LET US CELEBRATE NOISELESS AND POLLUTION FREE DIWALI
Source:  Aayush Jain ( Student reader of CG PLUS ) Edited by Sudhakar Anchan, Photo Courtesy M.M.Shirodkar

On Friday, October 21, post exams and before the beginning of Diwali vacations, schools students in Chembur suburbs were busy creating civic awareness by displaying banners and play cards against bursting fire crackers. The message is loud and clear. “If we can pledge to celebrate noiseless and poulltion free Diwali, so do other children in the neighbourhood” say the children unanimously.

Students & Effie Acharya, the co-ordinator of OLPS

The eight standard boys of OLPS and St. Anthony’s girls were the one who participated in the event very enthusiastically. OLPS students have taken the route of areas like Ambedkar Garden, Diomond Garden and around the main road reaching to Atur Park area creating awareness about environment friendly Diwali by Displaying banners and play cards. St. Anthony’s girls covered Subhash Nagar and Ghatla.
Speaking about the awareness campaign to CG Plus team, Effie Acharya, the co-ordinator of OLPS says, “This is CMCA (Children movement for civic awareness). It is for pollution free, noiseless and soundless Diwali and also to oppose child labour as children is involved in making fire crackers.”
We have units of civic awareness group in St. Anthony’s, OLPS and in Seva Daan special school. This is one of their programme. “Action speaks louder than voice. If they show it by their action then their work is done. The children are creating continuous awareness. They are very enthusiastic. It is very fruitful” reveals Acharya.
The awareness campaign organized by students with the support of their teachers and PTA volunteers. These students even go inside the class rooms of their juniors to spread civic awareness. School authorities show movies to the children about ill effects of fire crackers and child labour involved in it.
Slogans like Don’t let your celebration kill some ones desire to celebrate. Say no to crackers. Phatake hatao pradushan bachao. Crackers pollute the environment. Kill the cracker before it kills you. This Diwali let us spread joy. Crackers spread pollution not love and harmony. Avoid them. Green Diwali, Clean Diwali. I want pollution free Diwali. Do you? Deepawali ki chamak dhuan se alag. Deep jalao phatake nahi were displayed in banners and play-cards.
Jaspal Banga, the teacher of OLPS says that the children are from 8th standard. They are very enthusiastic and energetic. This is the right age to tap their energy and make aware of their surroundings. All the children eagerly participated in this awareness campaign and also promised to celebrate Diwali without noisy and polluting fire crackers.
“We as parents help children in this CMCA campaign” informs Brinda Ganesh and Manisha Jain, the PTA volunteers.

Quotes from students:

• Mandar Mulye of 8th B says, “We can have community celebration during diwali to have a eco-friendly diwali.”
• Harshad Keer opines, “CMCA is the only opportunity to make aware people about eco-friendly Diwali. Anyone can take part in this awareness campaign.”
• “Patients get affected because of sound of fire crackers”, says Joel Gregory of 8th D.
• “I want to tell that if children do not stop bursting crackers our earth will become dry because of pollution. We will only be responsible for the irresponsible behavior” argues Vedant Gopal of 8th C.
• Neel Shah and Jaider Makhija maintains, “Since children are involved in making fire crackers we should not burst crackers so that we can stop child labour”.
• The views of Aayush Jain a standard eight student of OLPS and son of PTA volunteer Manisha:
• Diwali is one festival in India which is celebrated by all irrespective of caste, creed and religion. Diwali is celebrated to acknowledge the victory of good over evil. Earlier Diwali celebration meant house cleaning, decoration, performing traditional Lakshmi Pooja, lightening diyas and family get together.
• But now Diwali celebration means electric illumination and bursting noisy fire crackers. This change in celebration style has imposed many negative effects on the environment like excessive air pollution, noise pollution and power consumption, besides it has also lead to various health hazards like hearing loss, high blood pressure, sleeping disturbance, asthma, headaches and irritability.

