A lady with a mission

A lady with a mission that is how I will describe Mrs. Sudha Pai. She is 72 years young and has a beautiful flourishing garden in her house. It is a must see for all gardeners and environmentalist in Pune and else where. She does a lot to spread awareness among the inhabitance of Magarpatta city, and has taken solid steps towards managing the garbage generated by the many city. At the age of 70 she learned computers and now writes wonderful articles on garbage management and gardening. Here are some of her articles and photos from her garden.
By Philip Mathew

Garbage to Gardens

GARBAGE to GARDENS… A creative approach to recycling
-- By Sudha Pai
What prompted me most to write this article is an advertisement which comes on almost all the T.V. channels ;It shows a filthy pile of garbage and a couple of children and a stray dog walking by the side of this pile, covering their noses and mouths saying ‘CHEE’. One is then seen asking the other whether he had had a bath with Lifebuoy soap. The whole world is seeing this existing reality!It is a well-known fact that none of the soaps or shampoos can be a solution to this existing grave garbage situation. Whenever you are out for a walk anywhere in any city each and every corner of the street has filthy and stinking garbage bins, overflowing and surrounded by stray dogs, cats, rats, birds and what not. To add to this, there are the little street urchins who put their little hands into this pile of rubbish looking for plastic bags and bottles. In the process, they are exposed to all kinds of infections, cuts and wounds. They too belong to our own society! We can’t afford to shut our eyes to this miserable situation and walk past, if at all we have any conscience within us.People are spending a lot of money on advertisements and on other social causes like Pulse Polio, bringing film stars etc. And while lots of donations are given to build hospitals; little thought has been given to the real problem, which is also the reason behind all other problems, which has to be tackled.For the last 58 years however we have not seen anything happening on this front. We too easily blame the government, politicians, corporators and every other public system we can point our fingers at. Fortunately we have not had any minister for garbage affairs, or else, the public would have by now beaten him up! With the increasing population things are only going from bad to worse.Now coming to the point, first of all we should stop complaining about and at the same time not ignoring this problem. We have to decide to do something worthwhile in our own individual capacity .We should create an awareness that we should do something for ourselves and thereby help our society, surroundings and ultimately the whole environment.The household garbage should be considered as our own personal problem and responsibility and it should be taken care of at that level. There is no need to form any groups, collecting donations, giving speeches, street shows etc. All one has to do is separate out the garbage into wet (e.g. kitchen waste & garden waste) and dry (e.g. plastic and other stuff) and then make constructive use of this wet garbage. I’m speaking from my personal experience and feel very happy about it. Some of my friends and neighbours in Magarpatta city, Pune are also following these methods and are very happy. They are able to achieve beautiful gardens in their premises.Lastly you may ask what one can do with the garbage that accumulates. First of all this garbage need not be thrown out of the premises at all. There are few effective methods by which this can be converted into very useful and excellent manure for all kinds of plants with no smell or odour emanating during the process. Unfortunately these products are not advertised on the T.V. channels. If these are advertised in the future, beautiful plants and flowers may replace the garbage pile in the background with healthy children walking by. The viewers would also feel a sense of pride and joy when they see this.I have been able to use my kitchen waste and garden waste very effectively by using these methods and can very proudly say that none of my household garbage has ever left my premises!I appeal to all my friends living on this planet, Mother Earth, who has given us everything starting from life itself, followed by pure air to breathe and pure water to drink and good grains, vegetables and fruits to eat and natural healthy surroundings to live in. Let us also reciprocate with our heart and soul and make this a better, healthier and happier place to live.I would love to share my experience of using all these recycling methods. Please feel free to contact me at sudhaspai@hotmail.com
Also, here are a few products, which have been used very effectively:
E. M. (Eco-friendly Microbes) SOLUTION (Japanese technology)
BIO-CULTURE
VERMICULTURE
Contact:
Mr. Shinji Takara
Representative, EM Research Organization
Contact:
Nirmala Lathi
Contact:
Bhawalkar Vermitech Pvt Ltd.
A-8 Rahul Society, Koregoan Park,
Pune - 411001
978 Sadashiv Peth, Madivale Colony,
Near Tilak road, Pune - 411030
A-1 Padma Park, PadmavatiPune - 411009
Tel: (020) 6054659
Tel: (020) 24474107
Tel: (020) 24226916,24225208
Email: Shinjitakara@hotmail.com

Email: bvpl@vsnl.com
This is available at all PMC wards



Instructions to follow are given in all booklets given with the products.

Garbage to Gardens

GARBAGE TO GARDENS part 2
A creative approach to recycling by Sudha Pai
What we call wet garbage or waste is a very valuable misplaced resource. We do not have to go in search of it as we ourselves constantly generate it from our kitchens and gardens without being aware of it.

