Nature Club 2010-11

Our bonding with Hariyali 2010-11

27th November, 2010 and 6th February, 2011

We at PCER Panvel are always eager to work productively towards the environment and it did materialize when we came across Hariyali, an NGO working selflessly towards saving the environment in collaboration with the Thane Municipal Corporation. Mrs. Aditi Date, an active member of Hariyali briefed us about their working towards the afforestation process.

In phase one, on 27th November, 2010, a few students headed by Asst. Prof. Geeta S. Thakur, participated in the sapling-making process at the Hariyali site located at Kasarwadavali at Ghodbandar, Thane. They planted seeds of gulmohar, ashoka, saptaparni, kanchan, karanj, bahava, mango, sitafal subabul, chinch, herada, beheda and others. The students prepared more than 250 saplings, arranged them in the nursery and even watered them.

In the second phase, we contacted Mr. Punam Singhavi, the founder of Hariyali who handles the post-plantation process. On 6th February, 2011 our students along with Asst. Prof. Geeta Syamantak and Bhavna Dave went to the Bhavale site a few kilometers away from Kalyan. Under the guidance of the elderly people of the Hariyali team, water was fetched in cans from a nearby industry, filled in bisleri bottles and then carried up on the hillocks to water the plants.

Overall it was a great learning experience for the students and each one promised that this wouldn’t be their first and the last contribution but they would always be ready to serve nature at any time in future.

Two Days National Seminar on Environmental Re-engineering for Enhanced Living 2010-11

1st and 2nd October, 2010

Two Day National Level Seminar on ‘Environmental Reengineering for Enhanced Living’ was organized on 1st and 2nd October, 2010 for rethinking and redesigning of the process or actions leading to better performance and quality environment. The papers invited were strictly based on practical demonstrations, case study or personal actions contributing to enhanced living. Mr. Franav Pillai in his inaugural speech expressed his concern about the deteriorating environment and emphasized on the importance of environmental reengineering at the individual level, at the national level and at the global level. The key note address was given by Dr. Kulwant Singh Pathania, Professor in Commerce and Director at UGC Academic Staff College, H. P. University, Shimla. Professor Sudhakar Solomonraj from Wilson College, Mumbai, was the resource person for the sub-theme ‘Conservation of Natural Resources’, Mrs. Seema Redkar, officer on special duty- Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation was the resource person for the sub-theme ‘Solid Waste Management’, and Dr. Chitra Natarajan from Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education, TIFR, Mumbai was the resource person for the sub-theme Energy Management. Dr. Neelima Kulkarni, a representative of the Haryali group, an NGO shared the activities of the Haryali group and encouraged the students to take up eco-friendly practices that can be taken up at the individual level. The sessions were followed by various paper presentations and demonstrations. The seminar provided a broad spectrum of knowledge to the participants on topics related to environmental concerns and sustaining a healthy lifestyle. One could gauge the impact of our lifestyle on the future condition of our environment.