Even after living or residing in a city, a person can start his or her business in agriculture industry and it is sustainable also. The business will provide food into the busy and populated areas and cities. Urban Farming.
WHAT IS URBAN FARMING?
In simple terms Urban farming is the process of producing or cultivating food inside the city limits. This business has both pros and cons. This business faces challenges but it also offers many benefits to the city, like increased food security, decreased waste, community involvement and many more. Urban Farming is also known as Urban Gardening or Urban Agriculture and it means the practice of cultivating, processing and distributing food in and around cities or towns or urban areas. It involves animal husbandry. bee keeping, horticulture, aquaculture etc.
NEED OF URBAN FARMING:
Provide Food to the growing population
Reduce pressure on the traditional methods of cultivation
Help improve Quality of Life
Reduce Food Security
Reduce Environmental Impact
Help improve the landscape of the city
TYPES OF URBAN FARMING
Urban Farming is of many types, like: Street Landscaping, Tactical Gardening, Backyard Gardens etc.
VERTICAL FARMING
Backyard Gardens: It generally means growing food in the property of a home and sharing it with family, friends or neighbors.
Street Landscaping: Improving the landscape of the streets with the help of living street design or community gardens etc.
Tactical Gardens: Utilizing small spaces available in a practical way (that doesn’t involve much expenses). Ex: Keyhole Garden which replace parking spot in streets.
Forest Gardening: Gardens in urban forests including crops, fruits or herbs or nuts and even vegetables.
ROOFTOP GARDENS: Using spaces of roof for growing food. This method helps in reducing Urban Heat Island effect and help in improving the quality of air.
Green Walls : Using the space on internal and external walls to grow food.
Vertical Farms: Planting or cultivating vertically for reducing the usage of land and land footprint of agriculture.
Animal Husbandry: Raising animals for food and cities also allow residents to raise a limited number of such animals.
Urban Beekeeping: It is a very common hobby and has many benefits for the local environment.
Aquaponics: Raising aquatic animals such as fish etc. and in urban areas this can be done by capturing storm water and creating self sustaining system.
ROOFTOP FARMING
IMPORTANCE OF URBAN FARMING:
Urban Farming is an essential part of urban ecological and urban ecosystem and helps in improving the sustainability of the area. It plays an important role in Urban management system . A growing city will produce large number and amount of waste and urban agriculture acts like a solution for solving this issues by turning urban wastes into productive resource system. It helps in bringing original and nurtitious food to the local communities which has many direct health benefits. It reduces the risk of harmful conditions and vulnerability to get exposed to different chemicals used for increasing the longevity of the food and fruits.
The mountains show the raw beauty of nature, extreme calmness and offer so much more than you can imagine. Feel the sun on your face and back and enjoy the cast number of activities provided by the mountains…. It can be canoeing or hiking or climbing or fishing etc. which will never make you regret your decision to travel the mountains. Go and Retreat on your next vacation.
REASONS TO TRAVEL MOUNTAINS :
Health Benefits: Travel to mountains can be very therapeutic with the miles stretching greenery and beautiful sounds of birds.
Finding Peace: Mountains help you find your inner peace in life and give the opportunity to discover and explore the beauty of nature.
Mesmerizing Beauty: The terrain is rough and reaching some places can be tough but you will get to feel that because you will be mesmerized with the beauty of the mountains. This beauty helps in healing, giving peace and a whole pure feeling.
Tranquility and Peace: People head to mountains when they need some peace and space. The mountains take you to a uncomplicated lifestyle. 10 minutes of meditation can heal your soul and give the peace that you want.
Pure Air: One of the best things about mountains is the pure air which you won’t find anywhere else. Take a deep breathe and feel it immediately. You will get to know and feel the difference. You will surely miss this fresh air once you return to the city life.
Adventures: Mountains offer a range of adventures which will add better experiences to your trip. And hiking is one of the best and most amazing adventures to do in mountains.
Welcoming Nature of the People: The people of the mountains welcome you with a warm smile and everyone you meet in the mountains will be very polite and helpful. You will not feel like a stranger there.
Disconnect:Mountains give you the perfect chance to escape from the chaotic lifestyle and everyday rush. It is important for everyone to take a break and enjoy their life with a free time.
Build Relationships: Travelling to mountains give a great time to spend with your family and friends. Mountains offer many activities and adventures which can be done in groups and here you can do them with your family and friends and even other travelers which gives you an opportunity to build relationships.
Not a Sight but an Experience: The best thing about the mountains is the experience that you will get and not just the scenes. You will understand and explore nature; come across different people and welcoming locals; adventures and events; fresh air and purity and peace. You will be disconnected from the entire chaos and hectic lifestyle and will get a perfect vacation filled with purity, tranquility and adventures.
The adrenaline rush from the peaks, the serene tranquility and the heights of mountains will fill your heart with happiness and joy. Mountains really bring out the best from you, set your soul free and happy. The tall peaks, the misty environment, the warm locals- a retreat to the mountains brings you back to the city with a clearer mind and a happier heart.
India has a variety of landscapes to offer. It can be the snowy mountains or river sides and lakes or plantations or beaches. India has a coastline of over 7500 km and has numerous beaches. Vacation means different for different people. For some it could be visiting prestigious museums, learning local language and for some it can be exploring the new place and for some it can be doing adventures and even trying the exotic new foods and cuisines. The sea sides give the free winds of the beach, gentle caressing waves and the mysterious depths of water will increase your interest in travelling the sea even more. The feeling achieved after sitting beside the seashore and watching beautiful sunset cannot be matched with anything else.
Lets see why you should plan your next holiday to the beach :-
RECONNECT WITH NATURE: You will get to connect with the nature and the beach is the best spot to do so. From witnessing the vast sea to watching the tiniest seashell you will experience everything.
