#Shakti4Beti –campaign to empower girl child

Need to go beyond #BetiBachaoBetiPadhao, 

say communication activists

MUMBAI/BENGALURU, June 15: With #Shakti4Beti as theme  focusing on empowering the girl child, a social communication campaign has been launched.

In an annual event, National communicators body Public Relations Council of India (PRCI) observes July 1 – the official birth anniversary of Indo-US astronaut late Kalpana Chawla – as the Daughters’ Day to draw the attention of the society on issues related to the girl child.

A skit focusing on Daughers being enacted at SIMSR, Mumbai, last July

 “We are inspired by the government’s campaign #BetiBachaoBetiPadhao,” said PRCI governing council chairman B N Kumar. “PRCI is keen that the society goes beyond protecting and educating the girl child. As a democratic, civilized society we must empower the girl child so that she plays a niche role in the nation building activities, Kumar, who is also a social communication activist, said.

“A girl child in India continues to be given a raw treatment,” said PRCI chief mentor and chairman emeritus M B Jayaram. “Be it in rural areas, agriculture fields or even in places of work and bollywood, women have been complaining of discrimination,” he said and stressed that women deserve level playing field.

“How can we even imagine the New India-2022 story without the active involvement of daughters,” asked educationist and chairperson of PRCI’s youth wing Young Communicators Club Geetha Shankar. Enough has been said and written about girls and boys working as equals, but precious little has been done, she said and stressed: “Women do not crave for any favours. Please do not put any obstacles in our growth,” she said.

...at Bengaluru, last year

The campaign launched today will culminate around July 1. Apart from holding events around #Shakti4Beti or #EmpoweringDaughter, PRCI and YCC will hold a series of activities across its chapters in various cities such as Bengaluru, Mumbai, New Delhi, Kochi, Chennai, Kolkata, Bhubaneswar and Chandigarh mobilizing communication students from universities and colleges to do the messaging.

Contests in debates, short films, photography, poster design, and street play will be held apart from social media campaigns. An online petition addressed to the President of India, Women and Child Welfare Minister and the National Women’s Rights Commission will be launched requesting listing out an agenda towards ensuring a level playing field for the girl child, PRCI said.

Snapshot of Daughters' Day '17 event at Kochi 

Why should I read newspapers?

Recently, we (at PRCI) had an opportunity for interns in journalism for working on editorial supplements for a Mumbai newspaper. While we received few entries to our invitation to write essays on some current topics, one of the candidates bowled a bouncer! We asked him as to which are the newspapers that he reads. He shot back: “Why should I read any newspaper and know about what has already happened?” The panel of interviewers did not know where to look! And this reminded me of a question that a journalism student at Andheri (Mumbai) asked me: who is Rajdeep Sardesai! 
(This article first appeared on Reputation Today)

For the detailed comment, please check:
http://reputationtoday.in/views/i-read-newspapers/

Wanted: #GST4Petrol

Please sign this petition addressed to the PM.
https://www.change.org/p/how-long-do-we-have-to-reel-under-fuel-price-hike-weight?recruiter=29763990&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_campaign=share_petition.

How long do we have to bear this burden?

Petrol and diesel prices are skyrocketing again. The common man doesnt get any respite despite promises from ruling party and protests by the opposition

Our simple question is: Why can't we bring petrol and diesel prices  under GST?

At present, a central excise duty of 23% and State VAT of 34% is  levied on petrol and diesel. Thus, the total tax works out to 57%.

If these essential products are brought under GST , the maximum tax will be only 28%. This means the prices of petrol and diesel can come down by almost 50%.

The people and the economy at at large will be benefited as it will have a positive, cascading effect. 

Please act in public interest and give the common man the much-needed relief.

Veteran Communication professional Deepak Neogi is no more

Sad to share the news that our old friend, journalist-turned PR professional Deepak Neogi is more.

I had never thought in my wildest dreams that I would be penning obits for my close friends - first it was Parthasarathi Swami, managing editor of Business India, and now Deepak.

Deepak had stomach cancer that spread to other parts of his body. He breathed last around 8 PM yesterday.

Deepak (63) started his career as a journalist at Hitavada in Nagpur. He came to Mumbai to join Free Press Journal in 1977-78. He later joined UNI and  switched over to PR by joining INPUT (Information and Public relations Unit), a Reliance outfit under Mudra Communication.