I would love to share my experience of using some products available in the market to convert the wet garbage very effectively in my garden.

Scientists working in this field have discovered various methods and have introduced these along with their respective products into the market for the benefit of humanity.tThis helps us solve our garbage problem which otherwise would be causing filth and stink around us. As more and more flats are coming up, more wet kitchen waste and unmanageable garbage would be created.

I am briefly explaining the three methods which I am practicing in my garden with very good results, namely Vermiculture, Bio-culture and EM process( Japanese Technology).

Vermicompost can be used for all plants especially on the ground. This does not need much watering as it honds moisture in the soil.

Bio-culture and the EM process are excellent for flat owners as they use up all the kitchen waste with less soil..By using these methods evry one of us will be able to make good use of our wet household garbage and can contribute to keep our surroundings clean and ultimately save the environment.
Please make use of any one or all three processes as it is for a social cause..

Shathavari Kalp

Botanical Name: Asparagus racemosus willd.
Common Name: Shataawaree.

Is used as a general health tonic. It is especially good for people who are under weight. It is also good for women who are breast feeding, because it helps increasing lactation.

Method of use: It is made into what is known as a kulp that is in a dry powdery from, which is sweet because it is coated with sugar.
Step 1
The fresh rhizome is taken washed and used for the process. Take 100 grams of shataawaree + 100 gm of sugar. Valchini 5 gm. Dry fruit can be added but usually results and insect attack so it is best if dry fruits are added later on.
Step 2
Chop the 100gm of Shataawaree finely and boil it with 400ml of water, till it reduces to ¼ or 100ml, off the pan and allow it to cool down. Take the juice out and throw out the residue.
Step 3
Now mix 100grams of sugar into this liquid and stir it well. Heat it till all the watery liquid is removed, and in this process it takes the form of a paste. Heat it further till it becomes a thick and dense paste. Such off the pan and allow it to cool down, but keep stirring and the end result is that it becomes into a powder.

Step 4
After this, store it in a jar or any other air tight bottle. Now this has to be taken once or twice a day with milk. Add 1 teaspoon of powder for a glass of milk.
Taken it during the night time can give you good sleep.
Shataawaree tubers are used in pickling. It is pickled with lemon.

Vakand

Common Name: Vakand
Botanical Name: Aquras calamas,

Leaves are used to prepare a herbal tea along with
Tulsi
Ginger
loung
Kali Miri ( Black Pepper)
Around half leaf is used for one cup of tea.

In the olden days grand mothers used to carry a small piece of rhizome of vekhand in their pockets. This was boiled and a tinch was applied on the forehead, to relax the muscles of the head.
Helps in controlling headache.
The dried and crushed rhizome is used in the treatment of skin disorders.
Vakand originates from the present day Iraq.

Citrus lamon

Scientific Name; Citrus lamon or commonly known as lamon, Mimbu.

The juice of the fruit can be applied on the head it reduces dandruff and keeps the hear clean. It is also commonly pickled.

Hingan bet

Scientific Name: Balanites aegyptica Common Name: Hingan bet

The dried fruit is soaked in water so that the hard shell or covering of the fruit comes out. After this rub the fruit pulp on the cloth. This acts like soap in water, and helps in washing clothes. It cam be a good alternative to chemical based sop. The fruits can be plucked and dried during the winter season and used as and when required. This tree is a dry area plant and growing predominantly in drier parts of the country. It is a xerophyte plant. In Maharashtra, it is found predominantly growing in the deccan plateau. The tree gets, it’s local name Hingan –bet, because Hingan means the trees and bet means island. These photographs where taken from a village called Jeur, which is around 70 km from Pune city.

Kawdi

I happened to visit a place called Kawdi on Pune- Solapar highway, which is around 17 km from the main city and is just before Loni Kalbhor? It is a favourite place for Bird watchers from all over Pune city. Here are some of the photos.

Large Pied Wagtail

Small Blue Kingfisher

Swallow

Stilk

Bee-eater

I got to take some photographs of small green bee-eater from the hills of Kondhwa.

cocoons

An interesting caterpillar stays inside this cocoon. They build their cocoons inside a wall of twigs arranged together. These twigs are wound together with the help of a silk like fiber. Inside which the caterpillar pupates. The construction of the cocoon shows some level of intelligence where the small twigs are arranged in a wall and one is leveled at a distance while the opposite side the twigs are protruding outwards. When we open this cocoon it shows that the caterpillar inside is a tender one. And has now other protection. A species of moth builds its cocoon this way.