ENJOY THE EXCITING BEACH ACTIVITIES: The beaches can also make your trip exciting with the beach activities and endless ways to enjoy your stay. There are many outdoor activities to try. From beach games to extreme sport, beaches are the power pack of excitement and joy. The beaches offer many activities, it can be renting a jet ski, boat, kayak, or paddleboard. It is like camping.
It’s Chill: Wear filp flops, sundresses and play clothes and there you go…. You are ready to enjoy the amazing beaches! Your time here will be filled with comforts, casual (without any hurried itinerary) and adorable and unique little stores and little things, yummy ice creams and quiet streets all these are very adorable. Nothing is like the chaos of the big city. You can relax in the safe, warm and welcoming sunset beach. It’s cool and exciting…
AWESOME FOOD: Vacations offer you the opportunity to try new tastes and cuisines. You can find top-notch restaurants and fresh seafoods from little shops and store. You can find the, in new and creative ways and beach is thus the perfect place. All you need to do here is, some meal planning, search few restaurants of your interest and enjoy the awesome food.
SUNSETS AND STARS: There is no place for stargazing than beach! Here, the evenings are quiet and peaceful. You will get to enjoy the vast sea and ocean, stars and sky. Beaches will give you the best days with their amazing little things and vast experiences…. And Yes, Sunset beaches are the best place to watch sun set and nights. There is something in these beaches which will always attract you and you should visit them…
BEACH TOWNS AND ISLAND PEOPLE : Everyone here is in a chilling mood and is very welcoming. Everyone has a smiling face which will not make you feel as a stranger there. Enjoyment is in the air! Relax! Life is simple. Let the islanders remind you.
The view of the mesmerizing sunsets, the soothing sound of the sea and the children playing is a pleasing scene and noise which can only be experienced in beaches. Yup, holidays are awesome and can be very purposeful and good to soul. We can escape from or hectic lifestyle and can earn our days off. A beach holiday can be very healing and can renew your perspective in a very special way.
20’s are the most precious days of our life and are incredible. In this phase, you are old enough to be reasonable, responsible, courageous and knowledgeable. And in this age, you are young enough to have your time of freedom and open- mindedness.
WHAT IS THE BEST ACTIVITY TO DO IN YOUR 20s ? TRAVELLING…. Travelling gives a great experience and is a great way to enjoy these days of young age, to start exploring the world and to start a career. But in this age, we also think about doing activities which will be pocket friendly and will also not drain out the money. Therefore, money is a major obstacle for adventure and travelling for the people in their 20s. It’s very rare to find young persons who have sufficient amount of money for travelling.
The first step towards selecting a place for travelling is “doing a research”. Travelers seek out more unique and affordable ways to travel and the solution to this is research… Iam also one of those individuals who are aspiring to travel and here I have mentioned some awesome countries which are budget friendly and are easy to travel when you’re young and while on a budget from my research’s and bucket list. And Iam super excited to share about Indonesia from my researches.
The world has numerous countries, infinite number of gorgeous places and the more we travel, the more we get interested to explore and it is good to travel. There are many perfect places which are accessible without paying for private tour guide to travel in your 20s.
What makes Indonesia an ideal place for tourists ?
Indonesia is a land gifted with beaches, exotic water villas on peaceful islands, cultural ethos and vibrant tribes. The country provides many surreal places and all together they offer a mix of outlandish island and numerous adventures which will make a successful trip.
The country has many beautiful islands, beaches and lakes for beach and water bodies lover; national parks for wildlife lovers; active volcano sites for adventurous soul and many places to explore.
Indonesia is perfect place for every type of travelers. It is a place that gives peaceful time and alone time as well as adventures. Starting from wild and extravagant adventures to beautiful sights, Indonesia is the summation of every sort of adventure and peaceful. So, pick your favorite place and experience the adventure and peace of a lifetime.
Bali is the main tourist destination and in addition to that, the country has hundreds of little islands to visit every single day.
Indonesia is a perfect destination for a low cost vacation. As you move towards the inland more, the more the prices will go down. This place is economically feasible and you can also visit Lombok or Sumatra island.
The main deciding factor of budget is “transportation” . Depending on the transportation, the trip can get cheaper or even expensive. Intercity travelling can be very expensive and time consuming, so sticking to one region can be a solution. Indonesia gives large number of adventures to experience, explore and rejoice. So, spending more time in a particular place will allow you to travel deeper and explore more and will make the experience more meaningful.
If someone wants to travel far and wide on a budget, then using local transportation can be a solution.
Apart from Bali, Indonesia provides many beautiful resort island and Indonesia’s archipelago is even wider than United States and offers a whole world to discover.
From white sand beaches to jungles and savannahs, and from blue flame spewing volcanoes to remote rainforests which has orangutans…
Indonesia is a budget traveler’s dream.Indonesia’s best islands and mountains await your wandering soul! Have a look.
Master Plan is a dynamic long term planning document which kays down guidelines for regulating and guiding the future growth and development of cities. Master Plan provides actions and strategies for meeting the social and economic needs of the current and future population. It includes analysis, recommendations, economy, housing, transportation etc. depending on the social, economic and environmental conditions of the are The purpose of a Master Plan is to promote growth and guide and regulate present and future development of towns and cities with a perspective of 20-25 years. It is an instrument to work out land and infrastructure requirements for various urban and rural uses, and allocate land for various uses to result in harmonious and sustainable distribution of activities. The plan guides the physical development of the community with the help of its long-term planning visions. This provides long ranged, comprehensive strategies which consists of all functions and make the community function.
DRAFT DELHI MASTER PLAN (DDMP)
The Master Plan of Delhi is the key instrument that facilitate and regulate Delhi’s development by assessing and analyzing the present condition and will guide how sustainable and balanced development can be achieved. The apex body of the master plan is the Delhi Development Authority and the implementation of this plan is the collective responsibility of all agencies involved in the development of Delhi.
