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Post by Deleted on Apr 27, 2013 4:48:05 GMT
I've been wondering how to start these photo essays/reports of my time spent in India. I think the best way is by putting up a map of the route that we took. The map below depicts this and as you can see it's not quite the route I had originally planned. The original route planned is in the thread 'Deyana's India: anyportinastorm.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=india&action=display&thread=6206&page=1I have quite a lot going on in my real life right now, but I will find pockets of time to write this essay, so please do bear with me, as it could take a while! This is the first report. This report is all about the Northern part of the country and my roots. (As the title suggests) hmmm... India. The country that I was born in, but knew very little about, having left at the age of five. It used to conjure up all sorts of images in my mind, and of course I had to go and discover for myself how real those images were. What was the truth and how much of India that the media puts forward is in fact reality. And how much is simply the vision of the author or the director. I didn't go over to India to judge people, that is not for me to do. Or really for any of us to do. In compared to most people there, we live privileged or relatively privileged lives. The old saying "You'll never understand a person until you have walked a mile in their shoes" holds very true in India. Experience has taught me that there are many reasons why people become the way they do, live the way they do, and much of it has to do with the circumstances they are born into. And in developing countries like India, for many there simply are no choices, they survive the best they can with what they have at their disposal. And sometimes that is next to nothing. Having said that, there are also the wealthy and the elite of India, these lucky men and women live in plush surroundings, with all the mod-cons, and seem to aspire to everything Western. Sometimes the contrast between the very rich and the very poor is startling, especially, as often, they live in such close proximity. I'll write this report as I saw it, the good, the bad and the rest of it. I'll let the reader make their own minds up as to whatever conclusion they might come to after all is said and done. Here is the map that highlights the route we took during the ten weeks we spent in India:
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Post by anshjain97 on Apr 27, 2013 13:11:09 GMT
Great to see the report underway!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 27, 2013 16:22:42 GMT
Hi ansh.
Yes, I thought I would make a start. However I am having some issues with photo-bucket codes. I have all the photos that I want to post already uploaded onto photo-bucket, however the codes for them are different on Sunny Daze and on here. The reason being that the new V5 uses different kinds of codes. So I think I might wait until this forum is upgraded to V5 (which should be within the next few days I think?) and then I'll make the photo essay. I don't want to have to use two different kinds of codes, that would take up too much time.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 27, 2013 19:54:55 GMT
Well, (with a bit of help) I managed to figure out a way to post photos on both types of proboards sites!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 27, 2013 19:55:14 GMT
I kept a diary of this trip and I am looking at it now. The first entry is on February 4th - it says "We are in Montreal airport waiting to board our flight to Zurich. It's been trying and long and the journey to India has only just begun. Was brave and used the public toilet today!" Man, reading that back I see how spoiled I sound. The flight(s) to India were a breeze compared to some of the traveling situations we would later find ourselves in. Not to mention having to use some of the grossest toilets I have ever seen. Especially the ones on the trains. My sons and I decided before we left that we would take no more than a backpack each. No siree, We were not going to get laden down with tons of luggage, we'd travel light. Unfortunately by the time I finished packing my backpack it weighed a ton, or seemed like it. But fortunately for me, my boys were kind enough to carry it for me during the times I'd have enough of trying to climb a million steps to get to one train or another. I'd always have a twinge of guilt each time they offered to carry my bag for me. I so wanted to prove to them that I could keep up with two young strapping lads and not complain one single bit about my aching feet or my tired legs or that that my eyes kept falling asleep of their own accord . I wanted to show them I was tough and that I wouldn't be holding them back in no way. After all, wasn't I the one who always flexed my biceps when they were tiny kids and said in the sturdiest voice I could manage; "mommy's tough, mommy's strong". Even when deep down I wasn't feeling strong or tough at all. But I couldn't let them see that. I wanted them to be strong and tough, and I thought by being that way myself it would maybe, somehow, rub off on them. And so this is what they were raised on. Anyhow, the three of us set off on a freezing cold early February morning. (At 3am to be exact.) I would miss the idyllic Canadian country-side but not the snow and cold. (Or so I thought) To the very last minute I kept wondering if I was doing the right thing. 10 weeks in India? Really? This is a country I know hardly anything about? What will I find there? What could I expect? Will I regret this? Will we all get sick and die of some strange topical disease? Will I end up in some weird war like zone or in the middle of terrorist bombings? What am I thinking of dragging my two precious sons with me into such unknown territory? I must be mad. Yes, that's it. It can't be anything else. The small Air Canada 'plane we took to Montreal. I did enjoy flying in this one: And then from Montreal to Switzerland. Zurich airport. There was snow on the ground, but nowhere as much as in Eastern Canada. Where the temperatures had been around -15 to -20 c or so for a while now. The 'plane that would take us to Delhi, India: Swissair and Lufthansa fly daily to Delhi. Many Canadians use them as their second 'plane to India. There are no direct flights from Canada to Delhi.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 27, 2013 20:03:20 GMT
By the way if you want to make a comment or ask something or whatever, please do so!
