The experience gained in the implementation of successive five-year plans in the country demonstrates the need for theparticipation of people in planning, implementation & monitoring of development programmes. Increased industrialization & economic development has resulted in enormous amount of carbon emission, polluting the environment and affecting the health of rural communities particularly women & children. Shanti Ashram is implementing the environmental restoration program in collaboration with National Technical Institutions, Self Help Group members, Local bodies and the village communities.
Guiding Principles
The Guiding Principles for environmental restoration programs are:
- To maintain ecological balance through education, research and policy intervention
- To protect the environment by initiating grass root initiatives
- To create awareness on environmental restoration
- To train children, women and youth on environmental issues through Green Brigade Initiatives
Click the Project Title Number to View the Project Details: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
1. Project Title: Mitigation of Carbon Dioxide through Energy Efficient & Eco-friendly Cooking Methods
- Thematic Area : Climate Change Mitigation
- Location : Perur & Madukkarai Blocks
- No. of Beneficiaries : 1040
1.4 Chief Executors : Rural Women
1.5 Reach : 21 Villages of Perur & Madukkarai Blocks.
1.6 Partners : Shanti Ashram, Women Self Help Groups, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University,
1.7 SGP Funders : Center for Environmental Education
Co-financing Beneficiary
1.8 Contact Details : Dr. S.R. Subramanian
Shanti Ashram, Kovaipudur,
Coimbatore 641 042
- To conduct a Block-wide survey in understanding the current cooking practices of rural women of Perur and Madukkarai Blocks and their understandings about its impact on their immediate environment.
- To create awareness amongst identified self-help group women and youth about community-led initiatives for reducing carbon emission and its impact on environment.
- To help promote locally available low cost technologies like smokeless chulahs, solar cookers and solar lanterns.
- To conduct a perspective health study looking at the changes in the health behaviour and respiratory problems amongst the participating women.
Green house grass emission has been directly linked to the economic growth of the country. Burning fossil fuel, changing agricultural practices and changes in land use have contributed in generation of gases like carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide that trap heat and produce run-away global warming. Global warming has already altered climate cycles and rainfall patterns.
The emission of carbon dioxide in India has increased by 88% since 1990. The increased emission of carbon dioxide and pollution of the environment has an adverse effect on the quality of life of people. Even today 30% of the rural households use traditional chulahs and firewood for cooking, which affect the environment and the health of rural women and children. Introduction of improved chulahs is expected to reduce the consumption of firewood, reduce cooking time and reduce carbon emission. Popularization and adoption of improved chulahs will help in the reduction of carbon dioxide to a larger extent.
1.11 Project Activities :
- Field visit to villages
- Participatory Monitoring & Evaluation
- Preparation of final report of Activities
- Preparation of final accounts statement
1.12 Results & Impact
- The quarterly progress report for the quarter ending December 2006 was prepared and sent.
- The project final report was completed and sent.
- The audited Statement of Accounts was completed and sent.
- A document entitled, Jyothirgamaya was printed and shared with all stakeholders.
- The impact of the project was shared by the project coordinator at the seminar on Climate Change organized by Arkleton Trust, United Kingdom
2. Project Title : Green Brigade Initiative for Rural Children
The concept of Shanti Sena articulated by Mahatma Gandhi believed in people’s participation for peace building activities. Shanti Ashram runs the Green Brigade program on the above lines to inculcate in the minds of rural children the idea of natural resource conservation. Green Brigade is in operation in the Ashram since 1992.
2.1 Thematic Area : Environmental Restoration & Education
2.2 Location : Perur Block
2.3 No. of Beneficiaries : 300 children
2.4 Chief Executors : Green Brigade Children
2.5 Reach : Rural children of the schools
2.6 Partners : Shanti Ashram
13 Participating schools
2.7 Project Funders : Shanti Ashram
2.8 Contact Details : Shri. G. Vijayaragavan
Shanti Ashram,
Kovaipudur
To train the rural children on the dimensions of environmental restoration
To carry out environmental restoration activities in schools & develop school-centered learning sites
To develop a cultural team with student volunteers and use their services for organizing environmental awareness campaigns
To develop leadership qualities among children and providing them with life-skills education
2.10 Project Rationale :
Economic development goes hand in hand with environmental pollution. Increasing population coupled with industrialization, results in the pollution of land, water and air.
To create an eco-friendly society, it is necessary to make people aware of the need for environmental restoration and the methods to achieve the same. For a sustainable eco-friendly environment, the process has to commence with the children.
2.11 Project Activities
- Identification and selection of schools for the current year
- Organizing environmental training programs
- Participation in the cultural programs of NSS Units of local colleges
- Conduct summer camps to promote leadership qualities of children
- Organizing weekly community cleaning activities in the 1,300 year old Perur Temple
- To maintain the Amaidi Poonga at Kovaipudur Police Outpost
- Carried out cleaning of Perur Temple for 49 weeks –
- 14 weeks by Green Brigade students,
- 23 weeks by Bala Shanti parents,
- 9 weeks by Self Help Groups
- 3 weeks by Vocational students and Ashram staff
- Summer Camp was organized during May 2007. 100 students from 17 schools participated in the program.
