Organic Farmers' Market evokes good response

Delhiites turned up in large numbers at an Organic Farmers' Market here today and learnt about growing organic vegetables on rooftops and tips on how to find healthy and safe foods in the market.
The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), which organised the event, said it plans to hold similar programmes to increase the interface between organic food growers and consumers, said Sunita Narain, CSE Director General.
The Market was held at two levels -- one for talks and demonstration and another for stalls selling a wide range of organic food items.
"What distinguished the Organic Farmers' Market was the emphasis on gaining knowledge. While a large number of people spent time at the stalls learning new skills, talks were delivered and demonstrations made amid full house," said Ranjita Menon, CSE Director for Environment Education.

CSE said that one of the stalls which got overwhelming response was that of 'Edible Routes', a unique enterprise run by Kapil Mandawewala and his team on how to grow organic vegetables on rooftops and limited spaces people have in the national capital.
Delivering a talk on diet, nutritionist Ishi Khosla said a simple method could be used to ensure one eats the right ingredients. If one divides the plate in two halves, one half should consist of only fruits and vegetables, she said.

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Noting that C&D waste is one of the main contributors to dust pollution in cities like Delhi, CSE said the problem is only expected to grow as two-thirds of the buildings that India will have in 2030 are yet to be built.

The environmental cost will only get compounded with the anticipated construction boom unless immediate steps are taken to recycle and reuse construction waste.
CSE said it has found that the total C&D waste generated by buildings alone in 2013 would have been close to 531 million tonnes, about 50 times higher than the official estimate.
"If C&D waste generated by infrastructure projects like roads, dams, etc. Is also added, India is already drowning in its C&D waste," the green body said.
It called for the notification of a draft Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) code for legalising the use of recycled material and also recommended that all cities frame a C&D policy and set up recycling facilities to promote efficient construction waste management practices.

"Make all developers liable and accountable. Create a clear mechanism for stringent and scaled-up implementation in cities for improved collection, segregation and handling of waste (along with) penalty for littering, lower taxes on recycled products and public awareness.
"Make developers responsible and accountable for good construction practices, on-site segregation of waste, reuse and disposal and impose waste tax to minimise waste generation," CSE said, adding that the Delhi government has issued an advisory on the use of products made out of recycled waste by the Public Works Department.
CSE said that C&D waste had so far found only a brief mention in Schedule-III of the rules for separate collection in the Municipal Solid Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000, which was "extremely inadequate".