Finland helps Afghanistan build better sanitation

Ministry for Foreign Affairs  16.5.2019 8.30 
NEWS ITEM

Unicef’s Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene programme (WASH) has improved the quality of drinking water, sanitation and hygiene for hundreds of thousands of people in Afghanistan. Between 2017 and 2018, Finland contributed EUR 2 million to the programme.

In 2018, Unicef’s WASH programme in Afghanistan had a budget of USD 20 million. The majority of the funding from Finland, USD 1.6 million, was allocated to improving sanitation.

Approximately 15,000 students gained access to the water and sanitation improvements carried out in schools in 2018. Photo: Unicef Afghanistan

Two-thirds of the budget was spent on development projects and the remaining third on humanitarian work. Last year, 1.9 million people received humanitarian aid through the WASH programme. The large share of the humanitarian aid was explained by the severe drought that affected Afghanistan last year. None of the Finnish funding was spent on humanitarian aid.

Fighting polio with clean water

Diseases caused by contaminated water are the second most common cause of death for children under the age of five in Afghanistan. The lack of safe drinking water and sanitation combined with poor hygiene also help spread polio.

Dozens of polio viruses have been found in the slums around Kandahar, and Helmand province is also an area where polio is considered high risk.

In rural areas, one in five people do not have sanitation. For this reason, organic waste accumulates in their living environment and contaminates soil and water.

Nearly 200,000 people benefited from improved water supply in rural areas. The preferred technological solutions included solar-powered and gravity-fed pumps, taking advantage of the elevation differences in mountainous regions. The share of these new technologies increased to 81 per cent of all technological solutions used, significantly reducing the number of hand pumps.

Slightly over 20 per cent of the funding allocated to development aid was spent on sanitation improvements, with 526,000 beneficiaries. The programme’s aim is to meet the needs of the entire population by 2025.

Attending school during menstruation

Approximately 15,000 students gained access to the water and sanitation improvements carried out in schools last year. However, less than a third of them were girls. The new recommendations for helping girls stay at school during periods were therefore a significant achievement. The message “My menstruation should not be a barrier for my education” reached 315,000 girls and 840 female teachers in 22 provinces.

Some of the programme funds were allocated to water and sanitation rehabilitation and capacity building in health centres. Approximately 51,500 students and 1,100 teachers benefited from these hygiene improvements. Depending on the programme area, the project partners included three ministries: Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Public Health. Civil society organisations played a major role in implementing the improvements.

Implementation of Unicef’s WASH programme was possible in nearly all of the provinces, including those under Taliban’s influence.

In Afghanistan, the El Niño weather phenomenon brings exceptionally heavy snowfall, which in turn causes severe flooding in spring. For this reason, the share of humanitarian aid in the WASH programme may remain high in the coming years, which may undermine the results in the other programme areas.

Niko Heimola

The writer works at the Department for the Americas and Asia as the official responsible for development cooperation in Afghanistan. The figures are based on the Annual Report presented to the organisations funding Unicef’s WASH programme.

Smart Meters – 60% Fast, No Consumer Friendly Feature

May15, 2019 (C) Ravinder Singh ravindersinvent@gmail.com

Er. Anjli Chandra, PSERC, Chandigarh led Government side, BRPLled private power sector and I mainly represented All Consumer side at an event on Smart Metering. 

The event was about Installing 30 Cr Smart Energy Meters including BPL consumers who consume 1 or 2 units a day. Capital and O&M cost was not disclosed – Could be Rs.80,000 Cr to Rs.1,50,000 Cr plus Rs.50,000 Cr Annual O&M, SIM Cards & Data. 

Since 2003 – BRPL, BYPL & NDPL in Delhi had installed ‘Software Operated Smart Consumer Meters – almost 100% - Over 5 Million Today in Delhi’ but in Supreme Court and dealing with Regulators & Government claim them to be ‘Electronics Meters.’ All their Consumer Friendly features were DISABLED. For BRPL+ these were 100% SMART it can Download all the OPERATING DATA – for Consumers as Good as E-M Meter.

