:: Delhi Greens ::

The two days solar training conducted by Tra  International Ltd. at India Habitat Center and supported by Delhi Greens, concluded as a challenge for all those who attended the workshop. The training witnessed as many as 33 delegates from various industrial sectors, who came under one umbrella of concern, responsibility and the challenge to make a mark in solar business and entrepreneurship and lead the green energy market.

Tra  International Ltd., a growing solar energy consultancy firm, organized its 3rd workshop this year on solar energy to advocate the idea that investment in training for the right audience with the right content and delivery mechanism can be one of the single most significant factor in the success of a transition to Solar Technology. Day one started with a casual networking session over coffee. “On the first day, we will learn about the basics of solar radiance which will be taken ahead by conveying important concepts on how to measure the sizing of plants and the battery, as well as details on how to configure the plant and various technicalities of solar technology”, informed Mr. Gautam Vivek, Deputy General Manager, NTPC.

Mr. Rajeev Kamal, who has just joined GTZ or the German Technical Cooperation, which also works with the Government of India said that the workshop had proved to be a simple way to familiarize himself with solar technologies and would help him venture further into solar energy.

Apart from the sessions on fundamentals of PV, Thermal, designing of PV systems (standalone and Grid Interactive) by Mr. Pankaj Som Chaturvedi, CEO of TRA International, the workshop was also presided by Mr. Darshan Bhatt, Founding Director of CIAM who gave valuable insights to the participants on how one should proceed if one wishes to become an entrepreneur.

More serious issues like Govt. policies and Feasibility, issues on Large Scale Solar and SPV Typical Technology Session (comparison between Thin Film and Crystalline & different  Inverters) were the highlights of the second day training program. Satisfied and applauding the initiative, Mr. Ashish Gaur from Nap Systems said, “I am new in this field and I have started my career in this, so it will definitely help me and my organisation to get better results.”

But the real challenge lies in setting out to implement the acquired knowledge in today’s fast growing renewable energy sector. Handling a cutting-edge solar intelligence and becoming a real time solar entrepreneur is but a long way to venture on, for a better world and to contribute towards saving the fast depleting resources. However taking up the challenge with confidence and much enthusiasm, Monika Sharma, working with Cargo Motors Pvt. Ltd. stated, “This workshop has given me an idea about the points which are necessary for business. So this would surely help me..”

Concluding the session and extending their thanks to all participating delegates, Mr. Pankaj Chaturvedi said, “Solar energy being a new focus area, the level of awareness and knowledge about the same is limited. We understand this constraint and in an attempt to popularize the use of renewable energy and to make professionals competent enough, we conduct these workshops.”

List of participating organizations: Nap Systems, RSB Energy P Ltd., Cargo Motors P Ltd, Sunurban Energy, Chroma Energy P Ltd., Indosolar Ltd., GTZ (Indo-German), Electrotech, 10.  Jain Irrigations, M W Group, Bergen GroupBharat Forge Ltd., DNP Infrastructures Pvt. Ltd., INS e-Solutions Ltd., GEM (Battery, Inverter, UPS), IOCL , AOV Internationl Export House, Anderson Wright International, ALTEL (Aluminium & Telecom Ltd), Thermodynamic Engineers Pvt. Ltd., NTPC Ltd., Fabrico (India) Pvt. Ltd.

This post has been submitted by our SOIP candidate Saloni Tandon.

Previously on Delhi Greens:

• Invite: Solar Training Workshop in Delhi by Tra International
  

This July, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has taken upon itself the task to clean Delhi city, which is in an excitement rather disturbed state, preparing for the Commonwealth Games 2010. MCD cannot neglect the aesthetic nature of our city and hence the need for necessary beautification. Also, the monsoon cannot be allowed to play spoil sport this year, because this is the year we host the Games.

A sanitation drive by the MCD will cover railway stations, bus stops and major markets  starting  July 1^st and will continue up to the 15^th. Major landmarks in the city which cater to a large population of the city like the Old and New Delhi Railway Stations, Inter-State Bus Terminus (ISBT), airport, markets, religious places and major road junctions would be cleaned and treated with disinfectants. According to Mayor Prithvi Raj Sawhney, this special awareness program on cleanliness will put together  a five-member team in each zone to check and supervise the sanitation work. The MCD plans to begin its work by visiting every ward from Thursday onwards to supervise the cleanliness program. Special emphasis has been given to sanitation of latrines and urinals in schools and hospitals run by the civic body.

