IIITD Student B.Tech Project. BTP Supervisor: Prof. Manohar Khushalani BTP Students: Sejal Kumar / Aysha Fazilath / Rahul Patwardhan / Vyshakh Dharan Video Input: Prof. Manohar Khushalani
This OneVorld video gives us insights into Professor Yogesh Kulkarni’s Domestic Compositor from the University of Pune exhibited at DCE.
The compositor uses the culture developed by BARC (Baba Research Atomic Centre). The moisture needs to be removed from the mixture so the system is designed in such a way that the moisture is not retained and decomposes the green matter. The baffles are designed to provide proper aeration to the mixture of waste and culture.
It can be installed under the basin and can decompose 1.5 kilograms of organic matter every day. After putting the culture inside, it needs to be rotated twice a day. Normally in a week’s time, the entire waste is decomposed.
Green India Mission
Student B.Tech Project. BTP Supervisor: Prof. Manohar Khushalani
Green India Mission is aimed to protect, restore and enhance India’s diminishing forest cover and respond to climate change by a combination of adaptation and mitigation measures. This OneVorld video gives us more information on the same.
Green India Mission is affiliated under the National Action Plan on Climate Change(NAPCC). Formally launched in February 2014. It aims to increase the forest cover by 5 million hectares and increase the quality of the existing forests in 10 years. A wonderful initiation by the government for protecting our dear nature and ecosystem.
A quick look into the goals of Green India Mission –
Improvement in quality of forest cover and ecosystem
Eco-restoration
Improvement in forest and tree cover in urban areas
This OneVorld video discusses a plan for the implementation of the conservation and management of water resources in India.
Proposed By: GN Kathpalia and Rakesh Kapoor
B.Tech Project. BTP Supervisor: Prof. Manohar Khushalani
Timeline :
The first national policy was created in September 1987
Updated in April 1, 2002, by National Water Resources Council
This was followed by an update in 2012
What is the Water Action Policy 2020 ? Is there a need for this alternative ? How do we conserve, manage, save, maintain and utilise these resources ? How will this plan help in decision making by the authorities ?
So, what is the Water Action Policy ?
Water Resources in India, for now, is being managed by central and state government mostly. The plan suggests that there should be a shift in the work division at the level of local communities also. This requires the setting up of different community organizations like Watershed Management Associations(WMAs), Water Users Association (WUAs), JFM, RWAs.
Key concepts in the plan for water conservation and management are drinking and domestic use of water, water pollution, watershed management, flood and drainage management, underground water conservation, irrigation, cultivation, hydropower, industrial and thermal power management, sectoral allocation, navigation, demand management, and resources assessment.
Implementation –
Partnership with communities in Water Resource Management
Changes in the institutional structure
Implementation of water-shed projects
Legal changes
Project implementation
Financing projects and water service charges
Maintenance and modernisation
Action program and important implementation aspects
IIITD Student B.Tech Project. BTP Supervisor: Prof. Manohar Khushalani
Air Pollution has always been a major concern in the Delhi NCR region. The air quality in Delhi is the worst of all the cities in the world. In general, vehicle pollution and overpopulation are one of the main reasons for the pollution problem in Delhi. Political corruption and lack of will of the political parties is also one of the main causes of pollution.
The reason for the sudden rise in pollution is due to various factors like crop burning, cold weather, and firecrackers. The poor air quality of Delhi has adverse effects on the people of Delhi. According to Wikipedia, 2.2 million children have irreversible lung damage. Also, air pollution can lower children’s immune systems making them prone to disease.
This OneVorld video gives us more insight on the same.
This informative OneVorld video gives us some insights into the Ganga Pollution. Ganga is one of the most polluted rivers in the world. It flows through over 100 cities with a population in lakhs and takes heavy toxic metals like lead and copper. The average BOD level of the river around the year is 38 mg/L which is a lot more than the bar of the severely polluted rivers. However, many cleanup efforts have been made to clean the river Ganga. One of the main was Ganga Action Plan which was launched by Rajiv Gandhi in 1986 on which 862.59 crore rupees were spent. Its main objective was to treat the domestic sewage and prevent the toxic industrial chemical waste from being dumped into the river.
