Dussehra is one of the most popular festival of Hindu Tradition. It marks the Death anniversary of Ravana. It is also known as Vijayadashmi, celebrated at the end of navratri each year. It also accompanies with the celebration of Durga Puja which is one of the most loved and famous festival of bengalis. Dussehra is celebrated on the tenth day of navratri. It is celebrated to mark the victory of Lord Rama over the demon Ravana. It signifies and proves the power of good over evil. Every year during durga puja and Dussehra, people across the country make idols and immerse them into various water bodies which pollutes the water bodies and the idols of Ravana are burnt which leads to air pollution.Usually these idols are made up of harmful materials which contaminate the water and air. Material such as toxic chemicals, Clay, paper, Plaster of Paris, cement, plastic, unnatural paints etc get submerged with water and while burning harmful gases are produced which travel through the air and are inhaled by the people and cause damage to them.  All these substances pose a threat to aquatic life as well as human lives. They reduce the oxygen level of  water and increase the acid content in it. It also becomes the cause for health hazards like skin infections, Breathing problems etc. The event is celebrated to showcase a huge amount of gratitude to our beloved gods but knowingly or unknowingly in the name of celebrations we humans destroy our own lifeline. Even the God himself will be dejected to see such kind of pollution and will not be able to forward us the blessings.

 

Eco friendly ways of celebration should be promoted.

Celebration will become more happy if we take good care of our surroundings. So here are few ways in which Dussehra and Durga Puja could be celebrated without constituting harm to the natural world:

 

• MUD : Idols made up of mud will be easy to make as well as easy to submerge under water. Also Mud will dissolve fully and completely  inside the water and within few seconds without harming the water bodies.
• COW DUNG: In 2017 Idols made up of cow dung are gaining popularity because dung is a renewable source which  will take the shape of manure under water and definately will be healthy for underwater plants. It will have a spiritual effect and will  make the gods joyful because “cow” in India is served as a mother.
• Herbal colours:  Herbals colours also dissolve completely under water plus they can give people a very bright, beautiful and harmless idol of Goddess Durga.
• Banana leaves: Banana leaves will give a mesmerising shape to the idol of Goddess Durga because of the beauty of its colour and will easily float with water.
• Petals: Flower petals are the products of nature itself so they will not pose any ailment to the natural abode and will easily float away with water. They might also become food for some aquatic animals.
• Candy wrappers: In last few decades this way has been very popularized because of its Eco friendly nature and creativity.
• Ban On Toxic Materials: Plaster of Paris, toxic paints etc should be banned because they reduce the amount of oxygen in the water bodies killing aquatic life, turning into health hazards for human lives and generate harmful gases which pollute the water bodies. All these materials should be banned.
• Refrain from Noise Pollution: use of low sound music instruments like tabla, mridangam, acoustics, flutes etc could be used instead of loud music, speakers, drums etc.
• Artificial tanks : Artificials tanks could be used instead of large water bodies, ponds, rivers and lakes etc for the process of immersion.
• Various other Natural ways: Coconut husks, spices,chocolate, alums, pulses, sugarcane,marbles etc should be used for making idols.

There are many initiatives taken by the government to reduce pollution caused by this festival.

Goa pollution control board along with Goa handicrafts, rural and small scale industries development pvt ltd conducted a joint inspection to check the materials used in making up of idols. The use of Pop declined to 0.67 percent in Goa this year. Delhi government also demarcated specific areas of immersion of the idols.Lieutenant governor of Delhi advised and Eco friendly festival this year. The city of Kolkata is the largest buyer of idols and the festival is most popular in Bengal , the Government there also took steps towards Eco friendly celebrations.

Goddess Durga will be happiest to witness his disciples taking care of the natural gifts of nature along with celebrations.  

 

Written By: Manaswita Sachdeva

Edited by : Anirban Banerjee

 

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Water and Education are correlated in Ways that surprise most readers. The foremost question they ask is HOW?