He was actively involved in the launch of Reliance Infocomm under the leadership of Mukesh Ambani and remained with the company after Anil Ambani took it over.

Very friendly by nature, Deepak was known for his signature smile.

He was also associated with Public Relations Society of India (PRSI).

Our heartfelt condolences to his wife Sharmila and daughter Nandini.

-BNK

Here are some condolence messages received to my Facebook post:
RIP Deepak
-Kingshuk Nag


Sharad Bailur Deeply deeply sorry to her this. What a blow. I don't have Sharmila's number, unfortunately. I can't even ring her. To say "My condolences" is so trite and inadequate Great personal friend though he was nine years younger than me. What a terrible thing to happen. I did not know about the stomach cancer.
- Sharad Bailur

Oh, sad news. Had worked with him in FPJ. My condolences to his bereaved family.Used to see him regularly at Press Club ten 15 years ago
- Seshadri Ramaswamy

Such a low key man, we cant get his photograph anywhere online!
_BNK

Sad.
-Kiron Kasbekar

Our heartfelt condolences.
-Sonny Abraham

RIP.
-Chandra Prakash Jha

A very balanced Journalist and Communication professional having rich experience in the Journalism, is a total loss to CC world . I had enjoyed the working with him during his initial carrier at Hitavada , Raipur . Later on he Joined Reliance Industries .
Our deepest condolences .
-Jagdish Prashad Sharma
May his soul rest in peace.
Dr CVN Reddi

RIP.
-Raghu Ramakrishnan

RIP
-Prafulla Marpakwar

RIP
-Unnikrishnan Nair

Rest in Peace Deepak Neogi.
-William Pinto

RIP...om shanti.
-Anil Rawal

Very sad and tragic. An old dear friend since 1984 when he came to cover Bhopal Gas tragedy. After my shifting at Mumbai we were core team members of PRSI. Always very helpful, through professional and most important a very very dear friend of friends. We always miss you Deepak. It's not time to go.....
Deepest condolences to the family. May departed soul rest in peace.......Om Shanti.
-
Alok Awasthi

He hailed from Katni and would often talk about it....I being from the neighbouring district of Jabalpur.
- Mrityunjay Bose

Saddened to hear sudden and untimely death of our old good friend Deepak. We have a friendship of more than 20 years. Even I had a talk with him just one month back. He used to say that he was not keeping well, but never said about his on-going cancer treatment. May His soul rest in peace.
-
Indra Sekhar Bhadra 

Financial Stability of journos must for Press Freedom, says Press Council Chairman

•         At RedInk awards, Justice Prasad defends wage boards for newsmen
•         Mark Tully gets of the RedInk Lifetime Achievement Award, says Radio journalism should be resurrected in India
•          Media owners say it is not a great business, but there is money to be made

MUMBAI: To ensure freedom for the news media, it is necessary to ensure the financial stability of journalists, and job security. It is only if a journalist is financially secure that he can do his job with peace of mind, said Justice C K Prasad, chairman of the Press Council of India (PCI).

Giving his closing remarks as the chief guest at the ‘National Red Ink Awards for Excellence in Journalist’ instituted by Mumbai Press Club (www.mumbaipressclub.com) on Friday night, Justice Prasad said it was not fair on the part of media owners to run down the appointment of Wage Boards for media employees. Other industries such as cement and pharmaceuticals are all governed by the Minimum Wages Act, where such law does not exist for newspaper employees, he pointed out.

 “An editor returning to his office only to receive a pink slip does not augur well for the free press,” he said, adding that he had examined the balance sheet of many media groups and found the profits they were making could easily support the payment of Wage Board salaries.

Earlier, he emphasized that the job of the Press Council of India is to ensure the freedom of the press, and “we are not here to regulate the media.”

Sir Mark Tully receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award

Sir Mark Tully, who worked for over two decades as the bureau chief of BBC in the subcontinent, received the RedInk Award for Lifetime Achievement’. In his acceptance speech, Tully said he grew up as radio reporter, and he would always prefer radio to television. Radio broadcasts gave a personal touch as “the listener gets the feeling that the news reader or reporter talks to him directly,” he said and recalled how at a village gathering in Uttar Pardesh, people greeted him as “a friend”.