- The cultural team conducted four programs outside Coimbatore and 12 programs in the villages of Coimbatore.
- Two demonstration units were laid out in Kulathupalayam and Arivoli Nagar schools for Solid Waste Management.
- 20 students of Green Brigade watered and maintained the 82 plants planted at Kovaipudur Police Outpost for 17 weeks under Amaidi Poonga
3. Project Title : Oli Peruvom - summer camp
3.1 Thematic Area : Leadership training for Environmental Restoration
3.2 Location : Perur block
3.3 No of Beneficiaries : 100 School Children from 16 schools
3.4 Chief Executors : Environmental Restoration Section, Shanti Ashram
3.5 Reach : Perur block
3.6 Partners : Shanti Ashram
Inner Wheel Club of Coimbatore
JCI Coimbatore Cosmo
Raheja Enclave Ladies Association
3.7 Project Funders : JCI Coimbatore Cosmo
Raheja Enclave Ladies Association
Beneficiary Contribution
3.8 Contact Details : Shri.G.Vijayaragavan,
Green Brigade coordinator,
Shanti Ashram, Kovaipudur
3.9 Project Objectives :
- To create the spirit of oneness among the children
- To provide 30 new ideas in 30 days
- To promote individual talents
- To create opportunities to understand the outside World.
- To promote interaction between Private and Government School Children
- To spend vacation in a purposeful manner
- To develop leadership qualities
- To help to continue the educational journey
- To create awareness on Environment and health
- To promote Children’s involvement in Social activities.
3.10 Project Rationale :
Nearly 30%of the population of the country consists of youth. Around 60% of the population lives in rural areas. Access and benefits of child centered co-curricular activities are limited for rural children as compared to urban children. Other opportunities for development like sports, creative work and leadership training are now in plenty for urban children and this helps to bring out their hidden talents.
To help rural children to bring out their hidden talents and to mould them for community work, Shanti Ashram has organized Summer Camps for the rural children for the past five years.
3.11 Project Activities :
- Identification and selection of rural children for the summer camp.
- Preparation and finalization of training modules for one month.
- Identification of resource persons and materials required for the summer camp.
- Conducting the camp
- Evaluation
3.12 Results & Impact :
- 102 children from 9 Government and 7 private schools participated in this year’s summer camp.
- Skill development imparted in areas like, tailoring, yoga, cultural programs, ethics education and spoken english training.
- 18 children trained in Life skills education at the PSG Institute of Medical Sciences & Research.
- Training in Leadership provided to all participants.
- Trainees were taken on an excursion trip to Kovai Kondattam.
- Participants took part in the Cleaner Perur Program for five weeks, and 10 days in Amaidi Poonga Program
- 30 new ideas developed during the one-month camp.
4. Project Title : PEOPLES INITIATIVE FOR CLEANER PERUR
4.1 Thematic Area : Environmental Restoration
4.2 Location: : Perur Temple & Gandhi memorial on the banks of Noyyal River
4.3 No of Beneficiaries : 960 Volunteers from 26 villages
4.4 Chief Executors : Dr.S.R.Subramanian,
Program coordinator
4.5 Reach : Perur and surrounding areas of Pateeswarar temple
4.6 Partners : Shanti Ashram
Perur Pateeswarar temple
Self help groups
Green Brigade schools
Youth groups
Bala Shanti Kendra parents
4.7 Project Funders : Shanti Ashram
Christiane Laehnemann fund
4.8 Contact Details : Shri. G.Vijayaragavan,
Green Brigade coordinator,
Shanti Ashram, Kovaipudur
4.9 Project Objectives :
- Awareness creation amongst the visiting pilgrims on cleaner environment
- To share the history of the temple & provide knowledge on the importance of keeping the temple clean.
- To carry out cleaning of the temple as a People’s Initiative every Friday
- To maintain the premises where the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi, Kamaraj and Jayaprakash Narayan are kept, and to conduct weekly interfaith prayer.
4.10 Project Rationale :
The growing environmental degradation necessitates the need for environmental awareness and involvement of children in environmental conservation activities. Thousands of people visit the famous Perur Patteeswarar Temple every day. They throw away waste around the temple premises and sometimes even within the temple.
To create awareness on keeping the premises of this historic temple and to understand the sanctity of the temple and the famous Noyyal River, the program has been initiated with people’s involvement and is being carried out continuously.
4.11 Project Activities :
- To identify a group of members of Self Help Groups/Green Brigade/Bala Shanti Kendras for weekly cleaning
- To carry out weekly Shramadan in the temple premises as a public service project
- Maintenance & upkeep of the place on the banks of Noyyal river where the ashes of the National leaders are kept
- To conduct weekly community interfaith prayer
4.12 Results & Impact :
- 51 Weekly Shramadan sessions organized at the temple premises carried out
- 810 Members of Green Brigade/Self Help Groups/Parents of Bala Shanti Kendras participated in the year long program
- 51 Weekly cleaning and inter-faith prayer sessions conducted on the banks of Noyal river where the ashes of the National leaders are kept.
