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Subject: Invitation to attend the National Conference on “Sustainable Development of Smart Cities” on Sep 22-23, 2017 at India International Centre, Max Mueller Marg, New Delhi-03

Sub: Invitation to attend the national conference on National Conference on “Sustainable Development of Smart Cities”

Organiser: IDC Foundation

Co-organisers: Grass Roots Research & Creation India (P) Ltd. & International Roma Cultural University, Belgrade, Serbia

Venue: India International Centre, Max Mueller Marg, New Delhi-03

Date: Sept 22 – 23, 2017,

Dear  Sir/ Madam,

IDC Foundation, GRC India and IRCU Serbia are going to organize a National Conference on Sustainable Development of Smart Cities on Sept 22-23, 2017. You are cordially invited to attend the same. Your rich experience, information and knowledge sharing for the other stakeholders could have been wonderful.

Background

The increasing urban population and ever increasing migration towards the urban clusters has put additional pressure on the availability of natural resources. This has caused several environmental and resource depletion issues. Increasing human activities, intervention and industrialization has led to increase the toxic elements in the resources viz. Air, Water and Soil; affecting the balance of habitat. This is posing a great challenge on the existence of the living and non living organisms in the ecosystem. There is a great need to create systems and networks to ensure optimum utilization of resources. As per one of the reports by McKinsey Global Institute (2015), India will have 68 cities with a population of over one million by the year 2035.

Management of Resources through Smart Cities

The management of resources with this additional pressure on the urban areas would become a great challenge. An efficient and sustainable solution for serving urban areas is need of the hour. The concept and model of smart cities is of significant importance. A smart city integrates the information and communication technology (ICT) and internet of things (IOT) to manage city’s resources cum assets. This includes managing local departments’ information system, schools, libraries, transport, hospitals, power plants, water supply networks, waste management, law enforcement and other community services through ICT based services.  The sustainable management of resources with efficient system will help in improving life standards of this population. As India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world, Government of India carrying forward the vision of Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, has started taking steps to develop smart cities, which will be self sustainable habitats with maximum resource mobilization, optimized energy supplies and efficient public transportation system with a healthy quality of life.

National Conference

Keeping forward the momentum, National Conference on Sustainable Development of Smart Cities is going to be organized by IDC Foundation in collaboration with Grass Roots Research & Creation India (P) Ltd. and International Roma Cultural University, Belgrade, Serbia on Sept 22-23, 2017, which aims to bring together leading academic scientists, researchers, urban and environmental planners, information technology experts, regulators, administrators and developers and in fact all stakeholders involved in the designing, planning and implementation to exchange and discuss their ideas and share their experiences related with the progress achieved so far in various aspects and issues of Smart Cities Mission with a view to evolve innovative recommendations for achieving the goals and objectives of sustainable development of smart cities as being envisioned under a broad framework of Smart Cities Guidelines 2015 of Government of India. A copy of brochure can be viewed at <https://issuu.com/bhaveshjha/docs/conf_brochure_sdsc-2017.pdf.pdf>;

Invitation

Your kind availability for the same, participation and information sharing could be really wonderful. We trust that your precious presence will provide the inspirational guidance to the delegates and other stakeholders.

For more information, please contact Grass Roots Research & Creation India (P) Ltd., F-374/375, Sec 63, Noida-201301; Ph. No. 0120-4044630, 4044660; Fax No. 0120-2406519, Website: www.grc-india.com Mr. Bhavesh Jha 8377904063/ 9971635600 or Mr. Abhishek Joshi (Mob. 8377904053/9837180402) or write at info@grc-india.com, bhaveshjha08@gmail.com, kunshu10joshi@gmail.com  

CSE’s short-term EIA training programme UNDERSTANDING EIA: FROM SCREENING TO DECISION MAKING

CSE’s short-term EIA training programme UNDERSTANDING EIA: FROM SCREENING TO DECISION MAKING

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is an important tool to inform decision- makers, regulators and stakeholders, about the possible environmental, social and economic costs of the proposed project. To be effective, it requires the active involvement of all concerned stakeholders.

There is a genuine need to develop the capacity of the state-level regulators and state level expert appraisal Committee (SEAC) to screen and scope the EIA process, to conduct transparent public consultations and to evaluate the EIA reports, especially after the new EIA notification. At the same time, there is a need among CBO, NGOs, academicians, and environment managers to review and interpret EIA report, as they are technical in nature.

