featuring

what are we heading towards?

promote and support youth. why?

expressions JULY 2010 1

 Sandip Puran Singh
Monsoon
Magic

expressions JULY 2010 2

 Cover Story founder & editor
14 The future is ours Pooja Bhatt
Yudhishter Puran Singh
guest editor
Features Raj Kanwar
6 This editor even writes Raj Kanwar creative editor
Akshay Madan
7 What are we heading towards Sneha Pande
photo editor
20 Face to Face with Mr. S. S. Khera Sandip Puran Singh
10 Promote & Support Youth Yudhishter P Singh news editor
Aishwarya Sharma
Regulars marketing
5 From the Editor’s Desk Raj Kanwar Lotus Leaf Business Exhibitions
4 Thank You Feedback advertising
18 The Green Beat Shalini Mehta Tushar Goel (NCR Region) tushar_icare@live.com
Gaurav Gupta (Rest of India) gaurav_icare@live.com
12 Photo Story Akshay Madan
25 In the news icare subscription team
28 Green Tips go green
Harshal Mirchandani, Anuvansh Sharma
special thanks
Pooja Bhatt, Shilpy Goel Aggarwal
Fresh Suresh C Sharma
cover design & photographs
22 Ways to Photograph Doon Sandip Puran Singh
Akshay Madan
social networking
Rishabh Kant rishabhk_icare@live.com
Mayank Goyal icarefordoon@gmail.com

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expressions JULY 2010 3

 ThankYou
CON TA C T U S
Write to us at
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Dehradun – 248001
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expressions JULY 2010
F E E DBACK
After going through the article named Then and Now by Mr.Raj Kanwar,
I am actually pondering over the thought that dehradun has gone over a
large change.
This article truly gives out the essence of the inevitable yet terrible change
that has taken dehradun in its clutches. It thus comes out to be a knowl-
edgeable article spun with an amazing sense of responsibility towards
one’s own town!
via e-mail Annanya Sharma
Clean Doon Green Doon is yet another wonderful article written by
Aishwarya Sharma, this article is a bit different from what other usual
centralized articles are and that is the u.s.p.of the write up.
In the from of direct questions asked to the reader, Aishwarya has suc-
ceeded to evoke that sense of awareness. Readers are ought to become
cautious after reading this article and will certainly realize that environ-
ment is a bit more than what we actually suppose it to be!
via web Nishant Kapur
Most people love their hometown, some of us get lucky - we get to love
some other cities as well. I am one such. I fell in love with Dehradun in
1983 from the moment I stepped off the Mussoorie Express into the wait-
ing arms of the Drill ustads of IMA who would make a man out of this lad
in a year’s time. That year, I trekked the Dun Valley, Tons Valley, from
Rishikesh to Deoprayag, and to Doditaal and I fell in love with Garhwal
and, of course, with Dehradun. With it’s timeless atmosphere of early
Ruskin Bond novels and its quaint small station atmosphere, I came back
again and again, sometimes on military duties and often to indulge my
hobby at the Wildlife Institute of India whose alumni I also happen to be.
You can imagine that it gave me great pleasure when I came across in
a friend’s links, Yudhishter Puran Singh and the icare for Doon on Face-
book. I joined up and was very pleasantly surprised to receive thefirst e-
magazine of EXPRESSIONS. The excellent design, images, artwork and
well written articles which spoke of the great love and affection that their
authors had for Dehradun and its message of self-help to look after one’s
own town,won me over. Quite frankly, I had expected much less from
the first issue of a small NGO. It warms the cockles of one’s heart to see
something done well, and as this was concerned with Dehradun, a love
of mine, it gave me great happiness. I am deeply thankful for this to the
team which publishes the magazine and its myriad contributors as also to
those who added their bit to make it a success. And lastly, my very best
wishes to Yudhishter for making this something special for me. Good luck
and God Bless!
via email Col Ashwin Baindur
4
 FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK
The second edition of e-magazine, EXPRESSIONS has a few very interesting and informative articles.

the future is ours is going to be the cover story. Here “ours” means
the youth of today. Pooja Bhatt, in her own inimitable style, has under-
scored the important role that the youth of today with immense latent
energy could play in saving this planet for various pernicious evils and
dangers that dog it. She has made a strong case for young people to
come forward and muster enough courage to confront the environmen-
tal hazards that face this planet today. She has exhorted the young peo-
ple not to whine and grudge but take it upon themselves, the numerous
task such as waste disposal and management rather than depend on
other people to do it. She rightly says that “the future is ours” and it is
for us to ensure its well being.

THEgREENBEAT by Shalini Mehta, who had migrated to the UK

three years ago, writes about apparently differing cultures and mindsets
between Indians and the British. But then she realizes that people in both
the countries are essentially similar in nature and habit. She makes out
a very good case for “three R’s”, viz. “REDUCE, REUSE and RECYCLE”.
She strongly pleads that every country in the world must have laws to ensure recycling. She also highlights
some interesting benefits that will accrue from recycling.

Another very interesting piece by Sneha Pande, “WHAT ARE WE HEADING TOWARDS?” succinctly elab-
orates numerous natural hazards on this planet earth which, some describe, as part and parcel of the
inevitable evolution of Planet Earth. Her description by bringing in Sage Narada and his arrival on the
“Bhoomi Devi” where he confronts government ministers and chastises them for their wonton destruction
of “Bhoomi Devi” or “Mother Earth”. Sneha deserves full credit for an excellent piece.

