The Story of Ganesh Utsav

श्रीकान्तो मातुलो यस्य​
जननी सर्वमंगला।
जनकः शंकरो देवः
तम् वन्दे कुंजराननम्॥

Colony wide celebration of Ganesh Navarathri Utsav was initiated in Maharashtra by Bala Gangadhar Tilak during independence movement. The festival period was used to instil nationalistic fervour in the hearts of native Indians. Today, Ganesh Utsav has become a tradition and is celebrated grandly all over India. Let us look at proceedings of the festival in Hyderabad city.

Thousands of families in Hyderabad make their living through idol making, decorative works, erecting tents, arranging band and sound systems during Ganesh festive season. Children and youth along with elders come together, invest considerable amount of time to make celebrations successful. Mothers make mouth-watering prasadams and children queuing up is routine sight. This is the best part as it brings everyone closer by developing bondage, trust and unity among all. This is the real essence of "Vasudaiva kutumbakam-One world one family" which our scriptures teach us.

Having said this, we will now look Ganesh Navarathri Utsav from the other side of the coin (from the mother earth perspective). As we all know, earth is the only liveable planet with limited amounts of natural resources for the ever-growing population. We have 3/4th proportion of earth as ocean and 1/4th as land. Less than 4% of fresh water resources are available for 7.7 billion people. Because of rapid Industrialization and growing Urban population, we are already bearing the brunt of water scarcity. Chennai is the first Indian metro to go completely dry this year. Safeguarding our water bodies is the need of the hour.  If we continue to immerse POP (Plaster of Paris) Ganesha idols into water bodies, we welcome severe drinking and domestic water scarcity, increased medical ailments owing to land, water and soil pollution.

Hussain Sagar was once an Osman Sagar. In early 1900s, Hussain Sagar and Osman Sagar were dug to provide drinking water to twin cities. Now Hussain Sagar is in a pathetic condition and no one bothers about it. Governments come and go. Political parties will continue to flood people with irrational and false promises. Bringing Krishna and Godavari rivers, laying pipelines to Hyderabad from hundreds of kilometres is not great deal. After all, what all they spend is our tax rupees. To revive Hussain Sagar and such many kind of lakes in and around GHMC should be a matter of pride for all Hyderabadis. Crores are already spent and plenty of outstanding loans (from JICA) are sufficient now. Disastrous situation of water bodies continues for months regardless of how much ever GHMC tries to cover it up. Immersion of chemical made idols and floral waste will pollute the water bodies, seepage of heavy metals like lead pollutes ground water table, degradation of floral waste eat away dissolved oxygen (DO) and fishes die. Finally, all solid waste recovered is sent to Jawahar Nagar dumping yard. This way we end our festival by causing irrevocable damage to mother earth.

To stop further deterioration, I propose the following measures which make Ganesha's festival eco-friendlier:

1) On personal front, we should stop giving Ganesh Chanda to those members who go for false pride and opt for POP Ganesha Idols. Time for all of us to bring that 1% change.

2) GHMC should provide incentives for clay Ganesha making, provide alternative employment to the families willing to do away with idol making.

3) Ganesh Utsav Organising committees should realise pollution concerns and should stop racing for tallest Ganesha idols. Khairtabad Ganesha’s height to be decreased gradually and should settle at a height where the Ganesha can be comfortably made from clay. We must continue our traditions keeping an eye on unnecessary humbugs.

4) All floral waste must go to in-house composting units instead of getting dumped in water bodies. GHMC has a live example here-TTD invites tenders for composting tonnes of floral offerings made to Lord Venkateshwara on a regular basis.

5) Children need to be groomed properly for that elders need to change. Sustained and continued development is the real gift to our younger generations. To err is human, to correct is more human!

Celebrate eco-friendly clay Ganesha !!

Wishing you all Happy Ganesh Chathurthi !!!

My Eco Story

***My Story-My Environment***

As the famous Sanskrit quotes says, Lokāḥ Samastāḥ Sukhino Bhavantu. Let the entire world be happy with our actions. For this to happen, Sustainable living¹ and Circular economy² are to be given greater importance from elementary education itself.

***Preface***

1) During my B.Tech days, our chemistry sir urged us not to use polythene covers.

2) 5 years back India started her most ambitious Swachch Bharat Abhiyaan.

3) Somewhere in my mind, I knew we as Genxt had to carry this idea of need for green forward.

4) To start with, I stuck to the habit of throwing waste only in bins.

5) Today I keep chocolate/biscuit covers, empty cans, bottles in my bag until I find dustbins.

6) Also, there are few inspiring personalities^* on Fb, Twitter who kindled my eco-spirit.

***My Eco-friendly activities***

For plastic waste:

a) Encouraged my dad to carry cloth bag to vegetable market, thus we closed our doors for new polythene covers. (earlier, he used to take one for every other vegetable). Gandhiji said “be the change that you want to see in the world.” So, it is time we change ourselves first instead of blaming govts. for not banning production of covers.

b) While in a tiffin centre, I prefer to eat over there instead of taking parcel (carrying boiling sambar in LPDE covers and consuming is fatal to health and creates soil pollution when dumped in landfills and marine water pollution when dumped in oceans.