Sir Mark, who was deported during the emergency, said for journalists’ credibility is everything, and in today’s age they must learn to grapple with fake news. Just a small crosscheck and verification of facts would help in giving the right information to the society. He said public service broadcasting was a bolstering factor of a free press. Citing the BBC as an example, Tully said in his 40 years of working for the organisation, he could not recall a single instance where he had been asked to change or drop his news dispatch.

Your editor with Faye!

Faye D’souza, executive editor of TV channel Mirror Now, who was given the ‘Journalist of the year’ Award said her reporting was built on covering the issues that affected the common man. Focusing on credible news without much antics helped her channel stand out in the crowd and make a mark for itself.

“I stick my neck out to report not what politicians are saying but what hits the man on the street, even as the entire media could be busy with irrelevant breaking news,” she said.

A high power panel consisting of Vijay Darda, Chairman, Lokmat Group, Raghav Bahl, Founder & Chairman, Quintillion Media, Anant Goenka, Executive Director, The Indian Express Group, and Samir Patil, founder and CEO of Scroll Media, debated the important and relevant issue of: Is there a business in News Media’.  Senior Journalist and Founder of IndiaSpend.Org  Govindraj Ethiraj anchored the panel discussion.

Most of the panellists agreed that news media is not a great business but there is money to be made. Raghav Bahl stressed that as the scenario shifted to digital platforms, a healthy business in niche areas was not difficult. As the business scaled up along with the number of brands, the challenges also increased. He emphasized that the mandatory legal requirement in broadcasting for 51 percent Indian ownership had become a bottleneck to expansion. It was not a level playing field as the law did not apply to other areas like print or digital.

The Secretary of the Mumbai Press Club, Dharmendra Jore, in his welcome speech said this year the RedInk Awards had received a record over-2,000 entries. Gurbir Singh, the convenor of the Awards Committee, said accusing the media of being anti-establishment was foolish as by its very nature news media will always be anti-establishment irrespective of the party in power.

Awards were given away in 11 competitive categories and five special categories. As many as 32 journalists received trophies and Rs one lakh as cash prizes. The RedInk Award for ‘A Media Start-up that is making a difference’ was given to IndiaSpend.org, for its initiative in developing data journalism in India.

Here is the list of RedInk awards winners for 2018:

Business & Economy

Print :         SruthisagarYamunan, Scroll.In

Kabir Agarwal, The wire

TV     :         Sushil Kumar Mohapatra, NDTV India

Crime

Print :         Santosh Singh, The Indian Express

TV     :         DeepuRevathy, Manorama News

Environment

Print :         T. R. Vivek, Newslaundry.com

Aruna Chandrasekhar, The Caravan

TV     :         Sushil Chandra Bahuguna, NDTV India

Health & Wellness

Print :         Menaka Rao, Scroll.in

Human Rights

Print :         Radhika Iyengar, Al Jazeera Media Network

TV     :         Shone Satheesh, Scroll.in

Lifestyle & Entertainment

Print :         Shamik Bag, Mint

Politics

Print :         RikyntiMarwein, Highland Post

TV     :         Jainendra Kumar, ABP News

Science & Innovation

Print :         R Ramachandran, Frontline

TV     :         Jugal R Purohit, India Today

Sports

Print :         Shail Desai, Mint

TV     :         Smitha Nair, Scroll.In

The Big Picture

Winner        :         Vinod Kumar T, The New India Express

Runner up 1          :         Indranil Mukherjee, Agence France Presse

Runner up 2          :         SibuBhuvanendran, MalayalaManorama

Women Empowerment & Gender Equality

Print            :         Leena Gita Reghunath (Surabhi Kanga), The Caravan

:         Shalini Nair, The Indian Express

TV              :         Moumita Sen &Ruchira Sharma, India Today

Media Start-up of the year     :         IndiaSpend.com

Mumbai Star Reporter  :         Yadu Joshi, Lokmat &

                                                Chaitanya Marpakwar, Mumbai Mirror

Journalist of the Year    :         Faye D’Souza, Mirror Now

Lifetime Achievement :         Sir William Mark Tully

PRCI-YCC award inspires her - Young Nitignya's gets place for pre-school

Young student from Mumbai Nitignya Waghela received the Kautilya Award for Student Social Service for her exemplary work in promoting education among the children of poor. She helped at least a hundred children get education and PRCI has adopted one girl nominated by her Shiksha Foundation. Please check this moving letter from her.

