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Dear Friends, 

Last few days left to register for the hands-on five-day training programme aimed at giving practical exposure to participants on all aspects related to assessment, interpretation and management of a mining project.


The objective of this programme is to build capacity and create awareness among regulators, developers, NGOs, forest officers, academicians, student and industry to understand the EIA process for mining projects.

The programme will cover:

•        Environmental clearance process and mining legislations
•        Review of effectiveness of an EIA report
•        Mining technologies and best practices
•        Data interpretation (for analysing the impacts of mining projects)
•        Understanding the TOR (Terms of Reference)
•        Tools and thumb-rules to evaluate environmental and social impacts
•        Effectiveness of assessment methods
•        Mine closure plans and best practices in reclamation
•        Resettlement and Rehabilitation plans
•        Addressing civil society concerns in the public consultation process
•        Emerging sustainable tools and best practices
•        Developing the ability to review and assess EIA reports and mine closure plans
•        Developing the ability for post-EIA monitoring

The training programme will be organized from 13 to 17 February, 2012, at CSE’s office, 41 Tughlakabad Institutional Area, New Delhi - 62.

The course fee for the programme is Rs 9900/- per participant. However, 50 % discount is available for NGOs and students.

For more information visit our website: http://www.cseindia.org/content/cse%E2%80%99s-short-term-training-programme-eia-mining-projects

Date: February 13 – 17, 2012

Venue: CSE, 41, Tughlakabad Institutional Area, New Delhi – 62

Last Date for Applying: February 6, 2012,

Timing:10.00 am to 5.30 pm

Open for all: Regulatory Institutions (such as SPCB, EAC/SEAC), EIA/SIA consultants, industry, academicians, forest officers, NGOs and students  

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

For details contact:

SWATI SINGH SAMBYAL, Research Associate, 
Industry & Environment Unit
Centre for Science and Environment
41, Tughlakabad Institutional Area, New Delhi-110062
Ph: 91-11-2995 5124 / 6110 (Ext. 281); Fax: 91-11-2995 5879
Mobile: 9910496283

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Looking for JOB

Dear All,

      I have completed my P.hD., Marine Biology on 2009. I have 3.7 years experience in EIMP (GoI) & 1.2 years as in Conservation of Lakes in Bangalore Urban (GoK) through EIA & Stakeholder management. My contract period is in end. So I wish to join any other job. if any vacancy available please mail me. Thank you all....

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LAKES and RIVER OF NAGPUR CITY

 

A Brief Introduction to Lakes and River  of  Nagpur City

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NAGPUR MUNICIPAL CORPORATION ,NAGPUR

PENCH PROJECT CELL  NMC NAGPUR

 

 

PREAMBLE

 

Nagpur city is the 13th largest urban conglomeration in India, with a population of 25 lakhs. Along with being the Winter Capital of the state of Maharashtra it is also well known for its significant place in the political and as a geographical center of the entire country of India. With the city being the next most favored IT destination and the proposals for an upcoming International Cargo Hub, the city of Nagpur is slated for large scale developments.

 

The city of Nagpur sits at the centre of some very rich bio diverse regions, being surrounded by national parks and ecologically rich regions. Thus it forms an important Biodiversity link between these regions, with the green zones within the city and especially along the river banks, serving as Biodiversity Corridors for the fauna and avifauna of the region.

The city boasts of many prestigious educational institutions and has nurtured academic talent of very high caliber. As a matter of fact even the development plans, past and present indicate the importance of such Institutions through large land uses allotted for the purpose of Academic and Research Institutions.

Though the old city core has high density development there is a lot of potential to conserve and enhance the natural environment of the city. The Nagpur Municipal Corporation has taken the initiative to map, and document all the natural resources including the lakes and rivers of the city. Immense efforts are being put towards the institutionalization for   the conservation of environment of the region. It is with this objective that the Nagpur Municipal Corporation has put forth this proposal for the rejuvenation of one of its most important and prominent river which flows through the main city.