In case of compulsion, I take the parcel without sambar packet & cover. I rarely order food on Swiggy and Zomato, a habit which every middle-class Indian possess is we won't spend much and cook in our homes/rooms.

c) Saying no to some single-use plastics³.

Do it this way,

à Avoid straw, drink juice/cooldrinks directly from the glasses.

àAvoid plastic spoons-wash your hands and eat.

d) While going out, I always carry:

àa backpack-to keep my supermarket purchases.

àa big size cover-just in case I have more stuff to carry.

àa 1L bottle to avoid purchase of new water bottles, to carry sugarcane juice & coconut water.

Few More Tips:

e) Collect plastic waste and send them to recyclers.                   

f) India is predominantly youth and many marriages to happen in the coming years. So, we need to dwell on the idea of eco-marriages to avoids single-use plastics and minimize food waste (there are people who does that for usàhttps://bit.ly/2Ks4gal)

g) Stop Marine water pollution-3/4th portion of earth is water. Thanks to man’s indiscriminate dumping of plastics, plastics are now found in Mariana trench (https://bit.ly/2Id0huj).

For organic waste:

a) Last week, I ventured into home composting concept. Made a DIY compost bin (https://bit.ly/319sOej) and started dumping floral waste, dry leave waste. Checking with process of composting every day and reading related blogs for more improvements. Earlier we used to throw all floral and dry waste in polythene covers at a distance to our colony which harmed environment.

b) Composting is an aerobic decomposition, microbes feed on organic content and finally produce soily back manure which is a nature fertiliser. (for startersàhttps://bit.ly/2WqODao).

c) By composting our organic waste at home, we provide respite to locals of Jawaharnagar, Ghazipur, Deonar, Mavallipura landfilling sites. (more about landfills àhttps://bit.ly/2RnWYZa)

For e-waste disposal:

a)      This week, I am going to an e-waste collection centre to hand over used tube lights, CFL (which pose a serious environment threat as tube lights and CFL have harmful mercury in them). Yes, gone are the days of tubes, CFLs but LEDs are still there which contain 12 toxic chemicals in them. So, we need proper dispose for them too.  

b)     Over the last month, I have tweeted concerned electrical and electronic producers, concerned local (GHMC), state (TSPCB) and national (CPCB, MOEFC) authorities urging them to strictly implement EPR⁴ guidelines-2016. (my twitter https://bit.ly/2Wmneqa). Also met Mr. Praveen Kumar, an EE in TSPSCB, Sanathnagar. He finished his words saying “it is public who need to think about safe disposal of ewaste and PCB can only pass rules and regulations”

c) The same rules apply to all the e-waste; it is next major threat to the world. India is one the largest producers of e-waste. It requires proper dismantling, segregation of waste, recycling and recovery of some valuable metals like cobalt, silver and even gold. Illegal exporting of e-waste to African countries and burning ewaste to recover metals have to be banned. We should all make it a habit of sending e-waste to authorised dismantler nearby:

(download link for e-waste collection centres in GHMC- https://bit.ly/2HVHkOY).

(Saahas zero waste operates in Bengaluru and has some e-waste drop off locations. https://bit.ly/2WGK4Z1)

(Delhi and Gurgaon regions have number of registered e-waste PRO⁵s like Namo e-waste)

c) One good idea is to bring in carriable ewaste to the office campuses and drop them in ewaste bins placed (they are usually there).

***Future Plans***

a)      Subhash Palekar’s ZBNF⁶ can be the solution for agrarian crisis. I sincerely want to venture into agriculture. Natural farming is a part of sustainable living in many ways:

è No chemical fertilisers, pesticides (many of them already proved to be cancerous)

è No extensive irrigation required- thanks to micro-climate which reduces evaporation.

è Safeguards bio-diversity as farm helping microbes and insecticides are saved from extinction ex. Earthworms.

b)     AP govt. started ZBNF on large scale. (https://bit.ly/2WblevT)  Those who own farm lands request them to switch from chemical farming to ZBNF.

***Eco Terminology***

1) Sustainable Living- To lead a life happily and healthily on this wonderful planet and leave away giving the same wonder to our next generations.

2) Circular economy- is a part of sustainable living which reuses, recycles every product after its end of life (EoL).

3) Singe-use plastics are disposable plastic plates, cups, straws etc.,

4) EPR- Extended Producer Responsibility

5) PRO- Product Responsibility Organisation

6) ZBNF-Zero Budget Natural Farming

***Inspiring Personalities***

1) Parveen Kaswan, IFS (https://bit.ly/2wEVVYJ)

2) Subhash Palekar (https://bit.ly/1Cie8Lz)

3) Ramu Dosapati (https://bit.ly/2Z9DAzj)

4) Sidharth Naik (https://bit.ly/2JXI0FW)

Endeavours Never End

This article is to remember my professors who motivated me throughout my lean phase.