Ganga River is a trans-boundary river that flows through India and Bangladesh with a length of 2525 km. It originates in the western Himalayas and the Uttarakhand and ends up in the Bay of Bengal. It is the most sacred river and worshipped as Goddess Ganga in Hinduism. It is a lifeline to millions and is however itself dying. In recent years the Ganga has suffered a lot from pollution and the pollution level is now above the acceptable range.
The B.O.D. level for a prestige river is around 1 mg/l and ranges from 2-8 mg/l for moderately polluted rivers. Rivers with B.O.D. level above 8 mg/l are considered to be severely polluted. The average B.O.D. level around the year has been 38 mg/l. It had to suffer as it takes so much waste including toxic metals like lead and copper. The river flows through 100 cities with a population in lakhs.
This OneVorld video explains the Yamuna Action Plan which was introduced in 1993 as one of the largest restoration projects in India. It is a bilateral project between India and Japan. It was launched in 1993. The 1st phase was carried out by National River Conservation Directorate. It focused on building new and expanding the capacity of old sewage treatment plants.
In 1993 when the Yamuna was declared as the dirtiest river in the country, YAMUNA ACTION PLAN came into existence.
There was a threat to aquatic life as well as water shortage problems due to years of sewage dumping. It was decided to divide and complete it in three phases. The project spans from Hatnikund (Haryana) till the point where Yamuna meets the River Ganga along with Sindh River and Chambal River.
According to initial surveys, it was found that 22kms of Yamuna’s stretch which is through Delhi was the major contributor to pollution.
First phase covered Delhi, eight towns in Uttar Pradesh and six towns in Haryana. Second phase emphasised on the 22 kms stretch in Delhi. Third phase of the plan was initiated in 2013 despite the debates around the success of the first two phases.
But somehow, despite all this planning, studies warned that Delhi’s waterway was toxic even after treatment and should not be used for drinking or irrigation. The condition is still not improved even after years of planning and investment. It’s not just sewage dumping but many of our practices that have led to these disastrous scenarios. People can now literally see foam from Google Earth. It is high time to rethink our actions and its effects.
This OneVorld Video explains some steps we can take to minimize plastic on our planet which is an ever-increasing problem nowadays. All of us can contribute a little towards our fight against plastic and opt for plastic alternatives to not just minimize plastic but to reuse it so that more addition of plastic in our environment can be stopped.
Plastic, a horrible yet extremely useful invention for mankind has now become a significant part of our lives. We are all aware of it’s ill-effects and can do our part to protect the environment from it.
So what should we do ?
Well, there are some small things we can do or should I say small things everyone SHOULD do?
One of the first things we do after waking up is brushing our teeth, which we usually do with our plastic toothbrushes. After some time they become useless and we have to throw them away. It creates a lot of non-biodegradable waste. In this case, we can use bamboo toothbrushes which are usually made up of natural materials like bamboo and charcoal. So they are far more accessible to dispose of than regular toothbrushes.
EXTRA TIP: We can also learn how to make toothpaste at home so that toothpaste tube waste can also be decreased.
Coming up next are the food containers. It’s harmful to store food in plastic containers because a lot of them release harmful chemicals like BPA and phthalates. But a lot of people still use them because they are cheap and easy to use. But life is more valuable than anything else. That’s why we should use better alternatives than plastic containers. Stainless steel glass and silicon containers are very reliable in this case and they are easy to dispose of too.
EXTRA TIP: For dry food like bread and chapatis, cloth food containers are very useful
Moving on, the one form in which plastic is used the most is carry bags and waste produced by them is enormous. But the good thing is they have a lot of alternatives too. Paper, cotton and canvas bags are good alternatives of such bags. They are extremely reusable too.
