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World Environmental Day special Weekend Read: UB Baatcheet with Bhuvnesh Ojha, founder of Pukaar

As we mark World Environment Day (WED) on 5th June, we should pay attention to warnings and take them seriously. And environmental alarm bells are no exception! On biodiversity loss, environmental degradation, and climate change, there are a plethora of startling statistics. Facts to which we can no longer turn a blind eye. So, in the lead up to World Environment Day, we bring you another episode of UB Baatcheet. We have all heard about how important it is to plant trees, but we aren’t so quick to implement. Therefore, to know about the dos and don’ts of plantation, we have an expert who will educate us about the same. Today, our guest is Mr. Bhuvnesh Ojha, Founder of Pukaar Foundation, an exceptional environmentalist and has inspired everyone around us. Let’s hear about how they started and what inspired him to work for the environment.

Watch the full video below:

Highlight transcript from the video:

How did you start Pukaar?

It has always been my dream to work for the environment. This thought came into my mind when I was in 8th grade, and I saw that my village (near Bhilwara) has a lot of uncultivated and barren land. I used to hear from my grandfather and father that many farmers are committing suicide due to lack of land and crop production, so I thought, why not make the barren land useful by giving it some attention. But obviously, when I discussed this idea with my friends, they told me that I would need capital/money to start social work. I heard about some guys who went to IIT and got a package of 1 crore per year, and I thought, why not do something like this to raise money for my social work. I went to Kota for higher studies, and there I found motivation from various experiences that now is the time to start doing something for the environment. I still remember that quote from Steve Jobs – “If today were the last day of your life, would you want to do what you are about to do today?” and that hit me hard. We planted the first plant of Pukaar on 10th March 2013; at that time, we were not even sure about the name of this foundation, and we were just a bunch of friends from my colony. Slowly and gradually, the children in the neighbourhood also started taking part in the plantation drive. We started buying plants from our pocket money and planted 20 to 30 plants. Our work slowly got viral on social media, and we got a lot of requests for volunteer work. So, on 10th November 2013, we did a plantation drive outside our colony (100 ft. road, Udaipur), and we dedicated a Sunday for planting trees. After that, it became our motive to dedicate every Sunday to plantation drives with as many people. From 2013, we have dedicated 310 Sundays till now.

What challenges has Pukaar faced till now?

The biggest challenge was to raise awareness about planting trees and explaining to people why it is such a big deal. I was a teenager when I started plantation drives in Udaipur and when we used to talk to senior people or give them advice about which plant to use, they had this sense of superiority that was a challenge. Funding was another challenge we faced, and I believe a lot of non-profits face the issue where they cannot get enough funding to support the cause. Also, after receiving the funding, the implementation process further becomes a challenge. However, when there is a team spirit and passion for making a difference, the obstacles seem smaller.

When did you know that you can make a difference on a bigger scale?

Even after working for a decade, I still can’t make peace with what we have done so far. When your targets are bigger, then getting every accomplishment to feel small. However, when I see that the forests we planted and cultivated are now home to honeybees and birds, that makes me immensely happy and motivated me to do more and more plantation drives.

What is Miyawaki Forestation, and what steps did you take in this direction?

Miyawaki is a technique where you can plant a forest even in a tiny, room-size area. The technique is immensely helpful for your health as well as your biodiversity. Dr. Akira Miyawaki, a Japanese Botanist, invented this technique in the 1970s, and he followed the natural process to make this standard method of growing a tiny forest near you. It is imperative to plan local crops or plants because only those will help the ecosystem around you. Every soil has its own components, and it is vital to understand the same and plant trees that are suitable for the environment. So, first, we try to extract a lot of forests near Udaipur, such as the Jaisamand area, Chirwa, Sajjangarh, and nearby regions. Then, we study the region’s soil and plant only those trees that can naturally grow there. These forests tend to grow denser with time and eventually helps to absorb the microbes and pollution around us. Basically, they act as a filter wall for you, which is why the Miyawaki technique became so popular.

What can we do, or the steps can we take to protect the environment?

The first thing I would like to say is that don’t plant non-native species around your home and switch to native species since only those plants contribute to the environment around you. Some of the best choices for a home garden or nearby areas are moulshree or Bosali, Amaltas, Kachnar or Bauhinia, Shehtoot or Mulberries, Harsingar or Night Jasmine, or Moringa (Sejan ki Phali) or Drumsticks.

What message would you like to give the readers of UdaipurBlog?

Firstly, I would like to say that whenever we want to achieve something big, we have to take baby steps. So, if we want to save ourselves and the earth, then we must restore the oxygen banks that is our forests and vegetation around us.

Let’s reconnect with our villages and stop the carbon footprint around us! More power to the people who are working for plantation drives and trying to make a difference.

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Social Udaipur Speaks

World Environment Day: Greening our Blues

Today, one of the most burning issues of concern is how to tackle global warming and raise global awareness of the need in order to take positive environmental action. 5th June is few click ticks aways to over, and very few knew that United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) took an initiative back in 1973 to celebrate 5th June as World Environment Day every year. Yes, it was an environment day today. Did we see any rallies? Mass movements? Public involvements? More awareness? NO! There have been peaceful rallies but they have just not been able to mark enough agitation in the minds of residents of the city. There may have been speeches, and lectures by eminent speakers at priority level seminars and conferences, but they too haven’t just been absorbed into the general public.

I know to discuss the topics like Global Warming, Environment and all doesn’t interest many but seeing the present state and somewhat predicting the future, I think these are the topics which are most required to be discussed as discussions lead to solutions.