Centre for Science and Environment recognises this need and has developed a hands-on five-day training programme aimed at giving practical exposure to participants on EIA with specific reference to coal based power plant, cement, pharmaceutical, mining and others. After the programme, the participants shall have:

1. Exposure to all aspects of EIA, from its theory to the practical – such as better understanding regarding

• What data is required, how this data should be collected and interpreted, and significance of the data

• Effectiveness of the assessment methods

• What issues should be addressed in the Terms of Reference (TOR)

• Tools and thumb rules available to evaluate the environmental impact of projects

2. Better understanding of the EIA process – from screening, scoping, data collection to impact assessment as well as the role of public consultation 

3. Better understanding of the environmental and social impacts of the industrial and developmental projects

4. Better ability to review EIA reports and identify its strengths and weaknesses

5. Increased ability to play active role in post-EIA monitoring.
 

COURSE FEES:  

Rs 15,000 for developers, government officials and consultants,

Rs 10,000 for academicians, NGOs and researchers,

Rs 7,500 for students Note:

Note: Accommodation can be arranged nearby the training centre, would incur extra charges 
 

COURSE DURATION:  

DATE: December 7-11, 2015 

TIMING: 10.00 am to 5.30 pm 

COURSE VENUE: CSE, 41, Tughlakabad Institutional Area, New Delhi – 62

OPEN FOR ALL
Functional Area Experts, Environment Consultants, NGOs, Regulatory Institutions (such as SPCB, State Environment Impact Assessment Authority, etc.), Students, Decision Makers and Industry Professionals.

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is an important tool to inform decision- makers, regulators and stakeholders, about the possible environmental, social and economic costs of the proposed project. To be effective, it requires the active involvement of all concerned stakeholders.

There is a genuine need to develop the capacity of the state-level regulators and state level expert appraisal Committee (SEAC) to screen and scope the EIA process, to conduct transparent public consultations and to evaluate the EIA reports, especially after the new EIA notification. At the same time, there is a need among CBO, NGOs, academicians, and environment managers to review and interpret EIA report, as they are technical in nature.

Centre for Science and Environment recognises this need and has developed a hands-on five-day training programme aimed at giving practical exposure to participants on EIA with specific reference to coal based power plant, cement, pharmaceutical, mining and others. After the programme, the participants shall have:

1. Exposure to all aspects of EIA, from its theory to the practical – such as better understanding regarding

• What data is required, how this data should be collected and interpreted, and significance of the data

• Effectiveness of the assessment methods

• What issues should be addressed in the Terms of Reference (TOR)

• Tools and thumb rules available to evaluate the environmental impact of projects

2. Better understanding of the EIA process – from screening, scoping, data collection to impact assessment as well as the role of public consultation 

3. Better understanding of the environmental and social impacts of the industrial and developmental projects

4. Better ability to review EIA reports and identify its strengths and weaknesses

5. Increased ability to play active role in post-EIA monitoring.
 

COURSE FEES:  

Rs 15,000 for developers, government officials and consultants,

Rs 10,000 for academicians, NGOs and researchers,

Rs 7,500 for students Note:

Note: Accommodation can be arranged nearby the training centre, would incur extra charges 
 

COURSE DURATION:  

DATE: December 7-11, 2015 

TIMING: 10.00 am to 5.30 pm 

COURSE VENUE: CSE, 41, Tughlakabad Institutional Area, New Delhi – 62

LAST DATE FOR APPLYING: November 6, 2015 

OPEN FOR ALL
Functional Area Experts, Environment Consultants, NGOs, Regulatory Institutions (such as SPCB, State Environment Impact Assessment Authority, etc.), Students, Decision Makers and Industry Professionals.

For registration: Kindly email at: digvijay@cseindia.org 

Centre for Science and Environment recognises Social Impact Assessment (SIA) as an important tool to inform decision makers, regulators and stakeholders about the possible social and economic impacts of a development project. To be effective, SIA requires the active involvement of all concerned stakeholders. CSE has developed a five-day training programme aimed at giving practical exposure to participants on SIA with specific reference to infrastructure, mining and other industrial projects.

The programme is designed based on the new Act, “The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013”, and will be relevant and effective for SIA practitioners, officials from state land department, municipality, district collector, sub-divisional magistrate, developers, academician, students, NGOs etc.