The Draft Delhi Master Plan (DDMP)- 2041. focuses to take measures for reducing the tackling the air, water and noise pollution level in the city with the help of measures, such as ‘refuge points and self-sustained isolated residential areas to deal with the challenges of pandemic. Greener environment, Yamuna cleaning, economy focusing on areas such as IT, service sector and hospitality, enhanced mobility promoting cleaner fuels, addressing housing needs of the poor, and rejuvenation of the heritage fabric of the city are among the key features of the draft Master Plan of Delhi 2041.
DDMP aim to address issues of pollution
Strategies to address Vehicle Pollution: The key strategies for achieving this include: adoption of mix-use transit-oriented development (TOD), migration to greener fuels for public transport. The main aim of mix-use and transit-oriented development (TOD) is the reduction in average trip length and bringing jobs and homes closer to transit networks. With the help of using clean fuels the plan tries to encourage clean travel and green mobility by “improving pedestrian, cycling and EV infrastructure”.
Strategies for Improvement of Water Quality: The improvement of water quality in the Yamuna and various natural drains, lakes and baolis by assigning different agencies with specific tasks, such as checking the outfall of untreated wastewater from surrounding developments.
Strategies for large housing requirements: The plan tries to meet the future housing requirements through large scale greenfield development using “the land pooling method”.
Strategies for low density housing requirements: The DMP tries to address the development of low density and low floor area ratio (FAR) residential areas within Green Development Area. It will also focus on regeneration of existing areas through “improvement of existing stock and creation of new units”.
The second volume contains “Spatial Development Strategy and Action Plan” which highlighted major strategies and provisions covering both green field and brown field development in the city.
“Before Money becomes Wealth, it’s just Money. And for making Wealth from Money, we need to MANAGE it.”
Money Management is the broad concept which incorporates the key principles required for developing wealth and for preserving and protecting that wealth. It teaches about investing, budgeting, banking, tracking your expenses and assess the tax liabilities. This can also be called as Investment Management. Thus, Money Management is a technique where high interest output is delivered with any amount invested for money.
Spending money for satisfying needs, wishes and cravings regardless of whether they are justifies and included in a budget. can be seen in every human and is a very natural tendency and phenomenon and this idea of money management is especially developed to make the people, institutions and firms understand how to channelize and reduce the amount of money spent on different items and values which care not significant and which do not have any contribution in enhancing their living standards, long term asset or benefit. Money gives you the sense of self fulfilment and this sense of self fulfillment doesn’t come from rigorous spending of money or buying wealth but from having an amount of money which will not get outlived while fulfilling their lives needs, ambitions and providing a meaning livelihood which is convenient for them.
Thus, for money management it is also important to properly analyze the behavioral aspect of individuals or firms. Money Management also focuses on the behavioral attributes which influence the decision made by investors or organizations or individuals. And this decision making phenomena can severely affect the outcomes of long term strategies. In fact, everyone battles against the powerful elements like taxes, debt or inflation etc. which have the power to destroy and take away the wealth that we have attained by working hard. And a single wrong decision can affect and ensure our defeat.
8 Tips for Money Management:
CREATING A COMPREHENSIVE BUDGET PLAN (Listing the amount of money you receive and planning how to manage your expenses by using that amount and what will be your savings.)
TRIMMING UNNECESSARY DAY TO DAY COSTS (Identify different ways to save and start from small scale. Eliminate day to day unnecessary costs and avoid penalty charges and fines)
FIND WAYS TO PAY LESS INTEREST ON YOUR DEBTS
MAKE GOALS FOR EFFECTIVE SAVINGS AND ACCELARATE THE SAVINGS
AVOID PAYING MORE TAX THAN NEEDED
USE ONLINE BANKING (because they help in setting up payment reminders, scheduling future bills and help in reviewing and analyzing the amount of money spent.)
SAVE FOR RETIREMENT AND PLAN ACCORDINGLY
WORK WITH AN ADVISOR (To reduce financial stress and feel secured. They help in analyzing your financial status and set up goals.)
NEED OF MONEY MANAGEMENT
Money and Finance Management is a vital part of personal and business life. Hence, it is hard to ignore and needs to be planned with proper vision, career, finances, goals etc. and these will drive your future. Proper financial knowledge is important for starting any successful business and it is the ability to manage one’s money.
It develops the ability of a person to understand financial concepts which will help him in managing money better. And ensures financial well being.
Money Management and Financial literacy is one of the major life skill and it increases the financial ability of a person. One can start investing in his 50s also but starting early has its own benefits.
Today, the rich is getting richer, poor is getting poorer and the middle class people are getting indebted. The reason is the lack of knowledge of money management. People learn about money management from their parents and families and not in school. What will the children of poor people learn about money management for them? The only thing that they know is to study hard for getting a job. That’s why even after having proper knowledge, skills and expertise they don’t get proper job and don’t get enough savings.
Alang is the biggest ship breaking yard in the world and is situated in Gujarat, India. Hundreds of ships get scrapped here every year. With the increasing popularity of the yard, the number of ships getting scrapped here is also increasing steeply. With this the number of threats on the health of the workers working there and the marine environment is also increasing. There is a steep increase in threats on them. Unlike other countries, India had lacks strict policies and regulations for protecting and preserving the marine environment. This leads to irreversible harm on the surrounding flora and fauna as well as the health of the laborer’s. Indian coasts have coral reefs and due to the unregulated practice of ship breaking activity, the coral reef of the coast has vanished and destroyed completely. It is having serious impacts on the marine life. Alang has now become the storage of toxic wastes, radioactive elements, poisonous gases and waste, unusable oil which have now entered into the marine food chain and and are also affecting the health of the workers working there. The laborer’s work in dilapidated condition with least safety measures and poor health care facilities.
Ship Breaking Yard at Alang, Gujarat
EXISTING SHIP RECYCLING CAPACITY OF ALANG
Currently the ship breaking yard has 153 plots or ship breaking yards on 10 kilometer long coast in Bhavnagar District of the state. Out of these 131 plots practice ship breaking activities and just 80 plots have ships for breaking. So, 48 per cent of the ship breaking capacity is laying idle in the site. In the year 2011 -12, 415 ships with a total 3.85 million Light Displacement Tonnage (LDT or weight of a vessel without fuel, cargo, etc.) came to the site and the capacity of the site was almost full. And after that there was a decrease in the number of ships coming. In 2021, only 199 ships came to the site.