During earlier times of the establishment and development of the city of Nagpur, water bodies were designed as significant elements of the city; serving as water storage tanks as well as for recreation. Some of these also had religious significance and are even today associated with temples alongside their banks.

Nagpur being a city with extreme climate, it experiences extremely hot summers and a moderate rainfall. Hence water bodies played a major role, not only as water collectors but also in equating the temperatures. They hence enjoyed significant positions within the city fabric and had a close relationship to the people and their settlements.

However, today the attitude towards these water bodies is changing. Water supply has been augmented from other sources outside the city limits and the lakes have remained as mere storage tanks. Also the lakes within the cities which served as centers of religious and recreational importance today remain as mere elements in the city. With the changing lifestyles and technological advances, people are today looking towards other sources of recreation and entertainment. In this scenario with increasing population and ever increasing demand for recreation; the water bodies like Phutala, Ambazari Lake could serve the purpose. Citizen would get better amenities if such waterbodies are maintained and enhance. This in turn would also help the waterbody to be socially accepted and taken care by the people.

Water is the lifeline of any city or a region on which its economy and life depends. In the past the success of a city was measured by the amount of water it would supply for the various uses. Successful cities have been those, which have been able to, ensure continuous water supply to its citizens. Cities are a mosaic of different land uses both agrarian and non-agrarian and biotic and abiotic components all of which are dependent on one basic resource called water for their survival.

 

Water bodies are of especial importance in the urban context. Not only do they add to the aesthetics of the landscape, they also support a rich and varied type of ecosystem, providing huge scope for nature awareness and education and adding significant premium to the land. Besides the water bodies themselves, their Wetlands (that is the marshes, swamps and other areas between dry land and lake edges or river banks) are vital for survival of biodiversity. The wetlands also function as natural tubs or sponges, storing floodwater and slowly releasing it. This combined action, storage and slow release can lower flood heights and reduce the erosive potential of water and thereby helping to control increases in the rate and volume of runoff from urban areas. Wetlands also improve water quality, including that of drinking water, by intercepting surface runoff and removing or retaining its nutrients, processing organic wastes, and trapping loads of sediments before they reaches open water.

The financial impacts of water management can be related to information on shore property and businesses, the estimated size of the user population and regional economic impacts. Assembling information on the economic significance of lakes will help local officials make appropriate decisions regarding lakes and their watersheds.

Education is another important lake management tool. Data collection, analysis and presentation should be done so that it is understandable to all who may participate in lake management activities.

Conservation and restoration of all our water resources requires an integrated development approach. The management of sewerage, storm water and solid waste management becomes primarily important for any integrated management planning undertaken for cities.

Rejuvenation of Lakes and River in Nagpur City

Introduction- Nagpur is a city in the central part of India. In Maharashtra State. Nagpur district is located between 21*45 N to 20*30 N and 78*15 E to 79*45 E. The adjoining districts are Bhandara on the east, Chandrapur on the south, Amravati and Wardha on the west and in the north shares the boundary with Madhya Pradesh. The Nagpur district is located in the Deccan Plateau region of Maharashtra.

Nagpur city is the 13th largest urban conglomeration in India, with a population of 3.5 million (2005 EST.).The city of Nagpur sits at the centre of some very rich biodiverse regions, being surrounded by national parks and ecologically rich regions. Thus it forms an important Biodiversity link between these regions, with the green zones within the city serving as Biodiversity Corridors for the flora, fauna and also avifauna of the region.           

With the intense and rapid urban development in Nagpur, the city is showing signs of environmental depletion and degradation. Not only the rich water resources but the entire natural landscape with the precious ecosystems is facing the brunt of the rapid urbanization. The environmental balance of the systems has been disturbed and the environmental corridors are disjointed. The temperatures within the city are rising day by day. In the wake of this future growth of the city and the rise in developments and populations it is imperative to understand the ecology of the region particularly the water bodies and their natural systems. The current status of the city, in terms of its environment and the needs of the expanding developments needs to be addressed. It requires an integrated approach towards planning, wherein the development and ecology go hand in hand; through an optimal utilization of resources.