Last but not least, the piece de resistance is an article by Yudhishter Puran Singh, titled “Promote and
Support Youth: Why??”. His argument is that the world in general and India and particular have a
much larger proportion of young people, and it is this young generation which is being and will be worst
affected by increasing and unfettered environmental degradation. His suggestion is to institutionalize the
role of the youth in policy making through advisory entities such as youth councils. Yudhishter freely
quoted from paragraph 153 of the Plan of Implementation adopted at the World Summit on Sustainable
Development, held in Johannesburg in 2002. This paragraph had supported the need “to promote and sup-
port youth participation in programs and activities relating to sustainable development”

I must confess that the standard of these articles is of very high calibre, considering that most of the writ-
ers are teenagers. They have shown their enthusiasm, commitment and dedication to the cause of icare,
and I have every confidence that this movement will grow exponentially in the months to come. Yudhishter
Puran Singh, himself a young man of just 21, is leading from the front and inspiring others in a like manner.

Raj Kanwar

expressions JULY 2010 5

 THIS EDITOR even writes
Life
is full of ironies. Sometimes, one
wonders at the unkind cuts that an
irony inflicts. Consider this irony:
“when we are little boys, the big girls kiss us. And
when we are big boys, little girls kiss us.” Another
irony that is very common is, “when our fathers give
us some good advice, we reject it, and call it a gen-
erational gap”. And we realize the truth only what our
father had advised us umpteen years ago when our
own son tells us, “papa, you are out of date; things are
today very different”.
I bring up this issue because I sincerely feel that life
now onwards will take an ironical path. We, the man-
kind, face an unprecedented peril and danger to our
very existence, and the irony of it all stares us in the
face. Yet, the funny thing is that we are not even con-
scious of the catastrophe that is waiting to overtake us;
we are as complacent as we have always been. The
Nature had been generously bountiful to Man, but it is
the Man who has proved unworthy of Nature’s gener-
osity, and has played havoc with what it had given us
in plenty. Even the air which was once pure is today
badly polluted. Likewise, once clean water is now full
of impurities. These two boons were once considered
free and bountiful; now these are neither free nor plen-
tiful.
Man has been destroying what the Nature had be-
stowed upon us; he has intruded into the natural habi-
tat of wild animals, causing destruction everywhere
in the name of development. The wildlife is now an
endangered species, on the verge of
extinction. The jungle—their natu-
ral habitat—is shrinking more and
more with every passing day. In the
name of development, the land use
of the jungle is being changed at the
drop of a hat. From forest to agri-
LE T the YO UT H WO RK
for 2MORROW
expressions JULY 2010
culture and from agriculture to residential, and from
residential to commercial is the sequence through
which this process of land use passes. The result is
there for all to see.
It is here that the youth of today has to come forward
and take head-on the growing menace that confronts
the man. My generation, and the earlier generation,
had woefully failed to stem the ever-increasing deg-
radation of natural resources over the decades. Those
generations were neither aware of the inherent peril
that threatened the Nature nor perhaps even con-
scious of its frightening implications.
It is in the last six or seven decades that the Man is
becoming increasingly conscious of the dangers that
the looming degradation of natural resources pose.
“Yesterday” is virtually non-existent, “Today” dies to-
day. And it is the Tomorrow that would only matter,
and it is the foremost responsibility, nay bounden duty,
of the youth to ensure that Tomorrow is a better era to
live than the eras of “Yesterdays” and “Todays”. Be-
cause it is Youth who has the inherent energy, and the
motivation to save the “Tomorrow” not only for their
own future, but also for the future of coming genera-
tions. Admittedly, the earlier generations had not fully
realized the dangers that the fiddling with the Nature
would bring about; they were not that educated, and
science and technology had not by then developed be-
yond the elementary stage.
The development of Science and Technology has to-
day crossed many frontiers, and even planets. The
Youth today is both highly educated and fully aware of
the dangers and havoc that the playing with the Na-
ture would befall. The Youth has the desired WILL
and the required determination. All that it(Youth)
needs is a motivation and a platform. iCare initiated
by Yudhishter Puran Singh is one such organization.
Let a hundred such flowers bloom leading to an un-
stoppable wave of Youth power. This is the only way
to save the world from the impending environmental
catastrophe, and make our TOMORROWS more har-
monious with Nature, and much, much better than our
YESTERDAYS and TODAYS.
Raj Kanwar
veteran journalist
and author
6
 WHAT ARE WE HEADING TOWARDS ?
A
fter the Cold War, Cancer, Aids, Osama, one of the latest global Phenomena floating around,
blowing vast amounts of hot and cold air is Environmentalism. Like all other earlier Global Phe-
nomena, there is ofcourse enormous amounts of money to be made from this Cause by various
lobbies. All the hot air blowing over whether or not the Himalayan glaciers are melting or not and if
they are, at what rate are they melting overlooks one key issue: that this is all perhaps part and parcel
of the inevitable evolution of Planet Earth.
In this era of so called ‘evolution’, I am forced to picture the caricature of the future times to
come and here’s a small replica of it:

(In the lobby outside the Parliament, Ministers huddled together in conver-
sation)
Minister #1: Yes yes, the oil scandal is highly con-
troversial. We need to find the culprits.
(Suddenly there is noise and commotion. Enters narada.)
Minister #2: I must be dreaming, Narada? The only
time I have seen you is in Amar Chitra Katha.
Narada: Narayana, Narayana, I come to Mother
Earth at the behest of Lord Brahma. During this Kali
Yuga, Lord Brahma is terribly upset with the way
Bhoomi Devi is being treated. There is utter cha-
os on Earth today and I have been sent to feel the
pulse of Bhoomi Devi!
Minister #3: We have heard of Mayadevi, Jaya
devi, Mamta devi, but who is this Bhoomi devi? “It is the public
that elected
“What can
you??”
we do, we Narada: Hold your tongue, you ignorant earthling.
Save your rhetoric for judgement day. There has
are only been so much destruction of the earth’s resources,
public its forests, rivers. All this global warming has led to the melting of the polar ice
caps. Even the snow and ice on Mount Kailasa has been steadily melting. That
servants” is the abode of Lord Siva who is terribly disgusted with what is happening. He is
worried that once all the snow melts there will be a deluge but this time he won’t
be around to hold the water in his lock of hair like he did when the Ganges flowed down.
My mission is to warn you mortals. Be good and do good. Take care of Mother Earth. Throw gar-
bage where it is meant to be thrown. Stop the incessant deforestation and curb pollution. Learn to
be honest once again and you will see miracles. I have to leave now. I will come back and check
in one year and grade you. If you do not change for the better, the consequences will be dire. This
is a grave warning.