In this entire process of ship breaking, there are numerous factors and aspects which are not being considered and are neglected. The protection of health, safety and sanitation of the workers is not considered, the negative impacts of the practice on the marine ecosystem and the surrounding environment is not being considered properly and the potential threats on the flora and fauna are not considered properly. Some of the regulations and rights of the workers which are being violated are:
Violation of Legal Frameworks for Adequate Health Facilities:One of the major problems in the ship breaking site is the absence of proper health care facilities for the workers. The region as 2 hospitals only which are under staffed and don’t possess necessary health care infrastructure for treating fatal emergencies. There is no ambulance facility in the area as well. Regulations Violated: the International Labor Organization (ILO) guideline of 2003, which outlined detailed provisions for the safety and health of workers in ship-breaking industries etc.
Violation of Regulations provided for secured employment of laborer’s: The ship breaking yard of Alang is labor intensive and does not use modern technologies like China and Japan. Thousands of people migrants migrate from different parts of the state (especially Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar etc.) to Alang Sosiya for getting employment but there is no employment security here. A number of workers are Alang Sosiya Ship Breaking YARD (ASSBY) have also said that there is a always a delay in payment of wages and they do not receive any financial benefits as laid down by different labor laws of India. The workers are not even paid for extra work on Sundays and when they are on leave. Regulations Violated: The Workmen’s Compensation Act 1923; the Payment of Wages Act 1936; the Factories Act 1948; the Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) Act 1948; The Minimum Wages Act 1948; the Employees’ Provident Funds Act 1952; the Payment of Bonus Act 1965 etc.
Absence of database providing details of migrant workers: The District Authority does not maintain any database regarding the number of migrant workers working in the ship – breaking yard.Regulations Violated: Chapter II of the Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979, specifies that the state government shall appoint a registering officer for the purpose of registering interstate migrant workmen. Ship-breaking industries continue to recruit migrant workers without registering under this Inter-State Migrant Workmen Act.
The cities are continuously experiencing extreme flooding events which requires attention and proper solution before it gets converted to a deadly disaster. URBAN FLOODING is a chronic process which is caused due because the city landscapes fail yo absorb or manage the rainfall. Urban Flooding is separate and different from coastal and riverine flooding and are more frequent and localized.
What is Urban Flooding ?
Urban Flooding is the flooding happening in urban areas due to excessive runoff in urban areas and because the runoff doesn’t get managed properly. This phenomenon can be caused during heavy rainfalls as well as in small amount of rainfall. Even small amount of rain can deteriorate or cause flooding due to inadequate infrastructure and actions taken by neighborhood or city to manage the storm water, especially in impoverished, neglected and socio-economic isolated urban communities. Urban flooding has three components: (i) caused by rainfall; (ii) falls on impervious surfaces; and (iii) increases the level of local storm water drainage capacity. These components along with heavy rainfall or precipitation, climate change, outdated drainage infrastructure and storm water management infrastructures and increased urbanization can cause major challenge and disaster in urban areas. Urban Flooding is caused due to the climate change and extreme weather conditions of the cities. The phenomenon becomes more and more frequent and common in urban areas these days. While untimely heave rains can be seen as a consequence of climate change, the urban flooding can be seen as the consequence of unplanned urbanization.
URBAN FLOODING
Urban Flooding in India
The rate of urban flooding has been increasing in India and it is severely affecting the major cities. Some of the most disastrous urban flooding were found in Mumbai (2005), Kolkata (2007), Delhi (2009), Bangalore (2015) and Hyderabad (2020) the most recent doubt. Flooding in India is mostly found in its peak in monsoons seasons and many times when the storm surges at coastal cities urban flooding is caused. There are many other causes of urban flooding also, like failure to release water from dams, increasing proportion of built up area etc. In addition to these causes, Urban Heat Island effect has also resulted in an increase in rainfall over urban areas. Global climate changes results in extreme weather patterns and increased incidences of heavy rainfall occurring over shorter periods of time. This phenomenon is also increasing sea level and threatening all the coastal cities.
URBAN FLOODING IN INDIA
URBAN FLOODING IN NEW DELHI, INDIA
Factors behind Urban Flooding
There are number of factors behind the phenomenon and some of the major factors behind this phenomenon are
Inadequate Drainage Facilities: There are many cities in the country who are relying on age old drainage systems which are efficient in carrying the rainfall when heave rainfall happens. These drains don’t have adequate capacity for carrying them.
Alteration of Natural Drains: Cities have been built and developed by flattening the natural terrain and altering and manipulating the natural drainage routes.
Increasing Imperviousness and Reducing Seepage: With increasing urbanization, the proportion of impervious areas is also increasing. With this the seepage of rainwater decreases and leads to flooding.
Encroachment over Natural Spaces: The developments are encroaching the green spaces, water bodies, open spaces etc. which are natural areas and have the ability to seep water.
HOW URBANIZATION CAUSES URBAN FLOODING
HOW INCREASING BUILT UP AREA CAUSE URBAN FLOODING ?
With the increasing rate of urbanization the capacity of natural drains has decreases and results in flooding. Improper solid waste disposal and dumping of construction debris into the drains which also contributes significantly to the reduction in capacity of the natural drains. This problem will keep on increasing with increasing population because the demand of living spaces and infrastructures are met by encroaching over floodplains and green spaces. Hence, it is important to manage and regulate the developmental works taking place in the city.