So now I will put forth some ideas how I would be celebrating Eco Friendly Diwali and request all of you to follow.

Tips:

• Instead of electric illumination go for traditional lightening of earthen lamps or diyas. This will not only enhance the beauty of our house but will also cut down the enormous electric consumption.
• Cut down shopping list and avoid purchasing unwanted and unnecessary things this Diwali. Excess consumerism is directly related to the consumption of raw material used to manufacture those things, which are again directly use natural resources.
• Instead of buying “One time use” items go for recyclable things. Secondly while cleaning our home for Diwali instead of disposing things it is better to give it to under-privileged people.
• This year I will Celebrate Diwali with a different meaning. I will celebrate Diwali with poor and under-privileged children. I will share Diwali sweets and happiness with them” concludes Aayush.
• I as an active parent and volunteer have always tried to bring civic awareness in my child, building and neighborhood. I hope to see many changes like a ripple effect i.e. firstly awareness should come from me, my family, my neighbor, my school and my country” states Manisha Jain.

 by Sudhakar Anchan , on October 1, 2011.

Additional Commissioner of Police (East Region), Quaiser Khalid initiated a programme to instill good values and characters to wayward youths of muslim dominated areas in eastern suburbs of Mumbai. In co-ordination with muslim religious committees, NGO’s along with parents and guardians of local youths, he has started arranging this counseling and guidance programme.

Additional Commissioner of Police (East Region), Quaiser Khalid

As most of the crimes in urban area happen in muslim dominated areas, children and youngsters instead of attaining formal education step into the world of crimes like, theft, robbery, kidnapping so on and so forth. Due to this, the gap between the police and society in general is increasing in this area.

To bridge this gap police has started to form a committee comprising of religious bodies and NGO’s to hold meetings. One such meeting was held on Thursday at Mhada Colony, opposite Gautam Nagar, Plot No.1 at Govandi. In the meeting youths were made aware about the dangers of stepping into crime world. It is easy to take to crime but difficult to come out of it they were told.

Quaiser Khalid speaking on the occasion said, “We need to identify the root cause of purpose behind criminality. There are two ways. One is to put pressure and restrict them. Another is by counseling and motivating, bringing people together to interact with the police. We have started a drive to sensitize local youths about harmful effects of crime. For that we are involving community agencies. I am of the firm opinion that change should come from within both internally and externally”.

Gathering at Thursday at Mhada Colony, opposite Gautam Nagar, Plot No.1 at Govandi.

“In the recent 15 days around 8 to 10 crimes like murders, robbery, extortion and theft occurred in this region. Whoever has done these crimes are not professionals. First timers for the lure of easy money and high life have done these acts which could have been easily nipped in the bud. In future our initiative should be responsible to stop such crimes whereby we can create a healthy society” added the police officer.

In the biggest ever police recruitment in Maharashtra 17,000 constables will be inducted into the force. Mumbai will have a share of around 2,000 constables. In this context the Addl. CP said, “Send your wards for police recruitments. Do not allow them to take the path of crime. Guide them when they need it most.”

All senior inspectors of east region comprising of Zone-VI and Zone-VII in 16 to 17 police stations were directed to form such committees. Particularly in police stations like Shivaji Nagar, Deonar, Trombay, Nehru Nagar, Mulund, Vikhroli and Ghatkopar police teams were formed to find which medical shop owners supply addictives like whitener, tablets like Restil, Netrogen (commonly called as buttons), Korex syrup, solution bams without doctor’s prescription.

Kaisar Khalid Additional CP adressing the gathering at Thursday at Mhada Colony, opposite Gautam Nagar, Plot No.1 at Govandi.

Dr. Rahil Siddiqui, a practicing doctor in the area was very much instrumental in the initiative started by the additional commissioner of east region. “In Shivaji Nagar-Govandi belt most of the school drop-outs step into the world of crime. Initially they start with drugs and alcohol, become addicted to it then become regular with crimes like thefts, molestation, eve teasing, robbery and kidnapping” informs Siddiqui.