Minister #1: But Narada, what can we do, we are only public servants. The public is to blame, why
don’t you go and tell them to improve. They never listen to us.

Narada: It is the public that elected you!

(Narada vanishes leaving the ministers to squabble amongst themselves.)

illustrations akshay madan

expressions JULY 2010 7
 WHAT ARE WE HEADING TOWARDS ?
Few years later, Narada visits a place called Dehradun to check if the concern for nature had awakened.
..speaking to himself: When I used to come to Dehradun 50 years ago, it was so much more pristine the
air was wonderful, there was far more greenery and there was magic in the air. Now when I am visiting
dehradun again I can see the the terrible situation of a beautiful town. Ruined at the ruthless hands of
humans. Everytime I look at doon it seems to cry in pain and ask for my help to save it and bring it back
to life once again. I am feeling disgusted, helpless and hence I want to return. I better hand in my resig-
nation to Brahma and head off to Timbuktu!

S ince early school years, we have been taught about evolution. Nowhere did the books
mention that evolution has been stopped after the last of the Ice Ages. Yet nowhere
in the reams of print being devoted to environmental disaster issues does one find any
mention of the possibility of currently visible environmental changes being perhaps on
account of Evolution. It is a threatening in disguise, nature is giving us signals that we
are not being able to comprehend sensibly. The scenario worsens every minute and one
wonders whether this is really it – the shape of things to come!
Whether bells are, after all, tolling for life on earth! Are we slowly but surely approaching
apocalypse?

And, what are we, humans, doing about it?
Only quibbling – over steps for mitigating
carbon concentration from the atmosphere!
Sitting at Copenhagen, pretty close to the
melting Arctic, leaders of humanity do not
seem to see eye to eye even now for taking
effective measures to save the earth! When
life on the planet is in peril, we, the humans,
having divided ourselves among several
nation-states – few rich, many poor and
some surviving on the very edge and highly
vulnerable – are bickering over who will do
what and how much to cool the planet to
make it hospitable for life.
Time seems to be running out fast.
Environmentalists make a great hue and
cry about various development projects to
be located in what are termed “ecologically
sensitive areas”. Would such experts kindly
demarcate on a map of the world the areas
which are not ecologically sensitive and can
safely house any new development projects
with its inevitable pollution and consump-
tion of natural resources?
The signals are loud and clear and there is
hardly any time to be lost. No longer can it
be “business as usual”. Copenhagen or no
Copenhagen, all of us – governments, or-
ganizations and individuals – have to chip
in. Everyone has to take well-measured de-
termined steps, whatever the costs, for mit-
igating carbon from the atmosphere – the
root cause of global warming.
It is time we the YOUTH of today get their
acts together to fight it and do our utmost
to prevent it from engulfing the entire hu-
manity. I would here like to quote Chapter
25 of Agenda 21, adopted at the 1992 Unit-
ed Nations Conference on Environment and
Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro -

expressions JULY 2010 8

 WHAT ARE WE HEADING TOWARDS ?
“It is imperative that youth from all Copenhagen, all of us – governments, or-

Sandip Puran Singh

parts of the world participate
actively in all relevant levels of deci-
sion-making processes because it
affects their lives today and has impli-
cations for their futures. In addition
to their intellectual contribution and
their ability to mobilize support,
they bring unique perspectives that
need to be taken into
account.”
It is time each one of us gets our act to-
gether to fight it and do our utmost to pre-
vent it from engulfing the entire humanity.
The signals are loud and clear and there is
hardly any time to be lost. No longer can it
be “business as usual”. Copenhagen or no
ganizations and individuals – have to chip
in. Everyone has to take well-measured
determined steps, whatever the costs, for
mitigating carbon from the atmosphere –
the root cause of global warming.
It is a long and hard battle
that we have to fight
the battle that will even-
tually decide whether we
survive or perish!
Sneha Pande
17 years old studying in CJM, Dehradun.
With writing as her passion, she utilizes it for her
concerns towards the environment