“Floating Neighborhood” is a water-based solution for the problem for Holland’s housing needs. This neighborhood floats, freezes, tilts on the water of Lake Eimer. The goal is to “make a circular, resilient, floating neighborhood”. The floating houses have similar architecture to that of the land homes and each house is connected to the floor of Lake Eimer. The building elements of the houses are: wood, plastic and glass. The architecture of the neighborhood is based on water environment and each house have individual water jetties for getting connected with land. Running below the jetties, cables and pipes generate gas, electricity, water, cable, and provide a sewage drainage system for each floating home. The community of the water dwellers have the facility where when one resident is short on electrical power, another neighbor can offer some of theirs if they’ve got any leftover current. The Municipal Authority along with other innovators, planners and architects developed a draft for sustainability master plan for the floating development with maximum priority on sustainability.
Floating House
The main aim of “Floating Neighborhood” is to build sustainable neighborhood capable of addressing the challenges of an aquatic environment and harness the unique synergies it offers to residents. The neighborhood has adopted many approaches for solving environmental issues and rising sea level.
Adopted Approaches:
Sustainability of Floating Neighborhoods
Sustainable Solutions: The neighborhood relies on carbon intensive gas heating, well-insulated homes and passive solar heating through designs which make maximum utilization of natural sunlight, along with pumps which harvest warmth from the canal water even in winter. Solar boilers provide hot water, and water-recycling showers are equipped with technologies that recover heat that would otherwise go down the drain.
Harvesting waste water: The wastewater is transported to a nearby floating biorefinery which recovers nutrients and energy from the organic waste streams. Houses have vacuum toilets which are linked with decentralized sanitation facility and use anaerobic digester for producing energy using biogas, phosphorous and nitrates.
Usage of Sustainable Building Materials: The neighborhood uses sustainable building materials only which are light in weight and buoyant (bamboo is mostly preferred). The neighborhood has a community center which serves as a hub of neighborhood wide sustainability initiatives.
Smart Microgrid on Water: With the help of smart microgrid system on water, the residents have special permission that provides them the ownership of their own grid as well as energy sourcing and billing. Each house as installed large solar PV array and heat which with battery storage systems. The households have connections with energy management system which intelligently coordinates supply and demand of power within the community and allows the residents to trade energy with each other.
Replicable Blueprint for Green Building: The homes have green roofs where the residents can grow foods and plants. They can also collect rainwater and use it for different purposes. The rainwater can also be used for flushing the ultra-efficient toilets. The homes have solar hot water collector which connects to fixtures like recirculating shower, which cleans water in a water loop and saves both water and energy.
Science and Technology have now become crucial parts of our life and our life has many luxuries and we are able to utilize them because of science and technology. It has helped us to do all these in short time because of the advancement in science and technology. Every day new technologies get introduced in the field of science and technology which makes human life easier and comfortable. And now it is difficult to imagine our loves without science and technology. Because of this we are now living in modern civilization and our evolution has occurred. This development in the field of Science and Technology is present in every aspect of our life and has great contributions in it.
There have been many new inventions in the field of Science and Technology which has changed the overall perspective of humans towards life and helps in modernizing the human civilization. Hence, people get the chance to enjoy the lives more comfortably and make it more pleasurable. In other days, humans now have a simple life because of science and technology. It has now expanded its wings into the fields of medical, education, manufacturing and many other areas.
WHAT IS SCIENCE ?
Science is the consists of systematic study of the behavior and structure of physical and natural world through observation, experiment and technology with the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes. And Like everything, Science also has a journey and it has long lasting impact on the humans. Science has large contributions in the evolution of human.
WHAT IS TECHNOLOGY ?
“Technology” is the application of this scientific knowledge for practical purposes. Thee mobile, laptop etc. have now become the essential parts of our life and make use of connectivity or communication or smart technology for doing our activities. From the machines used in industries to the robots created, all fall under technological invention. So, in simpler words we can say that technology has made our lives comfortable.
Science and Technology: India
Ever since British rule, India was famous for many things and after gaining independence, science and technology, played a great role in shaping the present and future of India. Now, it has emerged as an essential source of creative and scientific developments all over the worlds. All these advancements have led to the improvement of Indian economy and assisted development in various fields including Space Technology, Mathematics, Space Technology and many more. Some of the prominent examples of these developments are railway system, smart phones etc. Such advancements only helped in launching Chadrayaan 2 and helped India earn critical acclaim from all over the world.
In conclusion, we must admit that science and technology have led human civilization to achieve perfection in living. However, we must utilize everything in wise perspectives and to limited extents. Misuse of science and technology can produce harmful consequences. Therefore, we must monitor the use and be wise in our actions.
“Advancement in science and technology has changed the modern culture and the way we live our daily life.“
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. “
Indore has been awarded as the “Cleanest City” of India for fourth time in a row and the most important reason behind this success is the combined efforts of the public, public representatives, government officials and other stakeholders engaged in this process. The journey made by the city is inspiring and as of now there are many other cities of the country and globe who are following the strategies for becoming cleanest city.
INDIAN SCENARIO: TRASH EMERGENCY
According to the Annual Report of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, in year 2016-17, India generated approximately 1,50,000 tones of solid waste per day. According to World Bank by 2050, it is estimated that India will generate nearly 3.5 times (over 5,43,200 tones) of solid waste per day. It has also been estimated that local bodies collect nearly 90% of this waste, out of which nearly 80% is dumped in dumping sites or landfill site without getting treated. Under Article 21, it is provided that Clean Environment is (the) Fundamental Right of every citizen and it is the responsibility of the urban local bodies and the State to ensure that clean and hygienic environment is provided to the citizens which preserves their health. In case of Indian cities, it is very important to learn from the best practices and techniques applied in different urban areas for efficiently dealing with the solid wastes.
THE JOURNEY TO CLEANEST CITY
HOW IT STARTED
The journey of Indore for becoming the cleanest city started from 2016 and it faced many challenges.
Some of technical challenges were:
Inefficient infrastructures, systems and processes for Municipal Waste Management.
Absence of infrastructures for material recovery, transfer stations and processing unites and non – operational composting facilities.
Inefficient door to door waste collection system with no scope of source segregation practice.