We will start of with a background.

There are many places in India where scarcity of water prevails. The time which could be invested in studying is used up by children in walking miles and miles to gather water. School-going as well as college-going pupils also take part in helping their family to gather water for their daily needs.

According to a report submitted by the World Health Organisation access to clean water yields a supplementary  272 million school attendances every year. The more that clean water will be available the lesser will be the number of students taking leave from classes. As UNICEF points out “safe water and adequate sanitation are as important to quality education as pencils,books and teachers”.

Water and education together play a very crucial role in gender equality. Particularly in India, the responsibility of handling household chores is left on the shoulders of girls. Early in the morning, they get up and start the task of collecting water, they are always expected to sacrifice classes because they are duty bound. UNICEF also points out that in almost 45 developing countries the burden to fetch water falls on women, almost two third households are without a source of drinking water, whereas only 12 percent places are such where children collect water. All these issues can be solved if people have proper access to water. Clean water will  ensure proper sanitation facilities as well. Though a little off track but the recent blockbuster TOILET EK PREM KATHA depicts very clearly how important it is to have proper sanitation facilities.

Apart from this, the global campaign of education argues that in a post-2015 education agenda that quality education for all will be achieved if boys and girls in schools have access to separate toilets and hygiene. Lack of this facility ensures girl students missing school, since they are more likely to to need it than boys.

Without these basic necessities girl students will continue to be absent.

Water borne diseases like cholera, dysentery, diarrhea, typhoid etc add up the number of absent days for both teachers and students. Hygiene education in schools can battle this problem to a large extent.

A lack of proper access to water and sanitation will also reduce the number of quality teachers in schools and colleges.  without Skilled teachers there won’t be any educated students. Having a degree merely is not education, becoming literate is education in its true sense.

Rural areas are more prone to this problem. Children are seen carrying heavy pots and buckets on their backs, which consumes their valuable school time, while further weakening their tender spines.

54% of India’s total area goes through extreme water stress especially the northwestern areas including states of Punjab and Haryana. Southern states are not left behind, Karnataka faces acute water shortage during the summer months. Even the capital of India is badly affected by water problems. The Delhi government acknowledges the problem and conveys that 22 out of 30 residents face daily shortages. Jamshedpur , Kanpur, Vishakhapatnam, Meerut, Hyderabad are also other badly affected areas. If such is the condition in urban areas then we can imagine how dull would be the scenario in rural areas. Rural areas adjoining these cities face more problems because here children along with their parents and elders indulge in fighting this problem by skipping daily constructive activities like going to school or college, or any wages earning activity.

People who lack access to both water and education face the ominous status of poverty. They are unable to get proper employment and are more prone to health hazards.

Education in these societies will help in the development of the population here. The youth, if educated properly, will find more ways of water conservation and be more efficient in dealing with the repercussions caused of water scarcity . They can bring more prosperity to their native land. Further, they can imbibe education in other people as well. Many will step out to study further and become professionally stable. They can come back and set up better infrastructure and encourage people to have proper sanitation systems. The more the population will be educated the more will be the chances of having a better environment in a particular area. Hence, water and education are interdependent. Though, one can exist without the other but jointly they will flourish.

Education is a tool which can overcome every hurdle

Written By: Manaswita Sachdeva

Claro Energy has emerged as a major player in the Indian Solar landscape. We are all set to render our services to power non-profit, residential and commercial projects in Gujarat.  The project is promoted by Gujarat Energy Development Agency (GEDA), which is the state nodal agency to promote renewable energy.  By investing in solar energy, not  only it will help in reducing our dependency on expensive and harmful to the environment fossil fuels, it will also combat the global terror of climate change by cutting down carbon emission. Climate change already contributes to serious environmental and public health issues, including extreme weather events, rising sea levels, and ecosystem changes. It’s high time we make the right switch and save the environment.

There are two categories for solar Roof-top in Gujarat.