Getting back to the monsoon, this season MCD has a special plan to prevent water logging which is a persistent troublemaker every monsoon. In order to remove debris from drains from several areas in the city, the officials will identify at least one site in each ward where garbage or debris generated from construction can be thrown, so it doesn’t block the drainage. To further counteract the complaints regarding debris due to the CWG related works, which could become a major culprit causing water logging, the Mayor has taken a stand to not to pay contractors till they clean the mess. 600 pumps have been installed across Delhi for the same and one lakh rupees have been allotted for every ward in the city to hire trucks to clean the muck and debris from drains before the monsoon sets in according to MCD House Leader Subhash Arya.

As a concerned citizen, it is our duty to monitor this massive task of cleaning and ensure that every single bit of troublemaker–be it the construction debris blocking the drainage, waste thrown carelessly in the drainage or the man at work responsible for cleaning–is taken care of and the target for cleaning Delhi is achieved not only on papers but in deed as well.

This post is submitted by our SOIP candidate Munmun Chowdhury.

Akanksha Gulia (second from right) as part of the Delhi Greens' DYSoC Team at NMML

Youth today are the agents of change and I am fortunate and excited to belong to same enthusiastic age group! Life is a precious gift, so everyone can and should contribute their part to make this world a better place to live in, in every way that one can. This is our world and our people so lets join hands and work for a better tomorrow. That’s my vision and I want to be part of facilitating this transformation. And that is what led me to apply for, pursue and become the International Climate Champion 2010, as part of a British Council Programme.

First of all, I would like to thank the entire Delhi Greens team and specially Govind Sir for his continuous support and guidance. My association with Delhi Greens was my first countable step towards environment which brought me closer to environment and helped me understand its intricacies in a better way. Working as a writer with the organization and reporting on various aspects of environment was quite a close call, experiencing the ignored environment and its implications on people.

To share more about my role as the International Climate Champion, my project is about spreading awareness in Government aided schools through plays, nature walks, films, games and workshops conducted to bridge the gap between school students and Mother Nature. The second phase includes installation of paper recycling plants in these schools which will be operated by students themselves, under the supervision of their teachers. The outcome of the project on paper recycling and its ultimate success will be in saving large number of trees and reducing the carbon footprint at the school level. The participating students will indeed emerge as better and more aware citizens of tomorrow. “Every small effort counts”.

The exigency of the current scenario calls for immediate action. We need to bring collective wisdom and ideas to imagine a new future. As Albert Einstein once said, “The world will not evolve past its current state of crisis by using the same level of thinking that created the situation.” The unprecedented and unmatched growth and development that we are experiencing today demands an equally radical and proactive response for biodiversity and environment. We need to draft a wide range of visionary plans, policies and practices around a new social paradigm to work ahead and save our biodiversity and valuable resources.

Editor’s Note: Set to start on July 13, 2010 the International Climate Champions training programme by the British Council in India will be a week long affair and will bring together young enthusiastic climate champions from across the country and will empower them to work against the adverse impacts of climate change. Shortlisted through a nation wide selection procedure, these committed young fighters are very serious about bringing a green change. Delhi Greens congratulates one of our own, Akanksha Gulia and all the other Climate Champions for coming forward to be the change and make the difference. We wish you all the best!

Also Read:

• 48°C – My Close Call With People
• Applications Invited for British Council International Climate Champion

India was voted as the most environmental friendly and green country in the world by none other than National Geographic. Five seconds later, I smell leaves burning down my lane.