Aims and Objective- The main objective of this proposal is to restore and revive the water resources within the city. This would be done with a two fold agenda. The first one is to revive and restore the ecological balance of the water bodies to ensure their health and sustenance. The second is to reconnect the city and its people to these water resources through appropriate water front development and introduction of activities; in order to give increased opportunities to the people to interact with the water resources and restore their faith in them.

The study proposal looks at an integrated development plan for the rejuvenation of the water bodies in the city of Nagpur. Though the study deals with essentially the water bodies in the city, namely the lakes and the rivers; it addresses the overall ecological concerns of the city through a holistic approach to planning based upon a detailed study of the water bodies and their interrelationships to the environmental systems.

The city of Nagpur is blessed with a number of lakes, namely;

 

  • Gorewada
  • Futala,
  • Ambazari
  • Sonegaon ,
  • Sakkardara ,
  • Gandhisagar ,
  • Lendi Talao,
  • Naik Talao ,
  • Dobe talao,
  • Pandrabodi ,
  • Sanjay Nagar Khadan
  • Pardi Lake.

 

All the lakes are manmade either by damming the water streams and rivers or by constructing tanks. Throughout history they served as important water resources for the city, not only as water storage tanks for the extreme dry summers, but also as recreational areas, religious centers and for regulating temperatures. They hence enjoyed significant positions within the city fabric and had a close relationship to the people and their settlements.

However today, all the lakes in the city have been influenced by the developments in the city and have been observed to be in various stages of deterioration. Though developments have affected the lakes and their catchments throughout the city, the nature of their impacts are greatly influenced by the natural and unique characteristics of the lakes and their catchment areas. This has also been taken into consideration.

During their revival and development of these lakes. The methodology for the study includes a detailed study of the intrinsic and existing environmental conditions of the region in order to establish the current ecological status of the city and its water bodies. This is done through study and mapping of various components of ecology like physiography, landform, this is done through study and mapping of various components of ecology like physiography, landform, slope, vegetation, hydrology, watershed, etc. In addition to this macro level as well as micro level studies were carried out in order to understand the developmental condition and their impacts on the water bodies.

The city of Nagpur has three major rivers passing through it, determined by the physiographic character into three major watersheds-The Northern watershed comprising of the PILI River, the central watershed Namely; Comprising of the historical NAG River and the southern watershed draining into the PORA River. Rivers being not static bodies of water, but dynamic systems are constantly being influenced and altered by the surrounding area with which they interact. The rivers of Nagpur city are showing considerable signs of disturbance in their natural ecological balance and a degradation of the river basins and Catchment areas. Any measures along the river will need to address developmental issues as well as issues Regarding the environmental condition and long term sustainability of the rivers.

This has also been taken into consideration during their rejuvenation and development of these rivers. The methodology for the study includes a detailed study of the intrinsic and existing environmental conditions of the region in order to establish the current ecological status of the city and its water bodies.

This is done through study and mapping of various components of ecology like physiography, landform, slope, vegetation, hydrology, watershed, etc. In addition to this macro level as well as micro level studies were carried out in order to understand the developmental condition and their impacts on the water bodies. The study is based upon primary as well as secondary data, acquired from respective agencies and Extensive surveys on site.

Conservation and restoration of the water resources requires an integrated development approach. The management of sewerage, storm water and solid waste management becomes primarily important for any integrated management planning undertaken for cities. Management becomes primarily important for any integrated management planning undertaken for cities. The proposals take into consideration the entire ecosystem, which forms the watershed for the catchments it contains and the rivers and streams that flow through them. When the conservation of water is integrated with recreational, amenity and environmental awareness, it creates expanded opportunities for the social uses of open space, providing greater diversity for learning and awareness of the continuum of natural events.