1. Residential Rooftop Programme by GEDA :

• All residential and charitable organisations can avail the services and subsidy benefits.

•  There is a subsidy component of Rs. 10,000 per KW upto a maximum of Rs. 20,000 (i.e. 2 KW) from GEDA. Plus a 30% subsidy from MNRE.

• Residential Consumer can install solar power plant upto 100% of the sanction load from MGVCL.

•  Authorized channel partners charge only the NET of subsidy amount. The below table gives a comprehensive idea about the costs and generation of power.

  System Size	1 KW	2 KW	3KW	4KW	5KW	6KW	7KW	8KW	9KW	10KW
  Shadow free Area Required (Sq Ft)	100	200	300	400	500	600	700	800	900	1000
  Annual Electricity Production (KWh)	1400	2800	4200	5600	7000	8400	9800	11200	12600	14000
  Price	69000	138000	207000	276000	345000	414000	483000	552000	621000	690000
  MNRE Subsidy	20700	41400	62100	82800	103500	124200	144900	165600	186300	207000
  GEDA Subsidy	10000	20000	20000	20000	20000	20000	20000	20000	20000	20000
  Net Cost to Customer	38300	76600	124900	173200	221500	269800	318100	366400	414700	463000

2. Commercial Rooftop Segment :

a. There is no set price for Commercial Rooftops but it my vary from 70 Rs/ KW to Rs. 59 Rs./KW depending upon the plant size. As the plant becomes bigger, the cost comes down.

b. Commercial consumers can install solar power plant  upto 50% of their sanctioned load.

c. There are no state or central subsidies for this segment but there is 40% accelerated depreciation which effectively translates into 24% tax rebate over two years.

Get in touch with us to deploy Rooftop Solar solutions for you. Get a 30% subsidy by contacting us NOW!

Contact  Mr.  Amit Magnani on +91-8160754324

Email: rooftop@13.233.214.20

 

Our Energy Partner

Lucidus Energy

India is a country with incredible diversity, and this rich diversity results in a large number of different festivities and their celebrations. One such major carnival is the Ganesh chaturthi festival. Every year Ganesh chaturthi is celebrated with great pomp and show. It is usually a 10-day long festival which begins by placing Lord Ganesha’s idols privately at homes and then marking its end by submerging them into water bodies, regarded as holy immersion. These festivities bring people together and are a source of social happiness annually. Unfortunately though, our methods of celebration have a downside, in terms of impact on the planet.

Most of the idols are made from toxic, non-biodegradable materials including plastic, paper, cement, non-natural colors, plaster of Paris etc which do not fully dissolve in water and end up contaminating it. Read more details about the polluting impact.

Ill effects on the environment

1. Whenever these toxic chemicals start dissolving in water bodies, they have a lethal effect on aquatic life killing fish, frogs and other water sustaining organisms.
2. Plaster of paris is a substance which cannot completely dissolve in water, it reduces oxygen level in the water, which again poses a threat to living beings.
3. Sometimes even paper is used to make idols of shree Ganesha and it’s a myth that this is an eco friendly way because little do people know that paper also reduces the oxygen level in the water and generates methane gas. Apart from that, trees are cut down to make paper and even wasting paper itself is not environmentally friendly.
4. The polluted water becomes a factor for many health hazards to humans, like skin infections, breathing problems etc.
5. All these impurities lead to an increase in the acid content in the water.
6. The careless immersion also blocks the natural flow of water, which again leads to the breeding of harmful mosquitoes and pests in water.

In the state of Maharashtra, every year an estimated 190,000 idols are immersed in water, idols that are made up of non-biodegradable material which increases water degradation levels. Fishing communities finds pieces of immersed idols entangled in their fishing nets, even after several days of immersion, which gives us evidence that these pieces do not get fully dissolved. The Central Pollution Control Board reports that annual immersion has significantly increased the amount of iron,copper,lead, mercury, chromium and acid in these water bodies. In 2015 after Ganpati celebrations, dead fish were found in the Milap nagar lake in Dombivli East, Mumbai.

