Tag: MPCB

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Have you made a short film? This contest is for you.

The Vasundhara Short Films Competition 2014, initiated by the MPCB, invites films made on environmental themes after January 1, 2012.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

With our natural resources depleting daily and the environment facing increasing threat from man, it is time that awareness is created far and wide about environmental issues. And what better way to create awareness than to make a short film about it?

The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has recently announced the Vasundhara Short Films Competition 2014 for all documentary and other filmmakers. This competition will allow filmmakers to shoot and submit short films made on a variety of environmental issues. As per a release from the MPCB, “Any short film or documentary on any environment related theme, made after January 1, 2012 in Marathi, Hindi or English language (or a silent film) is eligible for participation in this competition.” The MPCB has directed that the submitted entries should largely focus on nature and wildlife, environment and conservation issues, or nature and people.

The entries should be made on DVD PAL, and participants must also send a synopsys of the film, the film’s trailer, director’s bio data, and still photographs (digital preferred) from each production for promotion of the film.

Entries are to be submitted to The Member Secretary, MPCB, Kalpataru Point, 3rd Floor, Near Cinemax, Sion Circle, Mumbai 400022 before August 19, 2014, 5 pm.

Rules for application and conditions for the contest are posted at www.mpcb.gov.in.

For details, contact Sanjay Bhuskute on +91- 9869440185 or Raviraj Gandhe on +91- 9820378448.

(Picture courtesy www.thefilmmakersworkshop.com)

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Event

Mumbai to go on a flamingo ‘fotothon’

This event will combine photography with a desire to conserve the coastal environment for the welfare and protection of flamingos.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

This month on, the coastline of Mumbai is going to play host to flamingos. The pink beauties visit the city just as the weather dips in the last months of the year. However, rising pollution in our seas and the fact that these beautiful birds are being increasingly poached each year, has lessened their numbers somewhat.

But shutterbugs in the city are going to do their bit to conserve the ecology for flamingos and have some photographic fun doing so – they are going to arm themselves with their cameras and head to Maharashtra Nature Park for a 24-hour live photo-marathon that will go a long way in helping to conserve flamingos and the ecology that sustains them. It’s simple: the photo-marathon is a 24-hour race that tests your photography skills and creativity, as also your passion for nature. Every participating photographer gets a span of 24 hours to ‘shoot and submit’ their work.

fotothonThe ‘Friends of Flamingos’ is a year-long initiative conceived by Fotothon, which is a unique 24-hour live photography challenge held annually in Mumbai and which is supported by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB). The two-day campaign will flag off on Saturday, November 16, 2013 at 10 am.

Paresh Pimpale, Director for Fotothon said, “Through Fotothon, we aim to encourage photographers to use their cameras for conservation. This year, we are using Fotothon to spread awareness about these beautiful birds that arrive in huge numbers in Mumbai but due to extensive pollution and also poaching, they have become vulnerable here.”

Pimpale added that through the campaign, FOF will have series of lectures, photowalks, and photo exhibition at several locations of Mumbai so that people understand how fortunate the city is to play host to flamingos every year. The campaign will start from tomorrow. Said Avinash Kubal, deputy director, MNP and Honorary Chief Patron for Fotothon, “Photographers love flamingos as they get beautiful images, and hence we want them to also stand for conserving these birds. We will have a signature petition of hundreds of photographers from Mumbai to save the mudflats from pollution and dumping.”Kubal added that the conservation of these pink beauties includes conserving their habitat, which is our coastal ecology. “Saving the sea coasts from pollution is therefore a prime need. Mumbaikars therefore need to monitor effluents so that they do not enter into our coastal waters. Also, we must see that we protect their habitat areas from encroachment and also from noise pollution, as these birds are extremely sensitive towards any man-made or man-induced noises”.

Fotothon is supported by Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, Maharashtra Nature Park Society, Royal Photographic Society (RPS) UK, and Photographic Society of India. For details, call 9224765619/ 9967620103. 

