TETRAPAK AMBASSODOR"S FELICITATION

Tetra Pak Ambassadors’ Felicitation Programme at Delhi

My heart skipped a beat when I saw a mail from Pallavi Ma’am in which she told me that I had been invited for the Tetra Pak Ambassadors’ Felicitation Programme at Delhi on 20^th of April, 2012.the feeling was truly indescribable; so many thoughts crowded my mind all at once – how would my family react when they come to know that I would soon be going to Delhi? How proud my school would be of me!! I would get to boast of my trip to all my friends at school!! But what excited me the most was the fact that I would get to meet the friends I had made during the educational visit to the Daman Ganga recycling unit at Vapi as part of the TERI-TETRAPAK SEARCH programme.

Our train to Delhi was scheduled for 18^th April, 2012, at the Mumbai-Central station. The Rajdhani Express was the train that would take us to our destination – New Delhi. We reached New Delhi at about 5:30 pm the next day.

We were checked in at the Vishwa Yuvak Kendra or the International Youth Centre at Chanakyapuri where we would be staying for the next four days. The place had a very calm and serene ambience. The beautiful lawns around the place put our much tired bodies in a state of calm. The feeling truly is beyond the limitations of words.

The first day of our stay at Delhi is something that I believe all of us are going to cherish in the years to come. We were eagerly waiting for this day for well over a month. When you put a bunch of kids of the same age group in the same room, there is bound to be a lot of commotion. And that’s exactly what happened!! We sat up talking till 3:00am and got up at 5:30 am to get ready for the big day.

The felicitation programme was held on a big scale. Dignitaries from TERI as well from TETRAPAK were invited to grace the occasion. However, in my opinion, the most endearing and inspirational personality at the event was Sir Robert Swan, a distinguished personality who has dedicated his life to the Antarctic. He is the first person to have walked both the South and North Poles. He has set up a company called 2041 which is working to save the Antarctic.

After the conclusion of the programme we were given medals and a certificate as a token of appreciation of the work undertaken by us in order to spread the message on the usage of TetraPaks.

The next day, the students as well as the teachers, went on a shopping spree to Lajpat Nagar, which is any shopaholic’s delight.

The last day of our visit to Delhi, reminded us of how the place is history come alive. We started the day by going to the Baha’i temple, which is a lotus shaped temple of the followers of Bahaullah. The place is open to people of other religions as well, but what attracts most people to this place is the silence in which a troubled mind finds solace. The feeling has to be experienced in  order to understand the beauty of peace.

We then went to Rajghat, which is Mahatma Gandhi’s Samadhi. The place is a beauty in itself. The lawns are maintained very well. The place has a lot of visitors; most of them being foreigners.

The Red Fort was the most amazing part of the visit. The fort houses the Mumtaz Mahal, the “Saawan” and “Bhaadon” gardens and was by far the most spectacular part of the sight-seeing. The place is huge and one should take out a minimum of five hours to absorb the beauty of the place.

We gorged on some delicious Parathas at the famous Parathewali Galli at Chandni Chowk.

Among the other places we visited was the Rashtrapati Bhavan, India Gate, and Connaught Place.

We also got the chance to travel in a metro.

We left for Mumbai on the 21^st of April, 2012 and reached on 22^nd April, 2012 at about 4:00 pm.

The visit to Delhi was something that I am sure all of us are going to remember for really long time. I would like to thank TERI for organizing this programme on such a large scale. I would also like to thank my school principal, Sr. Sharmila Fernandes, our manager Rev. Fr. Joaquim D’costa and my family for always encouraging me to do my best. But most of all I would like to thank my teacher, Mrs. Nirmala Nair, who has always been so supportive of me, because of whom I developed a liking towards the protection of the environment, and who always inspires me with her kind and helpful nature.

THANKYOU

BY RITHIKA KUMAR

TETRA PAK AMBASSADOR

SACRED HEART HIGH SCHOOL

VASHI

400703

Sacred Heart Eco Club (VASHI):

Sacred Heart Eco Club (VASHI):Greenline Final Session And Evaluation

Our final session with Greenline was scheduled for 6^th March 2012. The jury consisted of Mr. Harshal Deshmukh (Urban Farmer), Ms. Steffi(Student of Ph.D. for Environment and Children) and Ms.-Aurla(Ph.D. in Ecology and Environment), along with Mr. Alden D’silva, Greenline member.

