Action

Clean Air Island has used the experience gained through actions to design a comprehensive PLAN for sustainable urban development.

Clean Air Island has worked on several projects since its inception in 1995. These projects have mainly focused on vermiculture, the promotion of electric vehicles for public use, and greening of public areas; however, Clean Air Island has also undertaken projects to educate the public about environmental issues and promote social economy.

2004 saw the culmination of a E615,000 Asia Urbs project of the European Commission, which Clean Air Island implemented in Mumbai for the Greater Mumbai Municipal Corporation, in a three-nation partnership amongst the city councils of Dublin, Leicester and Mumbai and associate NGOs. Entitled ‘Environment Services and Waste Management in a Social Economy Framework', the project was completed over two and a half years from 2002 to mid 2004, establishing avenues of employment for the unskilled, supporting municipal work.

Click to read the executive summary of the European Commission in India

Clean Air Island continues to recycle approximately tons of public wet waste, through vermiculture, at the Colaba Pumping Station.

We currently offer consultancy for bulk producers of waste. If you would like to save money on waste management, produce vermicompost for sale or use on gardens within your facility, and halp clean up our environment at the same time. Please contact us.

Since 1995 Clean Air Island has successfully completed vermiculture projects at the following sites:

Certification of Completed Vermiculture Projects

The staff at Clean Air Island also helped set up vermiculture projects for Tata Consulting Services and The Associated Cement Companies Ltd. Our staff provided the set up and training, and now both sites are being sucessfully managed by the staff of TCS and ACC.

Slum vermiculture, has probably been one of the most rewarding of all our projects, with Machhimar Nagar Colony No. 5 commencing Vasti Gandulikaran, the ‘Settlements Vermiculture Drive’, with 25 families recycling their fish and other waste in vermiculture hanging baskets with green plants. Vertical space has been used for hanging these baskets, addressing shortage of space in these areas. This project, commenced in association with the Rotary Club of Bombay as a follow up of child spacing and environment programmes held in 2001 also included monitoring being carried out by a trained social worker. This will eliminate their wet waste from being thrown into the sea.

Home Vermiculture Kits, supported by President Kalam.

Greening Initiatives
• The re-use of tyres as flower vase pots and dry and wet waste bins with vermiculture on D.N. Road
• Parking lot barriers with greened tyres substituting cement
• Vermiculture trees for road waste
• Vermiculture of hawker waste at the nearest garden at Bhatia Baug
• Ivy and creepers on bus stops experimented with

A healthy relationship was maintained with the hawkers co-existing on the footpaths planted with running beds of bushes and creepers in mauve and white, colours of the Agna Chakra.

Frontages, which were specially planted, were those of the M. Phule Market, Police Commissariat, J.J. School of Arts, Central Railway Annexe and the Bombay Municipal Corporation. The Flora Fountain garden was re-designed to lend simplicity and grace as the backdrop of the splendid monument, which represents Mumbai. Miniature roses and the delicate Bougainvillea Odissi in pearl and pink, now make up the base. In 2005, Nagar Chowk, the busy City Square outside CST and the Bombay Municipal Corporation head quarters on D.N. Road, developed as the Third Eye, the eye of knowledge for the city with orange and white creepers, needs to be stabilised. Half tyre planters to green and beautify the divider wall, as generously approved by the traffic police, will soon be another addition.

Sponsorships for the first Enviro Road created, are welcome and Clean Air Island plans to develop an overseeing cell in the sponsoring body.

Urban Infrastructure Renewal
A plan for a further 19 km. of Enviro Roads to cover the 10 sq. km. of ‘A’ Ward, the first Clean Air Island, has been prepared, taking colour therapy into account in Yogic terms.

Public Awareness Activities

Environmental Theatre and paper re-use workshops and measures commenced in 1999, continue to be the public awareness arms of the Society. Over 200 performances have been carried out and the plays available for sponsorship are:

• Whose Mumbai Is It, Anyway? on the environment.
• Chakram Chakkar (The Mad Whirl) on population and environment.
• Jaago, a play about air pollution.

Clean Air Island, with the support of the Bombay Rotary Club, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and the United Nations Family Planning Association, have sponsored a child spacing program to educate children on the issues of overpopulation and family planning. Given the impact of population on the environment and waste management, Clean Air Island sees education, especially of children, as necessary for meeting our long term goals. One such program has already been carried out at Colaba Secondary Municipal School, targeting children and families from the Machhimar Nagar slum areas in Colaba. For a complete report click here.

For information on sponsoring plays or workshops please Contact us.

Clean Air Island has used the experience gained through actions to design a comprehensive PLAN for sustainable urban development.

[Vermiculture] [Electric Vehicles] [Greening] [Public Awareness]