The objective of this programme is to build a cadre of trained professional who can conduct and review SIA reports. The programme will also impart understanding of the issues and challenges in land acquisition, enhance skills in socio-economic surveys, public consultations, data collection, planning land acquisition and rehabilitation and resettlement plan. The course would also discuss applicable central/state laws such as Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA), The Forest Rights Act, 2006, and the Companies Acts, 2013.

What participants will learn:

1. Land conflicts, land classification, land rights and governance
2. Better understanding of SIA
   How to make Term of References (ToRs) 
   • Reconnaissance and baseline survey — data need, data collection, collation and interpretation
   • Development of tools and instruments to conduct SIA surveys 
   • Effective assessment and reporting methodologies
3. Filling the Socio-Economic survey questionnaire
4. Asset evaluation
5. Preparation of entitlement matrix
6. Review of SIA reports
7. CSR framework, its reporting and case studies
8. Post monitoring

SCHEDULE

Course Duration:

Date: October 5-9, 2015

Venue: CSE, 41, Tughlakabad Institutional Area, New Delhi -110062

Time: 10.00 am to 5.30 pm

Course fee: 

Rs 15,000 for developers, government officials and consultants,

Rs 10,000 for academicians, NGOs and researchers,

Rs 7,500 for students 

Note: Accommodation can be arranged nearby the training centre, and would incur extra charges.

Last Date for Applying: September 30, 2015

For Registration kindly contact: saumya@cseindia.org

OPEN FOR:
SIA practitioners, officials from state land department, municipality, district collector, sub-divisional magistrate, developers, academician, students, NGOs

A certificate of participation will be awarded to all at the end of the programme.

COURSE CONTACT

Saumya Ranjan Nath, Programme Officer, 
Industry & Environment Unit, Centre for Science and Environment
Tel: + 91-11-29955124/ 6110, Extension: 251, |
Fax: + 91-11-29955879 
Mob. No.: +91 8895788320, +91 9891921959 , +919899676027 
E-mail: saumya@cseindia.org

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is an important tool to inform decision-makers, regulators and stakeholders, about the possible environmental, social and economic costs of the proposed project. To be effective, it requires the active involvement of all concerned stakeholders.

There is a genuine need to develop the capacity of the state-level regulators and state level expert appraisal Committee (SEAC) to screen and scope the EIA process, to conduct transparent public consultations and to evaluate the EIA reports, especially after the new EIA notification. At the same time, there is a need among CBO, NGOs, academicians, and environment managers to review and interpret EIA report, as they are technical in nature.

Centre for Science and Environment recognises this need and has developed a hands-on five-day training programme aimed at giving practical exposure to participants on EIA with specific reference to coal based power plant, cement, pharmaceutical, mining and others. After the programme, the participants shall have:

1. Exposure to all aspects of EIA, from its theory to the practical – such as better understanding regarding

• What data is required, how this data should be collected and interpreted, and significance of the data

• Effectiveness of the assessment methods

• What issues should be addressed in the Terms of Reference (TOR)

• Tools and thumb rules available to evaluate the environmental impact of projects

2. Better understanding of the EIA process – from screening, scoping, data collection to impact assessment as well as the role of public consultation 3. Better understanding of the environmental and social impacts of the industrial and developmental projects

4. Better ability to review EIA reports and identify its strengths and weaknesses

5. Increased ability to play active role in post-EIA monitoring.
 

COURSE FEES:  Rs 15,000 for developers, government officials and consultants, Rs 10,000 for academicians, NGOs and researchers, Rs 7,500 for students 

Note: Accommodation can be arranged nearby the training centre, would incur extra charges
 

COURSE DURATION:  Date: August 3-7, 2015

TIMING: 10.00 am to 5.30 pm

COURSE VENUE: CSE, 41, Tughlakabad Institutional Area, New Delhi – 62

LAST DATE FOR APPLYING: July 24, 2015

OPEN FOR ALL

Functional Area Experts, Environment Consultants, NGOs, Regulatory Institutions (such as SPCB, State Environment Impact Assessment Authority), Students, Decision Makers and Industry Professionals 

For registration: Kindly emailat: digvijay@cseindia.org

For details contact:

Digvijay Singh Bisth, Industry & Environment Unit
Centre for Science and Environment
41, Tughlakabad Institutional Area, New Delhi-110062
Ph: 91-11-2995 5124 / 6110 (Ext. 251); Fax: 91-11-2995 5879
Mobile: 9891921959, 9899676027 g

Weblink: http://www.cseindia.org/content/cse%E2%80%99s-short-term-eia-training-programme-understanding-eia-screening-decision-making-1

The authorities in Haryana will be conducting the important public hearing on the environmental impacts of the proposed Gorakhpur Nuclear Power Plant (GNPP) on 17th July 2012.

