|
|||||
|
New Delhi is known for 'Places'. Besides the famous Connaught Place, there is Windsor Place, Rajendra Place, Bhikaji Cama Place and so on. Connaught Place fell under the renaming spell not too long ago with names from the Nehru dynasty doing the rounds but the name of India's first Prime Minister was never in the running for the commercial hub of the city is called Nehru Place. Nehru Place suffers from all the ills common to commercial areas in Indian cities: Lack of greenery, pollution, hawkers, littering and the public's scant regard for hygiene. 'Clean' is a word alien to such places and Nehru Place is no exception. Despite the presence of offices of a large number of cash-rich corporates, it undoubtedly ranks among the most polluted zones in the city. What then is 'Nehru Place Greens'? Call it the silver lining behind a literally dark cloud. Initiated by Paharpur Business Centre (PBC) a company that provides executives and business services to multinational companies, Nehru Place Greens is a project that aims to tackle environmental problems, initially in the area around the Centre. Later, they plan to enlist the aid of other corporates and extend the project to the whole of Nehru Place. The first phase of the project is complete with the creation and cleaning of a park, demolition of unauthorised structures, installation of garbage bins, maintenance of seasonal flower beds and planting of trees. To accomplish this goal, the company has employed a team of horticulturists as well as participation by all of PBC's employees in the greening drive. The other activities undertaken include maintenance of roads, shifting of unauthorised hawkers, cleaning of roads, construction of a 'pedestrian only' wall way, regular fumigation drives and regulation of traffic in association with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the Traffic Police. Reads impressively, yes, but how long will one company continue to do this? Kamal Meattle, Director, PBC, is ebullient about the whole project and says that his agenda for the future includes turning the present park into an educational park for children. A popular concept abroad and one that is necessitated by the growing urbaneness in big cities where children do not know what vegetables and tubers really look like. 'The park would provide an opportunity for children to get close to nature and learn," says Meattle. He says that the Greens will also show-case talent where people could gather and enjoy cultural and musical events. Again a 'phoren' idea where one sees live bands performing in parks. With the first event all set to take off. Meattle's Indianised Nehru Place version plans to get the crowds foot-tapping every weekend. The layman might say, better one than none, but the fact is that the whole of Nehru Place becoming a green zone will remain a dream unless a concerted effort is made by all corporates to achieve this. PBC hopes to persuade other corporates to join in the beautification drive so that it becomes a model that other business and residential areas would want to emulate. However, cleaning up Nehru Place is only part of Meattle's obsession with the environment and international standards. All the 27-odd MNCs who have offices in the seven-storeyed PBC building have to adhere to rules such as no consumption of food in the office - if one has to have lunch or snacks, one can go to the dining hall or cafeteria, absolutely no smoking, strict temperature range for air-conditioning, intensity of lighting in accordance with lux-levels to ensure energy conservation. Quite a tall demand for smokers and souls with huge appetites! And yes, for a change, unlike most rules which are meant to be, and are often, violated, these have been successfully implemented. Eco-friendliness is ensured even in what goes out of the business centre. Food waste is converted into manure through vermiculture, water is conserved by having electronic flush system in toilets, waste paper is recycled and reused or sold, all vehicles of PBC are issued Pollution Under Control certificates. PBC buys only eco-friendly products and educates visitors and suppliers on the importance of environment protection. PBC's eco-friendly approach has its roots in associate companies like Standipack which holds worldwide patents for environment friendly flexible packaging for lubricating oils. Perhaps, PBC's strong stand on international environmental safeguards is necessitated by its international clientele as well: Microsoft, World Gold Council, American Express, Sony Pictures, Canon, Star TV and British Telecom are some of the big names. So much concern should not go unnoticed or unrewarded. PBC has rightfully applied for ISO 14001 certification for its Environment Management System and hopes to get it by December this year. The company's motto on environment says: Reduce, Waste not, Want not, Reuse, Recycle. However long PBC sustains its green drive, for the time being, it cannot be labelled with one thing that many organisations in the country can be. People staying in glass houses do not throw stones at others. |
|
________________________________________________________
|