Mahesh and Akhilesh presented all the Eco-Club activities undertaken by us for the academic year 2011-2012. These included gardening activities using soil made fertile through the usage of Amrut Jal, making bird houses from waste benches from the classrooms, Bio purification using canna plant, setting up an environment policy in the school, etc. This was followed by the presentation made by Poorva, Rucha and Rithika, which was about the challenges put forward to us by Greenline. This included a water audit in both the primary and the secondary classes of our school. “Cut the flush” was another interesting activity which almost all of us have implemented in the school. Also, we went to the Morbe Dam as part of our school’s field trip and had discussions with the locals. We also sent a water sample from Sagar Vihar, which is a mangrove area, to the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, for analysis. To make sure that this information does not remain only in the confines of the school we also had an interactive session with the students of Sainath English High School, Vashi and Anchorwala Education Society, Vashi. The students were very enthusiastic and also wished to contact Greenline for further insight into this project.

 After a brief rundown of these activities, we had a question-answer session with the judges, which was very informative.

We then showed them all the various areas of our school where the Eco-Club activities have been implemented, like the vermicomposting pit, and the botanical garden. Also, they seemed to be very impressed with the number of projects from our school which have reached the national level.

The session was very inspiring and informative. I would like to thank the judges for their valuable insights. We here at Sacred Heart High School, will try our level best to try and do whatever we have been adviced to do. I would like to thank Greenline, for always pushing us to do our very best in whatever project we undertake.

-BY

RITHIKA KUMAR

ECO-CLUB MEMBER

SACRED HEART HIGH SCHOOL

greenline-save water challenge 2012-2013

GreenLine - Greener People, Greener World: Sacred Heart ,Vashi Soak In The Green!

GreenLine - Greener People, Greener World: Sacred Heart ,Vashi Soak In The Green!: 21st December Sacred Heart High School Eco Club is always a step ahead of the crowd.From the get go, they haven't been the ba...MORBE DAM VISIT

Introduction

Our visit was scheduled for 3^rd February 2012 to the Morbe Dam. This was a field trip that was planned not only for the Eco-club students but for all the students in classes VIII and IX. We reached the Morbe Dam at about 9:30 am.

AN INTRODUCTION TO MORBE DAM

The official name of the dam is Morbe Dam. It is situated on the Dhavari river. The project is located near village Morbe in Khalapur taluka of Raigad District. It became functional in 2006. It is owned by the State Government Of Maharashtra. It is a gravity dam and its height is 59.1metres (approx. 194 ft). it has a length of 3420 metres (approx. 11,220 ft) and a volume of 18,075 km³ (approx. 4,336 cu mi). it has a gross storage capacity of 19,089 km³ (4,579.69 cu mi). Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran started the construction of Morbe dam in 1999 so that water can be supplied to Nhava Sheva region and NMMC area. Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran is a leading organisation under the Maharashtra government that supplies water to rural and urban parts of the state. In 2002 Government of Maharashtra (GOM) permitted NMMC to take over the Morbe dam. The Morbe dam affects 11 villages in the surrounding areas and 776 families. According to the 1981 census calculations, about 2,897 persons have been affected by the project.

village Morbe in Khalapur taluka the Dhavari river.. Morbe Dam

DSCUSSIONS WITH LOCALS

After seeing the Morbe Dam we got the opportunity to interact with the locals. According to them, this dam was built about 10 years ago and they were residing here during its costruction. However, they had to shift out from their residences to Morbewadi. They say that the water supplied to them is of a much better quality as compared to the water they used to get before the dam was constructed. They also have electricity supply which is a recent development. The nearest market and hospital is located at 10 – 15 minutes walking distance. Autorickshaws are the only means of transport for these simple people and they too take a to-and-fro charge which becomes very expensive. Their main occupation before the construction of the dam was agriculture .During the consruction ,their lands were aquired by the govt and they paid very less amount of about 10,000 – 15,000 rupees.Now they haven’t any cultiviable land or a permanant job to meet thier livelyhood.The Morbewadi village also has a school which provides free education to its pupils.

