 percent children are fully immunized. Some
78 percent of children are anemic and 59 percent below three years of age are
underweight.
More than 60,000 deaths occur every year due to tuberculosis in Jharkhand. Prevalence of
leprosy is 10 per 10,000. HIV and AIDS pose another rising threat. The state has only
3,958 health sub-centers whereas the requirement is of 6,043. Among the sub-centers,
only 1,736 have their own building, according to Bulletin of Rural Health Statistics in India
2012, released by the federal Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Jharkhand also suffers
from an acute shortage of healthcare personnel. The existing 194 community health
centers have only 22 physicians, 61 gynecologists and 19 pediatricians.
The proposed medical college is the Church’s response to this situation, the director said.
It is named after Jesuit Father Constant Lievens, who is revered as the apostle of
Chotanagapur. He came to the region in 1885, at least 40 years after the first Christian
missionaries – Lutherans — landed in Jharkhand. Anglicans came in 1868 and Catholics a
year later.
Father Lievens endeared himself to the tribal people fighting their land cases. The Belgian
missioner is now a Servant of God, the first in the four-stage canonization process. Fr.
John Baptist Hoffmann, another Jesuit, was the brain behind the enactment of the
Chotanagpur Tenancy Act, 1908, to prevent tribal land alienation. In 1909 he started the
Catholic Cooperative Credit Society, which became the backbone of the tribal community’s
economic life. Missionaries thereafter have continued working for the all round
development of the tribal, the poor, marginalized and neglected.
UCAN reporter recognized with environmental journalism
award
Story explores how an indigenous community embraced ecotourism to protect
ancestral forests
The Asian Environmental Journalism Awards has honored ucanews.com reporter Ryan
Dagur for his story examining an indigenous community's ecotourism plans in a remote
part of Indonesia.
Ryan Dagur, 4th from right
Ryan's entry was declared a Merit Winner in the Story of the Year category. Officials at the
award ceremony this week commended the story for promoting an indigenous community's
traditional wisdom in protecting forests, in place of local governments that fail to do so.
Ryan's story, "Indigenous turn to ecotourism to protect ancestral forests," explores how a
largely Catholic indigenous community in a remote part of Indonesia's West Kalimantan
has turned to ecotourism — to avoid the fate of its neighbors.
In the Story of the Year category, Ryan's entry was competing among 76 journalists from
21 different countries across the region. The winner was Zsombor Peter, a reporter
with The Cambodia Daily in Phnom Penh.
HOLY FATHER : The Bible can change your
life. Now read it!
Vatican City, Oct 23, 2015 (CNA/EWTN News via CNUA)
The Bible is so dangerous that some Christians risk persecution to have one. But for Pope
Francis, its life-changing role in daily life is important too. “The Bible is not meant to be placed
on a shelf, but to be in your hands, to read often – every day, both on your own and together
with others,” he wrote in the prologue to a Bible for youth in Germany. He encouraged young
people to read the Bible together the way they play sports or go shopping together. “Why not
read the Bible together as well – two, three, or four of you? In nature, in the woods, on the
beach, at night in the glow of a few candles … you will have a great experience!” “Read with
attention! Do not stay on the surface as if reading a comic book! Never just skim the Word of
God!” he exhorted, according to a translation by the news site Aleteia.
The Pope encouraged young people to ask what God says to them through the Bible. “Has he
touched me in the depths of my longing? What should I do?” he encouraged them to ask. “Only
in this way can the force of the Word of God unfold. Only in this way can it change our lives,
making them great and beautiful.” The Pope’s comments come in the prologue to the German
edition of the YouCat Bible. The youth Bible is from the makers of the YouCat catechism for
youth.
The new Bible edition includes the text of the Bible packaged in a modern layout with a
storyline, line drawings, and color photographs accompanied by explanations and quotations.
The YouCat Bible was proved popular at the Frankfurt Book Fair. Fifteen publishers from
countries including the U.S., Poland, and Argentina signed agreements to publish the Bible.
Bernhard Meuser, project manager at YouCat, said the youth Bible is among the top ten most
valuable licenses at the book fair. YouCat has printed six million copies of its youth catechism,
published in 2011. The catechism is now available in 39 languages.