I don't want to be sitting here talking to myself ;D
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Post by Deleted on Apr 28, 2013 0:27:31 GMT
So finally, on the 6th, (we gained a day), just after Midnight local time, we arrive in Delhi. It was rainy and smoggy and (I was told) cold. To me it felt warm. Well it would do, after coming from am area of sub-zero temperatures. Terminal 4 of Delhi airport is nice. It's clean and carpentered and actually very well organized. Once off the plane we made our way to security, it really didn't take very long, and we had no luggage to collect, as we carried our backpacks with us. Once out into the main area of the airport we were able to exchange some of our Canadian money into Indian Rupees. During this whole trip I would rely on debit cards, they worked well on the whole and were convenient. (But always take more than a few, or at least two). There is no point in trying to deal with banks over in India. All they do is direct you to the nearest ATM. And I would advice that definitely take a credit card too, if all else fails, they will work. Before leaving your country check which bank gives you the best rates for making transactions abroad. I found that I used my ATM card much more often than I thought I would (because most Indian ATM's have a set limit 10,000 rupees per time), and you will be charged by the Indian bank and your local bank back home each time you use the machine. What do Indian rupees look like? colorful. There is also Indian coinage, called pesa. However these are hardly ever used.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 28, 2013 0:28:40 GMT
My nephew was supposed to meet us with a car. Where was he? He was no where to be found. We looked and looked and just became more and more worried. Then I remembered I had his cell phone number. I asked a man who was using a cell phone if I could borrow his for just a minute, he said yes, and he wouldn't let me pay for the call. Anyhow we connected with my nephew, who is just a couple of years older than my son. He had bought a taxi and driver with him, that my mom had been thoughtful enough to supply for us. My mom was in India visiting my sister, who lives in there permanently.
It was still dark outside, but the road out of Delhi was brightly lit up. Up above us the smog could be seen, even in the semi-darkness. It had been raining and the roads were slippery. I saw a few overturned vehicles on the road, not a good sign. And then we could only sit there transfixed as I watched how our driver (as well as everyone else) drove! It was crazy, dangerous driving and I had never seen anything like it before. The roads in the Punjab are terrible, they are broken, bumpy and have no lanes. Drivers drive where they want and constantly blow the horn any time they get near another vehicle.
Half way through this drive we make a sudden stop at the creepiest place I have ever seen. Why have we stopped? A train is coming. We waited and waited and about half an hour later a train past in front of us. Oh great, we can go now. But not so, we waited again for another train. Meanwhile as we wait, someone knocks on the side of my door. It was an old man, he was begging. He had no shoes on, a torn blanket was wrapped around his shoulders to ward off the cold. Where did he live? I looked and saw a wooden shack, but to be honest it was just a few planks of wood put together, he had a skinny dog that followed him around. And that was our first introduction to the many beggars that we would meet during this trip. I couldn't help but think that if that same man was in a Western Country he would be nicely tucked up in at least an elderly peoples home, if not his own place, paid for by social security.
It was morning by the time we arrived at my sisters house. My sister still lives in the same village that I was born in. She never moved away. I had no idea what her house looked like and we could only stare in disbelief at the beautiful house that the car drove into.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 28, 2013 0:29:29 GMT
(tomorrow, will post pics of the village etc. up)
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Post by htmb on Apr 28, 2013 1:15:03 GMT
I'm enjoying your descriptive narrative, Deyana. What a start!
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Post by anshjain97 on Apr 28, 2013 3:44:09 GMT
A promising beginning. As htmb says, nicely descriptive.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 28, 2013 5:25:55 GMT
Totally excellent beginning! You were lucky to have your nephew coming to pick you up, because I have arrived in places like that at midnight, alone and having no idea where I was going. Mad taxis plunging into the night could have just as well be taking me to the middle of nowhere to have my throat cut as taking me to a hotel (where you had to wake up the grumpy personnel).
