Kanpur

A workshop was organized on 5th June,03 in collaboration with Eco Friends, a leading NGO at Kanpur on the subject "Water- Two billion people are dying for it". Various Govt organizations took part in the workshop to spread the message for water conservation. Two permanent hoarding were erected in the city with message to prevent the water pollution and to help in water conservation.

Agra

The Central Pollution Control Board Project Office, Agra prepared a thematic pamphlet on "Water Conservation" in Hindi. These were supported with messages illustrating water conservation in everyday activities. The media in the form of local newspapers extended their full support by printing the material prepared by the Project Office. In addition the two cells of the Project Office initiated special programmes to celebrate the day. The Air Quality Monitoring Laboratory in co-ordination with the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board and the R.T.O., Agra organised a vehicular pollution check programme. Pollution under Control Certificates (PUC) and Green cards were issued to the vehicle owners complying with the prescribed parameters. Pamphlets, posters, brochures, booklets and write-ups on eco-friendly techniques, to keep vehicular pollution under check were also distributed. In addition Air Quality monitoring was at four identified locations.

The Spatial Environmental Planning Studio coordinated with the Agra Nagar Nigam to get together city officers aware of the ground situation in the city. The gathering was used as a platform to introduce the concepts of Urban Environmental Information System ('Urb-Envis'). The project focuses on making the municipalities partners in schemes aiming at Urban Environmental Improvement. The methodology involves the compilation of data in the form of an Environmental Status Report, which includes spatial data in the form of maps. This information then made available in the public domain through websites, thereby providing a tool to aid in decision- making in further development of the projects. This information once in the public domain empowers the local people with background information to voice their opinions on development work. A Brochure in Hindi on 'Urb-Envis' was also released.

Taj Mahotsav (February 18 -27, 2003)

Taj Mahotsav is an annual festival organised in Agra by the U.P. Tourism. The Central Pollution Control Board Project Office Agra in keeping with the efforts made last year actively, participated in the second consecutive year at the Taj Mahotsav' 2003 in collaboration with Agra Nagar Nigam, GAIL India Ltd. and State Bank of India. A stall was put up in the Shilpgram for displaying Air and Stack monitoring instruments, banners, thematic posters and environmental educational material. Thematic posters aiming at awareness of air and water pollution were prepared. Technical publications illustrating the causes of different types of pollution and its control were also displayed.

Four local schools were trained to educate citizens on the need for a cleaner environment. The citizens were encouraged to reduce the consumption of polybag by educating them on the adverse impacts due to improper disposal of the bags.

Interaction meet of NGOs of North Zone

An interaction meet of NGOs of northern states was organized by CPCB in association with local NGOs at Dehradun in 2003. The NGOs working in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal participated. This interaction meet included lectures on relevant topics of pollution control and discussion on the area specific problems. The major environmental problems brought up are:

i) As a Capital of the new state Uttaranchal, the activities in Dehradun, have increased manifolds aggravating the pollution problems of Dehradun. These include air pollution problems due to vehicles, traffic jams, water pollution due to discharge from roadways workshops, OEF, auto garages etc.
ii) In the hilly regions of Uttaranchal problems are due to improper Municipal Solid Waste Management, animal dung disposal into rivers and open human defaecation.
iii) Air pollution problems, traffic jams, pollution of rivers at Allahabad.
iv) Congress grass problems in Allahabad, Meerut and nearby cities.
v) Air & water pollution problems in Singrauli area due to power plants, aluminium plant, caustic soda plants, chemical industries and stone crushers.
vi) Pollution of river Kali due to Sugar, distilleries and similar other industries in Meerut and slaughter houses problems at Hapur.
vii) Pollution of river Sai at Raebarelly and plastic / polythene disposal problems.
viii) Fluoride problems in ground water in Unnao, Singrauli and other areas of northern India.

Vadodara

Providing education and mass awareness to the school children on environmental issue is one of the important objective of CPCB. However, it is not practically possible for CPCB to reach all the students everytime. Therefore, it is a noble idea to reach every student through their teachers by providing proper training to the teachers on the environmental issues. In view of above, a workshop was arranged for school teachers with cooperation of leading NGO in Vadodara.

A drawing competition was also organised in Vadodara through another NGO, who is mainly conducting programme especially on environmental issue to educate school children.

Bangalore

An exhibition was organised on pollution control and measurement devices at Acharya Pathshala Public School, Bangalore. Students from ten different schools participated in the programme. The CPCB officials explained various aspects of the pollution to the students and demonstrated the devices used for quantification of the pollution.

In another programme, a presentation on the "Role of CPCB and Environmental Pollution" and demonstration on water, air and noise monitoring equipments were made to the High School level teachers under the Orientation Programme, held at MES Teachers Training College, Rajaji Nagar, Bangalore.