In the prologue to the YouCat Bible, Pope Francis reflected on his own much-used Bible. “If you
could see my Bible, you would not be particularly impressed,” he said. “What – that’s the Pope’s
Bible? Such an old, worn-out book!” But he would not trade it for a new one. “I love my old
Bible, which has accompanied me half my life. It has been with me in my times of joy and times
of tears. It is my most precious treasure,” he said. “I live out of it, and I wouldn’t give anything in
the world for it.”
Pope Francis praised the new Youth Bible for its testimonies from saints and young people. “It is
so inviting that when you start to read at the beginning, you can’t stop until the last page,” he
said. He encouraged readers not to let the Bible disappear on a shelf and collect dust. “There are
more persecuted Christians in the world today than in the early days of the Church. And why are
they persecuted? They are persecuted because they wear a cross and bear witness to Jesus. They
are convicted because they own a Bible,” he said.
The Pope described the Bible as a “highly dangerous book.” Some countries treat someone with a
Bible “as if you were hiding hand grenades in your closet.” He questioned whether the Bible can
be just a piece of literature or a collection of old stories, given how many Christians are
persecuted for it. “By the word of God has Light come into the world, and it will never go out,” he
said.
Pope Francis also recounted his own Bible reading habits. “Often I read a little and then put it
away and contemplate the Lord. Not that I see the Lord, but he looks at me. He’s there. I let
myself look at him. And I feel—this is not sentimentality—I feel deeply the things that the Lord
tells me,” the Pope said. “Sometimes he does not speak. I then feel nothing, only emptiness,
emptiness, emptiness…. But I remain patiently, and so I wait, reading and praying.” The Pope
said that sometimes he falls asleep while praying. “But it does not matter. I’m like a son with the
father, and that is what’s important.”
WANTED HELPING HANDS- Courtesy: Daijiworld.com
For more appeals visit – www.daijiworld.com - charity
Sajith K P(40), House No. 4-10, Marakada, Bondel, Mangalore
Tuesday, November 03, 2015
Sajith K P(40), S/o late Sadananda, House No. 4-10, Marakada, Bondel, Mangalore is a known case
of Recurrent GCT left Proximal Femur. He has undergone Major Tumor Excision surgical procedure
on October 15, 2015 which cost Rs 12,00,000/- approximately including implant.
Sajith belongs to very poor family. He does not have a regular job. There are no sources of income
for him or members of his family. None in his family is in a position to extend helping hand. His
father has passed away and his mother has old age related illnesses. His wife works in the house
and his earnings were the only source of income in the family.
He has spent for his medical expenses by selling gold ornaments belonging to the members of the
family and borrowing loan from his friends. He has pleaded for monetary help from kind people for
his medical treatment and to tide over the situation.
Your kind remittances may please be sent to the following bank account:
Bank Account No.: 10141215467
Name of the Account Holder: K P Sajith
Bank: State Bank of India,
Shree Krishna Prasad Complex, Lalbaug, Mangaluru.
Bank IFSC Code: SBIN0004928
CIF No.: 80111080713
Telephone No.: 7259715756
Parpetin D'Souza (43),Mundalli Church Road,Bhatkal taluk.
Monday, October 26, 2015
Parpetin D'Souza (43), wife of Sebastian D'Souza, residing at Mundalli Church Road, Bhatkal
taluk, has been suffering from chronic kidney disease, as certified by Father Muller Medical College
Hospital, Mangalore. The hospital has prescribed lifelong renal replacement therapy in the form of
Haemodialysis twice a week to address this condition.
The hospital has estimated that annually Rs 2,40,000 would be required for this treatment,
excluding cost of medicines and investigations. Parpetin belongs to a very poor family, and her
husband works as a daily wager. She has three children, all of whom are studying. Finding no other
source to fall back on for getting this treatment, the lady has approached the philanthropists with
the hope that interested donors will extend her possible help.
Bank account details:
SB account number: 03052200098662
Melchiour Sebastian D'Souza
S/o Sebastian D'Souza
Syndicate Bank, near Shamsuddin Circle,
Bandar Road,Bhatkal Branch,
Bhatkal – 581 320.
IFSC:SYNB0000305
Phone: 91 81054 43064
Published by Fr Felix Rebello
c/o Infant Jesus Church, Jogeshwari
Mob. 9819688630, Email:frfelixrebello@gmail.com, gemenewsletter@gmail.com
website: www.stfrancisxavierpanvel.in
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