Little by little, I learned to pack less and less. Now I even plan to buy things at my destination, so I take even fewer items than are necessary for a trip. I love bringing back foreign toothpaste or shampoo from my travels, because it prolongs my whole adventure in my bathroom every morning.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 29, 2013 2:19:57 GMT
Thank you so much for your kind words, htmb, ansh and Kerouac
I hear you, Kerouac, arriving somewhere unfamiliar and not having anyone there you know can be challenging to say the least. I was really grateful we had someone to meet us. I felt we needed to be near family, at least to begin with, to help us get used to being in such unusual circumstances ( for us anyway).
haha... yeah, I did bring home some hotel soap, it's still in the bathroom, just a reminder that we really were actually there!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 29, 2013 3:19:25 GMT
It was great to see my family, especially my sister, whom I hadn't seen in years. She looked almost the same as the last time I saw her! I put it down to good family genes. And my mom was there, which was a nice bonus. The last time I saw my niece she was a baby, now here she was a grown up woman, with a Masters degree under her belt and working as a an accountant. And there was my nephew, an avid cricket player. Many of his trophies were displayed around the house. I wondered if I might see him playing for India one day. The house was of a design that you wouldn't get in Canada, at least I hadn't seen it before. More open plan, made to optimize the breeze to cool the house down. I do remember seeing similar ones in New Mexico some years back. The floors were made of marble, and there were no carpets to be seen. It was huge, with many bedrooms and bathrooms. And best of all it had three levels of rooftops, in case anyone wanted to sit and relax up there. The veranda was really nicely landscaped, back and front of the house, and a huge carport sat to one side, where several cars and motorbikes were parked. Before I go on, I have something to admit. I don't think the photos I took are the greatest, certainly wouldn't win any competitions. I was using my old camera, I bought it several years ago. I found out the day before we left it had a broken battery compartment. My son wired it together best he could with only a few hours to spare before we left home, and that is the camera that nearly all the photos on here were taken with! There are a few with my son's nice camera, but he lost interest in it very quickly, while I carried on clicking away with my little Nikon. The front of the house: A walkway to the back of the house: A view with part of the front garden: And an orange tree in the front garden: Upstairs from the wrap around deck you can wave at the neighbors if so wish: I found that many people do keep dogs. They are pets (of sorts), but mostly they are there to guard the house. German Sheppard's are popular, they are allowed to run around the inside of the walls of house at night time, but are put in this kind of large cage during the day. In the North of India it can and does get cold during December and January, so blankets are put inside and over the cage to ward off the cold. This particular cage to one side of the yard, lays empty, some time in the future it may house a dog. Once on the roof top different kind of birds can be seen. These Rose ringed Parakeets are common to the area: And where best to burn the rubbish - it's a better idea than just throwing it out, as there is no rubbish collection: A generator under the stairs. Electricity still comes and goes in rural areas. But now whenever is goes, this machine powers the essential areas of the house until it comes back on the mains again:
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Post by Deleted on Apr 29, 2013 5:16:26 GMT
Just to give you an idea of the mist that always seemed to be there in the mornings. Here is a photo of a local family riding along in the early morning hours. There are many many motorbikes in India. And whole families can be seen traveling on them, kids and all. We would stay in the village just under a week. I didn't recognize it one bit. The old Village, where I was born was about a mile down the road to the right. My sister's place was situated in what used to be only farmlands. Now it had quite a few large houses dotted around, but with some farmland surrounding them. On the other side of the village, past the tall stone entrance a shopping area had sprung up. Here are a few images I took while walking around: The evening sun: A view from the roof. Someone must live in that hut. Later on my son and I went to explore, but found it empty: Many people and vehicles of one description or another go past in the road in front of the house, some going towards the old village, some going towards the shops and maybe out of town: The shopping area: Behind the shops live this small group of Dalit people - or untouchables - as they used to be known. They are the poorest of the poor, and even though the government has made it illegal to discriminate against them, sadly, it still goes on:
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Post by Deleted on Apr 29, 2013 5:30:42 GMT
I think the house looks great. All though Asia, huge numbers of houses look like that and one of their missions is indeed to keep the air flowing through as much as possible. I think the roofs are considered more as places to hang the laundry. What are the rooms above the carport? Are they for servants or guests? Is there a kitchen garden next to the house? The rather overgrown garden in the picture makes it sort of uncertain... There will have to be rubbish collection sooner or later, after enough people start choking on the smoke -- and buy more things that can't be burned. Even though I loved the aroma of the morning cooking fires in Asia, the acrid reek of the rubbish fires was much less to my liking.
