Proposal to ban 15 year old vehicles have come a number of times. Very recently Society for Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) has asked the government to ban these old vehicles as they cause pollution. And may be that if this ban is imposed the demand for vehicles go up helping these manufacturers.
Even if a ban is put into force, are we ready for it?
Should age be the only factor to ban vehicles from the road. May be we have vehicles that are not 15 years old but their emission level is very high. Shouldn't these vehicles be banned? On the other hand there might be vehicles which are older than 15 years but still are very well maintained or may be they are not driven much, then why ban these vehicles.
Before making a law to ban old vehicles may be a look into the above mentioned issues be taken into consideration.
Another issue is that there must be proper and concrete arrangement for disposing of these junked vehicles. If this is not done we will have piles of banned vehicles lying here and there. Do we have such specialised junk yards which can tear these vehicles apart and recycle the raw material - apart from the iron, there is rubber, plastic, glass, batteries, electronic items - many very harmful to the environment if not disposed off properly.
Friday, September 08, 2017
Monday, June 26, 2017
SwachhBharat to SwasthaBharat to SamradhBharat
In India, we regularly see photographs and news in the media of the rubbish dumps all over in major cities where millions stay. And we mostly talk of the municipal corporations not doing their job. Following these news items, sometimes action follows and the particular area is cleaned a little. But that's it. Nothing further.
The problem is big. The municipal corporations do not have funds, what ever they have is administered very badly and then there are no long term plans. With the call of PM Modi for Swachh Bharat the pace for cleanliness has picked up but not to the level the problem demands.
We hear of dumping sites - the existing ones filled up, no space for new ones and so on. But we rarely hear of recycling plants or making use of the waste for some purpose....
We also do not want to realise as to what this filth is costing on the health front. The health bill of the country can come down drastically, the life span of its citizens can improve, they can become more productive, if only the environment is kept clean.
Another big culprit on the deteriorating health of urbanites is the floating dust particles in air. Unfinished and uncovered work on road sides and construction sites being the main reasons. Here also most cities have no crushing units for construction wastes, which is primarily used for filling. This cannot go on for ever. Priority will have to be given to such crushing units in all urban areas, and it must be ensured that this recycled construction waste is made good use of.
Let us remember SwachhBharat to SwasthaBharat to SamradhBharat.
After posting the above day before, today I read a piece by Isher Judge Ahluwalia and Almitra Patel in The India Express on the subject. An excellent piece which I though of sharing here. It talks of solutions to the problem - A new rapid bioremediation process that can remove garbage hills and end their ill effects, promises a low-cost solution to waste management and disposal.
The link to this is http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/a-city-laid-waste-waste-management-environment-4725115/
The problem is big. The municipal corporations do not have funds, what ever they have is administered very badly and then there are no long term plans. With the call of PM Modi for Swachh Bharat the pace for cleanliness has picked up but not to the level the problem demands.
We hear of dumping sites - the existing ones filled up, no space for new ones and so on. But we rarely hear of recycling plants or making use of the waste for some purpose....
We also do not want to realise as to what this filth is costing on the health front. The health bill of the country can come down drastically, the life span of its citizens can improve, they can become more productive, if only the environment is kept clean.
Another big culprit on the deteriorating health of urbanites is the floating dust particles in air. Unfinished and uncovered work on road sides and construction sites being the main reasons. Here also most cities have no crushing units for construction wastes, which is primarily used for filling. This cannot go on for ever. Priority will have to be given to such crushing units in all urban areas, and it must be ensured that this recycled construction waste is made good use of.
Let us remember SwachhBharat to SwasthaBharat to SamradhBharat.
After posting the above day before, today I read a piece by Isher Judge Ahluwalia and Almitra Patel in The India Express on the subject. An excellent piece which I though of sharing here. It talks of solutions to the problem - A new rapid bioremediation process that can remove garbage hills and end their ill effects, promises a low-cost solution to waste management and disposal.
The link to this is http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/a-city-laid-waste-waste-management-environment-4725115/
Monday, May 22, 2017
Harnessing Energy Of The Seniors
We have so many people retiring every day - some by choice, some by organisation rules where they were serving, some forced by circumstances .... And still many of them have so much of energy and intentions to work further, if given an opportunity.
With the experience that these senior citizens have one must consider ways to harness the energy of these people for the welfare of needy, for serving the nation.