Unorganized trenching grounds with nearly 13 lakh tons of waste which caused methane induced fire, bad odor and increased the chances of diseases.
Unorganized and inefficient waste collection, transportation and dumping.
In addition to all these technical issues, there were various non – technical challenges like:
Cooperation and support of citizens,
Unorganized municipal workers
Lack of mechanism to monitor and reviews all the processes being involved
Inefficient citizen grievance redressal system.
Lack of political awareness to achieve the cleanliness goals
Lack of awareness about solid waste management process among citizens, local media, administrations and Resident Welfare Associations (RWA).
THE PROCESS
Indore had to implement many strategies in each and every step associated with solid waste management. Along with these strategies the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) had partnered with private bodies, NGOs etc. for boosting the entire [process and empowered the citizens regarding their roles and responsibilities as citizens of the city for making Indore a clean city.
Waste Collection, Segregation and Transportation :
Vehicles having different compartments for waste collection
IMC started the process of waste collection from households on daily basis from 2016 and at the same time it also started asking and motivating the citizens to segregate their waste. Some of the strategies undertaken for increasing the efficiency of waste collection were :
Collecting the wastes from household on regular basis and studying the lifestyle of different localities to finding the most suitable for waste collection.
Explaining the people about the need of waste segregation and on repeated disposal of unsegregated wastes, households had to pay the fine as decided by the Supervisors of IMC.
Tracking the routes of the garbage vans and vehicles that collect the wastes from door to door and monitoring it.
Some of the steps undertaken for creating awareness among citizens were :
Visiting of different localities and colonies by Municipal officials to persuade and create awareness among citizens regarding waste segregation.
Providing common platforms were religious leaders created awareness among people, on the basis of importance of cleanliness as mentioned in the religious texts, schools etc. and organizing oath taking ceremonies for children pledging a clean city and conduction of mass road sweeping exercise at different areas of the city.
Involving 850 Self Help Groups, comprising almost 8500 women for spreading awareness for waste segregation and conducting mass campaigns.
Campaigns for zero waste localities and markets.
Creating awareness regarding home composting, as a result of which nearly 50,000 households started doing home composting.
Involvement of Private Bodies and NGOs for Boosting the process
The IMC partnered with non-governmental organizations for creating awareness campaigns to change the attitude and behavior of citizens, to facilitate the functioning of solid waste management systems, use of proper technologies for increasing efficiency and improved capacity for ensuring proper implementation of all strategies and actions decided for being clean.
Waste Management System
The city adopted the strategy of processing the waste near the source. For example: All food outlets separate food waste and transport it to the small garden inside a traffic triangle at one end of the street. This strategy is more cheaper, hygienic and sustainable way for processing the wastes. The responsibility of waste composting is given to an NGO named Swaha and this organization uses a machine which simple and easy to handle. Most the waste generated from Indian cities contain higher proportion of organic wastes and are generally wet, which makes the waste more difficult to handle. These machines work efficiently even if the material is not organic with minimum spillage, minimum human contact with waste and has mechanism which can easily lift heavy trash cans.
Waste to Fuel
For processing of organic wastes, a Biomethanation facility is provided which converts the organic waste into methane. The city produces nearly 20 tones of waste everyday and this waste is converted into 750 – 800 kg of bio compressed natural gas (bioCNG). This task is assigned Mahindra Waste to Energy Solutions Ltd. The gas produced is used to run city buses, and sold as cooking fuel to hotels and the Indian Institute of Management, at a subsidized rate. Waste from the flower market is kept separately (1-2 tons a day), and mixed with slurry to produce compost.
Street Sweeping
For the purpose of street sweeping machines are used. Every night 800 km of main roads are swept using machines and water mist are used for cleaning footpaths and road dividers. For the cleanliness of roads nearly 400 liters of water is used every night and most of these are recycled water which are derived from the three sewage treatment plants. In case of internal roads which are 2200 km, the wastes are swept and are collected in gunny bags, collected by vans and transported to waste processing facility.
Clean Streets of Indore
CURRENT SCENARIO
Before and After images of Indore
As of now, 100% of household wastes are segregated at source and are processed. Ten ultra modern mechanized transfer stations are used for final processing and disposal. The city makes use of ICT based devices and Weighbridge mechanism for sustainable integrated solid waste management systems. For road sweeping purpose, Ultra modern mechanized road sweeping machines are used, which clean the bypasses, super corridors and bridges.
The city uses a collection and transportation app which is fully digital in nature for monitoring entire process, from door to door segregation to final disposal of waste. The wat wastes are processed and are used in public transports and today 15 city buses operate on this bioCNG gas. Similarly, construction and demolition wastes are reused for making non-structural concrete, paving blocks, lower layers of road pavements etc.
Through the process of bio-remediation, 100% of wastes has been remediated and 100 acres of land has been reclaimed. The dumping yard or landfill site had been converted into green belt. There is a proposal to develop this land into a golf course and city forest.
The entire journey of Indore has been based on more that 3Rs- reduce, reuse and recycle. These include Food Bank, disposable free events, Bartan Bank, art and crafts made out of wastes etc. All these initiative have ensured sustainability of the city.
Other than all these technical strategies, the city also took many social media initiatives and Information, Education and Communication (IEC) techniques for ensuring community Engagement. The song, “HO Halla” by Indian singer Shann became the Swachhta Anthem of the city in 2017 and motivated the citizens to keep doing their part of work towards this Swacchta mission. The song also has many new versions.
CONCLUSION
Since 2016, Indore went through a commendable journey for providing its citizen the urban environment which will protect their health. The IMC took strategies which are the most efficient and using them, it eliminated garbage dumps, 100% household waste collection and segregation, reusing all the wastes etc. The success of Indore’s solid waste management shows that other Indian cities can also clean the entire area and make it more hygienic and sanitized for the people by engaging NGOs, private bodies and citizens.
Thus, trust between all the stakeholders being involved in the process is the major pre-requisite for achieving the goal.