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Post by anshjain97 on Apr 29, 2013 9:45:27 GMT
The house looks nice- there are lots of similar ones in urban areas as well- I'm sure you would have seen them.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 29, 2013 11:15:01 GMT
K, there's a bathroom up on the roof. I have no idea what it's doing there. But I do know that when there are weddings or parties of any kind, the men do end up on the roofs drinking and what have you. Probably not a good place to be when you've had one too many! But that's how it is.
A couple of women come in to clean the house about twice a week, but other than that there are no servants as such. I noticed that the cleaning ladies do stay the whole day when they come over. The kitchen is near the back of the house. Also worth mentioning that all drinking water is filtered, it has to be.
Yeah, I agree, the smell of burning rubbish is off-putting and in many parts of India, including the village, there was a certain lingering smell of sulfur or something.
Ansh, the house is nice isn't it? I did see many similar ones in the urban areas after we left the village.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 29, 2013 15:07:54 GMT
So where's the 'old' village? I thought it was about time I took a walk back into my past. It was, after all only a mile down the road. It's a paved road, littered with rubbish on both sides. On either side are farms that grow sugar cane, cotton, wheat and probably other kinds of produce. *a small rant coming up* - The litter really bothered me. Having lived in Canada for so long now, and being concerned about our environment I could only look in disbelief at how and in the various ways that India is being polluted. It saddens and upsets me that so much damage is being done. In the weeks I spent there I would see many mountains of garbage on sides of roads, in streets, side of buildings, in front of shopping areas, you name it. It's a BIG problem out there. I kept asking myself "why oh why?". It's a simple enough solution, arrange for the pick up garbage, build environmentally friendly sanitation areas, and clean the country up! This would solve so many problems, and not only that but create many jobs. Why is this not being implemented? The other thing that really bothered me was the amount of cow dung on the streets, and in many other areas, again I asked myself "Why let these cows loose everywhere so they can crap any where they want and make it hard to even walk down the street?" I can understand the religious aspects of it (in that cows are considered sacred), but surely they can be sectioned off behind fences? I can just imagine the diseases they must spread. One more thing before I finish. The rivers. The poor rivers have no chance of staying clean and sanitary if sewage, as well as all sorts of garbage is allowed to flow into them. The water comes down fresh from the Mountains up North, it flows into the Ganges river and then the polluting of it begins. I am not ranting on about this for no reason at all, it's just that I know, from talking to various people in India about this problem, that if something is not done soon, there will be dire consequences. Already drinking water is not safe in most areas, but the other thing that has to be looked at is that the tables of water underground are diminishing at an alarming rate. Over irrigation and the fact that India is quickly becoming more and more industrialized is using up precious underground water supplies for that purpose is worrying indeed. India is a hot, arid country, and in some areas the monsoons come only once every two years or so and replacing the underground water supply is simply not possible with the way it is being used at the moment. What will the future bring? At what expense is progress being made? Are they heading towards an environmental disaster? I think lack of money must have something to do with not being able to tackle these problems. But is that is really? I mean India has money enough to send astronauts to the moon, to keep nuclear weapons, to make sure the elite and rich and well connected are kept in the lifestyle they are accustomed to. Isn't it an Indian man who owns the most expensive house in the world? (a one billion dollar home in Mumbai). Doesn't India have a good share of the top Billionaires in the world? Maybe if political and other corruption could be dealt with and a bigger national conscience applied, something could be done. Because the last thing we want to see is a country that is simply not possible to live in anymore. *rant over* Okay, back to the village and my old home. So, we pass this bus stop, here a bus will stop a few times a day, some use to get to the shopping area, some to get to the next bus stop, in order to connect to Barnala, which is a bigger town about half an hours drive away. From Barnala a train or other buses can be caught to get to even bigger cities. A bus also goes to Ludhiana from the shopping area, which is the biggest city in the Punjab and one we will visit on another day. This a way of irrigating the farm. I was told in my grandma's day, it would take cattle and a cart to pull the water out of the deep well. Farming is not an easy profession, so much relies on the water available