Project Completed Successfully

“Biodiversity Conservation through Enhancing Capacities of Local Communities”

Grant Amount : Rs. 10,00,000

The project is deal with the integrated biodiversity management programme. The emphasis is given to encourage restoration of ecological balance in the selected villages through sustained community action for the development of the potential natural resources in the area. Easy and affordable technological solutions and institutional arrangements. It also incorporates the economic development of the village community through optimum utilization of the natural resources like land, water, vegetation etc. to mitigate the adverse effects of droughts and prevent further ecological degradation and to link the livelihood systems of the local community to the regeneration of the resources also integrate the research activity on various socio-ecological processes for biodiversity conservation.

Contact Details:
Shri Srinivas Mudrakartha, Director
Nehru Foundation for Development, Thaltej Tekra, Ahmedabad - 380 054
Phone no(s): 079 - 685 6220, 685 3849
E-mail: [email protected], www.viksat.org

Ongoing Project

“Transformation of Users of Conventional Water Heaters to Solar Water Heaters”

Grant Amount : Rs. 11,27,000

The project proposed to collect the baseline information about wood fired heaters, study of the use pattern of the resources, fuel consumption, test market for solar water heaters, provide financial support to change over from wood fired heaters, and incremental cost in changing to solar water heaters. The proposal aims at marketing of fifty solar hot water systems to both users of wood fired system and new customers.

Contact Details:
Dr.S.K. Philip, Chief Scientific Officer
Post box no.2, Vallabh Vidyanagar - 388 120, Gujarat
Phone no(s): 02692 - 231 332, 235 011 Fax: 237 982
E-mail: [email protected], www.spreri.org

“Application of Energy Audit and CP tools in Improving Energy Efficiency for Cluster of SSIs and SMEs”

Grant Amount : Rs. 15,00,000

The project intends towards the cleaner production assessment in the energy intensive of dye-stuffs and dye-intermediates in a set of firms based in Naroda Industrial Estate, analyze processes & identify causes for existing levels of energy efficiency vis a vis waste, evolve implementation action stages to improve energy efficiency with reduction in wastes & emissions, using state of art portable instruments to quantify & collect baseline information and interaction amongst the participating units to ensure unit level participation.

Contact Details:
Shri. Shailesh Patwari, Vice-President
Sheth Shantilal Kapashi Hall, 184-A/1, GIDC Estate,
Naroda, Ahmedabad - 382 330
Telefax: 079 - 282 2361, 281 0136
E-mail: [email protected], www.niaindia.com

Grant Amount: Rs.11,04,000

The project aims at creating awareness among local people about harmful effects of invasion of exotic species. Regulation is proposed by demonstrating the methods of removing Prosopis juliflora in certain villages, interactions with the local people and NGOs and with consultation of experts from BNHS (Bombay Natural History Society) and Central Arid Zone to evolve a mechanism to regulate the invasion. The project also proposed to assess the impact of invasion on habitats, generate awareness on local people about the loss of biodiversity and its impact due to invasion by P.Juliflora, develop and recommend mechanism for regulating the invasion by people’s participation and undertake demonstrative implementation of recommendations.

Contact Details:
Dr.Diwakar Sharma, Ecologist & Secretary
Golden Apartment, Subhanpura, Vadodara-390 015, Gujarat
Phone no(s): 0265 - 228 3329/ 41 Fax: 228 4664
E-mail: [email protected]

Grant Amount: Rs.12,28,000

The project intends to build the capacity of the farmers in the field of organic farming and bio manuring. It comprises the preparation of training module for producers; demonstration on some selected farm, pilot testing of training module at field level with respective target groups, and to publish a set of booklets on crop technologies.

Contact Details:
Mr.Kapil Shah
Jatan Trust, Vinoba Ashram, Gotri, Vadodara -21
Phone no(s): 0265 - 237 1429 Fax: 0265 - 237 0463
E-mail: [email protected]

Grant Amount : Rs.10,00,000

The main aim of the project is to bring alive successful experiments in two vital areas of development : women in elected office and watershed management through visual & visually attractive media of television. For this, villages with women Sarpanchs will be identified, a written & audio case history of these women will be prepared that will later be developed into a script. Case studies on the work and experiences of the women as Sarpanchs will be done through meetings and workshops with them. NGOs working in political awareness processes to train or empower women in elected positions will be identified. Successful and unsuccessful efforts at watershed management in Gujarat will also be identified. A script on the basis of material collected will be developed which will be videotaped.

