A short film
"Nagara-Nyrmalya"
Progressive solid waste management

This film is developed as part of an ongoing campaign of Environment Support Group, a Bangalore-based non-profit organisation, to encourage communities to work with solid waste workers in maintaining healthy and clean neighbourhoods, and to develop a sustainable approach to solid waste management at community levels.

Nagara-Nyrmalya addresses the complex issues involved in solid waste management and the problems faced by Pourakarmikas (solid waste workers, also known as Safai Karmacharis) in their efforts at maintaining healthy neighbourhoods in Bangalore city.

This entertaining human drama in Kannada with subtitles in English (11 mins) presents the efforts of Santhimmi, a Pourakarmika, as she motivates people in her neighbourhood to adopt safe solid waste management techniques.

The film highlights how such small efforts could help to vastly improve our approach to solid waste management in cities, big and small.

For more details contact:
ENVIRONMENT SUPPORT GROUP
S-3 Rajashree Apartments
18/57, 1st Main Road
SRK Gardens, Jayanagar
Bannerghatta Road
Bangalore 560041
Telefax: 91-80-6341977/6531339
Email: esg@bgl.vsnl.net.in

http://www.inep-karnataka.org/
proj_pourakarmikas.htm

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'People use cowdung!^@#?'
Child delegates attending the International Children's Conference on Environment held in Victoria, Canada produce their own GT.

Child delegates attending the International Children's Conference on Environment held in Victoria, Canada
produce their own GT

In May this year, 800 children from around the world gathered in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, for the second International Children’s Conference on Environment. Besides showcasing their work in schools and communities in their respective countries, the children also had a fun time attending environment workshops and accompanying experts on field trips into the beautiful forests and beaches of Vancouver Island.

On a more serious note, the children put their heads together on major challenges facing the planet today. They nominated two members from the group to deliver a set of challenges to the heads of states gathering in August in Johanessburg, South Africa, for the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD). Leave it to us! was the slogan of the conference.

The Environment Education Unit of CSE organised a workshop for participants at the conference where they published a special issue of Gobar Times, the beginner's supplement to Down To Earth. The issue was released at the closing ceremony. Children from the developed world (read fossil fuel) including Canada, USA and Western Europe were most amused by the name Gobar Times. Many eyebrows were raised when they learnt that a majority of Indians use cow dung and other biomass as fuel. It was a unique
opportunity for children from different parts of the world to learn from each other.

The next ICC is scheduled in 2003 in Conneticut, USA. You can read more at the website: www.ICCC2002.org