(Pictures courtesy fotothonian.blogspot.com, www.fantom-xp.com) 

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Big story

Don’t buy these crackers

27 brands of firecrackers tested in Mumbai; most of them violate sound limits and do not mention their chemical composition.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

The firecrackers you may have bought this Diwali might harm you and your family. Read on to know why.

On November 7, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) tested firecrackers available for sale in Mumbai. The testing was done thus: samples of crackers of different types from various companies available in the market were procured. They were tested where open space was available with a concrete surface. The noise measurements were made at a four metre distance from the fire crackers.

As many as 27 brands and types of firecrackers sold in Mumbai were tested at Carter Road in Bandra, and several of the brands sold were found guilty of not mentioning the sound limit specified for that cracker on its packaging, or its chemical composition. Of the 27 varieties, 17 had not mentioned the noise level limit, while 21 had not mentioned the chemical composition.

The crackers were tested in two categories, Single and Series. In the Single category, five crackers were found to exceed permissible decibel levels of 125 dB. In the Series category, all the eight crackers tested were found to exceed permissible decibel levels.

Loud and dangerous

In the Single category, the crackers tested were Vulcano sutali bomb, Giant crackers, 7 Up shots, Saddam Dhamaka, 2 Sound Crackers, Flower lady, Gutter balls, Italy, Double Sound, Triple Sound, Nazi green, Thunder bomb, Aerial Out, Crackling king, Thriller bomb, Kargil bullet, Bada bing bada boom and Musical mala. Of these, Thriller Bomb, Thunder bomb, Nazi green, Saddam Dhamaka and Vulcano Sutali bomb exceeded permissible decibel levels. However, these five did specify the chemical composition of the bomb on the packaging, but noise level limits were specified only on Nazi green.

In the Series category, none of the eight brands tested mentioned chemical composition. The brand names were 600 wala, 1,000 wala, 2,000 wala, 50 shots marvel, Red Fort 1000 shell, Speed 100, Dilkhush 50 shots and 5000 shell.

(Picture courtesy AFP/Getty Images)

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Big story

You’re so polluted, Bandra!

…but Sion and Worli, not much. MPCB readings for one month show rising trend of air pollution and particulate matter.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

If you’re in Bandra, you should probably not breathe till you get the hell out of there. You’re not much better off elsewhere in the city, but Bandra is the worst.

For the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board’s (MBCB) findings for air quality in Bandra for the period September 21, 2012 to October 19, 2012 are not just startling, they will literally take your breath away. As per the MPCB’s daily findings for its station at Government Polytechnic (Kherwadi), Bandra, the suburb has been breathing very polluted air for 18 days out of the 28 days of recent monitoring.

You don’t have to take the MPCB’s word on air pollution in the city alone – an environmental status report for Mumbai was recently released by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC); the report’s findings were similar to those of the MPCB.

What constitutes air pollution? As per the MPCB, there are three parameters for measuring air pollution – sulphur dioxide (SO2), oxides of Nitrogen (NOx) and RSPMs, or Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter. This last, if it exceeds the permissible level of 100 µg/m3, gives rise to such respiratory disorders as asthma or bronchitis.

The RSPM levels for Bandra in the period monitored have been above 100 µg/m3 for the most part. The average reading for Bandra is 111.61 µg/m3; the highest has been 176 µg/m3 on September 30, while the lowest has been 60 µg/m3 on October 10.

The corresponding sulphur dioxide and nitrous oxide levels, however, have been within the permissible range of 80 µg/m3 for Bandra throughout the monitoring period.

Meanwhile, though Sion has recorded below permissible levels of RSPMs, exceeding it only thrice in the monitoring period, the levels of nitrous oxide have been higher than the permissible levels, throughout. Experts cite city-wide construction activities and rising vehicular traffic for the rise in air pollution levels. All recorded levels of pollutants at Worli are below the permissible levels.

The areas that the MPCB monitoring stations are present in the city and the state are chosen for high traffic density, industrial growth, human population and its distribution, emission source, public  complaints if any and the land use pattern.

(Picture courtesy: www.mpg.de. All figures sourced from MPCB)

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