Tanzeem Ulema Ah-Le-Sunnat, its general secretary Mauana Zakir Qasmi and Siddiqui with the help of social activists of different NGO’s in the area came together in coordinating with the police to remove the malice of growing criminals in this muslim dominated area. “With the help of police we try to create a good and healthy society. Maximum numbers of youngsters become waywards, eve teasers and take wrong paths. We will change them for better by counseling them regularly. We will show them real seen behind the so called petty criminals turned dons. Lure of women, wine and easy money attracts youngsters into crime world but their end is always gruesome, we definitely will make aware of these realities to these wandered souls” adds Siddiqui.

Fearing harmful radiation, residents of Vasant Vihar Complex in Chembur have been demanding for a year that a mobile tower set up on the terrace on one of its buildings be removed.

Mobile Tower (representational picture)

“Most of the residents do not want it there because of the health hazards,” said a resident, Shruti Shetty. When contacted, secretary of the housing society Anil Parvatkar told TOI: “Even I am against the towers and have written to the company. However, the company has asked for more time to find an alternative site to shift it.”

Excerpt from frenchtribune.com, reported by Annabel Tautou on 02/19/2011: Read Full Article

stem cell harvest

Chembur based ENT Doctor Sonali Pandit has come in the limelight since the news of her research flashed in the international media earlier this week. She was part a discovery made by Australian university team when they used stem cells from the nasal cavity to restore initial hearing loss.

She has been working with a private hospital Vashi after returning back to India nine months back and she stated that hardly a few people knew about her contribution into this breakthrough research. She took up this opportunity as a part of her doctoral thesis at Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Sydney.

Excerpt from Mid-Day, reported by 2010-10-26 on Ketan Ranga: Read Full Article

Number of fish were found floating dead in the waters of the Ashish lake in RCF colony, Chembur. Residents suspect chemicals from nearby factories triggered it
Marine life has been suffering maximum damage in the past three months. And last night, MiD DAY found a number of fish floating dead in the waters of the Ashish lake in RCF colony, Chembur.

Thousands of fish were dead and had collected at the bank of the lake along with the waste. According to the residents of the area, there are chemical factories in RCF colony that drain out oil in the lake which has led to the damage.

The C-word is one of the most feared in the medical lexicon, especially for women. Cancer is a disease where the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells takes over and often spreads to other organs if not arrested with timely diagnosis and intervention. Breast cancer is any type of malignant or cancerous growth in breast tissue. It affects approximately one in every 100 women.

What is Breast Cancer?
Of the many types of breast cancer, ductal carcinoma (85 to 90 per cent) and lobular carcinoma (8 per cent) are most common.

Ductal carcinoma: This type of cancer occurs in the ducts are narrow tubes that transport milk from the lobules to the nipple.

Lobular carcinoma: This type of cancer occurs in the lobules in the lobes. The lobules are part of the lobe and they end in dozens of tiny milk-producing bulbs.

Risk Factors
Genetic: Breast cancer has a very high genetic component, which means it is passed from one generation to another. Genetic factors account for 10 per cent of the breast cancer cases and more in families with a history of the disease.

But it is crucial for all women to get themselves screened for breast cancer even if they have no family history of the disease.
Hormonal: The female hormones estrogen and progesterone play an important role in the disease, and women who begin to menstruate early age and experience menopause later than usual are at a higher risk. Also, hormone replacement therapy increases one’s susceptibility to breast cancer. The role of oral contraceptives is still being studies.

Age: More common as women grown older.

Exercise: Yes, exercise is a panacea for all ills and studies suggest an indirect correlation between breast cancer and exercise. Also, women who gain weight after menopause are more prone to the disease.

Exposer to radiation/past trauma to breast can suspect to form breast cancer

Symptoms
In its initial stages, breast cancer is painless and practically without symptoms. Gradually, one may notice a thickening in the breast or armpit, a change in breast size or shape, a discharge from the nipple and dimpling, puckering or scaliness of the breast or areola.