Since 2008, National Geographic has been carrying out annual surveys to measure Greendex: sustainable consumer behavior across the world. This year, the online survey was carried out in collaboration with Globescan-Global Public Opinion and Stake holder research, where 1000 people in each of the 17 countries were surveyed and asked about their consumption pattern in the following 4 areas:

The end result:

• India was ranked 1^st overall for the 2^nd time in environmental friendly behaviour.
• It was found that 42% of Indians were less likely to have home heating and hot running water. The less energy you waste in heating your house and water, the more environmental friendly you are.
• 49% of the Indians that gave the survey neither rent, own nor lease cars or trucks while 67% proffered motorcycles or scooters and at least 81 % use public transportation once a month. The smaller and the lesser the number of vehicles on the road, the less CO2 you produce.
• When it comes to goods like televisions, refrigerators etc, India ranks at top as Indian consumers prefer to buy used rather than new (42%) and to repair rather than to replace (68%). They also increasingly buy products that are environmentally friendly  (60%).
• 35% of the Indians eat self grown food several times a week if not daily. The less food you import, the less fuel you waste in importing it and hence the more environmental friendly you are. Also, consumers in India rarely consume meat, including chicken (24%), fish & seafood (21%) and beef (13%). The longer the food chain, the more sustainable it is.
• Indians are also becoming increasingly concerned about environmental problems in general (76%). More Indians feel guilty about their impact on the environment (58%). In particular, they are more likely than most to worry about climate change or global warming (83%), fresh water shortage (85%), and loss of species and habitat (70%).

Knock Knock!! Are we helping the protection of the environment by chance or by choice?

Do you forget the fact that we face the sun’s torturous rays almost throughout the year? When we say that we Indians are less likely to install a home water heating system we forget to mention the fact that we hardly need it!

After all, we are a young nation robbed by the Britishers. Sixty years after independence, 42% of India falls below the international poverty line (World Bank, 2005). If  49% of us Indians do not own, rent or lease cars and trucks then it is not because we love the environment so much, but because we simply cannot afford these expenses. Don’t we prefer to repair our damaged television or buy a second hand fridge instead of a new one so that we can save money? Environment conservation. Really? India has always been an agrarian country not to mention a religious one too. I don’t think a typical Indian family would consume less beef to save the environment. Hindus don’t eat beef! The gates of heaven shut down for you if you do!

I do not intend to show how stingy we Indians are. It is true that we Indians do our best in every possible way to cause as less damage to the environment as possible. What I am trying to say is that the questions involved in this survey cannot determine the level of concern we have for our environment. India earn its position not because it is environmental friendly but because of the fact that being eco-friendly has been a way of life for us ever since the beginning of our civilization. So the big question is

Do you think the questions asked in this survey are appropriate for a country like India? or Should we just celebrate that we came first in a survey?…(without even working hard for it)

It seems that the fruits of cost cutting by millions in India has been rewarded after all, even if it does nothing to lower down the prices of  the goods we most commonly use.

This post has been submitted by our SOIP candidate Saloni Tandon.

It’s almost as though it is a legend. I’ve heard about it from many people by now and was reminded of it last by Mr. Shashi Pandit – a panel member at the recently concluded Delhi Youth Summit on Climate 2010. There is no real written or documented evidence of it so to say, at least none that I have ever come across. And the very structure that was both the culprit and the victim, and must surely be the witness to it all, was brought down about one-two years back. Luckily I did get to to see it twice before it was dismantled–without any prior notification to anyone–to know that it was for real.

The Nehru Vihar Waste to Energy Plant, that was set up in North Delhi after purchasing everything from abroad (no names, for lack of a more irrational government) and installed in full glory to convert Delhi’s waste into electricity DID NOT WORK FOR EVEN A SINGLE DAY. Reason, figured after making all the payments to the seller country: Delhi’s waste does not have the required calorific value to burn and produce electricity. Legend has it that the seller country then got away with (in addition to the Indian tax payer’s money) saying it was never asked whether such a cleantech will work for Indian cities or not.

In his speech at the PHD Chamber on the occasion of World Environment Day, an event we (perhaps) missed to cover in Delhi’s WED 2010 style, Mayor P. K. Sawhney announced at least two such waste to energy plants in the coming years. Last weekend, Delhi CM Shiela Dixit laid the foundation stone of the “first-of-its-kind” Rs. 200 crore plant at Okhla for not just “treating” 1950 metric tonnes of solid waste each day but also generating 16 MW power from it in an “environment-friendly” manner. As has been the trend lately, the project has already registered itself with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and is on its way to earn some Carbon credits!