The river water is used by the villagers for washing clothes and utensils. TT

LOCAL NEEDS

The villagers, however, said that their life post the construction of the dam has changed for the worse. There are no farms for agriculture and so, there is no employment facility. Sometimes, they have to work on construction sites for daily wages. It becomes very difficult for them to carry on with their day-to-day life. According to them the dam has affected their lives on a very large scale and the economy in this region suffers.The trees around the area were planted by some school children during their exposure visit,and the villagers taken care of them.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like my principal, Sr. Sharmila Fernandes, our manager, Rev. Fr. Joaquim D’costa and teacher Mrs. Nirmala Nair, for organizing such a wonderful field trip.

We would like to thank Gulab, Khushboo, Susheela, Hira, Jeeman Madhav, and Kuruslee who are residents of Morbewadi and were very co-operative in answering our queries.

And last, but not the least, I would like to thank Greenline for always encouraging us to give our best shot to all the tasks we undertake.

CONCLUSION

The field visit to Morbe Dam was indeed very inspiring, informative and enjoyable. Most of us enjoyed the discussions with the villagers the most. We also marvelled at the scenic beauty of the Morbe Dam. We hope to have many more such field visits in the near future.

Rithika Kumar

Eco-Club Member

Sacred Heart High School

Vashi

GreenLine - Greener People, Greener World: Sacred Heart ,Vashi Soak In The Green!

GreenLine - Greener People, Greener World: Sacred Heart ,Vashi Soak In The Green!: 21st December Sacred Heart High School Eco Club is always a step ahead of the crowd.From the get go, they haven't been the ba... INTRODUCTION

Our visit was scheduled for 3^rd February 2012 to the Morbe Dam. This was a field trip that was planned not only for the Eco-club students but for all the students in classes VIII and IX. We reached the Morbe Dam at about 9:30 am.

AN INTRODUCTION TO MORBE DAM

The official name of the dam is Morbe Dam. It is situated on the Dhavari river. The project is located near village Morbe in Khalapur taluka of Raigad District. It became functional in 2006. It is owned by the State Government Of Maharashtra. It is a gravity dam and its height is 59.1metres (approx. 194 ft). it has a length of 3420 metres (approx. 11,220 ft) and a volume of 18,075 km³ (approx. 4,336 cu mi). it has a gross storage capacity of 19,089 km³ (4,579.69 cu mi). Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran started the construction of Morbe dam in 1999 so that water can be supplied to Nhava Sheva region and NMMC area. Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran is a leading organisation under the Maharashtra government that supplies water to rural and urban parts of the state. In 2002 Government of Maharashtra (GOM) permitted NMMC to take over the Morbe dam. The Morbe dam affects 11 villages in the surrounding areas and 776 families. According to the 1981 census calculations, about 2,897 persons have been affected by the project.

village Morbe in Khalapur taluka the Dhavari river.. Morbe Dam

DSCUSSIONS WITH LOCALS

After seeing the Morbe Dam we got the opportunity to interact with the locals. According to them, this dam was built about 10 years ago and they were residing here during its costruction. However, they had to shift out from their residences to Morbewadi. They say that the water supplied to them is of a much better quality as compared to the water they used to get before the dam was constructed. They also have electricity supply which is a recent development. The nearest market and hospital is located at 10 – 15 minutes walking distance. Autorickshaws are the only means of transport for these simple people and they too take a to-and-fro charge which becomes very expensive. Their main occupation before the construction of the dam was agriculture .During the consruction ,their lands were aquired by the govt and they paid very less amount of about 10,000 – 15,000 rupees.Now they haven’t any cultiviable land or a permanant job to meet thier livelyhood.The Morbewadi village also has a school which provides free education to its pupils.