Diagnosis of Breast Cancer
There are various tools to diagnose the disorder including a physical examination, mammography, ultrasonography, biopsy, MRI, elastography and tomosynthesis.
Physical Examination: Changes (mentioned above) may be detected by a visual examination and palpation, which is feeling the tissue around the breasts to detect lumps. Benign, non-cancerous lumps feel different from cancerous lumps and further diagnosis is required.
Mammography: This is an X-ray of the breast, which shows areas that are denser than normal due to the formation of cancerous tissue or abnormal calcium deposits. Women aged above 40 must be thus screened once a year. In fact, the death toll from breast cancer has fallen dramatically solely due to early detection.
Ultrasonography: This screening tool uses high-frequency sound waves to form an image called a sonogram. This test can tell the difference between solid lumps and fluid-filled lumps. This is usually the next step after a mammogram test turns in a positive result.
Biopsy: Here, a tiny bit of breast tissue is surgically removed for further examination. Breast biopsies are performed either via fine-needle aspiration, large-core breast biopsy or surgical biopsy. Fine-needle aspiration uses a fine needle to remove cells from the suspected cancerous site; a large-core biopsy uses a large-core needle to remove cores or plugs of tissue; and surgical biopsy removes a part or the entire lump.

Stages
If breast cancer is confirmed, the next step is to determine the stage the cancerous cells have reaches. This indicates progression of the disease.
• Carcinoma in situ: A very early stage, where the cancer has not invaded normal tissue. It is confined to the breast duct or lobule. At this stage, the cancer has not yet progressed to the lymph nodes or other parts of the body.
• Stage I: Indicates a tumour 2 cm or smaller that has not spread outside the breast.
• Stage II: In this stage, the tumour measures between 2 and 5 cm and may have progressed to lymph nodes in the armpit.
• Stage III: Where the tumour is larger than 5 cm and is likely to have spread to lymph nodes or other tissues surrounding the breast.
• Stage IV: The last stage, where the cancer has progressed to other organs of the body. This is called metastasis and the disease may now infect the lungs, bones, and liver.

Treatment
Treatment of breast cancer is either local or systemic, depending on the type and stage of the disease. While local treatments involve removal or destruction of the cancerous cells in a specific area via surgery and radiation, systemic treatment destroys or contains cancer cells across over the body. This usually involves chemotherapy and hormonal therapy.

Local Treatment
Surgery is usually preferred in the treatment of breast cancer, either breast-sparing surgery or a mastectomy.
Breast-sparing surgery is also called lumpectomy or a partial mastectomy. Here, the cancerous lump is removed and the breast is saved. Lymph nodes are also usually removed to check for metastasis. Here, either all of the lymph nodes are removed or a procedure called ‘sentinel node dissection’ may be used. In this method, a radioactive dye is injected into the area surrounding the tumor. Women who have breast-sparing surgery usually require radiation therapy post-surgery to reduce the risk of the cancer returning.
Radicle mastectomy. Here, the entire breast is removed when the tumor is too large to spare the breast. This procedure is employed when the cancer has spread to, say, the skin of the breast.
Radiation therapy: This procedure is also called irradiation, where high-energy rays are used to destroy the cancerous cells. After around six sessions, an implant may be inserted in the breast that releases further radiation to ‘boost’ the external radiation therapy.

