Citygritty — Pune

Tracking down polluters
It’s convenient to complain about police inefficiency, but how many of us actually get down to doing something instead of just using our big mouths? Nirdhar, an NGO, recently came up with a plan to aid the police with the monumental job of tracking down vehicles that pollute the air. Says Sheela Padmanabhan, chairperson, Nirdhar, “In August this year, we had advertised for volunteers to help track down polluting vehicles. We had 37 then, in September it rose to 68 and this month we have 154 volunteers.”

These volunteers are given a time-table by Nirdhar where they have to put in at least two hours per week. Says Sheela, “This time-table is then given to the PUC department, the traffic police and the RTO.” The police sends a PSI and the PUC department a vehicle on the round. The volunteers then `catch’ the offending vehicle whose pollution levels are checked immediately. If it is beyond the prescribed limit, the PSI fines the owner on the spot in the presence of the volunteer. What better way to clear the air than the do-it-yourself way, right?

Sparklers for you
Diamonds have always been a woman’s best friend and the time to stock up on those sparklers is right now with Diwali and Dhanteras almost here. Bringing a stunning range of designer jewellery for you is Neeta Shajahani of Asthaa-Zevarat. She will be holding an exhibition at her outlet. Crafted in white gold and studded with rubies, emeralds and sapphires, each piece is a woman’s dream. You can take your pick from sleek, elegant pieces with an international Italian look or opt for the more traditional Indian favourites. Light, affordable ones for daily use or heavy stuff for investment purposes — you can indulge your tastes either way and lighten your purse anywhere from Rs 1500 to 15,000 or more. Whatever your choice, one thing is clear, these sparklers with their unique designs are just the thing for the Woman of the Millennium. The three-day exhibition will begin on October 23 at Asthaa-Zevarat at East Street between 10.30 a.m. to 5.30. a.m. So, get set to scintillate the world.

Green message for gold
Marigold garlands, delicious sweetmeats and burning the effigy of Ravan — images of Dussera. Add to that another enduring tradition, that of distributing leaves called sona as they symbolise gold, a mark of respect and mutual regard. But, says K K Girme of Green Tech, an environmental NGO, “As the festival approaches leaves of the bahunia tree or aptyachi pan or sona are indiscriminately plucked. In fact, whole branches of the tree are cut down. This is harmful to the species in particular and to the environment in general. So, we decided to volunteer our services to prune the tree free of cost so that the tree is not unnecessarily harmed.” Distributing saplings of the species free near the Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati mandir on Dussera day is also among the plans drawn up by the NGO.