and the weather. There are years when the weather does not co-operate and farmers loose their crops, and unlike the West, there are no government supplements to help them through a tough patch: A local man and child on a walk: And we got closer: As we enter the village, these neatly placed pates of cow dung are put out in the sun to dry. They will later be used as fuel. I remember as a small child when we had no electricity at all, these being placed under an outside concrete "stove" and our meals being cooked on there. This was and is a very hard way to cook as you can imagine. The smoke gets in the eyes and much damage is done to them in this way. Looking at some people's eyes who are or were used to cooking in this way, you can clearly see the discoloration and damage that has been done. And cows of course. They are used for milk. I see that this practice is slowly being phrased out. And maybe that's a good thing, as many cases of T.B (Tuberculous) have occurred in the past and many deaths have occurred due to this. It's a disease that can be passed on to humans from drinking unpasteurized cows milk. T.B. is a curable disease, but back in the day, rural farmers, who were mostly quite poor, could not afford the medication or doctors fees. And now of course there are new strains of T.B. (even in the West) that medications simply do not work on. I looked and looked but could not locate the old house (The last I saw it was when I visited all those years back.) A woman came along and asked us what we were looking for. I told her who I was and the house that I wanted to locate. She had no idea who I was of course! But she did ask around and found another women who knew my family and knew the exact place I was looking for. So along a few lanes we walked with our new friend to guide us, we got talking and I asked her who she was and where she lived and see what I could discover about this nice lady. She told me she was very poor, and her job was to clean up after some of the other villagers. She bought us to my house (seems so strange saying that!), and I handed her a 100 rupee note and said thank you. I think I have posted this photo before, while I was still in India. Anyhow this is the place. Not the exact house I was born in, that one was torn down years back, and replaced by this one. Now this one is in disrepair as you can see. It needs a lot doing to it. Neighbors came out to see what we were up to. They told me that they remembered me as a small child and also went to school with one or other of my brothers and sisters. It felt like coming home in a strange sort of way. And we go inside: Behind these doors is the bedroom and living room: And another area: It made me feel sad seeing it like this. It held non of the charm and memories that I still have of the happy days I spent here, running wild and free. Feeling safe and happy with my family surrounding me. We are all now scattered in various parts of the world. I missed the swing in the front yard, and the whole layout of how the old house (the one that is now pulled down.) It was a bitter sweet experience.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 29, 2013 17:30:28 GMT
Frankly, this is an absolutely fantastic report so far, Deyana, and I love the way you are allowing us to see your own shock as you discovered certain things.
Even in Paris, I see the trash problem, because my neighbourhood (and even more so, the neighbourhood that starts on the other side of the train tracks), is full of very recent immigrants from Africa and Asia, some of whom have only arrived in recent weeks since the NGO specialised in asylum seekers in only 100 meters from my apartment. They don't seem to know about rubbish bins, even when they are standing next to one. They will drop their wrappers or plastic bottle or apple core at their feet and not worry about it. They must think that it is absolutely magic that it is all picked up or swept away once or twice a day, unlike where they are from. I don't know if this helps them to realise that they much change or if it slows down the process, because all of these cultures function on having people at the bottom of the ladder who do things that nobody else wants to do, and they probably already think that it is wonderful that they are not on the bottom rung. Ironically, a number of them will end up getting jobs with rubbish collection, but they will also feel as though they are earning a fortune.
As for water pollution, that is a whole other level in the 3rd world and is not the responsibility of the individuals but of their governments. I think that India knows what needs to be done and wants to do it, but it is such an incredibly massive job when starting so late -- and also having to work on the corruption before even working on the sanitation.
I don't think your old house looks all that bad. Obviously, it would need to be tidied up, repainted, redecorated, etc., but it looks like a good solid place, unlike the rickety wooden shacks where a lot of people have to live (I should probably say "reed shacks" because in so many places all of the trees were already cut down 500 or more years ago.). Nevertheless, it does seem incredible that you lived there at one time and that there are people who remember your family.
Waiting for more!