As per the rules, local people should be given the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report 1 month prior to the public hearing. But the people of 6 panchayats in Fatehabad districts who will be affected by this project have not received copies of the EIA.

Check out the India Environment Portal for Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report of this controversial upcoming Gorakhpur nuclear plant in Fatehabad, Haryana . Download, Share and Comment

I have often wondered whether I am doing the right thing by using anything that looks like plastic or buying anything remotely associated with it. Let's think about it... the packaged lentils we buy, the nylon and polyester we wear, the Amul milk the kids have each morning, the rain coats they use in the rains, the books I order off flipkart.com (they come shrink-wrapped in clingfilm), the computer you are using to read this blogpost, bullet-proof vests (nope, I don't need those but I thought it would be fun adding it in here), toys, PVC piping, and an endless list of consumer paraphernalia that comes wrapped in plastic (such as the underside of the wrapper of your bathing soap)... I must confess that while the answer is still not clear in my mind, I am swaying towards the "plastic ain't that bad" argument (I guess some people might say I am not environmentally friendly—not true!). But before I get mobbed, let me explain.

About.com's page on Inventors reports that "The first man-made plastic was created by Alexander Parkes who publicly demonstrated it at the 1862 Great International Exhibition in London. The material called Parkesine was an organic material derived from cellulose that once heated could be molded, and retained its shape when cooled." Like many inventions that changed the way we live, this one too was an accident. Apparently, his interest in plastic stemmed from wanting to make billiard balls out of it (I guess it must have been a popular game back then). R&D related to the creation of white chalkboards gave rise to yet another kind of plastic (this one used milk protein mixed with formaldehyde), and I guess it just went on and on after that.

The reason plastic really took off the way it did, and continues to do so well today can be summed up in one word—convenience. Plastics last an age (literally; plastics take between 500 to 1,000 years to degrade once you shuck them into a landfill), so one would ostensibly not need to replace plastic items for a long time. Plastic storage containers are stronger and more durable compared to waxed paper containers. Plastic is also cheaper than most metals. It can be molded into nifty shapes and can take on pretty colors. It is cheap to produce and easy to clean. Without the use of plastics, the product life of some major appliances would reportedly reduce by nearly 50 percent. According to the same source, today's major appliances would cost at least 25 percent more and use 30 percent more energy than similar products produced without plastics. In short, it is EVERYWHERE.

Then, why is plastic so reviled? For one thing, it is not biodegradable (like I said, plastic lasts an age). Trashed plastic bags are useless and ugly. Carelessly discarded plastic bags were blamed for the 2005 deluge in Mumbai (there are other reasons too, but I won't go into that here.) In the US, plastic is said to account for 16 percent of all municipal solid waste, with 50 to 80 percent littering beaches, oceans, and seabeds. It appears then that we are predominantly looking at the disposal end of plastic when we think about all the problems it causes. Numerous studies in life cycle assessment have in fact showed that all things considered, plastic beats paper in environmental terms.

The latest monster to rear its ugly head and urge naysayers against plastic is BPA or Bisphenol A. With the exception of USA and Europe, BPA is used in the synthesis of a number of plastic items such as baby bottles, sports equipment and certain medical devices. It is a known endocrine disruptor, and understandably, has people worried. However, a blanket ban on BPA in plastics is helping to solve the problem.

Having said that, there is no denying that plastic is here to stay. So, how do we deal with the problem? Demonizing plastic is easy, but where do we go from there? I feel the answer lies in better recycling rates, and of course, creating awareness about the issue. The  local kabadiwallah (junk or scrap dealer) serves as the unofficial recycler of plastics in India, but much more needs to be done. There is no other (formal, government-sponsored) recycling infrastructure to speak of. Demand for post-consumer plastics needs to be stepped up. This can be done with careful realigning of policies to the effect. Local governments in particular need to enact and implement laws with teeth. In my view, clever (eco-friendly) product design can help win half the battle (but that's the subject of another post).

Unfortunately, we often fail miserably on most counts. The truth is that every article we use, every action we take, every discovery we make, has the potential to distort our environment. Nothing is environmentally benign. It is how we deal with the issue that matters.

This post originally appeared at http://mahazareendastur.blogspot.in/.