The main objective of the proposals is towards ‘Building a positive attitude to the water fronts’, through Reviving the faith and value for all water resources that we have had since generations

Conservation and Enhancement of all the water courses and water bodies Restoration and Enhancement of all the eco-sensitive zones that have had good biodiversity

Maximizing on conservation, percolation and retention of rain water Design concepts and strategies have been evolved after research and documentation of the various aspects

Design concepts and strategies have been evolved after research and documentation of the various aspects of the natural resources versus the existing and future trends of growth of the city. These address issues of ecological restoration, sustainability and water conservation as well as creating interactive public spaces for the city.

The Environmental Management Plan for the rivers includes general guidelines and recommendations along the entire stretch of the river, in order to protect and conserve it in a natural state and to maintain its ecological balance. The project also identifies the river as an important biodiversity corridor and restoration of the river will help in establishing this vital link in the regional context of the city. In addition to this, nodes have been identified along the river stretches for Pili River, Phutala nala and Nag River for development. These have been identified based on factors such as ecological status, ownership pattern, heritage value, religious values, land use and activity pattern, aesthetic quality and scope for development as public activity nodes.

Presently 2 lakes have been shortlisted and amount sanctioned by Ministry of Environment Govt of Maharashtra to Nagpur Municipal Corporation for Sonegaon Lake is 3.24 cr and Ist installment released is 63 lac. for Phase 1 out of which grant received is 13 lakhs

 and 1.78 cr for Gandhi Sagar Lake and 75 lac. released for Phase 1.

For Sonegaon Lake and Gandhi Sagar Lake, Project Management Consultant M/s Monarch Surveyors Limited, Pune has been appointed followed by M/s R.M. Goplani has been appointed as a Contractor for Commissioning of Rejuvenation of Lakes and River Project for Gandhi Sagar and Sonegaon lake.

And recently the meeting held at Ministry of Environment on 16th of July 2011 at MANTRALAYA GOM, Pandrabodi Lake has been cleared and proposal for Nag River has already being submitted to National River Conservation Prorgamme,(NRCP),MOEF for further approval.    

 

2. PROJECT PROPOSAL:

The river Nag and its tributaries originate within the city limits of Nagpur city and flow through the main city for a major part of their course. It is within this section itself that the river is majorly polluted essentially due to the influence of developments along its course. This further affects the downstream areas due to contaminated water flowing through the rivers.

Considering the current status of the Nag River and its tributaries, the restoration of the river would require the following components to be designed and implemented:

1)    Storm Water Drainage system

2)    Sewerage system

3)    Abatement of point sources of pollution

4)    River Front Development

Out of the above mentioned components, studies have been carried out and detailed project reports and proposals have been drafted for the components of Storm Water Drainage system and Sewerage system. Grants and funding for the same would be acquired from schemes like the JnNURM, etc.  

 

 

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I know... the title sounds a tad(!) odd. After all, what does chocolate have to do with Corporate Social Responsibility and/or eco-cities? The answer might surprise you.

The original chocolate giant had humble beginnings. Established by a draper in Birmingham in the early nineteenth century, the small business saw many downs before it rose to become the chocolate empire to contend with in the late 1800s. Being staunch Quakers, the Cadbury brothers, George and Richard, were determined to do more than just build a business. They were determined "to make a better world" (ideals some companies aspire to adopt and practice, and what we term as "CSR" today; whether they actually succeed is a topic for another post!) With alcoholism, child slavery and poverty rife at the time, the Cadbury brothers were driven to do something concrete.

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Above: The Cadbury brothers were driven by ideals such as purity and better value.
This drive was also translated into their experiment in better living called "Bournville".

(Image courtesy: Thisismoney.co.uk)

The brothers moved their chocolate-making factory outside of Birmingham, to create a "factory in a garden", and comfortable working spaces for all their employees. They called it Bournville. Rubbished by nay-sayers as an act of fanatics (Quakers were not looked upon with reverence), Bournville was gradually developed into more than just an employee-friendly factory. As Deborah Cadbury, the author of Chocolate Wars relates, the aim of the Cadbury brothers was "the 'amelioration of the conditions of the working class and labouring population', with a special emphasis on improving the quality of their life, with 'improved dwellings with gardens and open spaces to be enjoyed therewith'". Bournville graduated into a garden city with green belts, arranged in circular design with boulevards and avenues surrounding a central park. Most essentials were put within walking distance, thus making Bournville a precursor of what we refer to as "eco-cities" today. In fact, George Cadbury foresaw the Bournville as an important experiment in decongesting cities to marry (his emphasis) town and country.