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Post by lugg on Apr 29, 2013 18:10:58 GMT
There are many wonderful reports on APIS but this is up there with the many outstanding ones. I really enjoyed reading your commentary and your photos are great too. I am so looking forward to reading more , and thank you for sharing some of your more personal experiences. the only quibble I have is about the cow dung - I quite like the smell. ( However that is in the field not the street and I certainly would not want to step in it in error. )
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Post by bjd on Apr 29, 2013 18:12:16 GMT
I'm glad you were able to start your trip to India with a little peek at your past, Deyana. You can see the distance you have travelled, as has your sister and much of the country. It's always interesting to go and see places where you have an emotional link -- you are both part of it but can see it from the outside too.
The garbage problem you mention was also talked about by OnlyMark and Spindrift in their reports about India.
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Post by bjd on Apr 29, 2013 18:15:16 GMT
I'm glad you were able to start your trip to India with a link to your past, Deyana. You can see how far you have travelled both physically and psychologically.
Does your family in India get upset about the garbage and cows and water shortages, or do they just see them as part of normal life?
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Post by bjd on Apr 29, 2013 18:16:14 GMT
Sorry about that everyone -- am having posting problems and I rewrote the first answer thinking it was lost.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 29, 2013 18:26:20 GMT
The site has the hiccups at the moment -- I think we are all having trouble posting properly today.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 30, 2013 12:44:35 GMT
Thank you for the nice thoughts everyone Kerouac, it's true, how garbage should be dealt with can be very much an educational thing. I know here in Canada kids are taught from day one to care for their environment. There are half days allocated and 'sponsors' (kids) who are in charge of the removal of litter and other such inventive ideas going on. I think my kids were just as disheartened as me with the amount of littering (well, lets face it - more the careless disposal of large amounts of garbage) going on in India. It certainly makes us look at our own surrounding back home here in Canada and thank our lucky stars that we live in such a clean and well organized environment. It was an eye-opener, as were many other things that we discovered and came across in India. I guess being Indian and having an emotional and real connection with India lets me get away with talking frankly about a country that I do hold dear and can only wish the best for. However I have never been one to go around wearing rose-color lenses, and I think it's only fair that I tell it as it really is. I don't think the inquisitive minds on Anyport would want it any other way. Quote from Kerouac: As for water pollution, that is a whole other level in the 3rd world and is not the responsibility of the individuals but of their governments. I think that India knows what needs to be done and wants to do it, but it is such an incredibly massive job when starting so late -- and also having to work on the corruption before even working on the sanitation. Exactly. This is a case of starting at the top and working down. It's plain to see what needs doing. It's the putting it into practice. It MUST be dealt with, as otherwise even more and bigger problems will one day materialize. Environmental problems that will never be able to be reserved. My worry is that this is/has already happened though.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 30, 2013 12:54:14 GMT
lugg, yes, I feel the same way. I live in a farming community here in Canada and the smell of cow dung doesn't bother me at all. As long as I don't have to step in it and look at day after day, I'm fine with it. It's what country life is all about after all. The cows are where they should be, grazing in the fields.
I know in parts of Delhi (and perhaps other major cities), they have started to round up the cows and put them in areas where they are not messing and blocking traffic. But there is still such a long way to go, many parts of the city still have cows wondering around all over the place.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 30, 2013 13:03:35 GMT
bjd, my family in India do worry about the garbage and pollution. But they are lost as to what can be done about it. They themselves burn whatever rubbish they can, they keep their immediate surroundings as clean as possible and have a filtration system for their drinking water.
Obviously laws have to put into place. Travelling to other parts of India, I did notice that littering was made illegal and warnings of fines for littering were displayed. How often these were put into practice I have no idea. And that is another thing, the government can make all sorts of laws, but they are not always (and sometimes never) followed.
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Post by anshjain97 on Apr 30, 2013 14:31:41 GMT
Laws against littering, wherever they exist, are never really implemented. There is sometimes discouragment against littering given in schools etc but it is all weak- and with the environment around with thousands littering, this teaching is overall weak.
Needless to say though, there are of course street cleaners here- but none of those machines which suck up waste.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 30, 2013 16:53:14 GMT
Do you mean in Bangalore, ansh? Maybe in the bigger cities street cleaners work in certain areas? I saw that the area and streets surrounding the Parliament buildings in Bangalore was reasonably clean. Same as it was around the government and some high profile touristy areas in Delhi and other cities. Although even then it's not always the case, it's an uphill struggle.
Where does the garbage that is collected from these areas go? I mean where is it dumped? How is it treated?
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