Practically Speaking, what we need today is basically a “Green Economy”. A Green Economy as the books say is one whose growth in income and employment is driven by enterprises which intend to reduce carbon emissions and pollution, enhance energy and resource efficiency and prevent the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services which is exactly what saving our environment really means. Sustainable development should be the approach for our progress, which will obviously leave our future generations some actual inheritance from the ecosystem.

World Environment Day
Lush Green Udaipur: What we want our city to be

As an Udaipurite where I call my city as City of Lakes it is somewhat obvious that my city would be an epitome of clean and green India. But is it really what the truth is?? Well, the cow dung on our roads, garbage in Fateh Sagar and Pichola, air and noise pollution near busy areas of Bapu Bazar and Shaktinagar, the dump I see at town hall and Sukhadia Circle, etc really make have a second thought.

But in my view these all views can be solved with coordinated efforts of all the Udaipies to make our Udaipur more beautiful and more attractive as for cow dung removal there can be a domestic staff appointed, for garbage and dumps there are “USE ME” boxes already installed, and regarding pollution the battery vehicles and use of one vehicle for two can be a solution. So, Udaipies let us make our city the real HEAVEN.

As students, there are some facts from which we all are familiar like one-third of our Earth’s land mass is under forest cover which makes our planet alive with possibilities. They play a key role in our battle against climate change by releasing oxygen into the atmosphere while storing carbon dioxide. So, is it not necessary for us to prevent and protect our savior?

World Environment Day includes thousands of activities which are organized worldwide with beach clean-ups, concerts, exhibitions, film festivals, community events and much more. This Year’s Global host, India- a country of wide biodiversity having their theme as “Many Species, One Planet, One Future.” India’s Biodiversity was celebrated with huge strides on environmental protection with three days of keynote event covering street rallies, bicycle parades, green concerts, essays and poster competitions in schools, tree planting as well as recycling and clean-up campaigns.

World Environment Day
The reality which is actually prevailing

However, this is what is happening at national and international level but every existing human on this earth should make efforts and take initiative in protecting our environment at personal level too by using eco-friendly products such as eco-friendly light bulbs and shopping bags and should also spread awareness for the seriousness of the issue in their surroundings which is indulging in danger at an alarming rate.

In the end, in order to ensure all nations and peoples’ to enjoy a safer and more prosperous future lets start the process of Greening our Blue earth today.

Photo Courtesy: Prasun Bannerjee, Sanjit Chohan

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Durga Pooja: Following an Eco-Friendly Tradition

We all see too many colorful idols around us at the time of Navratri, Ganesh Chaturthi, etc. But a really true fact behind all of them is the concern to our ecology. Now a day the idols are made from Plaster of Paris (PoP), which get a nice finish due to the easy and handy spray paint, distinct shine, and easy for mass productions, as the PoP rapid hardening material, as well as casted in moulds.

But an utter truth behind the scene is that the PoP idols do nothing but harm our environment and ecosystem. As after every festival of Ganesh Chaturthi, or the Durga Pooja, the idols are immersed in water body on the last day, Plaster of Paris does not dissolve easily in water and hence the idol floats on water after immersion. Since the idol is not immersed properly, in a way it amounts to dishonouring the deity. Talking about the health factors, PoP idols may take anywhere between several months to years to fully dissolve. In addition, when chemical paints are used to decorate the idols, these paints contain heavy metals such as mercury and lead, which seep into the water as the idol dissolves. Seems I need not elaborate more on the harm that it may cause to our health, as the same water is used for consuming by people of our city.

Durga Puja | UdaipurBlog
Idols being Prepared at Bang Samaj, Udaipur

The Bengali Community, sets forth an example of following a tradition from long time, which is eco-friendly and doesn’t harm the environment. The Bengalis celebrate the Durga Pooja primarily at four places in the city, which I have already mentioned in a post few days back. Special artists and sculptors are called every year from Kolkata, situated thousands of miles away, who spend many weeks in Udaipur, and create very beautiful idols of Goddess Durga with all the bio-degradable material like mud, chaff, jute, bamboos etc. Even the colours they use are water colours. So the water where the idol is immersed neither gets polluted nor it is an environmental hazard to immerse the idol in the lakes.

“I am indeed concerned for the safety of lakes. The idols made of PoP do not dissolve in water and thus pose serious problem for the lakes. Our family has been celebrating Duga Puja in this city more than five decades ago at Bindu Bhavan, but we follow the same traditions for rituals as well as preparation of idols, as was followed since 1956. The sculptors we call from West Bengal for the same purpose put in lots of efforts and spend a lot of time in carving out each and every minute detail of the idols, which is impossible to do with the PoP idols, as it hardens too fast. Hence mud is the primary constituent of the idols prepared. Putting this on record is essential, because every year the question comes up whether the idol should be allowed to be immersed in the lake or not.”

-Apurva Bhattacharya

Bindu Bhawan

 

“We have been celebrating Durga Pooja since past 20 years, and we have always been celebrating according to the traditions. It is always an idol made from mud which is worshipped, and we spend a major portion of our annual Pooja Budget for idols itself, to ensure that they are eco-friendly.  People must learn to preserve their environment, and shall take an oath to avoid immersing the idols made from PoP in our lakes. PoP idols must not be immersed, or shall be sprinkled with water and kept.”

-Dipankar Chakravarty

President, Bangali Kalibadi Society

We all must learn a lesson from the community, and must take considerable steps to preserve our environment. Afterall we never own our nature, but we owe it.