  

Hi,

B N Kumar sir and PRCI:

Thank you so much for the award from PRCI-YCC, presented during the Pune Conclave.

After receiving the award from the chief guest Mr. Kumar Ketkar at Symbiosis Vishwabhavan, on 10th march 2018, I developed confidence and  started my work with full enthusiasm on my dream project to start a pre-school for the children below the age group of 8 years

i.e from lower KG TO 2ND standard.

This project is for for those kids whose parents keep migrating from one place to another and due to the lack of documents they do not get admission in any other government/private school.

Therefore, the agenda of this free school is to provide basic education as well as a the school leaving certificate. The Shiksha Foundation with which I have been associated for few years already has the permission to run a school till 4th class.

But a major problem that we faced each and every time was place for the school premises which meant lot of funds which we do not have.

Nitignya receiving the inspiring PRCI-YCC award from Kumar Ketkar, now Rajya Sabha MP

On receiving the YCC award, my confidence levels doubled and I was inspired to work on the school project with added vigour!, I also used the award in support of my dream project. All that I needed was an inspiration and new drive which, sir,  I got from PRCI-YCC.

Thank you so much BNK sir and PRCI.

While promoting the project, I met a Mr. Sudhakar Kamath who ffully understood the concept and expressed his readiness to give 4,000 sq ft to run the school at Palghar-Manor on the putskirts of Mumbai, that too on a lease of just Rs. 10/-

He has also promised to fulfill all the requirements by October 2018.

It is the stepping stone towards realising dream and I have no words to express my appreciation to the encouragement that I received from PRCI-YCC.

With your and PRCI’s blessings, I am sure, we will succeed in providing basic, quality education to the children of migrant labour.

Thank You So Much Sir

Regards

NITIGNYA WAGHELA

Yess, we voted!

Snapshots of PRCI fraternity which celebrated democracy by voting in Bangalore today. 

PRCI firmly believes that Communication and Democracy go together.

#Go4it-swachha bharat summer prog. Chk-https://sbsi.mygov.in/

·        Registrations close on May 15; Internship offers 100 hours of Swachhata

MUMBAI: Continuing its social communication endeavour,  Public Relations Council of India (PRCI) has drawn the attention of universities and colleges to the unique Swachh Bharat Summer Internship (SBSI) launched by the centre and requested them to take full advantage of the programme.

The Ministry of Human Resource Development in association with the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation has launched the 'Swachh Bharat Summer Internship – 100 Hours of Swachhata' - following the Prime Minister's clarion call on 2nd October 2014 for each individual to devote at least 100 hours to Swachhata through the year.

The programme aims to develop the skill and orientation of youth for sanitation related work, bring youth across the country an opportunity to make a significant contribution to the swachhata revolution and integrate youth in the community service in rural areas in the run up to the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

Registrations for the SBSI are open till May 15, 2018 and the education institutions can log into https://sbsi.mygov.in/ for details and quick enrolment.

PRCI, which runs Young Communicators Clubs (YCC) at various universities and colleges teaching mass communication requested the students and the teachers to spread the good word about SBSI and  make best use of the summer vacation with a social communication message: #Go4it-swachha bharat summer prog. Ckk-https://sbsi.mygov.in/

The Internship entails at least 100 hour of Swachata related activities in rural areas  and students enrolled in Colleges/ Universities are eligible for it. Candidates may participate individually or in teams.

Candidates will have to devote at least 100 hours conducting Swachhata-related activities in rural areas selected by them and approved by the parent institution.

As regards the rewards, the government says all participants will be given a Swachh Bharat Internship Certificate on completion of their internship and its approval by the parent institution. In addition, two curriculum credits will be given to interns whose internship reports are found eligible to get credits by parent institution.

In addition to certificates, the programme offers cash awards of University Level: Rs 30,000, Rs 20,000, Rs 10,000 at the University level, Rs 50,000, Rs 30,000 and Rs 20,000 at the State level and Rs 2 lakh, 1 lakh, Rs 50,000 at the national level.

Full marks to the HRD ministry for initiating this unique programme aimed at channelizing the youth power into a constructive activity, PRCI said.

Re-branded FB page ‘Boom City Doom City’ to focus on community message

Rebranded FB page ‘Boom City Doom City’ to focus on community message

Destruction of hills of Navi Mumbai can be seen
from a distance of at least 5 KM.