“A Stitch in Time Saves Nine” is a phrase and has a lot of wise meanings inside it when understood. This phrase reflects the hole in a cloth and tries to make the people understand that, a small hole in a cloth keeps on getting bigger if it is not fixed on time. It means that timely effort will help in preventing more work in future and also tries to teach – Prevention is Better than Cure. Hence, if a problem exists then one must fix it immediately. If not fixed in time. then even small problem can lead to a bigger problem.
Importance of “A Stitch in Time Saves Nine”
This phrase tells about the “Importance of Time“. Time is the most important part of life and according to many successful individuals, time is money. Time is precious because time is limited. There are 24 hours in a day and its constant and the human life of a particular person is also fixed, which shows that we can’t afford to waste time at all. And this is what the phrase describes.
Another concept that the phrase describes is “Effort in Time“. This is possible by dealing with problems in proper time. While dealing with a problem, there’s a need to contribute proper amount of effort in the right time and when the problem is not solved and delayed, then it will make the problem more hard to solve and more time will be consumed. So, following “Stitch in Time Saves Nine” saves effort and time.
Another advantage of the phrase is “Better Decision Making“. Following this concept ensures that a person has sufficient time to handle the problem and this is the most wise decision. This shows that within problem time interval, the person will solve the problem efficiently. And when the person delays the problem the time available for solving problem will be reduced . This will cause shortage of time. This will make the person more stressful and nervous. This would lead to poor decision.
This proverb is a learning for everyone. It is an important advice for everyone. It doesn’t target any specific person or age group or people rather a lesson for all, for everyone from different phases of life and walks of life. It advices the individual to carry out the responsibilities and immediately solve problem, how ever small and simple it may be.
FOR EXAMPLE: To students, it advices to get their doubts cleared from the beginning itself otherwise they will keep getting bigger and will need more time, affect the performance. Small doubts when not cleared will lead to bigger doubts and finally affect the scores. This advice is also important for officials and professionals and suggests them not to neglect the problems and postpone them. It is important to solve every problem with keen interest and sense of responsibility. Have you noticed, how with time the problems keep getting bigger and get things complicated ? This is what the proverb tries to teach everyone and warn us.
Action at right time and required moment saves a lot of time and effort in the future. Delayed actions, adds to the problems and aggravates them. Thus, we should tackle them before it gets difficult. This saying has a very valuable and rational meaning and has a lot to learn from.
Lakshadweep is the smallest Union Territory of India and covers an area of 32 sq. km. It has 36 islands out of which 10 are inhabited. The island is directly under the control of Central Government through an administrator. It has 3 main group of islands:
Amindivi Islands (Northernmost Island)
Laccadive Islands
Minicoy Islands (Southernmost Island)
It has tiny islands of coral origin and are surrounded by fringing reefs (hence called as Atoll). The capital is Kavaratti, which is the principal town of the UT and the Pitti Island (uninhabited) has a Bird Sanctuary.
The island has a population of 64,429 (according to Census of India, 2011). More than 93% of the population is indigenous and are Muslims. Because of the populations economic and social backwardness, the entire population is classified as Scheduled Tribes and there are no Scheduled Castes in the UT. The main occupation of the people is fishing, coconut cultivation and coir twisting. And tourism is an emerging industry. Under Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) of India, the entire island was declared as an Organic Agricultural Area.
WHAT IS LDAR 2021 ?
The latest Draft Lakshadweep Development Authority Regulation, 2021, for the creation of a Lakshadweep Development Authority (LDA) which will be the administrative body for the island and will pan the development of the island.
PROVISIONS
CONSTITUION OF LAKSHADWEEP DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY : The LDAR empowers the government to be identified as the administrator of the island and has the power to constitute Lakshadweep Development Authority. The authority will plan the development of any area in the island, which could be identified in a bad layout or in obsolete condition. This authority has power to prepare land use pans, zonation’s of land uses, indicate areas for different types of development etc. And only Cantonment areas are exempted from this.
Definition of ‘Development’: Development is defined as the process of carrying out of building, engineering, mining, quarrying or other operations, in, on, over or under land, cutting of a hill or any portion thereof or the making of any material change in any building or land or in the use of any building or land.
LEGAL PENANLTIES: As per the DDAR, the development plan will not be questioned by anyone, either before or after being approved. It empowers the administering body to forcibly relocate or remove residents or citizens from their own property for carrying out any developmental activity. It establishes penalties for those who will violate the laws. Such as imprisonment for obstructing the development plan’s work or workers.
FEES FOR CHANGING ZONES: It stipulates that islanders and citizens must pay a processing fee for changing zones, which implies that localities will be paying fees to gain approval for altering or changing zones as per the development plan as well as for permission to develop their own land.
CRITICISMS
Following concerns were raised by the people of Lakshadweep:
VIOLATION OF FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS : The LDAR provides the Government and Development Authority constituted by Government, the supreme powers to acquire, alter and transfer the properties owned by the residents of the island which violates the fundamental rights of the residents of Lakshadweep as guaranteed in Article 14 and 21 of the Constitution.
INTERESTS ON REAL ESTATE : Many residents have been suspecting and fearing that LDAR might seeking real estate interests to usurp the small landholdings and properties owned by the native islanders. There have been proposals of bringing “Transferable Development Rights” to the island which has raised another major concern and fear among islanders for being migrated forcefully.
FORCIBLE RELOCATION AND EVICTION:The LDAR has given the power to relocate people for development plans has become one of the major concerns and issues. According to the regulations provided, the owner has to develop his holding as per the plan prepared by the authority or else they will be penalized in case of non-compliance with the regulation.
ECOLOGICAL CONCERNS: Lakshadweep is a part of coral ecosystem and it has inherited this cultural and ecological uniqueness as well as fragility. This ecosystem can get destroyed easily if the development activities around them are not regulated. The regulations which provide the government supreme powers for acquiring and developing land can be disastrous for this ecosystem.