Contact Details:
Dr.Mallika Sarabhai, Director
Usmanpura, Ahmedabad - 380 013, Gujarat
Phone no(s): 079 - 755 1389
Fax: 079 - 755 6669
E-mail: [email protected],  Website: www.Darpana.com

Grant Amount : Rs.14,81,100

This project aims to help people in the rural areas adopt energy saving practices and to suggest alternatives to more eco-friendly and healthier fuels. This would mean less dependence on fossil fuels and other biofuels of energy that have been leading to high levels of indoor air pollution and causing excess pressure on the forests. The energy use pattern in the project area will be documented, energy efficiency status will be identified and, workshops and capacity building programmes for women, school children, youth, farmers, mechanics, and other groups such as the Panchayat Pani Samiti will be conducted. The Saket Group of Industries, an energy auditor and an energy saving company will be mobilized for technical support in the study. People will also be motivated to take up market-based activities. Communication material on the observations made during the course of the project will be developed in the local language.

Contact Details:
Shri R.D. Parmar, Secretary
Saket House, 1, Panchsheel Society, Usmanpura, Ahmedabad - 380 013
Phone no(s): 079 - 755 1931, 755 2873 (O),677 6900 ®
Fax: 079 - 755 0452
E-mail: [email protected]

Sabar Sena (“Water Brigades” on the banks of river Sabarmati, to protect and preserve biodiversity and river based civilization)

Grant Amount: Rs. 13,86,000

Over the past six-eight years, certain changes have been taking place along the banks of the Sabarmati river. The Dharoi dam was built for supplying drinking water to urban areas like Ahmedabad. Later, Jeevantirth, the NGO, proposed instead to lay down a pipeline from Dharoi to Ahmedabad in order to prevent water loss when water is released into the already thin Sabarmati river.
The downstream riparian owners thereby received insufficient water and organized themselves as 'sabar sena' to protect their rights and their ecology. Once again the situation changed. While Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar would receive water from Narmada, the water from the Dharoi dam is being diverted towards the fluoride affected areas of north Gujarat. The downstream riparian owners therefore have to be satisfied with whatever is left in the catchments downstream. Under this background, the NGO proposes to form 'Water Brigades' in 20 villages as a step towards making people face challenges posed by changing ecological situations. These Water Brigades will be entirely taken care of by women. The NGO undertakes to conduct mass awareness campaigns, publish and disseminate educational material, develop working models of different rainwater harvesting structures, expose them to live demonstrations and finally develop a sound and sustainable water policy that is suitable to the local lifestyle and practices of the local people. Through this project the NGO aims to conserve local biodiversity and at the same time reduce the drudgery to the local people when it is a question of natural resource management.

Contact Details:
Raju Deepti
Old Koba Dandhinagar, Ahmedabad - 382 009
Phone no(s): (079) 2327 6236, 9898110897
Fax: (079) - 23276371
E-mail: [email protected]

“Demonstration of energy saving approaches in the Vadodara Municipal Corporation’s (VMC) street-lighting and water pumping facilities”

This project has been undertaken taking into consideration, the fact that energy audits have shown that with good housekeeping and implementation of energy efficient technologies, there can be savings of almost 20-25% in water and waste-water installations and 40% saving in street lighting. This project therefore will demonstrate how energy consumption can be minimized with retrofitting at a well, the cost of which will be recovered within about a year and the same amount can be used to retrofit a sewerage pumping station, a 2km. Stretch of street light and some other facilities. For this, training will be provided to the staff of VMC. Also, under the project, an energy cell in the VMC will be formed to facilitate a single window clearance for the implementation of energy saving techniques. This entire process will be documented for awareness and advocacy purposes.

Contact Details:
Mrs. Ami Ravat
The Ware House, Basement, Santok Chambers, Channi Road,
Vadodara - 390 002 Gujarat
Phone no(s): 0265 - 2792066 (r), 2791208
Fax: 0265 - 2791208
E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]

“Coastal Eco-village Development Programme with Emphasis on Community based Regeneration and Management of Fodder and Fuel”

Grant Amount: Rs.15,00,000

The project is designed to promote an understanding and acceptance of the need to protect, conserve and regenerate alternative indigenous species of fodder & fuel by local communities so as to help realize sustainable effort in the restoration of mangroves, build the asset portfolio of the community for improved mangrove protection & management and to evolve communication package for larger replication of the programme and participate in other forums to influence development plans in Coastal Areas.

Contact Details:
Ms.Ranna Shah, Executive Director
H-003 Samrajya, Opp. Manav Mandir, Off drive-in road,
Memnagar, Ahmedabad - 380 052
Phone no(s):079 - 743 0083 Fax: 079 - 743 4298
E-mail: [email protected]