MUMBAI, May 9, 2018: Aiming to maintain a sustained campaign, a group of social communication experts have rebranded their Facebook page ‘Save Nature Save City’  as Boom City Doom City.

This part of the #BoomCityDoomCity drive launched on the Earth Day.

 “Mumbai and its surroundings will face a terrible environmental disaster if the all round wanton destruction continues,” said Nandakumar Pawar, director of NGO Shri Ekavira Aai Pratishthan (SEAP), speaking at the seminar powered by communication professionals’ body Public relations Council of India (PRCI).

The Parsik Hill range in Navi Mumbai has already suffered an irreparable damage due to reckless quarrying with some hills facing the danger of extinction. The forest quarrying has been stopped department is on record complaining against massive violation of quarrying norms by unscrupulous operators in CIDCO area of Navi Mumbai. As much as 264.1 hectares has been mined against the permissible area of 138.07 hectares, the deputy conservator of forests, Thane, said during a recent meeting of te district level environment assessment authority.

The Authority has ordered a joint study by forest department and CIDCO while according a conditional clearance to private company for mining the hills in two hectares at Borivali village in Navi Mumbai even as a group of residents protested against quarrying of Parsik Hills in another area, Kharghar.

 “We are aware that stone chips are needed for infrastructure. We are not against development, but our concern is it should not happen at the cost environment damage,” said B N Kumar, Chairman of governing council of PRCI said.

Turning to the island City’s mangrove crisis, he said the authorities ought to have planted over 93,000 saplings over 21 acres in Manori. Sadly, just about 20% of these barely survived. At Charkop, the situation is even worse. Of the 86,400 saplings hardly 5% survived.

Pawar claimed that the authorities manage to get reprieve at courts by saying that they will replant to make up for the mangroves destroyed due infrastructure development. In reality, they manage to mislead the judiciary as mangroves are supposed to grow naturally and they are not replanted.

“I am a fisherman by birth and I know the importance of mangroves,” he said and remarked: “Sadly these officers are either unaware of the basic facts or deliberately ignore the environmental care,” he remarked. Mangroves survive only in mudflaps and where there are ideal conditions to grow and not in rocky area. “This is commonsense,” he remarked.

These and all other environmental issues confronting our cities will be tackled comprehensively through our rebranded page: Boom City – Doom City, said Kumar.

“We will also deal with urbanization that is impacting the environment across the country, and even the world,” he added.

Fake News - Victim Democracy

To mark World Press Freedom Day (3 May), Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is launching a TV spot entitled “FightFakeNews”, because combatting disinformation is now one of the biggest challenges for journalism’s defenders. It compares the harm to humans caused by counterfeit industrial or pharmaceutical products with the political harm resulting from counterfeit news and information.

We support this cause as it impacts you and me.
- Editor, PRapport

PR is all about democracy - What do despots know about two-way communication?

A thought provoking analysis of importance of two-way communication

By Geetha Shankar

(National Chairperson, Young Communicators Club)

An old theme indeed- strengthening Democracy through PR

It would be too rudimentary to define Democracy and PR. We all have gone beyond this.

Traditional power structures and Traditional hierarchies are disrupting, Control and power are moving from Institutions to Individuals. Every Individual has started recognizing his voice. We need not be a celebrity/ CEO/Politician to make others hear our voice. Anyone with an access to the social Media can become powerful and can be heard.

PR Professionals are still dubbed as “suited booted and pink shirt sporting party lovers,”  According to my friend B.N Kumar Governing Council Chairman PRCI.

PR Pros will need a Broad Skill set. We need to be good at writing, event planning and maintaining relationships to be successful in PR.

A strong PR –involves two-way communication – This is of paramount importance

Be a good listener: To be a good communicator, it is important to listen to others.

Act on suggestions: Mere listening is not good enough. We must act on suggestions and be seen as respecting others’ opinion.

Democracy goes by majority: Yes, we should always take into account the majority view. But if you are a good communicator and convinced that your view is correct, you can argue it out with adequate reasoning and win your way. The other side appreciates it.

Review: How many of us take criticism in the right spirit?

In fact, brushing aside criticism leaves a bad taste and the after effects are worse than that of a nuclear war!  They will lead to attrition, absence of team spirit and ultimately decaying of an organization, a party and of course our home lives.