Time
seem s
to be
r unnin g
out
fast
akshay madan

© EXPRESSIONS 2010

expressions JULY 2010 9

 promote and support YOUTH
Y
oung people constitute a large part of the
world’s population. In India particularly, the
proportion of younger people is much larger
than in most other countries. The youth have both
special concerns and special responsibilities in rela-
tion to the environment. A number of environmental
risks and hazards disproportionately affect young
people, who have to live for an extended period with
the deteriorating environment bequeathed to them
by earlier generations. Therefore, it becomes the
bounden duty of the youth to engage in new forms
of action and activism that will evoke effective re-
sponses to ecological challenges.
We must remember that the future generations will
be greatly and adversely affected by the decisions
our respective governments take today and the ex-
tent to which they have addressed the existing con-
cerns such as the depletion of resources, the loss of
biodiversity and ever alive radioactive waste (1984,
Bhopal Gas tragedy should ring some alarm bells) to
name a few.
The role of youth can be institutionalized in policy-
making through advisory bodies such as youth coun-
cils. Many national governments, including our own,
have ministries or departments with “youth affairs”
as part of their portfolio, though to be honest, such
madan
© akshay
expressions JULY 2010
wh
Y?
offices tend to view youth as a “population” to be ad-
dressed by public policy (often “youth affairs” is part
of the education or sports ministries), rather than
considered as a resource to be tapped for participa-
tion in policy-making in a variety of areas, which in-
cludes the environment too.
Currently, the participation of youth appears to be
formalized more extensively in international govern-
mental organizations than at the national level. For
example, the UNEP has a Youth Advisory Council
that plays a supportive role. Even UNDP sponsors
training for young environmental leaders in some of
the countries. But what are we waiting for? Do we
not realize its urgency and importance? The deci-
sions taken by the government will affect our future
and yet we are not even in the picture…..Isn’t that
quite weird? I should seriously like to know how the
Indian government is helping the youth in tackling
the various environmental issues. I am sure on paper
there must be hundreds of schemes but how many
of us are aware of them? At least, I am not. It is my
serious request to whoever has any info about the
same to get back to us; I would greatly appreciate it.
Let it be remembered that it is not just a small bunch
of people who think that the youth involvement is
the need of the hour. Paragraph 153 of the Plan of
Implementation adopted at the World
Summit on Sustainable Development,
held in Johannesburg back in the year
2002, had indicated the need to “pro-
mote and support youth participation
in programs and activities relating to
sustainable development through, for
example, supporting local youth bod-
ies or their equivalent, and by encour-
aging their establishment where they
do not exist.”
Apart from having a greater stake in
more distant a future, the youth is es-
pecially ideally placed to promote en-
vironmental awareness because they
often have a better access to informa-
tion about the environment than their
elders. In part this is a matter of hav-
ing being exposed to more environ-
mental education in schools, at least
in the developed world and perhaps
more sporadically elsewhere (like In-
dia though where I feel Environmen-
tal Education is a mere subject which
is hardly helpful in conserva-
10
 promote and support YOUTH
tion). The youth will face challenges as pressures are
brought to bear in the opposite direction. The com-
mercialization of every aspect of life affects young
people as well.
I have discussed about environmental awareness
with many youngsters when I was in Mumbai or even
with people all across the continent, and if I was to
sum it all up then I could say that as far as environ-
mental awareness is concerned, it varies consider-
ably from country to country, and likewise from state
to state. Nevertheless it could be said that there is at
least some awareness in every country. Awareness in
terms of information about the carbon cycle, sustain-
able development, biodiversity, renewable resources,
ecology, the greenhouse effect, ozone layer deple-
tion, carrying capacity, et al.
There is no denying the fact that, young people rec-
ognize environmental problems as real and signifi-
cant and are knowledgeable and concerned about a
wide range of local, national and global problems.
However, one can question the depth of their under-
standing, and greater appreciation of the issues in-
volved. For example, in every country the destruction
of the ozone layer was seen as the most important
environmental issue facing the world. Yet, this must
be amongst a few global problems that repeated in-
ternational action seems to have solved, although
recovery to pre-1980 levels is not expected until
around 2050. Probing this situation might lead to sev-
eral questions. Are students’ misunderstandings due
to incomplete teaching, inadequate educational re-
sources or, perhaps, the tendency for environmental
courses to focus on problems rather than solutions
and success stories? It is time that we came forward
and started questioning the effectiveness of various
conferences held across the world or about the vari-
ous environmental legislations prevalent across the
country because if we don’t, then we are ourselves to
be blamed and like, I have pointed before, we are the
ones who will eventually suffer the most.
In the end I would like to quote - Gaylord Nelson - former governor of Wisconsin, co-founder of Earth Day,
“The ultimate test of man's conscience may be his willingness to sacrifice something today for future genera-
tions whose words of thanks will not be heard.”
expressions JULY 2010
Interestingly, the young people generally believed
that while protecting the environment is more impor-
tant than economic growth, it is possible to have a
mix of environment and prosperous economy. How-
ever, they do not seem to have a sound understand-
ing of the relationships between social, economic
and institutional frameworks, and ecological degra-
dation and sustainability. This may be because the
young people in every country, through various data
available online, are of the opinion that the media,
particularly the television, was their major source of
environmental information. The next are the schools
whose content and methods seem boring. There is an
immediate need for our very own HRD Minister to
look into the effectiveness of making students mug
up various environmental issues. What for? Why has
environmental education so far failed to deliver the
anticipated benefits? Part of the reason may lie in the
kind of education delivered. I am sure if we look into
this aspect sooner than later we may find the solution
to our problem.
We would all agree that individual actions to protect
the environment vary greatly within and between the
countries. However, the question that needs to be
asked about this finding is ‘Why is the figure so low,
especially when the young people said that they usu-
ally felt good when they took such actions?’ Perhaps,
it is because the vast majority of students felt that
they did not know much about what they could do and
did not have enough faith in social institutions. Indeed,
the knowledge that young people seem to have about
the environment is mainly propositional in nature,
rather than procedural; i.e., it is ‘knowledge about
the environment’ rather than ‘knowledge of how to
work for the environment’. This situation might help
explain the ambivalence between the young people’s
high levels of expressed concern and their general
lack of willingness to change personal life-styles or
take other actions to protect the environment.
Yudhishter Puran Singh
© EXPRESSIONS 2010
11
 PHOTO STORY

Wandering
in a Valley
Stairway to Heaven

H a ving a p assion for photo graphy and a desi re to get close to m y

hom e – that ’ s my ho metow n DE HRADUN. I am passionate about cl ickin g
p hoto gr a p hs which sho w the true beauty of this wonde rfu l v a l l e y
w e a l l l i v e in. T hese pictures are m y dedication to m y beautifu l and
dive r se D oon valley.
AKSHAY MADAN
em ail:ak s haym adan@live.in

expressions JULY 2010 12
 PHOTO STORY
Water of Life

Just Ashes
expressions JULY 2010 13
 COVER STORY

I
believe there’s a brimful energy that lies latent within the youth.We are like
buds that bloom with vigour and freshness and possess an indomitable spir-
it that can defy all odds. If we join hands, no evil is strong enough to thrive,
since our dogged efforts and an unflagging strength is a resolute force that
can overcome ‘any’ obstacle. One thing that should be our primary concern, if
we think in selfless terms is to give something back to this world.