The Ganesh Chaturthi festival is celebrated to pay homage to lord Ganesha and seek his blessings, but this type of devastation in the name of celebration will shun the ideals of Lord Ganesha. We are not only damaging our source of living but also, from a religious point of view, not living up to that particular God’s ideals.

A change needs to happen. Eco friendly means of celebration should be adopted. Instead of the toxic materials currently in use, we can change the contents of idols to mud, rose petals, leaves, herbal colours, coconut tusks, alums, chocolates etc. In 2017, we have seen idols made of cow dung gaining popularity.

True blessings can reach us only when we take good care of our surroundings, and ensure that our forms of worship and celebration do not amount to being a threat to the nature around us.

Written By: Manaswita Sachdeva

Edited By: Anirban Banerjee

As India’s solar capacity is increasing, more subsidy coming in and ever declining installation cost most of the Indian states have upped their renewable energy game. One such state is Madhya Pradesh which will very soon going to have one of the world’s largest solar pv power plant. Mr Shivraj Singh, Chief Minister  of Madhya  Pradesh has approved the proposal for commissioning the world’s largest solar power plant in the Rewa District.

Currently Madhya Pradesh ranks positioned at no 6 in terms of solar power installed capacity and after the completion of this project it will rise to the top position. Once completed, the project is expected to generate about 1.25 billion units of electricity every year, offsetting about 1 million tonnes of CO2 emissions.

Claro Energy is working relentlessly working king towards a cleaner and sustainable environment and uplifting lives with clean-tech solutions. Claro is all set to light up Madhya Pradesh and will install a of 1MW capacity solar rooftop in Central MP Discom areas of Bhopal, Hoshangabad,Gwalior and Jabalpur. This scheme is exclusively for non-profit organisations with a 30% subsidy from Madhya Pradesh Madhya Kshetra Vidyut Vitran Company Limited (MPMKVVCL).

How Rise in Population is Leading to Water Scarcity

 

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Water is one of the most important natural resources on Earth, a key element of life for every living being on this planet. While the sources of water may seem to be in abundance (consider the oceans and seas), only less than one percent of the world’s water is actually usable for basic human needs. This relatively minuscule amount has to be shared by many competing users. This usable water is freshwater, found not in our oceans, but in our rivers, lakes, under the ground, and in rainwater. With so many beings vying for its availability, the resultant stress on freshwater is leading to water scarcity in almost all corners of the world. The World Wide Fund for Nature said that almost two-thirds of the world’s population could suffer from water shortage by 2025 . While the reasons for this imminent catastrophe vary from altered weather patterns to increased pollution, what is cited as perhaps the most important factor influencing this is the uncontrolled expansion in the population of the human species.

 

 

For thousands of years, human population grew only slowly, gradually – at a rate that was not yet weighing on nature’s resources – but in recent centuries this rate has jumped dramatically. This exponential rise has led to a population explosion in the last two hundred years. This uncontrolled rise in population has inordinately increased the demand for water and mounted pressure on the already finite and scarce resources of the planet. The demand for water for domestic, industrial, agricultural and municipal needs and also evacuation for waste materials – these have skyrocketed in the past few decades. Certain geographies have been more affected than others.

 

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The most water-scarce areas are typically those with fewer water resources, a relatively high existing population density, and an even higher population growth rate. It is certain that population growth will further impact water availability.

Measurement of water scarcity

The sources of water may seem to be in abundance, but only less that one percent of the world’s water can be used for basic human needs. This little amount has to be shared by many competing users. Stress on freshwater due to rising demand is already leading to water scarcity in many places. Water in many cases is even a major cause for political tensions between nations.

 

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In light of these issues, the extent of water scarcity needs to be measured in order to understand the magnitude of the development work necessary. There are various ways to measure water scarcity, one such is by determining per capita availability and percentage of water used within a certain national boundary.

