SYCOM’s ‘GREEN LETTER’ 

…... A Quarterly e-Newsletter

  April –June 2015

Volume 1: Issue 4

member Ekta Sharma and wishes her best of luck for her new tenure. In this issue we highlight the necessity of separate girl’s toilet in Schools.

 

 

 

Sycom Team also congratulates TOFT for achieving GSTC recognition for its PUG Eco rating certification and being an integral part of it, we feel privileged as well. Stay tuned for our next issue and as always we need your feedback & suggestions.

The PUG eco rating certification has achieved a milestone and gained International recognition as a sustainable tourism kitemark from the UN backed Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC). The importance of this programme is :

· International credibility that certification is recognized as standard that align with universal criteria for sustainable tourism management, social and economic benefits to the local communities, cultural heritage preservation and the reduction of pollution.

 

· Certification word is standard, will be promoted via the GSTC website, Promotion of the certified hotels through GSTC newsletter. GSTC directory, GSTC website and GSTC social media outlets.

From April to June 2015, five audits were carried out. PUG Green Team has visited Barahi Jungle Lodge situated in Chitwan National Park, Nepal for an audit. A new MoU have been signed for the next three years with TOFT. As their exclusive Audit team in India & South Asia,  we look forward to scaling new vistas in the future in ushering  in Sustainable tourism in the region.

A meeting of the PUG Green Team  was held  at Sycom’s office on 23rd May,2015 with the Chairman, TOFT, Mr Julian, Mathews joining in from United Kingdom on SKYPE. The main agenda of the meeting was to felicitate the team for helping to achieve the GSTC recognition. The discussions were held to explain to the auditors the new criteria and the audit process and a need to inform all Accommodation Providers about the GSTC accreditation. The need to promote the new PUG criteria through advertising campaigns and marketing plans, was also discussed.

PUG AUDIT

ONGOING PROJECTS

Sycom team attended the meeting held on 15th June 2015 at Sawyat Shasan Bhawan (DLB), Jaipur, under the chairmanship ofDirector cum Joint Secretary to review the progress of the project titled “Preparation of DPR and providing Transaction Advisory (TA) services for integrated Solid Waste Management (ISWM) projects on PPP Basis for ULB’s and “City Sanitation Plans” of various towns of Rajasthan under Swacch Bharat Mission.(SBM) One team visited the ULBs at Sri Ganga Nagar and Hanumangarh and another team, DLB Jaipur to meet their respective Municipal Commissioners, Chief Engineers and other Officials, to discuss various matters related to finance and preparation of the Draft DPRs.

Sycom is also working on a project named “Common Municipal Solid Waste Management  Facility  (Landfill site development ) at SADA Gwalior” for Special Area Development Authority  (SADA) under the NCR . a new landfill site has been identified by SADA authority and our team is planning to visit the landfill site to inspect the site with GPS location and initiate  the process of EIA approval & design of the Sanitary Landfill

TERI and Sycom jointly have been contracted by State Water and Sanitation Mission, Uttarakhand Department of drinking water and Sanitation for an Impact analysis of Uttarakhand Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project. Scope of the work covers understanding the existing situation and the interventions of the Uttarakhand Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project and suggesting the future course of action. The project is proposed to improve the understanding of institutional effectiveness, cost efficiency financial performance and sustainability of the service provision.

Another new project Preparation of Detailed Project Report (DPR) for Implementation of SWM project (Cluster wise) for the ULBs in the state of Telangana is being carried out jointly by Sycom with Grant Thornton India LLP as the lead partner. The project is funded by Telegana Urban Finance and Infrastructure Development Corporation. Telegana. The Scope of the work includes consultancy services for preparation of DPR for integrated Solid Waste Management in selected 14 ULBs in Phase 1 and 22 ULBs in Phase II respectively.

Sycom is providing technical support to update the existing Draft Concession Agreement  for development of solid waste management facilities for Municipal Corporations on behalf of Mazars advisory private Limited (MAPL). The scope of work covers a detailed a review of draft concession agreement for development of solid waste management facilities for 2 ULBs. The evaluation takes into account the existing MSW Rules 2000, Draft MSW Rules 2015 and the new CPHEEO manual (2014).

Sycom Projects as an expert contributor worked on Drinking Water Resource Mapping and initiatives study for INESA Advisory Services Pvt. Ltd. The approach for the report development is to identify critical areas in India where clean drinking water continues to be a challenge – in terms of availability and quality, with focus on Bacteriological contamination.

VISIT TO TRANSFER STATION

Sycom has been taken on a task of monitoring and evaluation of a UNDP funded project under its Small Grant programme. The project is being implemented by the NGO Chintan and aims at working out a sustainable model focusing on livelihoods of rag pickers involved in collection of E-Waste in Delhi and the NCR areas. Under this project, our team visited and participated in the programme held at Cambridge  International School to supervise and monitor the e-waste Awareness programme for teachers. 2nd Quarterly evaluation report has been submitted as part of the M&E activity.

A working group has been constituted by DEITY with representation from GIZ, TERI, MOEF, CPCB, MAIT with the objective of working out a compliance criteria for E-waste management rules for three major stake holders – Dismantlers & recyclers, Bulk consumers and Producers. Our director Mr. Pradeep Dadlani  who was associated with this group, has submitted the Final compliance criteria after interaction with the   different stakeholders, taking into account the existing Indian regulatory framework as well as the International best practices. In view of new draft E-waste management rule 2015, more consultations may be required before the compliance criteria is finalized.