Trees are felled at a phenomenal rate, the ever increasing number of vehicles
on the roads spew clouds of smoke to rise up in the air, the raucous horns
give us head-splitting aches, the wild animals too lose their lives and habitat
to the creeping encroachment and the poaching menace. How would it feel to
live in constant peril to our lives? Wouldn’t we raise our voices against such
menace? Of course, then perhaps we’d probably fight for
justice and talk about the frequent infringement of laws
and seek their enforcement. But who’s going to advocate
the cause of the wild and the wilderness when they are
being brutally slaughtered! Their mute cries go unheard
because we get too selfish sometimes. It’s deplorable be-
yond redemption as beautifully pointed out in these words
by Marya Mannes, “The earth we abuse and the living
things we kill, in the end, take their revenge: for in exploit-
ing their presence we are diminishing our future.” Today,
we witness increasing urbanization and more and more
How would it commercial and ugly structures springing up at the cost of
feel to live in those squares of green. Unfathomable evil, our greed and
constant peril misdeeds will cost us an awful lot in future when we’d be
to our lives? cursed by our great grand children for depriving them of
Wouldn’t we the profuse gifts of nature that The Almighty had entitled
raise our voices us to enjoy equally!
against such
menace? Environmental activists shout their lungs out to make the

expressions JULY 2010 14

 COVER STORY
government and the people take notice and formu- low them. Sad and bad!! Well, let’s try to discipline
late corrective and preventive measures, but do we ourselves. If our conscience pricks us reading this
choose to ignore what is all around us? Their voicesor anything like this, it’s about time we ruminated
and protests fall on deaf ears. It doesn’t take too about these problems. Let’s not ignore them pre-
long to observe and become conscious of the little tending they are not ours. We need to dig into the
things that we do that wreak havoc and cause ir- deeper cores of our conscious and ask ourselves a
revocable damage. What are we supposed to do? simple question. “If we had an ailing mother, would
There’s a lot we can! An earnest effort must be we leave her dying or try to save her?” So, just as
made to help restore the ecological balance if we we care for our mothers, we must love our planet
wish to redeem ourselves. It really boils my blood with the same intensity. Every little thought counts.
to see so much pain and destruction in this world, We, the young blood with fire within us must con-
so I just hope that young people like us come for- front head on these challenges and make this world,
ward and take a serious look at stark reality that a better place to live. Like I said earlier, we should
go hand in hand building up this entire force that
stares us in the face, if our planet ceases to exist,
so shall we! can successfully combat any barrier. Remember,
that more often than not, there are SIMPLE solu-
Technology may have advanced but everything tions to COMPLICATED problems. It’s just a matter
cannot have a replacement. So let’s be mature and of perception. All it needs is a thought, a helping
rather than whiling away our time and cribbing hand that says...
about why there’s no proper waste disposal system “i care, i can and i will”
in India, go plant a tree instead and try to reduce
the amount of waste you produce. Don’t dirty the Pooja Bhatt
roads and you know it all! We’ve constantly been 19 years old, pursuing accessory designing
told about these do’s and don’ts yet we don’t fol- from NIFT Bangalore

© EXPRESSIONS 2010

expressions JULY 2010 15

 PHOTO STORY
Water for Life

CO ME INT O MY P A RLOR
Ashes of Life
expressions JULY 2010 16
 PHOTO STORY
Just Watchin’

A Mid-Summer Night
expressions JULY 2010 17
 the green beat
akshay madan
Hello everyone! Welcome back to the second edition of this Corner.
F irst of all let me congratulate the ‘icare team’
for the fantastic launch of the new e-magazine
“Expressions”. Everyone who contributed did ex-
tremely well. Let’s hope that this can be a common
platform for everyone to share their opinions and
contribute new ideas towards a greener environ-
ment.
I have been in the UK for the past 3 years. At first
it was a total cultural change for me, a whole other
world, but as time passed I began to realize that
the people here are no different than in India. They
also face the same everyday problems like price
rise, traffic, pollution, corrupt politicians, etc. but
people here respect the law. One such law here is
to recycle. Follow the three R’s Reduce, Reuse
and Recycle. I feel every country in the world
should have a law to recycle and the required infra-
structure to promote it. This is only possible when
people themselves realize how important it is for
them to recycle, starting from all those who run our
country to the common men like you and me.
expressions JULY 2010
In Britain there are bins provided by the councils for
each and every household to recycle their waste.
Almost 90% of all household waste can be recycled.
There are separate bins for glass, plastic and paper.
People who have gardens and backyards are pro-
vided with additional bins for all the garden waste
like grass, tree branches, leaves etc. which is then
taken and converted to mulch for the gardens or
in some places made into logs for firewood used
in winters. Also you can be provided with compost
bins on request. Recently, there are some Councils
that are providing the residents with incentives to
recycle more. They have come up with bins with a
special chip that will measure or weigh how much
you have recycled in a month and depending on
that the residents are given vouchers for local busi-
nesses where they can shop.
When I think of all this I just ask why can’t such
schemes be introduced in our country. I know it re-
quires a lot of infrastructure and money and train-
ing for operations, but it is possible, more than all of
18
 the green beat
this, it needs the will to do it. The local government institutions can hire private contractors to remove
household waste and every locality can be provided with bins for bio-degradable and non bio-degrada-
ble waste. The residents should be provided with information as to what kind of waste goes into which
bin clearly labeled on the bins itself. There should be a public helpline where residents can call and get
information about recycling, what they can and can’t recycle and raise more awareness about the three
R’s of recycling.

Some Interesting Recycling Facts

• 1 recycled tin can would save enough energy to power a television for 3 hours.

• 1 recycled glass bottle would save enough energy to power a computer for 25 minutes.

• 1 recycled plastic bottle would save enough energy to power a 60-watt light bulb for 3 hours.

• 70% less energy is required to recycle paper compared with making it from raw materials.

• As much as 50% of waste in the average dustbin could be composted.

• Up to 80% of a vehicle can be recycled.