As a general benchmark, countries can be classified as water scarce if there are fewer than 1,000 cubic meters of renewable fresh water available per person per year, and as water stressed if there are between 1,000 and 1,667 cubic meters available per person per year.2 Approximately 2 billion people are currently living in areas faced with water stress or scarcity. Water scarcity affects all social and economic sectors and threatens the health of ecosystems.

 

 

Larger the population, higher the (water) tension

The rise in population leads to higher demand for water for domestic, industrial, agricultural and municipal needs and also evacuation for waste materials. The most water scarce areas are typically those with few water resources, high population, and even higher population growth rates. E.g most of the world’s water scarce areas is from MENA (The Middle East and North Africa) regions, where they are currently unable to meet their basic water demand. 7 of the world’s top 10 water scarce countries are from the MENA region.

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With per capita water availability projected to fall by half by 2050, the situation is likely to be dire in the coming years. 5 Projections show that by 2035, 3.6 billion people will be living in areas with water stress or scarcity, as population growth causes more countries and regions to become water scarce.

 

 

If we were to try and trace the reasons for overpopulation, there a broad few that we can circle out. The rise in birth rate either due to bad family planning or illiteracy is a big cause for population growth in India. An estimated 215 million women in developing countries want to avoid pregnancy but are not using modern contraception. 

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To repress this accelerated loss of natural resources, serious measures need be taken in order to slow down the rate of population growth. This can lead to more people accessing clean and safe water universally, in the years to come. Though the challenge of a rapidly growing population, on the efforts to provide adequate and clean water to every citizen, has been acknowledged in various policies and planning documents, there is still an urgent need for effective policies to be drafted and implemented to combat population growth. Increasing access to voluntary family planning services can help slow population growth, and complement ongoing efforts to ensure adequate and clean water for all.

 

Written by: Prakriti Sharma & Priyanka Pandey

Edited by: Anirban Banerjee

 

Claro Energy’s growth has been aided by the wonderful work our partners have done. Pramod Kumar is one such partner.

In our seventh year of business, we have reached a point where we can afford to look back and draw from specific experiences, rather than just go full steam ahead, as most early-stage start-ups do. During one such retrospection, we realized that the growth of Claro has been instrumental in the consequent growth of some its partners. These are the partners who make it possible for us to conduct our business efficiently and deliver the quality that we have come to be known for. Be it the IT services company which solve tech issues in our offices, the transport partner who ensures that material reaches its location on time, the training services provider, or the vendors who provide us with the parts and materials required to construct our installations. These partners are imperative to our business, as our business is imperative to theirs.

Pramod Kumar, Director of P.K. Enterprises in Patna, has been supplying supporting structures for solar panels, ever since our inception. The following conversation is between him and me, Anirban Banerjee, the Brand Marketing Manager of Claro Energy (henceforth to be represented as P and A, respectively).

P: Only an outside person can evaluate the overall growth of a company. He actually knows about the good or bad in terms of the company’s work.

A: Your story is quite interesting in terms of your growth in parallel to our company’s growth. But I’d like to know more.

P: We extensively focused on the energy sector, since our initial days. Back in the time when the company was started, the team at Claro was so small that we just needed a single car to transport the requirements. Although I was never an employee at Claro, I was always treated as part of the team. We were focused on the growth of our business, and the co-founders of Claro were very supportive of our venture since the beginning. All three of them had a fair exposure to foreign society and contrary to the Indian scenario, people in foreign countries are more proactive in helping others and their businesses. There, people tend to focus more on their work and how to prosper. When Claro was started, all of us were focused on a structured growth, all of us worked together without any personal ambition or abuse of power. The team is always concerned about continuous growth; we question ourselves regarding growth. In a startup, it is a mandatory criterion to take care of your team and it is very necessary that everyone is satisfied else he may hamper the growth of the company. Over these years, I gained a lot of exposure in terms of organizational workflow e.g. how to schedule meetings efficiently, work on outputs. In my lifetime, I have worked with many companies not just as a supplier, but with Claro, I consider myself a part of the family. I was working as a supplier in the middle east, with a reputed Oil and Gas company. My lifestyle was lavish and luxurious and at a later stage, I was on the verge of bankruptcy. Claro was a new beginning for me and the team here was very supportive and never let me relive the negative feelings of my past. I then started supplying structures for Claro’s systems. Back then, Auto-Cad was not known to many in this line, and I was aware of these technicalities as after surveying I used to extensively work on designs on Auto-CAD and other automation tools.

