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R HEART U O Y S E H C T H AT T O U Y L I A D G IN AN INSPIR Vol. 1 No. 9 Pages 16 PUNE, THURSDAY MAY 3, 2012 Rs.4 WEATHER Sunrise .....................06:06 Sunset ......................18:57 Moonrise .................15:09 Moonset ..................03:27 Temperature Min ...........................18 0c Max ...........................37 0c
WILL THE ACT ‘AMEND’ MATTERS?
SHOPPING@ HONG KONG LN
BASIL ON YOUR PLATE
An analysis of the BPMC Act amendment >> P4
Explore the city’s fav sasta fashion destination >> P7
Extolling the clinical benefits of the herb >>P15 Nitin Lawate
CIVIC ISSUE
Water woes Major General (retd) S.C.N Jatar, President of the Nagrik Chetna Manch, elaborates upon the dismal state of the water supply in the city, which he feels is a result of the PMC’s mismanagement LAXMI BIRAJDAR
H
ow much water is treated at the water treatment plant (WTP) at Parvati every day? The Parvati WTP treats about 11.5 to 14.5 tmc (thousand million cubic feet) of water every day. Of this, around 650 mld (million literes/day) flows in the closed pipeline from the Khadakwasla dam, which is under the Irrigation Department, and the rest is supplied via the canals from this source. What’s preventing the water from being lifted in adequate quantities from the source? There are two problems here—firstly, the water flows in two inlets from Khadakwasla. These inlets each have an internal diameter lesser than the stipulated 3,000 mm, which results in a curtailed water flow reaching the Parvati WTP. Secondly, the internal surface of the Khadakwasla pipeline does not have the cement mortar lining, which would otherwise let a greater volume of water flow. Secondly, the PMC claims there’s around 40 per cent transmission loss due to leakage and theft of the water from the pipeline. Yet, so far, the PMC hasn’t done anything to counter these problems. Why is the water used for sewage treatment not being flown into the canals? That’s because there needs to be a central facility through which such water, post-sewage treatment, can be flown into the canals. This also requires pumps fixed at such a central facility that can lift the water into the canals. However, none of this has been put in place by the PMC. Tell us about the problems that have crept into the sewage treatment plants (STP) system set up by the PMC… The PMC has already commissioned six STPs in different parts of the city, which have a total capacity of 527 mld water, but most of them are defective. Sadly, these STPs are dumping sewage treated-water into Pune’s rivers. It’s only then that this water is treated for purification. However, it cannot actually be pure because the rivers are polluted. Some seven or eight years ago, there was a recommendation that the PMC had approved—that of allocating a central hub to navigate the treated water back into the canals. But this project never saw the light of day. In 2008, the PMC roped in WAPCOS, a premier consultancy firm, to carry out the audit of all the STPs. But did not help. Ironically, from 2008 till date, the PMC has stalled such auditing, because it doesn’t want to show the cracks in its working. You’ve claimed that rampant wastage of water occurs at Water Treatment Plants (WTPs) in the city… >> Continued on page 5 Rahul Deshmukh
Maj Gen Jatar (retd) at the Parvati water treatment plant
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Aniket Doegra (23) gave up lucrative corporate offers to be part of the Teach For India campaign
To Sir, with love A municipal school that competes with some of the good schools in the city is surprisingly a nondescript one located in Ganesh Peth. Aniket Doegra, a 23-yearold teacher, is behind this wonderful transformation SAMARTH GOYAL
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library, a science laboratory, a well-equipped playground, a 15 machine computer laboratory with a high speed internet connection and the smiling faces of children... You will see all this and more at the Maharana Pratap School at Ganesh Peth, which was until recently as dreary as any other municipal school. The credit does not go to any local corporator or the municipal commissioner but to 23-year-old Aniket Doegra. After graduating from the Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi, in 2010, Aniket had offers from premier multi-national finance and advertising companies to work as an intern, which he put aside. Instead, he applied for ‘Teach For India’ and won the fellowship, which mandates teaching for two years, in one of four cities in India including Pune. A generous stipend to Teach For India Fellows is aimed at upgrading the quality of municipal schools where they teach full-time. Aniket teaches the
Just like Pune is a city that still respects values, welcomes ideas and supports genuine efforts, Life 365 is more than just a daily. Going beyond news that has already been done to death, Life 365 rejects negativity,
z Teach For India, a project of Teach To Lead, is a nationwide movement of outstanding college graduates and young professionals who will commit two years to teach full-time in underresourced schools and who will become life-long leaders working from within various sectors towards the pursuit of equity in education. In June 2009, Teach For India
Standard 2 students. His school hours are 7 am to noon. He then takes extra classes which extend till 3:30 pm; sometimes even 5 pm. “When I first came to this class, I found their calibre at the pre-KG level. My objective was to upgrade them to the Standard 2 level, to which they belong,” says Aniket. Aniket teaches Environmental Sciences, Mathematics, English and General Knowledge. The first big hurdle, he says, is convincing the parents that their children need the
sensationalism and superficiality in its columns. We are here to promote good values, good people and good work. As a cosmopolitan, commercial hub, the city today abounds with enlightened individuals, talented
education. Many of them have a communal bias, because of which there is chronic absenteeism, one area which Aniket has not been successful in. A visit to the classroom reflects the love and respect the students have for Aniket. They settle down with a finger on their lips in five seconds (the countdown goes like this, “Okay class, smart positions, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1”). Then, in a chorus, everyone recites the school’s motto, “We leave no one behind. We compete with our mind.” Aniket has also helped
creators and innovators, genuine activists and social groups. All inspired and inspiring citizens. Life 365 will strive to capture the mixed ethos of it all. We promise to function as a responsible and
placed its first cohort of Fellows in low-income municipal and private schools in Pune and Mumbai. Teach For India has set up systems to drive and measure our short-term impact on student achievement, as well as our longerterm impact in the development Fellows into life-long leaders who can eliminate inequity in education.
set up a computer laboratory with a high speed internet connection and 15 computer systems. “The idea is to educate students for which computers are the very basic tools these days,’’ says Aniket, who is also helping the school set up a science laboratory and a library. He reveals, “So far we have 300 books in the library and we have ordered for more. The science laboratory has got the basic equipment but I am trying to get more for which I have made a request to the local corporator.” >> Continued on page 5
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