Systemic Treatment
Sometimes, the cancer may have spread to other parts of the body and is undetected. In this case, systemic treatment is used just to make sure that if this has indeed happened, cancerous cells elsewhere in the body are destroyed. This is achieved either by chemotherapy or hormone therapy.
Chemotherapy is where drugs are administered to kill rapidly multiplying cancerous cells. These drugs may be administered either orally or intravenously. They are very powerful and can have several side-effects.
Chemotherapy is recommended in women where the cancer has already spread to the lymph nodes or when the tumour is large. Drugs are also used to treat cancers that do not respond to hormonal therapy. Chemotherapy is especially effective among younger women. This type of treatment usually follows cycles. The number of cycles depends on the type and severity of the disease.
Science has devised a drug especially to treat breast cancer. Among these, the most effective is trastuzumab or Herceptin. This drug treats cancers that contain abnormal amounts of a growth protein called HER-2/neu. About 20 to 30 per cent of breast cancers fall into this category.
Hormone Therapy: This type of therapy blocks cancerous cells from receiving the hormones they need to grow. It is effective in tumours that have either estrogen or progesterone receptors.
Cancer is a complex disease and though the medical fraternity has made great strides, research is on the cutting edge. The type of treatment a woman requires is made after consulting with an oncologist, radiation oncologist and a surgeon.
Prevention
Early detection of breast cancer is the best way to treat it. Every woman should undergo a breast examination once a year, which should preferably include a mammogram. Do not neglect this examination; it could quite literally save your life!

Dr. Sunita Dube, MD, Aryan Group of Hospitals.
D-28,29 Nehru Nagar, station Road, Kurla(E) , Mumbai-400 024 India. Tel: 022- 25275999/ 25275888 / 25292266

Email: admin@aryangroupofhospital.com, Website :  http://aryangroupofhospital.com

Cracking the whip on all those throwing plastic bags in drains, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has fined nearly 150 people and collected a fine of Rs 1.32 lakh in a fortnight.

After having learnt lessons from July 26 deluge, when plastic bags had blocked drains and led to flooding in the metropolis, the civic body has formed two ‘plastic ban’ squads consisting of six people.

“We have collected a fine of Rs 1.32 lakh from 146 people who were caught throwing plastic in drains in the last 12-13 days. These people are largely hawkers and shopkeepers,” Deputy Municipal Commissioner Rajendra Bhosale told PTI here.

On June 11, Municipal Commissioner Swadhin Kshatriya had announced that anyone caught throwing plastic, thermocol and other items during monsoon will have to pay fine ranging from Rs 100-5,000.

“These cases are mostly from eastern suburbs like Kurla, Mulund, Chembur, Govandi and others followed by western suburbs and the island city,” Bhosale said.

Drain clogging had led to massive flooding on July 26, 2005 forcing the state government to contemplate banning polythene bags.

As per the Maharashtra Non-biodegradable Garbage Control Act, the minimum thickness of plastic carry bags must be 50 micron and their size should be no less than 8×12 inches.

IMA CHEMBUR Community Service cell is organising an awareness programme on cancer of the cervix (lower end of the uterus). CaCervix is the No. 1 cause of mortaliy due to cancer in women in india. It spares no strata of society affecting women fom all socio-economic sections of society.

IMA Chembur is making an effort to sensitise the community to this health problem so that people can take adequate measures in time. Early screening, simple diagnostic tests like PAP smear, PAP dna screening and vaccination can help minimise the toll on society.

We cordially invite for this informative interactive programme . those attending can also avail of discount on the MRP of the vaccine ( if they choose / opt for vaccination).

We request you to be present and also fwd this to as many people as possible to maximise the benefit to all.

Venue: Community Hall, Chembur Gymkhana, Phase II

Date :    Sunday, 23.05.10

Time :    10.00 a.m – 12.00 noon

Entry free

Tea  & biscuits will be served.

Regards,

Dr. B.Ramnarayan

President, IMA CHEMBUR 2010-11

For those of  us who are even a tiny bit interested in conservation & nature and donot consider the term “Environmentally Friendly” as just another cli·ché, here’s a new shop “Naturally Yours”  in Chembur you must visit , next time you are around the Chembur Station area….