EXTRA TIP: We should try to reuse the polybags we already have.
Our earth is a beautiful planet and it’s really sad that we are the ones destroying it. It is our responsibility to protect it. Everyone should do their part even if it’s too small!
India Gate
India Gate is located in the center of New Delhi in memorial of the British Indian Army who sacrificed their lives in World War I and Anglo-Afghan War fighting for Indian Empire. It was built in command of Edwin Lutyens in 1921.
Amar Jawan Jyoti (the flame of the immortal soldier) is present under the India Gate also known as the Indian Army’s Tomb of unknown soldier. It is burning since 1972. There is a rifle with helmet placed on the shrine along with four tourches that kept burning.
You can see three flags waving at India Gate. Those flags are of Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force.
There are names commemorated on India Gate in their memorial of the war dead.
One can reach India Gate by metro or by bus. Neareast metro station is Central Secretariat.
Address: Rajpath, India Gate, New Delhi, Delhi 110001
Brandenburg Gate and Holocaust Memorial
The Brandenburg Gate is a neoclassical monument in Berlin, Germany. It was constructed between on the orders of the Prussian King Frederick William II in 1788 and designed by Carl Gotthard Langhans. after the successful restoration of order during the early Batavian Revolution. It was built near the City Gate that was the start of the road from Berlin to the town of Brandenburg.
This gate was built to represent peace replacing the eariler simple guardhouses. It has also played different important political roles in Germany. When the Prussian lost to the Battle of Jena Auerstedt in 1806, Napolean used the gate for triumphal procession. After the Prussian’s comeback in 1814, they defeated Napolean and then redesigned the gate as a Prussian triumphal arch.
In late 20th century, when the revolution of 1989 occurred and the wall was demolished, the gate symbolized freedom and helped in unifying the city of Berlin. For all the murdered jews in the revolution, the German Federal Parliament decided to build a memorial for them which was then designed by Peter Eisenman. This memorial was named Holocaust Memorial.
This memorial consists of a 19,000 m square site covered with 2711 concrete slabs arranged in a grid pattern. There exists an underground place which holds the name of approximately 3 million Jewish Holocaust victims. It’s construction was finished in December, 2004.
Mehrauli Archaeological Park which is in Delhi is one of the only places where you would find not one but many monuments of historical importance.The land which spreads over 200 acres hosts about hundred monuments from multiple dynasty that ruled over Delhi including Khalji dynasty, Tughlaq dynasty, Lodhi Dynasty and the British Raj.
One of the main attractions is Tomb of Balban which was built in 1287 CE as it was the first time for such a true arch and dome to be constructed in India.Some of the notable monuments of the park are :
The bastion of Lal Kot fort, Mehrauli.
Balban’s tomb, Mehrauli, ca 1287 CE
Tomb of Khan Shahid, Balban’s son, Mehrauli.
Entrance to Tomb of Khan Shahid, son of Balban
Steps of Rajon Ki Baoli
Walled mosque adjacent to the Baoli
Gandhak ki Baoli, another stepwell beyond Rajon Ki Baoli.
Dargah of Sufi saint, Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki, beyond Rajon Ki Baoli.
Tomb and wall mosque in Mehrauli Archaeological Park.
Bagichi Ki Masjid, Mehrauli.
British Agent, Sir Thomas Metcalfe’s Guest House at Dilkusha close to Quli Khan’s tomb.
Pavilion tomb and grave platform, Mehrauli Archaeological Park.
Tomb in Mehrauli Archaeological Park.
Ruined homes near Balban’s tomb
One can reach Lodhi Garden by metro or by bus. Neareast metro station is Qutub Minar.
Address: Anuvrat Marg, Opposite Qutub Minar Metro Station, Christian Colony, Mehrauli, New Delhi, Delhi 110030