The Chief Minister was quoted saying that the Plant will not only generate “clean” power but will also help dispose off more than 25 percent of the 7,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste generated daily. Reports also suggest that the launch saw opposition from local residents who raised issues about the health impact of the gases released from the incinerator after burning the waste. Previously emails and comments from citizens have explicitly suggested that the waste segregation scheme of the Government has not been able to work as planned. Decentralized measures have rarely been tried and reduction at source has been targeted mainly for polythene.

Interestingly enough, no adequate measures have been taken for methane recovery from any of the landfills so far, even when this could mean both free energy and carbon credits. The Biogas holder at the Ghazipur landfill which was a site for the second Delhi Greens Urban Ecotour was not working in any of our trips later as well. Not only is this is a viable option but the technology for this already exists in the city. In any case, it remains to be seen how well such a plant(s) perform this time around. It will surely be a comparative study as well as an interesting project to follow. Thank you Mr./Ms. Taxpayer!

A man selling peacock feathers at ITO tries to stop us from capturing him on camera

In response to numerous requests from various stakeholders, the central Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF) is in the process of completely banning the trade of peacock feathers. Despite this, the selling of feathers of our National Bird is rampant across the Delhi NCR. Though the usual street shops are no longer selling these openly, the feathers can still be seen being sold on the streets around CP and ITO and even in markets like Kamla Nagar and Sarojini.

The demand for the feathers far outsrips the supply leading to rampant poaching and killing of the birds. Sections 43(3)(a) and 44 of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 relates to the transfer and sale of the tail feathers of peacocks. Currently, the Act prohibits the killing of peacocks as well as export of tail feathers or articles made from them. But domestic trade in feathers or articles is allowed under the assumption that these are naturally shed. This is what is exploited by the domestic traders and is therefore being amended by the MoEF.

Delhi has a healthy peacock population thanks to the patches of green spaces in almost all districts of the NCT. In fact, we have received numerous emails especially from residents of Palam about the issue of too many peacocks and therefore the birds becoming easy target of children and even dogs. Even the Central Delhi area has a rich peacock population which is rivaled only by Delhi University even though rampant construction in the city and consequent habitat destruction is now threatening their safety.

While this ensures that at least some of the feathers being traded may well be fallen ones, that still does not help in any manner. The feathers, as do any other part of the bird or animals, belong to nature and need to be left at that. These enrich the soil with nutrients and inputs that were supposed to remain in the top soil, not in your living room. Just like a tiger skin is best on the tiger, peacock feathers are best on the bird, or in the soil. Taking them away is like burning the fallen leaves instead of letting them decompose, and should be banned likewise.

Top image by Impuri Shimray, bottom image courtesy AnitaWPANewDelhi

Also See:

• A peacock welcome dance for the rain Gods!
  

The 16^th June 2010 edition of The Indian Express brought a mixed feeling of pride and perplexity. The news was headlined “Green Rashtrapati Bhawan to get ISO certificate”, and the word ‘green’ struck hard. The city is already proud of being termed the greenest city in the country with the chief minister being hailed as the greenest CM. Now Delhi will is now on its way to get another feather in its green cap.

Set for next month, the ceremonial visit by independent auditors from the Bureau Veritas Certification (BVQI) will have the honour of visiting the Rashtrapati Bhawan and scrutinize the expansive estate as part of the first phase of the auditing process that will ultimately lead to certifying the 340-acre facility with an ISO 14001:2004 mark. The Bureau Veritas Certification (BVQI) is a global leader in systems certification services and authorized to give the much sought after ISO certification (International Organisation for Standardization).

After all is said and done, the Rashtrapati Bhawan–official residence of the President of India–will become the first urban dwelling to receive an ISO certification. It would be a proof that the President’s estate is an urban dwelling that uses processes that are eco-friendly and energy saving. The ‘final certificate’ will be given by the United Kingdom Accreditation Services (UKAS), recognized worldwide as the topmost accreditation agency.

