It is wiser to adapt to Rivers than taming
them…
Good Morning!
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Friday, June 28, 2013
Campaign Update: Healthy Rivers, Happy Cities - 28th June 2013!
We invite you to Healthy Mahanadi Festival
And Launching of our state wide Citizen Driven Campaign
Healthy Rivers, Happy Cities
Date: 29th June 2013 - Time: 3.30 PM - Place: Aranyak Mancha, Jhaduapada, Sambalpur
Let me first take this opportunity to thank you all very much for your constant support in the campaign build up so far. The day has arrived and we are launching the campaign from Sambalpur. This is to invite yet again, this time with a detailed agenda.
We are pleased to inform you that Shri Panchahan Kanungo, Chairman of Institute of Public Finance and Policies, who is known for his concerns for Mahanadi and other rivers of Odisha, will be with us as the Chief Guest.
Prof. Arttabandhu Mishra, Prof. Durga Prasad Nayak will join as the Guests of Honour.
We are expecting participation of hundreds of eminent citizens of Sambalpur on the occasion where we plan to show a Citizen’s Video on Mahanadi’s pollution and take a pledge to Save Mahanadi, among other activities.
We request you to please be with us on this day, encourage us and volunteer for the event.
Looking forward to your participation and support.
Thanking you
Truly
On behalf of the Citizen’s Volunteers who are building the campaign at Sambalpur
Ranjan Panda
Convenor, Water Initiatives Odisha
Email: ranjanpanda@gmail.com,
28th June 2013
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Water Initiatives Odisha (WIO) is a state level coalition of civil society organisations, farmers, academia, media and other concerned, which has been working on water, environment and climate change issues in the state for more than two decades now.
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AGENDA
Morning Hours
Time Activity Person
Responsible
10 AM to 12 Noon Drawing
and Painting Competition Prashanta
Majhi
for
school and college students
Afternoon Hours
3.30 PM Registration
of Participants Campaign
volunteers
4.00 PM Lighting
of Lamps Guests
To Inaugurating
Campaign Logo Shri
Panchanan Kanungo
Chief
Guest
4.45 PM Inauguration
of Photo Exhibition Prof.
Arttabandhu Mishra
Guest
of Honour
Welcoming
All Prafulla
Hota
Mahanadi Song Ratan
Pujari and Group
Citizen’s Video
on Mahanadi Pollution Campaign
Volunteers
4.45 PM Technical
Session to be presided by Dilip
Kumar Padhi
To Welcoming
Guests to Dias Prafulla
Hota
5.30 PM A
note on the Campaign Ranjan
Panda
Opening
of the Mahanadi Factsheet Prof.
Durga Prasad Nayak
Guest
of Honour
Distribution
of Prizes Guests
Responses on Mahanadi Pollution Prof. Durga Prasad
Nayak
Prof.
Arttabandhu Mishra
Shri
Panchanan Kanungo
5.30 PM Open
House Discussion on Way Forward Moderators:
To Citizen’s
Response and preparing a Dilip
Kumar Padhi
Ctitizen’s
Action Plan Ranjan
Panda
6.30 PM
Taking
the Mahanadi Pledge Led
by Ranjan PandaProminent and
Senior
Citizens of Sambalpur to Dias.
Vote
of Thanks and Closing Dr.
Bijoy Kumar Pradhan
Tea and snacks to be served in between.
Sunday, June 23, 2013
The Hirakud Water Walk: A decaying reservoir of a dying river
Yesterday(23rd June 2013) we made a visit to the Hirakud
dam reservoir's right dyke to see the plight of a 'decaying reservoir of a
dying river'. Losing its might due to
blind diversion of water for industries, the reservoir lets you walk through it
for miles. And as you enter the
reservoir you feel like walking over it; you virtually win over the water. The situation makes you recall the
mythological story of Lord Krishna when Vasudev carried little Krishna through
Yamuna. A flooded Yamuna carved the way for him. Here, however, a deserted reservoir gives you
an obstacle free entry into it. And as you wander around the place you cross
vast stretches of lawns that can be converted into many soccer fields; hordes
of livestock grazing inside a reservoir which is supposed to be all water;
boats parked helplessly without any fate of sailing; and the pools of water
formed in deep patches being used by locals for bathing. A delayed monsoon and govt.'s love for
industries is killing Hirakud for sure.
Good Morning Thought - 24th June 2013!
What gives light endures burning. Sincere
servants of society know this better. Their greatness is when they don't let
this suffering stop them from their noble missions...
Good Morning!
Saturday, June 22, 2013
Good Morning Thought - 23rd June 2013!
Excessive obsession to wealth of a few,
that is flowering plutolatry, is causing many in a civilization to perish in
disgraceful ways. Time we respected natural wealth more than monetary one...
Good Morning!
Happy Sunday!!
Friday, June 21, 2013
Good Morning Thought - 22nd June 2013!
There is a silence in between two
communications. If you are happily flowing with the communication, the silence
is a joyful filler complementing the flow. Otherwise it becomes an obstruction
that may sometimes prove a dampener...
Good Morning!
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Campaign Update: 18th June 2013!
Save Mahanadi to Save Lives...
Greetings from Water Initiatives Odisha!
As we gear up to launch our unique and first of its kind campaign "Healthy Rivers, Happy Cities" in the state of Odisha, I would quickly take you through the latest updates.
On 17th June we had a preparatory meeting of volunteers who have formed the "Sambalpur City Water Watch Group" to decide the final preparations for the campaign launch. The meeting has decided a tentative programme schedule for the campaign launch day function that we will name "Healthy Mahanadi Festival". We are having more meetings to finalize the agenda and will get back with the details soon.
