But, the population of Pune then was about 6 lakhs; there were hardly any slums and not so many people living in or near stream and river courses. Pune today is a highly dense, much built-up city.

With monsoon patterns becoming erratic due to Climate Change, Vijay Paranjpye says it is quite possible there might be an episode of 2-3 days of heavy rains in the catchment areas towards the end of the monsoon when the five upstream dams are 90% full. Planned discharges from the dams may cause flooding in Pune and this time round a much larger population would have to be evacuated.

Pune is on the verge of three types of disasters according to Sufi Pore, Former Director Disaster Management Training Institute, Mumbai, and who is on the UN list of disaster incident commanders. The number and intensity of earthquakes near Pune is increasing. Their epicentre is typically near Katraj. A stronger quake would affect Khadakwasla and Panshet dams. Another vulnerability is the number of tankers carrying hazardous chemicals, gas, acid on Mumbai-Bangalore highway. In the past, accidents have happened requiring evacuation in a radius of 5 km. If such an accident happens near Chandni Chowk, evacuation would be quite difficult. A third vulnerability is related to terrorist attacks, including biological weapons such as viruses. Even in epidemics, the capability for quarantine is limited.

On this day, the 50th anniversary of the Panshet dam failure disaster, it is pertinent to ask some questions: How prepared is our city to face disasters? Are we taking any preventive steps?

As per the National Disaster Management Act 2005, the District Disaster Management Authority is the main body for planning, coordinating and implementing the measures for disaster management in the district. Urban local bodies have a role too. The PMC has recently set up a Disaster Cell which has prepared a Hazards Response and Mitigation Plan focusing on fires (available on the PMC website). Mr Ganesh Sonwane, in charge of the Cell, says that training, capacity building and awareness efforts are underway. Plans have been made for enhancing the capacity for fire hazard handling equipment and personnel. But are these plans for hazard mitigation adequate?

Recent flooding events present mixed experiences. On the one hand we have read about heroic rescues by the Disaster Response Teams. We also get advisories on TV, radio, newspapers and over sms when planned dam releases are to take place. But I have also interacted with residents along the Ram Nadi who had flood water rising in their houses in a matter of minutes at night last year. No flood warning had been issued, and no officials came to their aid on the day of the flooding. The walls along the campuses of NCL, IITM and the defence estates act as mini dams for rain water rushing down the Chatushringi to Chandni Chowk range. Every monsoon we see flash flooding in these parts even with just a day of heavy rains. We witness landslides every year.

Clearly, our city is at risk. So what should be done? Architect and green building consultant, Anagha Paranjpe says that hazard mapping at the micro level should be done indicating areas prone to flooding, landslides, subsidence as well as congested areas etc. For risk reduction, we should respect the right of way of streams and rivers and the no-development zones on their banks. Of course, people living along the Ram Nadi will say that we don’t care whether you call it a stream or a river, the fact is that we are facing floods and marking a line on a map does not change that reality. Such actual experiences of the community must be taken into account when making micro-level hazard maps rather than sticking only to the theory of planning.

The master plan for the old city limits is being revised. While it is much delayed, this delay presents an opportunity to still try and integrate risk reduction measures in the master plan such as marking out no-development zones and rehabilitation of people living in risk-prone areas. There has to be recognition that the push for conversion of more and more open spaces including hills and wetlands into buildable zones often means increased risks to life and property.

The eco-housing policy that mandates rain water harvesting in every construction after the year 2000 should be reviewed. Geo-hydrologist Dr Himanshu Kulkarni, who is on the committee on sustainable ground water management set up by the Planning Commission, says that all areas of the city are not suitable for rain water recharge. In some places, due to the peculiar nature of the underlying basalt rock, harvesting rainwater and putting it into the ground can cause structural problems for buildings and may even lead to collapse. Instead of the current practice, a comprehensive and scientific aquifer management plan is needed which should be made after identifying the groundwater recharge zones and discharge zones in the city.

The national policy on disaster management recommends increased responsiveness towards vulnerable groups like slum dwellers, school children, poor households, construction workers, migrants etc. They call for conducting community‐based risk and vulnerability assessments and awareness drives through Residents Welfare Associations, traders and industry associations, NSS, schools etc. A clear disaster risk reduction strategy may not be available from the civic authorities. But we citizens should certainly demand for it. Strong democratic and participatory processes at the community level will enable people to be disaster prepared and we can all contribute to making our city a safer place.

From all this came five points as one interpretation of the Handprint, and what each of the fingers might signify:

• Be Positive and believe in yourself, says the thumb
• Honour your commitments, abide by the agreed-on ethic, says the index finger
• Our actions have to be in tune with environmental sustainability, says the middle finger, and as it is the tallest, it also means that we recognize the environment is bigger than all of us and the basis of our life
• Reach out and connect, and our actions have to be in tune with social justice, says the ring finger
• My contribution counts, and I will devote some of my personal time every day/ every week and also where possible align my social, work/ business life to working for environmental sustainability and social justice, says the little finger

The Srushti Mitra Award, instituted by the Environment Department, Government of Maharashtra, and managed by Centre for Environment Education seeks to promote environmental awareness and  to recognize the most inspiring, creative entries in various categories (click here for award details). The awards include a citation and honorarium (ranging from Rs 1000 to Rs 10000 in various categories).