A: So, you are an engineer?

P: No, I don’t have any engineering background. My company in Dubai helped me get an AWS training. Till date, all my knowledge is based on the practical experience so far. I was always dedicated towards my personal growth and whenever my company assigned me a project, I would diligently follow that up with its completion.

A: How has your company’s journey been so far?

P: We started with Claro and provide them with structures, poles, and other structural requirements. We manufacture our products and have a galvanizing plant as well. We are constantly expanding and are looking for expansion in terms of manufacturing of other equipment as well.

A: What about your growth.?

P: Claro was our first partner and today we are working with 20 Companies.

A: How did this journey, from a single company to 20 companies, come about?

P: I was always focused on two aspects related to business. Firstly, the most important element is trust. Secondly, a friendly relation is equally important. These two are mutual requirements, and that’s the primary reason for my success. Claro was very cooperative with me since the beginning of this journey. I have my full faith in Claro and I believe that even if I don’t show any productive output, the company will forever support me.

A: So, your main vision behind the business is not only about the money?

P:  No, the main motive is not about money. I develop a lifelong relationship with our partners so that we are mutually reliable under any circumstances.

A: The main motive behind your business is about maintaining the relationship?

P: Exactly. We don’t want our partners to leave us and we never give them a chance to leave us. We manufacture systems that are cost effective, reliable, and provide maintenance and after services. So, there is no need for our partners to switch and we work according to their requirements. Say, for example, Crocin and Calpol are both made up of paracetamol, but their effect may vary from person to person. In the same way, we sit with our partners and try to find out what suits them and what is best for them. Our approach towards customers is to provide them with such a high-quality service proposition that they will never want to leave us. They know that the benefits we provide are long term.

Pramod Kumar, Director of P.K. Enterprises

(This conversation was originally in Hindi, but has been translated to English for a wider reach.)

Claro Energy has come a long way since its inception. The company’s growth spurt has led to a fair few international mentions. An article recently posted by online Japanese magazine, ‘Project Design’, serves as proof.

Project Design works as a high-level and practical media house that showcases project concepts of ideal businesses conceived by businessmen, administrators, NPO staff, entrepreneurs and focuses on ideas leading to innovation. The article titled ‘Agriculture and Food Challenges in India’ talks about the escalation of Agricultural businesses in India. Written by Siva Ramamoorthy, an active mentor and investor known to have backed many successful startups, it talks about the current entrepreneurial environment in India and the scenario of rising startups in India including the recent promotional campaign of “Startup India” launched by the Indian government.

 

A graduate from Kellogg School of Management with experience in companies like VMWare and Intel, Ramamoorthy mentions Claro as the top most featured startup. He acknowledges Claro Energy as a solar pumping solution provider to Indian farmers who face severe water irrigation difficulties. The article further reads:

“The photovoltaic power generation pump system irrigates approximately 12,000 acres of agricultural land and supports the lives of more than 100,000 people. This is one of the greatest and best uses of photovoltaic power generation in India and is expected to be an innovator to solve the problem of water shortage in agriculture.

Claro Energy is a good example of an entrepreneur with global education and work experience.”

Link to original article: https://www.projectdesign.jp/201707/world-venture-companies/003758.php

Written By – Prakriti Sharma

Edited By – Anirban Banerjee