However, let me inform you about a small change in the date of the programme. We are now holding the campaign launch on 29th June instead of the originally planned 30th. This is because we could not get a suitable venue for a large gathering that we expect.
In the mean while we had another round of citizen's monitoring of Mahanadi and Kathajodi at Cuttack where eminent wildlife expert and noted environmentalist Biswajit Mohanty is volunteering the lead the move. Please see the following two posts in my blog and facebook for some more details about that.
Now that the campaign launching date is fixed, may I request all of you to see if you can make to it at Sambalpur on the 29th to be with us on that date. It would be our pleasure to have you here and the volunteers at Sambalpur will certainly be encouraged.
Look forward to hear from you and your continued support.
Thanks and regards,
Ranjan
Monday, June 17, 2013
Sunday, June 16, 2013
God finds human wastes unbearable at Cuttack!
@Cuttack: Paramhansha Shiva Temple
Poor God, stands helplessly on the bank of
Kathajodi where Cuttack's drain waters - carrying garbage and sewage - get
discharged raw, without any treatment.
Well, I think I heard his voice as he tried to send out a SOS call to
save him from this stink. Shiva, known
for his ability to swallow poison, must be finding it very difficult to digest
the human wastes. The Asuras' poison was
a simple formula. Humans' are as
complicated as the species themselves...
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Waiting to be engulfed by the Sea!
Even as the sea keeps gushing in to swallow
the Pentha village, the World Bank supported project running hundreds of crores
is a non-starter. Teams after teams are
visiting the village for about three years now but there is hardly any
protection visible. Wish the Sea was as callous
as the government. Unfortunately, it
creeps in faster by the day…
Monday, June 10, 2013
Healthy Rivers, Happy Cities - A citizen's campaign!
Healthy Rivers, Happy Cities
A citizens Initiative to know the health of Rivers and build responsible citizenship to protect rivers and water bodies
(A campaign led by Water Initiatives Odisha and open for other groups with similar objectives and ethics to join)
Greetings from Water Initiatives Odisha (WIO)!
As you are aware WIO has been at the forefront of water conservation and advocacy efforts in Odisha. On World Water Day 2010 we took a pledge, on the banks of River Bheden, to save Odisha's rivers from decaying and dying. Ever since that day WIO has been working to strengthen its endeavours to conserve and protect our rivers and their ecosystems.
Realizing the fact that the emerging urban areas - which are growing rapidly and in ecologically insensitive ways - are treating our rivers as drain lines and garbage bodies, we at WIO decided to start a campaign to involve the urban communities in protection of the Rivers. This made us to talk to several of our member organisations, friends and well wishers and after about six months of such discussions we decided to start a citizen driven campaign called "Healthy Rivers, Happy Cities".
A note on the campaign can be found at http://www.odishareporter.
We are happy to share that many groups and individuals have shown their interest to be part of it and citizens have already initiated dialogues among themselves in Sambalpur, Jharsuguda, Cuttack and Bhubaneswar. As part of the drive, besides meetings, citizens are also starting to visit Rivers and other Water Bodies to take stock of the pollution and related problems.
We want to build a healthy relationship between our Rivers and urban citizens. We want your support in keeping our Rivers Healthy and flowing.
Initially the campaign is building around Mahanadi and as you can find out from the following links from media coverage of our Environment Day release, we are planning a "Healthy Mahanadi River Festival' at Sambalpur on 30th June 2013. This is just the beginning. The campaign will then cover all rivers of the cities and their dependent cities.
This is a campaign driven by voluntary action and we all are volunteering for the activities and programmes. We urge upon you, all concerned citizens, to come forward and join hands with us.
To be part of this campaign, please write back at ranjanpanda@gmail.com or waterinodisha@gmail.com.
Lets be the change, lets save our Rivers...
Thanks and regards,
Ranjan
Ranjan K Panda
Convenor
Water Initiatives Odisha: Fighting water woes, combating climate change... more than two decades now!
INDIA
Mobile: +
Water Initiatives Odisha: Fighting water woes, combating climate change... more than two decades now!
INDIA
Mobile: +
You can also mail me at: ranjan.waterman@facebook.
Skype: ranjan.climatecrusader
Blog: http://www.
Please join our group 'Save Rivers Save Civilizations' at http://www.facebook.com/
Skype: ranjan.climatecrusader
Blog: http://www.
Please join our group 'Save Rivers Save Civilizations' at http://www.facebook.com/
Water talks to me, I speak for Water...
Water Initiatives Odisha (WIO) is a coalition of civil society organisations, farmers, academia, media and other concerned, which has been working on water, environment and climate change issues in India for more than two decades now.Good Morning Thought - 11th June 2013!
Some think sorrow is what they should deal
with themselves and not let others get worried, but some can go to the extent
of marketing it as a commerce venture...
Good Morning!
Sunday, June 9, 2013
River beds full of Money, or Shit!!
Time is not very far when we will have
river beds full of money, or the shit created out of money... (Ranjan Panda)
Source of Illustration: Progressive Pundit FB page.
Good Morning Thought - 10th June 2013!
Salt water is as important as freshwater.
Consider the sea that absorbs our climate sins, tears that express our emotions
and sweat that keeps us healthy...
Good Morning!
Saturday, June 8, 2013
Good Morning Thought - 9th June 2013!
Criticism is part of the praise. Those who
consider 'constructive criticism' as an art also know it as an essential
element of good governance...
Good Morning!
Have a Great Sunday!!
Friday, June 7, 2013
Good Morning Thought - 8th June 2013!
Self-centered minds are so trapped by the
illusion of their so called 'self-acquired knowledge' that they refuse agrement
to ideas and suggestions from others. They suffer from a state of 'knowledge
anarchy' within themselves...
Good Morning!
Have a Great Weekend!!
Thursday, June 6, 2013
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