The river water is used by the villagers for washing clothes and utensils. TT

LOCAL NEEDS

The villagers, however, said that their life post the construction of the dam has changed for the worse. There are no farms for agriculture and so, there is no employment facility. Sometimes, they have to work on construction sites for daily wages. It becomes very difficult for them to carry on with their day-to-day life. According to them the dam has affected their lives on a very large scale and the economy in this region suffers.The trees around the area were planted by some school children during their exposure visit,and the villagers taken care of them.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like my principal, Sr. Sharmila Fernandes, our manager, Rev. Fr. Joaquim D’costa and teacher Mrs. Nirmala Nair, for organizing such a wonderful field trip.

We would like to thank Gulab, Khushboo, Susheela, Hira, Jeeman Madhav, and Kuruslee who are residents of Morbewadi and were very co-operative in answering our queries.

And last, but not the least, I would like to thank Greenline for always encouraging us to give our best shot to all the tasks we undertake.

CONCLUSION

The field visit to Morbe Dam was indeed very inspiring, informative and enjoyable. Most of us enjoyed the discussions with the villagers the most. We also marvelled at the scenic beauty of the Morbe Dam. We hope to have many more such field visits in the near future.

Rithika Kumar

Eco-Club Member

Sacred Heart High School

Vashi

GreenLine - Greener People, Greener World: Sacred Heart ,Vashi Soak In The Green!

GreenLine - Greener People, Greener World: Sacred Heart ,Vashi Soak In The Green!: 21st December Sacred Heart High School Eco Club is always a step ahead of the crowd.From the get go, they haven't been the ba...Sacred Heart High School, Vashi

Task 6: Reach out to other Schools

Sacred Heart School Eco-Club members Poorva, Rucha, Mahesh and Akhilesh along with their teacher visited one of the new ICSE Schools - Anchorwala Education Society at Vashi to spread environmental awareness among these children. It’s Principal Mrs. Bhanumathi Ramachandran and all the students from 1^st to 5^th standards were very curious to know about our ‘Water Saving Challenge’.

The session began with an introduction to Greenline and its green school campaign. Poorva proudly presented the activities that led to Sacred Heart School achieving the Greenest School award last year.

Mahesh & Akhilesh presented the power point presentation showing various activities undertaken at Sacred Heart School and this was well appreciated by the students at Anchorwala.

Rucha’s session was on ‘Water Matters’. It was an interactive session. Even though our audience was small children, Rucha did sow the seeds of social values of conservation in their mind.

‘My school saves water challenge’ was presented by Poorva. The school Principal echoed our message in loud and clear voice to her children and exhorted them to bring forth their own unique ideas for water conservation. Their teacher too agreed that they will encourage children to bring up ideas for water conservation.

Our students were very happy about this experience and thankful to Greenline for giving this unique assignment.

Next it was our turn to present this to 8^th and 9^th standard students of Sainath High School in Vashi. Our students did a good job of presenting the Water Challenge to an enthusiastic group of students. These students will soon be starting similar exercise in their school.

Teacher Nirmala made the session more interactive and effective. After seeing the movie on Water they decided that they will do every possible step to save water. The school environmental science teachers Anand Talati, Deepak Gangane and Satinder Choudhary were very much impressed by the presentation and showed keen interest to emulate such exercises in their school. Principal Ms Lata Pillai stated that the program encouraged their students and teachers. They also want to be part of this activity and commented that this is an excellent initiative which motivates the students to do something to save mother earth.

They showed keen interest to contact Greenline and we have provided them the website of Greenline and the contact details.

We thank Greenline for t this unique experience of our students to be ambassadors for spreading the message of conservation.

Sacred Heart Eco Club (VASHI): wetland day visit to mangrove belt palmbeach road...

Sacred Heart Eco Club (VASHI): wetland day visit to mangrove belt palmbeach road...

wetland day visit to mangrove belt palmbeach road

wetland day visit to mangrove belt palmbeach road

WET LAND DAY 2FEBRUARY IMPORTANCE OF WET LANND

Wetlands play an essential part in the regulation of river flow, they filter pollutants and fertilizers, they are spawning zones for some species of fish (pike in particular). They also provide a habitat for plants, insects, batrachians and birds