• 9 out of 10 people would recycle more if it were made easier.

• Recycling is an excellent way of saving energy and conserving the environment.

We can all start in our own backyards by making compost which is environment friendly and so much
better to use than the synthetic variety. Grow your own organic fruit and vegetables in your gardens
and share a few with your neighbors if you have extra.

To conclude, in the famous words of a Michael Jackson song, if you want to make the world a better
place, then make the change………NOW…..
So have fun guys. Till next time.

Be green
Think green
Shalini Mehta

© EXPRESSIONS 2010

expressions JULY 2010 19

 FACE TO FACE
with S. S. Khaira
H
e has been in the environmental circuit for the past 30 to 35 years and totally dedicated his expertise and
passion towards creating awareness about the environment among the young generation. Meet SS Khaira, a
jovial, amicable person who is presently the HOD Geography at Welham Boys’. Associated with several tree
activities like afforestation and reforestation, he has been an active member of the Friends of Doon society and is
the brainchild behind their tree plantation projects every monsoon, providing free saplings to all enthusiastic environ-
mental conservationists. With nature oriented programmes in his school including nature clubs, paper recycling, he
inspired students to conserve the most precious resource on this planet, The Environment
As a prolific writer, he freelances for newspapers like Himachal Times, Doon Plus, i next, and other prominent papers
in the valley and has also authored books like Merry Go Round the Trees and Good Earth Keeping, suggesting every-
day proactive measures to conserve the environment. Aishwarya Sharma got into a highly candid conversation with
this prodigy to delve deeper into environmental issues.
EXPRESSIONS (E): So how does it feel to be conferred upon with two reputed awards?
S S Khaira (SSK): I won the Green Ambassador of India, Himalaya aur Hindustan Award and National Environment
geography award that was sponsored by organizations of the UNO. It feels great but I feel that my responsibilities
now have increased manifold. I need to do much more now for my environment.
E: How did your tryst with nature start?
SSK: I have been attached to nature since childhood. As a Geography teacher, I have to totally stick to nature for
achieving perfection in my work. Besides, nature is too invigorating for me to resist!
E:What according to you needs to be done for the environment in today’s times?
SSK:There’s a lot of ignorance and lack of awareness amongst people in terms of environment. We need to make
people aware. Besides, we need to be very proactive in terms of waste disposal as this is the source of all environ-
mental problems. Segregation and land filling can combat environmental degradation in a big way. We need to con-
tribute and share our contributions with the rest of the world. After all, only drops can give rise to an ocean.
E: What are the transitions you’ve observed in Dehradun?
SSK: As a very outdoor person, I’ve seen terrific transitions in Doon. From the disappearance of Karenjh trees to the
depleting litchi gardens and elimination of tea estates along Shimla Road, I feel Dehradun is not what it used to be.
E: What role do parents play in inculcating values of environmental sustainability amongst the younger
generations?
SSK: Parents and elders have a monumental responsibility towards the environ-
ment. They need to pass on their wisdom and experience to the young minds and
help & support their children in creating a beauitful and sustainable future.
E: With degradation in green spaces in the city, how important is the youth’s
role in conserving the environment?
SSK: Youngsters’ role is certainly imperative as
they are the future of the world. They have to be
responsible for sustaining the future generations
now. Youth needs to take environmental issues
seriously and not ignore the most trivial of prob-
lems. They need to find solutions to all kinds of
problems.

© EXPRESSIONS 2010

expressions JULY 2010 20

 icare bringing people together
AB OU T US
Welcome to icare, the part of SUSWA
dedicated to bringing the young Doonites
together to actively participate in taking
care of their valley and at the same time
help CFD its sister organization build an
online encyclopaedia of Doon.
icare is a non-profit organization work-
ing towards bringing people together such
as conservation professionals and other
concerned citizens of Doon. Its resource
persons include conservators, educators,
scientists, students, archivists, historians,
and concerned non-resident Doonites all
over the world.
expressions JULY 2010
Conserving our natural and cultural herit-
age is of paramount importance, but doing
so presents complex challenges to both the
administrators and the residents of Doon.
At icare, we understand the seriousness
of the situation and are there to bring peo-
ple together who care for the valley. We
feel there is an urgent need for us to be
conscious of our relationship with nature
and to bring about a change in our per-
ception in such a way that the interactions
between us and our environment become
mutually rewarding.
21
 WAYS TO PHOTGRAPH
D oon valley

Hello and welcome to the second edition of Expressions. Looking at your response to the photo-story
in the inaugural issue we are bringing you a series of articles related to photography in Doon valley.

It’s never been easier to take a photograph than it is today. Anyone who can hold a camera, point it in
the right direction and then all he has to do is press a button. But taking a good photograph requires
a little more thought. Very often you need to spend only a moment or two to make the difference be-
tween taking yet another uninteresting snapshot to producing an eye-catching image.

T
he Doon valley and its surrounding hills have been a source of inspi-
ration for countless creative people over the ages and even today
there is something for all to experience and enjoy. There is something
spiritually uplifting about seeing the beauty which the forces of nature have
created and for a photographer the effect is amplified when it can be used
as a means of expressing the feelings the experience evokes.

The aim of this series is to show something of the rich variety of subject
matter which can be used to produce striking images. While spectacular
vistas like viewing the snow-clad Himalayan ranges from Mussoorie quite
understandably attract the greatest attention it’s important to appreciate
that beauty is very much in the ‘eye of the beholder’ when it comes to pho-
tography and potentially photogenic subjects are all around us.

A perceptive eye for shape, texture, colour and light is the key to producing
outstanding photographic images and the aim of this section is to illustrate
and explain how these vital, visual skills can be developed together with the
process of composing and recording what is seen in the most effective way.