I get impressed by little things… Paper bag, Soap and the samples of the organic tea

I have been thinking to visit Naturally Yours,  since I  got a pamphelt through my newspaper a few weeks back. I finally did yesterday.
I must say, when I visited yesterday during my lunch hour ,  was quite surprised to note that “IT WAS A LITTLE PLACE”,  especially seemed so, after what us Chemburites  have been introduced to off late, Supermarkets!!!!.  If right now,  if you are getting a picture of  BigBazar or FoodBazar  in your heads , then this is not a place for you to try out…

If you can pardon me another  cli·ché,  ”Good things comes in small packages”.  The shop seems just big enough , but they  do have a stock of quite a few  organic stuff.  Since my sole purpose was a site visit ( and had to get back to work ),  and as I’m not the person currently incharge of kitchen , I dint shop at the store!!!

Having said that, I did buy a nice organic soap ( I was impressed with the packaging, recycled, i mean!) . The  friendly young lady at the store , also gave me some free samples of some organic/herbal tea…

The acid test ….  I was  asked if i wanted a carry bag … Humm!  It sounded like LOST HOPE!!!! Unfriendly poly carry  bags  to carry my organic stuff ? NO I said!!!  and there came a reply, the bags are recycled too … Paper Bags!!!!

Not many shops, in Chembur, except a few like FabIndia, provide recycled paper bags … Well! if not more , we have  one more. Baby steps but we are getting environmentally friendlier.  Thanks to people like Vinod Kumar (owner) , for doing their bit to educate us and contributing towards our future !!!!

WELL! and what I want to add is , I am not a person who likes to write reviews about shops and businesses, or  atleast this is my first one….  but since i was impressed, I thought I must write this recommendation …

“Such businesses/establishments  needs to be encouraged for doing their bit for our collective future  and also to show that such tiny  initiatives  by local business ARE APPRECIATED by people …
PLEASE DO VISIT Naturally Yours!!!!”

P.s. The Soap is worth it and the tea was nice!

http://www.inchembur.com/chembur-shops-business/281/details/Naturally-Yours

Excerpt from Jyothi Bhave’s BLOG : Read Full Article / Visit her blog

My gardening efforts took off in 2000 when I shifted to ground floor flat with a small empty patch by the side of my flat. Wanting to be a true gardener first i bought all the tools and started digging the land. Planted few flowering plants like Anant, Jaswandi, Sonchafa Sadafuli so also Kadipatta and Tulsi. As the days passed I realised that growing plants gave me a feeling of growing children and i started observing them, taking care of them and loving them.

Last year when I tried to grow Bottle gourd, Okra and Palak, for my project, my first attempt to grow vegetables, I realised that I dont know the right way of growing them organically except adding dried cow dung to the red soil. The need to know about organic farming made me surf the net and I came to know about Preeti’s terrace garden. The flowers, fruiting trees and variety of vegetables grown in just 3000 sq ft motivated me to know about her techniques which is Natueco Farming.

After attending 7th June 09 workshop I was eager to make Amrut Mitti myself. For me procuring cow dung, cow urine and biomass was a challenge initially but when there is a will there is a way. I tied up with a lady outside a temple to provide cow dung and cow urine and started picking biomass from the nearest municipal public garden. I also procured two plastic drums one to prepare Amrut jal and second to store heaps of biomass. The only difficult factor for me was to really wait for 100 days to get perfect matured soil

After I made the first heap in July, I could hardly wait for 30 days and planted a drumstick plant in the semi decomposed biomass. After that I must have made the heaps 4/5 times but i dont remember the dates and used it all for my already existing plants like banana, amla, bamboo, sonchafa, arvi, neem, lemon and few more. Amla has already started fruiting and sonchafa has started bearing beautiful flowers (both 3 yrs old). Arvi leaves, my mum-in -law has cooked thrice so far and I have cooked drumstick leaves for one time vegetable and what can I say……its a great feeling to cook and eat home made vegetable. drumstick plant has started flowering in Feb, now I am waiting for fruiting of Banana and lemon tree.

Best Wishes ,

Jyoti Bhave

… Read Full Article @ Jyoti’s  blog