THREATEN THE CULTURE AND LIFE:The island is very vulnerable to destruction and any further large-scale infrastructural development can have large ecological and social footprint which can negatively affect the potentiality and sustainability of the area as well as the life forms present in the island.
IGNORES PEOPLE’S NEEDS AND GEOGRAPHICAL REALITIES: Lakshadweep has unique geography, ecology and culture and for protecting and preserving this uniqueness it is important to limit the development activities in the island. The LDAR tries to expand the road connectivity ignoring the geographic conditions of the island and the interests of the people. And the LDAR has also provided the regulation that no one can raise or question the strategies or actions provided by the development authority, before or after being approved. This shows that the needs, interests and concerns of the people are undermined.
VIOLATES THE OBJECTIVES OF LAND ACQUISITION ACT, 2013: The Act promotes the consultation with institutions of self-government and Gram Sabha’s, local people and tries to have a transparent and informed process for land acquisition.
Puri is one of the major heritage cities of the country and every year more than 2 crore tourists visit every year. And this month the city earned an unique distinction of becoming the first Indian city to provide 24X7 pure drinking water. This is the landmark achievement for the city and state and is one of the major contributors for enhancing the status of sanitation and hygiene in Puri, Odisha. The city has become the first city to offer safe drinking water directly from taps to the residents and the tourists visiting the city every year and now has joined the group of global metropolitans like London and New York for providing safe drinking water.
The government launches “Sujal: Drink from Tap Mission” which has the goal of providing all time safe drinking water to all the residents and people visiting the cities directly through taps. The city has fulfilled and achieved the credentials of the ambitious mission and has achieved the goal of the mission. The 24 hour drink from tap facility provides water which can be used directly without filtration for different purposes such as drinking, cooking etc. This move is beneficial for the 2.5 lakh people residing in the city and the 2 crore tourists visiting the city every year. And the people don’t need to carry water bottles with them and can directly rely on the taps. This type of facility is present in very limited number of cities globally and Puri has established its place. Furthermore, the state government had installed 400 water fountains in different locations of the city with the aim of reducing the reliance and usage of plastic bottles in Puri. This will eventually reduce the amount of plastic wastes being can be reduced.
The government uses 5T initiative for increasing the efficiency and effectivity of the services being delivered across the city. The Chief Minister of the state emphasized on the linkage between safe drinking water with health, living standards and the economy, thereby, urging the people not to waste or pollute water. Transparency, teamwork, technology, time-frame and transformation form the 5Ts which has been adopted by the government for improving its governance. The budget for drinking water has been doubled in 5 years from Rs 200 crore to Rs 4000 crore thereby making the city the first heritage town in the country to get this facility. It is expected that the initiative will have great contribution in reducing the amount of plastic wastes generated. It is estimated that the amount of plastic waste being generated by the city will reduce by 400 tonne per annum. 1100 Stand posts were already present in the city and the state government has established additional 110 modern public stand posts along the Grand Road (Badadanda) and nine by the sea beach area have been installed. Old stand posts are being replaced with steel pipes and taps and at present 36 MLD clean water is being supplied everyday in the city. About 135 – 140 liters of drinking water per head per day is being provided to the residents everyday.
“Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not every man’s greed.” ― Mahatma Gandhi
July 28 is celebrated as “World’s Nature Conservation Day” and reminds us that healthy environment is the foundation of a stable and productive society. This day is observed every year and is celebrated to educate people about the best techniques and practices adopted in different areas of the world to protect and preserve our natural resources as our planet has limited amount of resources left but the reliance on these resources is increasing day by day. This day aims to create and increase the awareness about the importance of natural resources and environment. It shows how we can live sustainably. This day encourages the people to save and protect the natural resources of earth because they are depleting in a rapid rate and are getting exploited and even misused.
This day recognizes that a healthy environment is the most vital part of stable and productive society. And sustainable practices are important for maintaining this stability and this environment for the future generations as well. The day reminds us about our responsibility as the child of the planet and urges us to be responsible and practice sustainable living practices and bring small changes in our lifestyle which can bring sustainability in our life style and lives. This day motivates us to find alternatives which could decrease our dependency on the natural resources.
This day ensures sustainability of present and future generation. How can we help in conserving the nature ? Lets have a look!
WATER CONSERVATION: Everything starts from home and can be done by using less water while showering and bathing. By practicing Rain water harvesting methods in home to reduce our dependency on other water sources and rely on rain water without wasting it. It is important to conserve water because it is estimated that 2050 we may run out of water.
PLANTING OF TREES : This helps in preventing soil erosion and promoting greenery. Home gardening, kitchen garden etc. can be practiced at home and at any scale for planting trees. Green roof is also one such initiative which helps in promoting greenery at homes. Spending few minutes in planting and amid nature can greatly promote mental well being too.
WASTE MANAGEMENT : Reduce, reuse and recycle waste. Practice rainwater harvesting and using wastewater treatment plants for treating the waste water. This waste water when treated can be used in landscaping purpose. Organics can also be used.
SUSTAINABLE COMMUNICATION : Sustainable communication can help in reducing the carbon footprint and lessen the pollution. It is good if people use public transport and sustainable modes of transport while commuting to different places as fewer vehicles will ensure lesser pollution.
Reduce your electricity consumption; switch off electrical appliances when not in use, or every time you walk out of a room.
REDUCE PAPER USE : Saving papers means saving trees and in todays digital age, all the devices are capable of taking notes which saves the need of print outs.
AVOID SINGLE USE OF PLASTIC : The plastics which we are using are getting discharged into the oceans and grasslands or forests etc. which is destroying the lifeforms, ecosystem as well as the natural resources. Single use plastic consumption has increased during the pandemic and the amount of gloves and face masks being used is also increasing. Landfills are getting filled with the large amount of plastics which is polluting the environment.
The main objective of the day is to be live, promotive consciousness and mindful living. The aim is reduce overexploitation of resources and reduce the non-essential travel and play our part of role in building a sustainable future.
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