As a keen amateur for many years who has spent all his life in the valley
I’ve looked at various fields of the medium but photographing the landscape
of Doon has always been my greatest passion. During this period I’ve used
several types of cameras and processes but none excites as much as those
available today. Digital capture and image control have opened my eyes to
new ways of seeing my surroundings and have introduced me to virtually
unlimited creative possibilities for controlling and presenting the final pho-
tograph.

Sandip Puran Singh

expressions JULY 2010 22
 WAYS TO PHOTGRAPH
1
One of the most frequently taken landscape pictures is of a lovely view, as this is the
kind of subject that it’s hard to resist snapping. The desire to have a visual memento of
a beautiful place is often the main reason for photographing it

S N O W- CA PP ED
H IMALA YA S
The first step towards pro-
ducing an eye-catching pho-
tograph of a classic view is,
of course, to have the right
view point. There are a
number of viewpoints which
among landscape photog-
raphers of Mussoorie, with
many of them having been
photographed initially by
people like Samuel Bourne
and Thomas Alfred Rust.
It’s not uncommon for en-
thusiast to plan their photo-
graphic itineraries around
some of these places. How-
ever this approach invites
disappointment, as it’s very
unlikely that similar condi-
tions to the iconic image
will be found on a casual
visit.

This shot of snow-capped

Himalayas was taken
from a well-known and
much-used viewpoint at
the famous apple orchard
‘Hazara Heights’, Kanatal
14 km ahead of Dhanaulty
coming from Mussoorie.
Little else was needed to
capture it other than plan-
ning to arrive an evening
before in late autumn when
the sunlight was clear and
undiffused. The picture was taken
using a wide-angle lens in the
morning and a polarizing filter to
increase the colour saturation of
the foliage. I’d seen a stunning
photograph of the same scene in
Ajay Mark’s collection at Wood-
stock and, in comparison, my
effort seemed very inferior. But if
you ask Ajay he will tell you how
many times one has to go to the
same spot to get the perfect shot.
sandip puran singh
When your motive is primar-
ily to produce a striking image,
landscape picture are among the
most difficult subjects to photo-
graph. When distant details are
an important element of a scene,
then the conditions need to be as
close to ideal as possible because
atmospheric haze and diffused
light will detract significantly
from the clarity of the image.
The best landscape photograph

expressions JULY 2010 23

 WAYS TO PHOTGRAPH
1
are usually the result of good luck in being at the fight place at
the right time, or of the willingness to keep returning to the
same location until the conditions are right.
“The scene appealed to me because the dark monsoon
clouds in the valley and the sunlight filtering through them
was creating some beautifully graduated contours in the
gently rolling landscape” KA L A N G A F O R T

sandip puran singh

This landscape picture was
entirely unplanned, as I’d
taken upon myself to take
photographs to illustrate a
study called ‘Exploring the
Doon’ that involved visiting
geographically relevant fea-
tures of Doon valley. Walk-
ing up the old bridle path
from Rajpur to Jharipani I
was surprised and delighted
to see a sweeping view of
the surrounding countryside
with the famous Kalanga
hillock clearly showcased.
The landscape was lit in a
very pleasing way by the
dark monsoon clouds gath-
ering low on the horizon
and yet the rain had the
atmosphere that was clear
enough to see far into the
distance with the Song river
flowing towards the Ganga.
The scene appealed to me
because the acutely dif-
fused sunlight was creating
some beautifully graduated
contours in the gently roll-
ing landscape, which was an
attractive shade of green. I
used a wide-angle lens and
chose a viewpoint which al-
lowed me to frame a little of
the foliage in the foreground
to heighten the sense of
depth and distance.
Sandip Puran Singh
Writer is the founder of
SUSWA, an NGO working
along the northern bound-
ary of Rajaji National Park.
He’s also an avid bird
watcher and an amateur
naturalist working on the
Doon valley.
His love for photographing
the valley can be seen by
logging onto
www.icarefordoon.org and
can be reached at
seemasandeepsingh@
gmail.com

expressions JULY 2010 24

 IN THE NEWS
Harmful chemicals in atmosphere can cause
skin, respiratory ailments’
Though Doon valley was once famous for its green
and clean environment, the combination of environ-
mental degradation and natural factors has created
a situation wherein the quantity of dust and sus-
pended particles of harmful chemicals in the air has
reached a level that is up to four times more than
the healthy limit.

According to measurements recorded by the Utta-

rakhand Environment Conservation and Pollution
Control Board (UECPCB), the unhealthy dense level
of such particles in the ambient atmosphere of Deh-
radun can cause illnesses related to skin, eyes and
respiration.

The measurements taken by the UECPCB reveal

that the level of sulphur, phosphorus, magnesium
(SPM) particles at the Clock Tower in Dehradun is
445 microgram per cubic meter. The level of SPM
particles at Raipur Road intersection was measured
at 370 micrograms per cubic metre. According to
the levels set for the Doon valley, an SPM level of
more than 100 micrograms per cubic metre is con-
sidered to be in the bad for health category.
As per the measurements taken using respirable
dust sampler pollution measurement device, the
general level of SPM and dust particles in the ambi-
ent atmosphere of Doon valley has been more than
250 micrograms per cubic metre. The quantity of
nitrogen and sulphur in the ambient atmosphere is
also substantially higher in the valley. According to
Meteorological department head Dr Anand Sharma
the drizzles being experienced in the valley now
and then are not providing any relief from the heat
due to the drop in level of moisture in the ambient
atmosphere. Doon Hospital medical officer Dr Ajit
Gairola states that those susceptible to asthma and
allergies of skin and respiratory system should take
special care considering the climate and condition
of ambient atmosphere in the Doon valley. The in-
crease in heat and pollution is causing a correspond-
ing increase in complaints of eye and skin ailments
among residents, he added.
Scientists and officials agree upon different reasons
responsible for the unhealthy increase in density of
SPM and other harmful particles in the ambient at-
mosphere of Dehradun. From the climate point of
view, this month has been marked by the advent
of warmer winds from the western direction in the
valley. The level of moisture in hills surrounding
the Doon valley is comparatively less due to the
lack in snowfall and its effects brought in the val-
ley from the northern direction during the winter
season. Major canals being covered with concrete
and made underground is also a factor contributing
to the decrease in moisture in the ambient atmos-
phere of the valley. This has been exacerbated by
the diminishing area covered by trees particularly
the large mango and leechi orchards for which the
town was once famous.
In addition to the severely debilitated condition of
Rispana and Bindaal rivers, the drastic and con-
sistent increase in the number of vehicles creating
pollution and increasing number of constructions
replacing the greenery have made the Doon valley
hotter and its ambient atmosphere more unclean.
Source: PIONEER