The Hon’ble President of India, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil has already inspired the staff at the Rashtrapati Bhawan to go green and instructed to make the President’s Estate green. Her vision is to make the President’s Estate an eco-friendly, green, energy efficient and zero waste model habitat, leaving minimum carbon footprint, through community participation, resource conservation, pollution prevention, environmental improvement and sustained quality up-gradation through several measures. Her office has already made a plea to the general public in offering valuable feedback and suggestions.

“Under the directions of the President, we had applied for the ISO 14001 certification last month to ensure that the President’s estate is recognised, established and maintained as a model eco-township,” Christy Fernandes, secretary to President Pratibha Patil told The Indian Express. He also told the newspaper that the BVQI auditors will visit Rashtrapati Bhawan on June 21-22 while the final auditing by UKAS will be done in the first week of July.

Getting the honour along with the certificate before the Commonwealth Games 2010 will definitely put Delhi on a greener spot in the tourism map. Wonder if UK has a better plan behind the ordination of such certificate. After all it’s the ‘Commonwealth Games’ year that Delhi is so proudly hosting. The green citizens are still majorly confused if they should support or protest against the hosting of such Games. More or less, a green politics isn’t a good option for a city like Delhi, when sustainable development is being challenged as never before and the cost of promoting it as the ‘World Class City’ is weighing heavy on the janta’s pocket. I will like to keep Green as simple as the leaves that follow a natural cycle of coming alive up in spring and falling during the autumn. Being obedient to nature and fulfilling the need of the environment!

Image courtesy guy_incognito via Flickr

Having almost always taken pride in being one of the greenest capital cities in the world, and led by a green Chief Minister as well, Delhi took the lead again in celebrating 5th June as the World Environment Day (WED) 2010…in style! The Hon’ble Chief Minister Smt. Sheila Dixit “kickstarted” the day by launching an electric vehicle rally from her residence in order to promote zero emission pollution free ‘green transport’ in the city. Supported by Hero Electric, a subsidiary of Hero Group, the rally saw participation from large number of people from all age groups.  From the CM’s Residence on Motilal Nehru Marg, the rally crossed Akbar Road, Shahjahan Road,  Aurangzeb Road, Samrat Hotel to reach the NDMC Commonwealth Garden where a token plantation  drive took place. What a day also, for the CM to release the State of Environment Report for Delhi 2010!

A few kilometers away, right opposite the President’s House, at the residence of India’s first Prime Minister, Delhi Greens hosted the second Delhi Youth Summit on Climate (DYSoC 2010). The Summit saw participation from students and young professionals from across Delhi NCR, and even from others part of the country. Dr. Chirashree Ghosh from the University of Delhi showcased the carbon map of Delhi in her Keynote Speech and the participating delegates were also briefed on how solar works by Gaurav Gupta and why we need to act by Jaimala Iyer.  Prof. Madan Mohan Bajaj also encouraged the youth towards taking action and not losing the connection with our roots.  Dr. B.C. Sabata from the Dept. of Environment, Govt. of NCT of Delhi greeted the youth with an inspirational offer to join hands with the Govt. in greening Delhi before the participants were split into different Working Groups. The event was registered with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) – WED 2010 and was organized in support from the NMML and Oxfam India.

At a function in Vigyan Bhawan, Former President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam remembered his 100-year old friend, in a speech he delivered on the occasion. He explained how his “biodiversity friend” Arjuna or Terminalia, a 100-year-old tree, in his official residence at 10, Rajaji Marg is as old as his parents. He further declared that environment and biodiversity conservation will indeed be a collective mission of the 21st century for the humanity across cities, states, nations and continents. The organizing committee of the Commonwealth Games 2010 also organized a cycle rally on the occasion. The rally, which started from the headquarters of the Commonwealth Games, was flagged off by Shera, the official CWG 2010 mascot and witnessed an enthusiastic response from the citizens.

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Delhi normally receives the monsoon rain between June 28 and July 1. There is still an entire week to go and the heat in the capital is at its peak. There is also unusual local heating in certain parts of the city which is largely owing to the construction activity as well as removal and dislocation of some of the green cover. The use and sale of ACs is high and mineral bottles are selling also because they are an easy access to cold water.