Sycom team conducted a field visit to Transfer Station (A.G Enviro Infra Projects Pvt. Ltd) Bela Road near Vijay Ghat,  New Delhi on April 18,2015. A survey was conducted by yoru team on the Transfer station and they interacted with the concerned Technical Staff at the transfer station. We are really thankful to them in this regard for facilitating this initiative.

VISIT TO  BANGLADESH

Our Director Mr. Pradeep Dadlani visited Bangladesh on behalf of The World Bank. The scope of the meeting was to support and guide the MoHFW in revising the existing Environmental Management Plan (EMP) in line with current status of implementation and scope of AF to undertake a few site visits and have discussions with key stakeholders at the Central and Local levels and the donor partner to develop an action plan for Medical Waste  Mangement under HSDP (Health Systems Development Programme)

DELHI DIALOGUE COMMISSION

Sycom team gave a presentation on a conference on Solid Waste Management at Delhi Secretariat organized by Delhi Dialogue Commission. The team has highlighted problem and management of Odour in the landfill site. Main focus of the conference was to bring out a unique perspective to make Delhi a Pioneers State in the Waste Management Sector in the country. The objective of the dialogue was to examine the enter chain of SWM in Delhi with focus on the role of the different stakeholders.

Sycom Projects has signed a MoU with Climate Foundation (USA) for monitoring and modeling of odours compounds in Municipal Solid Waste. They have scentroid SM100 which is world’s first infield odour measuring device that allows users to accurately quantify ambient odour strength. This revolutionary device offers an easy to use an cost-effective alternative to determine the odour strength or using expensive odour measuring laboratories. Our team is confident of ushering in the State-of-the-art technology in the field and also play a proactive role in developing regulatory framework for Odour Management in the SWM sector.

ODOUR RESEARCH

REQUIREMENT OF SEPARATE GIRLS’ TOILET IN SCHOOLS

Majority of Households in the urban areas do not have adequate facility of sanitation facilities at home. Apart from the human dignity these kinds of affairs has a severe affect to the environmental and health outcomes, even leading to water and soil contaminations. According to the Census 2011, about 15 million urban households in India do not have access to toilets at home. Residents of five million of these households use public latrines and 10 million defecate in the open. According to the WHO and United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) estimates about 620 million people in India still practice open defection – which is over 50% of the population. Even the latest government of India census data puts the figure around 50%.

 

The problem is more acute in THE schools. Unhygienic nature of the toilets and unsafe drinking water may lead to health issues and sufferings. Another striking issue is the non-availability of separate toilets for girls. Even if separate toilets do exit many are poorly maintained or are inadequate in numbers. As a result girls absent themselves from classes for long spells of time and in extreme cases they drop out. Another significant issue for separate properly maintained school toilets for girls is that those who grow up in a satisfactory sanitary environment will form good hygienic habits and behavior in the later part of life while also inculcating good sanitary practices in their families.

 

Keeping faith in the strength of the younger generation, the ‘National Urban Schools Sanitation Initiative’ was launched by the Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD), Government of India, on 26th February 2009 in New Delhi. More than 100 schools from all over India, affi liated to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), participated in the initiative. Due to the encouraging response it was decided to widen the scope of the initiative and rename it as the National School Sanitation Initiative (NSSI).

 

Under the recently launched Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Mission) by the hon’ble Prime minister, it has been highlighted that to improve rural sanitation environment and toilet facilities for students in schools. Stressing on dignity of women, The Prime minister on August 15th 2014 asked the Parliamentarians and the corporate sectors to help build separate toilets for girls in schools across the country by next year i.e. 2015-16. A National Mission called Swachh Bharat Swachh Vidyalaya has been launched to ensure that every school in India has a set of functioning and well maintained water, sanitation and hygiene facilities.

 

Poor school sanitation facilities can also have a major adverse impact on the Girls students’ access to education. The major consequences are depicted in the following points:

· Inadequate privacy loss of dignity for female students

· School Drop Outs

· Health Problems

· Inadequate menstrual hygiene

· Unhygienic habits

School can be an excellent agent of change as students on their very tender and young ages imbibe in the good sanitation practices which could also be shared with their parents, friends and  neighbours

 

 

 

 

NEW INTERNS

Swati Riana             Prachi Gupta                           Richa Rai                Inderjeet Kumar

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Sycom Green letter is a quarterly e-newsletter that brings you the updates of Sycom’s activities. Sycom team welcomes our new

-  Shabarni Roy Chowdhury

Text Box: SYCOM PROJECTS CONSULTANTS PVT. LTD
H-22, Jungpura Extension, New Delhi-110014, India
Ph: +91-11-24329452,+91-09810529609,+9111-43580268, 
Fax: +91-11-24329452
Email: sycomprojects@gmail.com, pdadlani01@gmail.com
Website: www.sycomprojects.com

Monitoring  & Evaluation

Impact Assessment

Detailed Project Report

Development of Compliance Criteria

Environmental Audit

Research & Communication

Swati Raina

Kurukshetra University, Haryana

Impact Analysis of Uttarakhand Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project

 

Prachi Gupta

Kurukshetra University, Haryana

Solid Waste Management in Rajasthan and Telangana

 

Richa Rai

GGSIPU, New  Delhi

CSR

 

Inderjeet Kumar

GGSIPU, New  Delhi

Eco Tourism Criteria