In our India, we can do so much, even without any government help, to help the community in which we live in. There are n numbers of voluntary organisations (NGOs as commonly called) - and many of them are doing really good work - they are always in the look out for volunteers. One can join them, after properly assesing their work and their need. Or else one can do it indiviudally or take a lead to form a group to take this further.
The whole idea is not to stay idle, or else besides people forget you or neglect you, it would take its toll on your health and the process to end of life will be difficult.
A friend told me of a retired person who dedicates his time in helping the neighbourhool with their issues with differnet agencies without any remuneration. This person has made a schedule for himself - on Mondays he will take all issues of neighbours, of say, electricity department - their bill payment or some clarification or excess billing and so on; similarly on Tuesdays' for municipal issues and so on. Now such an effort can be done any where by any one.
Today, with the call of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for 'Swachh Bharat', so much can be done in the surrounding that one lives in. If one starts, innumerable ideas will come to take this on a logical path. And we all know that 'Swachh Bharat' will lead to 'Swastha Bharat'. This single act of keaping the surrounding clean can help in so many ways.
Yesterday I floated this idea on my FaceBook account and so much of inputs are pouring in. All have one thing in common - that the energy of seniors must be made good use of.
A friend has suggested that there are so many professionals - engineers, doctors, architects, marketing experts etc. who can offer their services to organisations or individuals, to start-ups or whoever needs it. I am sharing his inputs here : "In Netherlands they have a project called PUM. This is operated by the relevant ministry, church and industry association. They have on roll retired senior people. They are sent across the globe to assist existing industry in upgrading. A similar project can be though of in India."
Another friend's views are being shared with you all : "I'm presently in Mumbai and go for morning walk. I find that each park has more than one group of senior citizens. But in absence of any agenda they just talk and waste their energy. I am sure every city and every park would have such groups.
My suggestion is not just a talk, there is already too much of it, but a concrete program preferably with some sort of tangible benefits would go a long way. This resource can be tapped for cleanliness, plantation, antipolution and other drives. Protection and care of senior citizens living alone itself is a big challenge. This resource can come very handy to man this."
Do send your feedback. And start doing... NEVER SAY RETIRE.
With the experience that these senior citizens have one must consider ways to harness the energy of these people for the welfare of needy, for serving the nation.
In our India, we can do so much, even without any government help, to help the community in which we live in. There are n numbers of voluntary organisations (NGOs as commonly called) - and many of them are doing really good work - they are always in the look out for volunteers. One can join them, after properly assesing their work and their need. Or else one can do it indiviudally or take a lead to form a group to take this further.
The whole idea is not to stay idle, or else besides people forget you or neglect you, it would take its toll on your health and the process to end of life will be difficult.
A friend told me of a retired person who dedicates his time in helping the neighbourhool with their issues with differnet agencies without any remuneration. This person has made a schedule for himself - on Mondays he will take all issues of neighbours, of say, electricity department - their bill payment or some clarification or excess billing and so on; similarly on Tuesdays' for municipal issues and so on. Now such an effort can be done any where by any one.
Today, with the call of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for 'Swachh Bharat', so much can be done in the surrounding that one lives in. If one starts, innumerable ideas will come to take this on a logical path. And we all know that 'Swachh Bharat' will lead to 'Swastha Bharat'. This single act of keaping the surrounding clean can help in so many ways.
Yesterday I floated this idea on my FaceBook account and so much of inputs are pouring in. All have one thing in common - that the energy of seniors must be made good use of.
A friend has suggested that there are so many professionals - engineers, doctors, architects, marketing experts etc. who can offer their services to organisations or individuals, to start-ups or whoever needs it. I am sharing his inputs here : "In Netherlands they have a project called PUM. This is operated by the relevant ministry, church and industry association. They have on roll retired senior people. They are sent across the globe to assist existing industry in upgrading. A similar project can be though of in India."
Another friend's views are being shared with you all : "I'm presently in Mumbai and go for morning walk. I find that each park has more than one group of senior citizens. But in absence of any agenda they just talk and waste their energy. I am sure every city and every park would have such groups.
My suggestion is not just a talk, there is already too much of it, but a concrete program preferably with some sort of tangible benefits would go a long way. This resource can be tapped for cleanliness, plantation, antipolution and other drives. Protection and care of senior citizens living alone itself is a big challenge. This resource can come very handy to man this."
Do send your feedback. And start doing... NEVER SAY RETIRE.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)