Photographs can be powerful tools for social change. They have led to outrage against war and mobilization to fight pollution, to realizing the wonders of nature.

Some organizations use photographs as a major campaigning method. For example, the Blue Earth Alliance believes that “The link between compelling documentary photography and our collective motivation to change attitudes, behaviour, even policies – is strong”. Blue Earth has helped raise almost a million dollars for important issues such as lack of open public spaces, disappearing traditions of fishermen, the role of grandmothers in AIDS-ravaged Africa etc.

Sanjay Sondhi, who gave up his career in a multinational engineering company to pursue his love for nature photography, especially of butterflies, moths and other insects, says, “The excitement of capturing the hidden mysteries of nature with the click of a shutter has given me a lifetime of pleasure! And equally thrilling is the sharing of photos with friends afterwards!”

Photography requires patience. Sanjay describes a typical experience, “The butterfly flitted by and settled on a flower. Up came my camera, as I slowly approached the magnificently coloured insect. I lined up myself to photograph, I squeezed the shutter, and off it flew! A blank shot! How many times have I been through this! The hits and the misses. The thrill of capturing nature on film (and now in pixels) and sharing them with people who have not been so fortunate has given me (and hopefully, others) a lifetime of pleasure.”

Even though he is now a regular writer for newspapers and magazines, Sanjay says his photographs help him convey what his words cannot. He says, “Nature photography is the balm for the concrete-lined eyes of today’s urban world!”

Photo: Small Leopard in Meghalaya by Sanjay Sondhi

Inspired? Send your entries for the Environment Photographs category in the Srushti Mitra Award before 30 September 2010

For more details: The Srushti Mitra blog

10 am to 2 pm

CEE and SWaCH are organizing a neighbourhood mela … get to know clean-green stuff happening around you, learn about solutions to make our neighbourhoods more livable

Clean Green Mela

• Games and activities for children: Web of Life, Waste Segregation, Ropes n ladders, Whats in my compost pit, Tree of Life, Patch Painting
• V-Collect: Bring your stuff for re-use and recycling – old clothes, toys, utensils, electrnic items
• Compost Demo: How to start a compost pit and tips to care for your compost pit
• Paper bag making demo
• Talks by Dr R Joshi, Aundh Ward Medical Officer and SWaCH
• Exhibition by EcoExist, SWaCH and CEE of products made of recycled material, books etc
• Film show
• Act Now Poster exhibition

Entry is free … Do Come!

And if you’d like to organize this mela in your neighbourhood, get in touch!

Here are pictures of an earlier V Collect, organized in Pushpak Park Aundh (click for slide show)

Pushpak Park

Anusha, Deepak and Janaki, Twist n' Tales, 20 June 2010

Yesterday, Janaki gathered family, friends and neighbours, in an intimate and warm event at Twist n’ Tales to launch Deepak’s new double book Sahyadri Adventure. The books are illustrated by Anusha. Many things were special about yesterday – the store, the author and the illustrator!

Janaki has always wanted Twist n’ Tales to be a neighbourhood bookshop, and that is what it is. Its what you want a bookstore to be. Not a mall. Janaki knows her books and the community of readers; people meet here and strike up friendships. Deepak, a frequent visitor at TnT, writes wildlife adventure stories for children. I first met him when I moved to Pune, and my mentors and friends, philosophers and guides, Meena and Mamata, suggested I meet him, and I did. We are neighbours too! And when Deepak was telling Janaki last year that he needed an illustrator for his new book, it was Janaki who suggested that he ask Anusha.

Deepak remembered all the little doodles – mainly birds – that Anusha has been doing when we all met over coffee with Ashish, and said … ‘why not?’. And so began a new neighbourhood collaboration right here in Aundh.

Wasn’t easy with over 40 drawings to do, with school work, jamming and band practise. Deepak was always encouraging, but firm that she give her best, and its because of him and Aditi Deo’s (also in Aundh!) technical guidance that Anusha’s talent has blossomed. I’m so proud!

Here is a page from the book with Anusha’s illustrations …

Half-title Page from Sahyadri Adventure

See also twistntales: Launch of Deepak Dalal’s new book!

The Avian Ritz

Painted by Anusha last week, on a nostalgic warm summer evening with cool jazz and dark chocolate …remembering our life and times at the old house in Aundhgaon … parties at John’s place, the red ants in the compost pots on the terrace, the drumstick tree in the neighbour’s house and the crows that nested there regularly.

The correct place for this painting is the Sparrows story.

CEE’s Earth Care page in Sakal Young Buzz, March 2010

Ananya and Girija bicycle a lot and use solar water heaters at home.

Vroom…..cough, cough! Vroom… ..cough, cough! This is the condition of most of us city dwellers. Even if we step out of our houses for some fresh air we are immediately engulfed by pollution. This is what set our minds ticking and my partner Girija Bhapkar and I decided to take up ‘Air Pollution’ as our topic for our Environment Studies project with a desire to do ‘something’ about it.

Read on …

Try the Causes of Pollution game on kidsRgreen

OrchidWine by Anusha

And mine …

Green Hibiscus