• If you want to taste success, start facing the music now-Manoj Verma Sir

• We are here to help & not to destroy you. Please do not take us for granted-Radhika Mam

• A stude(a)nt for survival has to feed on the books-Vennela Mam

• No issues. Gone is gone. Please proceed to make most of the available time-Shiva Sir

• Imagine the sufferings of the Pandavas to belittle yours-Prasad Sir

• God is preparing you slowly. Just imagine how difficult it would be, if it happens in a flash- Bhargavi Mam

• And there is ever cool Manohar sir who stood like a big brother in college days for all mischievous things :) 

• (Class room notice went like this: Students of 2011-15 chemical batch, gather in Aryabatta, 2nd floor auditorium for farewell.)

One of our professors, Archana Mam finished her speech saying.."Wishing you All the very best ! for your future endeavours !!"

I may not go back to college but I wish them on every Sep 5th. 

A big thanks and respects to all of them who made me what I am today.

Their backing and moral support kept me strong to pursue my education. Forever indebted to my professors.

Dear Voter...

17th Lok Sabha Elections are due in April-May'19. According to EC, there are 90 crore voters in India.

India is undeniably politically literate country. Every village, every town, every city is aware of the politics and politicians. There are very few occasions where in India stood together for a cause. India being vast and deep, it is difficult have a single voice at a time. Before independence, it happened once with Gandhi who was unanimously accepted by the People of India. 

In the post independence scenario, for two decades only one party ruled India. Later on, politics in India have taken clever stand based on language, religion, region and caste. This made impossible for a single party to form government until 2014. Elections in India happen every five years but people's mood and interests are never the same.

Students and Employees debate a lot on politics. Some of us seem to have deeper understanding of politics than real-time politicians and election strategists.We speak on reforms taken-up by governments, it's successes and failures. Discussions starting from GST, Demonetisation, Job creation, Corruption, Bank defaulters( Mallyas and Modis), Inflation, NPA , National security, Inter state issues and NRC etc.,

People's participation via discussions and debates on policies and functioning of government play pivotal role in safeguarding democracy. Having said that, how many of us are serious about casting our genuine vote to further the democracy ? Many say 'no political party will deliver their promises and in most cases all are false promises' , 'whichever party may come, there is little effect on us', 'no candidate is genuine' and 'going for NOTA and not voting are same'...so we are keeping away from voting.

North Korea goes for elections every 5 years; there voting is made mandatory for all. Isn't amazing ? Definitely not, as people must vote for single party and no other party contests. Not even, NOTA is allowed. So it is "demonocracy" for them. That country suffers from poverty yet the rulers want military might.

Luckily, India chose "democracy" which is of the people, by the people, for the people. We are vested with full powers to elect or erase parties,politicians. Today, the political wars are between evil vs lesser evil parties. We should choose the better option available if not best. After all, it is our country which resulted after many sacrifices from freedom fighters. Literates must not forgo their vote for any reason.

Dear Voter, Be wise...Think sensibly..Go out and Vote in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Let us do away with our lethargic behaviour and Celebrate the biggest festival of democracy.

Young India Go Cashless, Go Casteless to Cast your vote this time.

Jai Hind !! 

Vitamin-H and its sources

To me, love and happiness are synonymous. Where there is love, there is happiness & vice versa. Both of these words are used interchangeably in this write-up.

In life we seek love from parents, friends and relatives; and feel sad for not being able to get it always.

The issue here is we expect love in a certain way from certain people.

People are not constant in life. To receive happiness from same set of people all through one's life is impossible. Some are truly blessed to have both parents till their marriage and see their off springs. Some will have single parent. Some others are lone children. Some others will find their loved ones as life partners.

But for others, life may not proceed in the same way they dreamt of, leaving them devoid of happiness. This article aspires to help them suggesting the sources of Vitamin-H

When loved ones are lost, we feel life is lost and give up everything to be in solitude, and miss them badly and become deficient of Vitamin-H*.

But then, we also receive love from strangers on many beautiful occasions. Preserve those small events of love in your memory and revisit them every time you feel low.

Go out on a tour, walk along the roads, walk along river banks, experience hilly terrains and see some unknown places, talk to the natives and ask them about their work, living and surrounding areas.

On many occasions, people in cities get offended listening to these questions but these natives will narrate their whole life story as an answer to a tiny question. Because they are hardworking, open-hearted and most importantly contended with their earnings, life style and societal status unlike many living ( or else dying) in Urban areas. They are the people who lead a happy life inspite of many problems. To visit them and to have a word with them will definitely enlighten our souls.

Don't forget to grab all those moments in your camera. Rewinding them after years will be your sweetest memories.

Stay conscious and hug the love which comes your way. Accept love from 360 degrees.

Life is so beautiful never never make it sorrowful !!

*Vitamin-H is a Happiness vitamin found in contended people. Mostly found in the hearts of simple and hard-working people on countryside. Mostly not found in people of developed cities.