Houses were sold or let to tenants (depending on what they could afford) on 999-year leases, some for as little as GBP150. Every house had a garden to keep the tenants self-sustainable when it came to food, by allowing them to produce about two shillings worth of vegetables and fruits per week, worth about GBP400 in today's prices. This gave the tenants a worthwhile incentive to adopt and cherish Bournville as their new home.

Some would have been content to rest on their laurels, but George Cadbury and his wife Elsie did not (Richard passed away in 1899). They went on to donate even larger sums of their personal wealth towards the development of schools, libraries, a scientific laboratory, indoor and outdoor pools (for the ladies and the gents, respectively), playgrounds, and a medical department (available free of charge). At the turn of the twentieth century, they even pioneered the pension scheme!

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Above: Bournville workers and residents at Bournville Village Green.
(Image courtesy: BBC News)



No one can contest how novel and far-sighted these concepts were at the time. In 2003, the BBC reported Bournville as "one of the nicest places to live in the country", so the magic lives on. Many modern-day companies indulge in greenwashing, and most governments pay mere lip-service to sustainable living and eco-cities. But all it needs is one visionary (a couple in this case) and an ideal.

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BNHS requires Research Fellow

Bombay Natural History Society, India’s  premier  environmental research organization engaged in  conservation of nature, research in natural history/wildlife requires Research  Fellow for its Collections Department..

Educational Qualifications: M.Sc. in Zoology Forestry / Wildlife / Ecology / Life / Environmental Science.

Desirable Qualification: Field research experience in Mammal survey, distance sampling and basic knowledge of GIS / data analysis /digitization software.

Job requirement: Collecting ecological data on mammals, preparation, curation and  identification of mammal specimens. The job involves extensive traveling to different parts of India.Candidates with strong physical and mental  abilities and keen interest for field research work preferred.

Age Limit: 30 years.

Salary: Negotiable.

Apply within 10 days with detailed bio-data  giving two references to: Director, Bombay Natural History Society, Hornbill House, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Road, Opp. Lion Gate, Mumbai-400001. Email: bnhs@bom4.vsnl.net.in. Tele. No. (022) 22821811.

Mumbai 400001, 5th January, 2011


http://www.bnhs.org/about-bnhs/vacancy/604-research-fellow.html

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COMPACT SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT UNDER A DRIVE WAY

Dear All,

Greeting to you....wish you all a happy, healthy and prosperous new year......

We are on you tube.....
Compact under driveway - sewage treatment plant in a factory, which capacity would treat 50 k l d per day on a continuous process basis. Please click or cut paste the following link for a preview

log on to www.ozosciences.com for more information

it is to be noted that plants by our technology application do not deploy aeration (noise pollution), no toxins, no odor, no sludge, less dependency on electricity and minimum man monitoring with best results....This present plant can handle double the capacity without any modification..thus avoiding any capital investment for upgrading it for higher capacity utilization.....
I hope this clip would give you a fair idea of the practicality of treatment application by NOXXALL...
Cheers and take care...
Madan Iyengar
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QCI-Nabet

Dear all,

now in india a very good process of Nabet accrediation has been initiated to bring the quality of EIA.Exactly its a good sign for Environmental field.

why cant QCI provide training to fulfill the FAEs requirement and other all issues? if provided we will get bunch of qualified /certified people in coming years then automatically EIA process will be strong in india. 

i request all the expertise to express you valuble suggetions and recommendations for strengthning accrediation process and any comments on this process to be improved in future.

 

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GIS and Water Job

Dear All

We are hiring a Technical Support Engineer professional with Civil / Environmental Engineering background, with Masters in Water Resources/ GIS/ Remote Sensing at our Hyderabad office. 