Communicate authentically- spoken and written.

Build Trust, Lead with your Mind and Heart.

Take people along with you. You have to inspire your team  and not command.

Empower them to take decisions.

Practice Grammatical writing, Start writing in blogs. Lead a disciplined life.

Communication world is the most dynamic Industries in India .

Communication has become personalized and there is a steady drive towards greater “transparency, rationality and purposefulness with evidence based outcomes”.

We at PRCI firmly believe and adhere to democratic communication which why we are now growing not only as a national body, but a global platform. We just floated WCC – World Communicators’ Council.

PR Pros will need to Be Prepared for Real Time: We hardly have minutes, to prepare and respond. Instant responses are the order of the day and we have to live up to our clients expectations. There is too much of public  and Media gaze. Expectation level has sky rocketed. We as communication professionals have to be more strategic and . standards of corporate governance have to be followed.

Also need to be a whiz at social media, content marketing and content strategy. The once fine line between earned and owned media has blurred, so you should get better at combining these with paid media for the ultimate campaign.

 

All round praise for PRCI house journal CHANAKYA at PR event

The VUCA syndrome according to Dr Pragnya Ram, Group Exe President- Corp com and CSR– which is  Volatile, unpredictable, complex and ambiguous in the Crisis era has to be tackled proactively. And it’s a great learning says she. Companies need to guard their reputations constantly. Viral videos can damage brands. So speed is the essence and communication has to be hyper transparent.

For PR PROFESSIONALS the challenge lies in dealing every day with data explosions and digital influencers.

The relationship between PR and Media in a democratic set up is still evolving and PR  Industry is still struggling to find identity for themselves with the     Media.

The Media Revolution in a democratic country like India to a great extent has brought integration and disintegration of norms in the Indian culture especially in the social structures, communication patterns, value systems and in thinking patterns too.

 India as a Democratic country is facing huge cultural shocks and our inability to cope up with the present so called ‘chaotic young generation’ has resulted in pointing fingers towards the Media found responsible for triggering the turmoil.

Most of us accept what the media tells us through the news, entertainment etc. and we also tend to believe the Medias code of depiction in terms of different aspects of culture like dress, festivals, behavior etc. 

The solution lies in being a Media Literate Consumer.

Which means… 

1. We must be knowledgeable about the influences that guide media organizations

2. Need to be sensitive to ways of seeing the media content as a means of learning about our culture.

3. Sensitive to ethical dimensions of media activities.

Media Literacy Tools have to be used by PR professionals to explore the messages sent across and ask questions. Only then can we be the watch dog of the Media and see that our culture is intact.  So we have to consider

a.       Authorship-–who created the message and why are they sending it. Don’t simply hear, read and accept. Explore and try to think why certain choices were made.

b.      Evaluating the audience- who are the target audience for the materials and how different people would understand the materials similarly and differently.

c.        And analyse the content-what are the values, life styles, represented or omitted

d.      Find out the creative techniques which are used to attract attention-like images, words, music, camera angles, shots etc.  This will enhance our involvement and appreciation or non-appreciation of factors which would make our interaction with the media more interesting.

We have a major role to play. Can we become more aware and responsible and understand the media’s role in our day to day lives by applying our critical thinking ability? We must constantly be reminded that culture is our savior. We have to be far more interested in our own cultural values and more interested in our roots.  We need to be proud of our heritage.

I quote Sheryl Sandberg who had written about her mentor who said

‘Our career is no more a ladder. It’s a Jungle gym. You stretch, climb, go up, down, go sideways’

Absolutely true.. We need to move away from Calf paths. This can help us to move from our comfort Zone. Life begins at the end of Comfort Zone. How do we do this?

One is Net working. I quote.  Get on a Rocket ship and if you are offered a seat.. Do not ask which seat, Just Board. So keep building your net work,   I am influenced to a great deal by these words: Don’t search for jobs. Search for Networking.

There is no trivial work or huge work.

Can we dear friends join together to strengthen Democracy through our PR? (Based on Geetha’s delivered this speech at a PR conference on Strengthening Democracy – Role of PR at Bhubaneshwar on April 21, 2018)

The media coverage

#BoomCityDoomCity - Plea to sign Change.Org petition to Maharashtra Govt

Please sign this petition.
https://www.change.org/p/boomcitydoomcity-save-mumbai-from-environmental-disaster?recruiter=29763990&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_campaign=share_petition.