The effect of the scorching effect has also added considerable pressure on the city’s water supply as several areas are getting only intermittent supply of water. Water bodies such as Sultanpur National Park are already making headlines owing to water shortage. The highest maximum temperature recorded in the last 24 hours was recorded at Sri Ganganagar (Rajasthan) at 48.1° C.

According to Dr. Ajit Tyagi, Director General, India Meteorological Department, the ‘Phet’ cyclone blowing in the Arabian sea, and ‘Laila; that lashed the eastern coast late last month, have not made the weather department revise their forecast for the June-to-September monsoon. South-west monsoon normally sets in over Kerala around 1 June. This year, in association with the strengthening and deepening of lower level westerlies and persistent widespread rainfall over the region, southwest monsoon advanced into most parts of South Arabian Sea, entire Kerala, south Tamil Nadu and some more parts of South-western states, West Bengal and Sikkim on 2nd June.

However, the formation of cyclonic storm ‘Phet’ caused a disruption in the flow pattern, resulting in a temporary stagnation in the further advance of monsoon over peninsular India. The monsoon has now already advanced after the temporary stagnation. The cumulative seasonal rainfall for the country as a whole during this year’s monsoon upto 17th June has been 3% below the Long Period Average (LPA). Out of 36 meteorological subdivisions, the rainfall has been excess over 11, normal over 12 and deficient /scanty over 13 subdivisions.

According to the meteorological Department, temporary weakening of the monsoon current is likely during the coming week with subdued rainfall activity over most parts of country except along the west coast (Konkan & Goa, Coastal Karnataka) and over northeastern States. No major advance of southwest monsoon has been predicted over eastern and central India during the next one week. One can only hope that the rain gods bless Delhi with some relief from the scorching heat soon!

Image courtesy IMD

Gucci heels, Dior sunglasses tucked on her head, an attractive lady gets off her newly bought black and shiny Bentley Continental GT and moves on to buy organic vegetables from the farmer’s market. Her next stop is the stationary store to buy recycled wallpaper as she shows her concern towards the environment.

All this done, she remains oblivious to the fact that the luxurious car she has just bought is not only one of the top 10 most polluting cars according to the Environmental Transport Association (ETA) but is also completely defeating the purpose of her buying the eco-friendly materials. It is often assumed that brands offer the best quality. While this might be true to a certain extent, there are always dark sides to them, one of them being their environmental impact.

Technology has reached everyone; people are buying phones, grinders, cars et al!! Everyone is buying, buying and buying. But not many know or consider the environmental impact of such products. At the same time, although there are greener alternatives to the current products, most people remain ignorant to this information. The Lamborghini Murcielago has been named 2010’s most polluting car, being five times worse than the greenest – the Toyota iQ. This supercar emits as much CO2 per year as would felling a football pitch-sized forest of trees and also produces five times the carbon per kilometre than the greenest car of the year, the Toyota iQ according to the ETA.

Andrew Davis, Director of the ETA warned that, “With the price of petrol at record levels and greater understanding about the threat to the environment there has never been a more important time to make fuel efficiency a deciding factor when choosing a car.” According to the ETA, 2010’s top 10 most polluting cars are:  

1. Lamborgini Murcielago
2. Ferrari 612 Scaglietti
3. Bentley Motors Brooklands
4. Bentley Motors Arnage
5. Bentley Motors Azure
6. Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano
7. Aston martin V12 Vantage
8. Cadillac Escalade
9. Bentley Motors Continental
10. Aston Martin DBS

With Delhi’s air Pollution Levels on a high and having the world’s worst air pollution according to a new ranking by ECA International, the introductions of such super-cars could be disastrous as they will only add to the nuisance. Thankfully, there are hardly any on the roads and we do have an increasing choice of environmentally-sound cars like the Toyota Prius, Honda Civic Hybrid, Reva electric, Chevrolet e-spark, Chevrolet Aveo CNG, Hyundai Santro LPG and more.

With the ever increasing entrance of international brands to Delhi, let’s hope that we, the people, make the right decision with smart and eco-friendly purchases. After all, it’s us who are responsible for saving the best for the future to come.

(Post submitted by SOIP intern Pragya Lama) | Image courtesy – Edo competition