Interested candidates may send their detailed resume to jobs@adeptogeoit.com

Required Qualification 

·  Civil / Environmental Engineering with good technical knowledge in Hydraulics / Hydrology /Water Resources

·  Knowledge in GIS / Remote Sensing

·  Candidates with at least 2-3 years of experience

·  Excellent Communication Skills in English, Hindi and any regional language 

·  Knowledge in AutoCAD/DHI-Mike/Bently-WaterGEMS is desirable. 

·  Candidate should be willing to travel across India  

·  Salary at par with industry standards and perks as per the performance

 

Roles & Responsibilities

Presales – Software presentation & Installation and Training

Regards

Hrishikesh

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DO we need Dustbins on our roads?

Chennai city has signed a contract with a new company to remove garbage from the streets.

Why does garbage come on the streets? Because the bin provided can take garbage of only 5-10 households.If the street ( which has mostly aparments) has more than 30 households how can the garbage bin hold it?Instead if door-to-door collection is done the garbage will stay within the households and will not litter the streets.Whycan't corporations understnad this?

Nowhere in the world have I seen garbage bins on streets with garbage spilling over.

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With an aim to increase awareness of environmental issues which need urgent solutions this Eco-Calendar 2012 has been specially developed to be used as a simple and easy tool for the cause of our natural environment. Every month of this calendar represents a particular theme addressing either the global environmental components or environmental issues or some measures that can be adopted. Each theme has a quote and a symbolic image. The calendar showcases themes like green office, energy, water conservation,  climate change, health safety and accident prevention, tree plantation, 3R’s, sustainable transport, green consumerism, biodiversity, noise pollution and green buildings.

 

Following the suggestions of the ‘Eco-Calendar’ will help us save our own environment! By doing so not only would we improve our environmental performance but also make a conscious and valuable effort in making our world a better place to live in.

 

Each Calendar bears a nominal price of Rs.50. If you would like to customize the Eco-calendar for your company, the price is only Rs. 60 each.

Let us know whether you would like your new year to have an eco-touch to it everyday!

 

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The minerals sector is a key driver for the country’s industrial growth. However, it has brought in its wake severe environmental repercussions and social unrest. One of the greatest challenges, therefore, is how to make mining environmentally and socially acceptable.

Unfortunately, most EIA reports either overlook or poorly interpret the critical issues related to a mining project. There is an urgent need to strengthen capacity of regulators, NGOs, environmental consultants and industries towards understanding and mitigating the impacts of a mining project.

Centre for Science and Environment brings you a handson five-day training programme aimed at giving practical exposure to participants on all aspects related to assessment, interpretation and management of a mining project.

The programme will cover:

  • Environmental clearance process and mining legislations

  • Review of effectiveness of an EIA report

  • Mining technologies and best practices

  • Data interpretation (for analysing the impacts of
    mining projects)

  • Understanding the TOR (Terms of Reference)

  • Tools and thumb-rules to evaluate environmental and
    social impacts

  • Effectiveness of assessment methods

  • Mine closure plans and best practices in reclamation

  • Resettlement and Rehabilitation plans

  • Addressing civil society concerns in the public
    consultation process

  • Emerging sustainable tools and best practices

  • Developing the ability to review and assess EIA
    reports and mine closure plans

  • Developing the ability for post-EIA monitoring  
     

COURSE FEES: Rs 9,900 (50% discounts for NGOs & students)

Date: February 13 – 17, 2012

Venue: CSE, 41, Tughlakabad Institutional Area, New Delhi – 62

Last Date for Applying: February 6, 2012,

Timing:10.00 am to 5.30 pm

Open for all: Regulatory Institutions (such as SPCB, EAC/SEAC), EIA/SIA consultants, industry, academicians, forest officers, NGOs and students  

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

For details contact:

SWATI SINGH SAMBYAL, Research Associate, 
Industry & Environment Unit
Centre for Science and Environment
41, Tughlakabad Institutional Area, New Delhi-110062
Ph: 91-11-2995 5124 / 6110 (Ext. 281); Fax: 91-11-2995 5879
Mobile: 9910496283 

Read more…