5. Project Title : Amaidhi Poonga
5.1 Thematic Area : Environmental Restoration
5.2 Location : Kulathupalayam Police Outpost
5.3 No of Beneficiaries : People of Kulathupalayam village
1.4 Chief Executors : Dr. S .R. Subramanian,
Program coordinator
5.5 Reach : Kulathupalayam Village
5.6 Partners : Shanti Ashram Green Brigade children
Kulathupalayam Police Outpost
5.7 Project Funders : Christiane Laehnemann fund
5.8 Contact Details : Shri. G. Vijayaragavan
Green Brigade coordinator,
Shanti Ashram, Kovaipudur
5.9 Project Objectives :
- To plant saplings in the newly created Police Outpost campus;
- To water and nurture the saplings planted;
- Involvement of green brigade members in community activity & environmental awareness
5.10 Project Rationale :
Urban development like construction of buildings results in deterioration of environment. To conserve the environment it is necessary to improve the green cover around the new buildings after the construction is completed. To create such awareness by undertaking a demonstration activity, the present project was designed.
5.11 Project Activities :
- Discussion with police officials on planting of saplings
- Digging of pits and planting the saplings
- Maintenance and watering the saplings twice a week by Green Brigade students of Kulathupalayam.
5.12 Results & Impact
- 82 saplings planted
- The saplings have been continuously maintained for four months.
- Community work & awareness on environmental awareness created in the minds of Green Brigade students.
6. Project Title : Bio Diversity Conservation
6.1 Thematic Area : Environmental Restoration
6.2 Location: : Coimbatore
6.3 No of Beneficiaries : 427 School children and villagers
6.4 Chief Executors : Environmental Restoration Section,
Shanti Ashram
6.5 Reach : Two rural schools and two villages of
Perur & Madukkarai Blocks
6.6 Partners : Shanti Ashram
Peace Trust
6.7 Project Funders : Peace Trust
6.8 Contact Details : Shri. G. Vijayraghavan
Shanti Ashram, Kovaipudur
6.9 Project Objectives :
- To create awareness among school children and rural women on the need for bio diversity conservation
- To establish a model unit of medicinal garden
6.10 Project Rationale :
Increasing development of the country leads to environmental degradation. An answer to global warming is increasing the tree cover and conserving the bio-diversity of the country. There is large-scale extinction of exotic varieties of plants and animals. Hence, it is necessary to create awareness among the children and villagers to conserve the plant species and animals and to protect the earth.
6.11 Project Activities :
- Preparation of a brochure in Tamil on Bio-diversity Conservation.
- Conduct two awareness campaigns for school children.
- Conduct two awareness campaigns for villagers.
- Establishment of model medicinal garden.
- Preparation of final report
6. 12. Results & Impact :
- A reading material on bio-diversity conservation is now available with the children and villagers
- 427 children and rural women were aware of the need for bio-diversity conservation.
- Model medicinal plant unit established in Kulathupalayam High School serves as a demonstration unit for the children and the villagers.
7. Project Title : Larsen & Toubro Joint Partnership
7.1 Thematic Area : Private Public Partnership for community
development
7.2 Location : Coimbatore
7.3 No of Beneficiaries : Rural population of Podanur Chettipalayam and
Malumichampatti Panchayats
7.4 Chief Executors : Environmental Restoration Section
Shanti Ashram
7.5 Reach : Podanur Chettipalayam Panchayat
Malumichampatti Panchayat
7.6 Partners : Shanti Ashram
Larsen & Toubro Ltd
7.7 Project Funders : Larsen & Toubro Ltd.
7.8 Contact Details : Dr. S.R. Subramanian
Program Coordinator
7.9 Project Objectives :
- To establish working partnership with corporate sectors
- To carry out PRA Exercises in the two Panchayats
- To bring out a detailed report on the available facilities and requirements of the two Panchayats
- To enable L&T Ltd. to prepare an Action Plan
7.10 Project Rationale :
India is making development in the various sectors of the economy due to planned development. However, nearly 20% of the population lives below the poverty line. Government alone cannot carry out all the development needs of the community. Corporate sectors who have established their industrial units also have the social responsibility of meeting the development needs of the villages surrounding their industry. For this purpose, the corporate sectors have to work with the local voluntary agencies to mobilize the people and to identify their needs.
7.11 Project Activities :
- Discussion and finalization of the methodology with the CSR Unit of L&T.
- Conduct of PRA exercise in Podanur Chettipalayam and Malumichampatti Panchayats.
- Preparation of final report.
7.12 Results & Impact :
- Established rapport with L&T CSR Unit and local Panchayats.
- Involvement of 62 members of Panchayats, Self Help Groups and youth promoted in identifying their needs.
- Two PRA reports made available to L&T.
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