expressions JULY 2010 25

 IN THE NEWS
Suspension of hydel projects
U’khand govt to move court Cites acute shortage, demands 1,000 MW
free power in return
The issue of hydel power projects in Uttarakhand is There are 200 more projects awaiting sanction and
snowballing into a major controversy with the BJP the report points out that not only will rivers face
Government in the state planning to move court the threat of drying up, but diversion of 90 per cent
and challenge the Centre’s decision to suspend Pala water to these projects will also force people living
Maneri (480 MW) and Bhaironghati (381 MW) pro- on river-banks to migrate.
jects on environmental grounds. The state government, on the other hand, holds that
A belligerent state government has also demanded Uttarakhand has a severe shortage of power and
there is no reason it should not exploit its hydel po-
tential of generating a
whopping 15,000 MW
of electricity. Suspen-
sion of power projects,
it contends, would
force industries out of
the state and lead to
migration from rural
areas.
The state’s policy to
promote mini and mi-
cro hydel projects had
also been opposed by
the Congress, alleg-
ing that individuals
and companies with no
experience of power
generation had bagged
the projects. Distillers,
bottlers, cycle manu-
facturers and knitwear
companies from Chan-
supply of 1,000 MW of free power from the Centre digarh, Ludhiana and Kanpur and even individuals
for shelving the projects. close to the ruling party were awarded the projects,
The decision to suspend the projects was taken on alleged Harak Singh Rawat, leader of the Opposi-
the recommendations of the Group of Ministers tion in the Assembly.
constituted by the Prime Minister. Environmental Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, howev-
concerns raised by activists in the state have been er, claimed that procedures were transparent and
corroborated by a special audit conducted by the of the 741 bids received for the projects, 624 were
Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) as found eligible.
well. The report, yet to be tabled in the state As-
sembly, has received the required assent from the
Governor.
The CAG report, it is learnt, has severely criticised
the state government’s decision to sanction 56 hydel Source:
projects, five of which have become operational. SMA Kazmi, Tribune - Dehradun

expressions JULY 2010 26

 IN THE NEWS
DE H RA D U N’S FIR ST E N V I R O N M E N T A L E - M A G A Z I N E
LA UN C H E D

An environmental e-magazine for Dehradun was launched by ‘icare’ as a part of its crusade to preserve
the flora and faunna of the city on June 12th 2010. The launch was a great success owing a heartfelt
gratitude to Delhi based event management firm LOTUS LEAF BUSINESS EXHIBITIONS who supported
them in their initiative.

expressions JULY 2010 27

 gogreentips
SAY NO TO PLASTIC
Did you know that organic waste takes a week or to deteriorate itself, paper takes 15-30 days, cotton
2-5 months, wood 10-15 years, Tin / aluminum 100-500 years and Plastic??

Yes! Plastic takes more than 1000 years to deteriorate.

You know plastic is derived from petro-

leum which is an inflammable substance.
It is the main cause of pollution in the
world today. It has created havoc in our
society. Plastic is surely attractive, dis-
posable, cheap, easy to use but at the
same time non-biodegradable as well.
Everywhere we are subjected to drains
being clogged due to plastic bags which
not only choke resulting in overflowing,
water logging and at the sametime has
serious repurcussion for aquatic life as
well.
Plastic pollution has become the most
sensitive issue of the environment. Eve-
ryday we use hundreds of items made of plastic without realizing that we are responsible for increasing
the demand of plastic and inviting dangers of plastic pollution. However, by adopting some simple steps
in our daily life we can reduce these problems.

‘Go Green’ steps

• Declare your areas – no plastic zone
• Plastic carry bag is the main culprit. Use alternatives such as cloth bag/jute bag/paper bag.
• Make a habit of keeping a cloth bag/jute bag in your car or scooter.
• Don’t accept plastic bags from shops. Carry your own bag.
• Use garbage cans instead of plastic garbage bags.
• Buy bottled goods instead of plastic containers.
• Never dispose off plastic waste in open fields, public parks, sewer drain as they are clogged.
• Replace plastic crockery by ceramic crockery which is eco friendly
• Stop buying disposable plastic pens; use ink pens.
• Explain children why we should not use plastic bags.
• Keep the environment plastic free in whatever way you can.
• Use re-useable metallic razors instead of disposable plastic razors.
• Innovate your own ideas and share with your friends and relatives all about avoiding plastic and
using alternatives.

expressions JULY 2010 28

 The Right Environment
For Your Future

akshay madan
suresh c sharma
sandip puran singh

anant aggarwal

“Because we don't think about future generations,

they will never forget us”
Henrik Tikkanen

expressions JULY 2010 29

 CONTEST QUESTION
Now wrack your brains and answer this in 100 - 150 words.

How can Environmental Education be made more enjoyable?

The best entry will not only win a prize but will also be featured in the August issue.

ECO SPACE
Have a passion for drawing, painting, sketching, photography.....???
This is your chance to be featured in EXPRESSIONS’ august issue, and you
stand to win a surPRIZE.
Theme - ENVIRONMENT & WOMEN
Send in your entries latest by 25th July, 2010 at
beautifuldehradun@gmail.com

follow us on log on to

www.icarefordoon.org
expressions JULY 2010 30