Backdrop:

Planted mangrove saplings disappeared!

#BoomCityDoomCity Campaign for Earth Day

·        Social Communication drive to focus on impending disasters

·        Environmentalists, communication professionals come together

MUMBAI, April 20, 2018 Raising an alarm over the all round environmental dangers being faced by the city, a group of concerned citizens have joined a social communication campaign called #BoomCityDoomCity on the eve of the Earth Day.

Participating in a media seminar at Mumbai Press Club, the group of environmentalists and communication professionals sought to shake the conscience of the people and the powers that be to the stark reality – plundering of the hills under the garb of quarrying, large scale destruction of mangroves and grab of wetlands.

“Mumbai and its surroundings will face a terrible environmental disaster if the all round wanton destruction continues,” said Nandakumar Pawar, director of NGO Shri Ekavira Aai Pratishthan (SEAP), speaking at the seminar powered by communication professionals’ body Public relations Council of India (PRCI).

The Parsik Hill range in Navi Mumbai has already suffered an irreparable damage due to reckless quarrying with some hills facing the danger of extinction. The forest quarrying has been stopped department is on record complaining against massive violation of quarrying norms by unscrupulous operators in CIDCO area of Navi Mumbai. As much as 264.1 hectares has been mined against the permissible area of 138.07 hectares, the deputy conservator of forests, Thane, said during a recent meeting of te district level environment assessment authority.

The Authority has ordered a joint study by forest department and CIDCO while according a conditional clearance to private company for mining the hills in two hectares at Borivali village in Navi Mumbai even as a group of residents protested against quarrying of Parsik Hills in another area, Kharghar.

In yet another case, in Uran large-scale quarrying has been destroying the hills, apart from causing huge dust pollution.

“We are aware that stone chips are needed for infrastructure. We are not against development, but our concern is it should not happen at the cost environment damage,” said B N Kumar, Chairman of governing council of PRCI said.

Pawar said he recently drew the attention of CIDCO and forest officials to the fact that mangroves are being destroyed by dumping tones of debris. Large chunks of wetlands are also being reclaimed illegally in Uran area, he said.

Turning to the island City’s mangrove crisis, he said the authorities ought to have planted over 93,000 saplings over 21 acres in Manori. Sadly, just about 20% of these barely survived. At Charkop, the situation is even worse. Of the 86,400 saplings hardly 5% survived.

Pawar claimed that the authorities manage to get reprieve at courts by saying that they will replant to make up for the mangroves destroyed due infrastructure development. In reality, they manage to mislead the judiciary as mangroves are supposed to grow naturally and they are not replanted.

“I am a fisherman by birth and I know the importance of mangroves,” he said and remarked: “Sadly these officers are either unaware of the basic facts or deliberately ignore the environmental care,” he remarked. Mangroves survive only in mudflaps and where there are ideal conditions to grow and not in rocky area. “This is commonsense,” he remarked.

Referring to quarry permission with conditions such as maintenance of green belt, prevention of dust and particle pollution and conducting of lung functional tests of workers, he said: “it is anybody’s guess as to what extent these will be complied with.”

“You do not need expert committees to study the ground realities of these areas,” he said and explained: “A visit to Charkop or Manori will show you the mangrove tragedy, a drive on Sion-Panvel highway between Turbhe and Belapur is good enough to see the plundering of the hills on the left side, behind the Thane- Belapur industrial belt and come to Uran and we will show you the destruction of the nature in broad daylight.”

Adv Girish Raut of NGO Save Earth said as it is thousands of mangroves have destroyed for development in BKC and other parts of the city. Globally, several warnings have been issued against the dangers of global warming which is irreversible. Yet the urban planners do not seem to realize the perils of destruction of the nature.

Mr Himanshu Prem Joshi under whose leadership a vast green belt has been developed on a garbage dump, said it is the duty of each and every citizen to be alert against the destruction of nature and the need to preserve it. “The Bhavana Nature and Adventure Centre project at Andheri is a shining example of preserving the nature,” he said.

The speakers pointed out that the Girgaum Chowpatty floods and Mitthi River tragedy are still fresh in the people’s memory and  we are yet to learn the lesson that we are not supposed to play with the nature.”

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