Since 1974 or last 45 years this WIPO awarded inventor wanted Indian companies to be World Leaders and has Offered Technologies to Birla, Tata and Ambani and all others but Industry preferred Financial Manipulation as means to earn profits than Customer Services, and Efficient Technologies.

RIL was told in 2011 ‘You Have So Much Money – Can Promote 100,000 Technologies and be World’s First $1000b Company’. RILengaged Mashelkar who filed BOGUS Patent and Fake Research – soon over 50,000 IDEAS or So Applied to PARTNER with RIL – after 2-3 years it all COLLAPSED.

Reliance Power Shares in last 5 yrs peaked at Rs.108.95 today trades at Rs.5.74, figures for Tata Power are Rs.111.20 & Rs.61.35 and Adani Power are Rs.55.55 and Rs.38.70.

Reliance Power IPO price was Rs.430 – currently trading at just over 1% of IPO Price.

1.     SMART METERING was introduced immediately after MANAGEMENT TAKEOVER by two old Mumbai Power Distribution companies – BSES and Tata Power in July2002 itself, when Electro-Mechanical Meters recording Low Consumption were‘TESTED By ACCUCHEK METER [5 Decimal Accuracy] ON SITE’ – in 5 minutes. Slow by even 1% were replaced immediately – 17% Fast were last to be replaced.

2.     SMART METERS were introduced since 2003 as 2nd or 3rd Meter, [Checked EM Meter, Electronic Meter and SMART METER] within Two years BRPL, BYPL and NDPL had introduced near 100% - but Large Percent 46% of Distribution Transformers had no Meter – Smart or Electronic even 5-6 years after July2002 Takeover. EVEN TODAY Smart Meters are MISSING in Distribution Transformers – BRPL+ get no Information about Distribution Transformers OVERLOADS & TRIPPING – many times for hours.

3.     When I led CAMPAIGN against FAST METERS for six months across Delhi – found None of the Consumer Friendly Feature was OPERATING – Decimal Points for Energy, Live Load in Watts, Max & Min VOLTAGE, Current & Power Factor, Frequency, Daily Energy Consumption, Power Cuts and Duration were not available. Live Load in Watts was introduced after years of Struggle.

4.     2003 – SPOT READING, BILLING & COLLECTION was introduced in Andhra Pradesh, reducing MANY ACTIVITIES & CUT COST and Avoided 4P Printing of Bills.

5.     In 2003 itself – Second Display of Smart Meters in Living Room of Consumers was available but not Offered to ALERT Consumers about CONNECTED LOAD.

6.     In 2005 I Petitioned BRPL+ to provide ‘Annual Analysis of Consumer Consumption’, units Billed, Payments Made or Pending, Peak Load, Minimum Load on Monthly basis, Power Cuts in Numbers and Total Duration.

Consumer MISTRUST or CHEATING – Poor Quality of Service

Reliance Power executive blame Consumers for Their MISTRUST of Smart Meters, which they had already INSTALLED as Electronic Meters – These Meters RUN Fast, 60% Fast.

Reliance Power executive further alleged that My Testing of Meters was for 100W Lamp – It was PHILIPS Lamp tested to be consuming 100W at 230V.

RWA were advised in 2005 to use LAMP TEST by Switching Of All Connected Load – engaging LINEMAN – Heavy Load required CONNECTING between Meter and MCB – Violated Supply Conditions -  BRPL could register THEFT CASE.

It was also ALLEGED that Consumers with Sanctioned Load of 1-2 KW Run Air-conditioners – actually BRPL Connected Load yesterday was 12,000+ MW, Peak Demand was 2321 MW and Minimum Load was 1345 MW.

Amazon Smart-TV installation team was ready before Delivery – but BRPL is Different.

When there is HT Cable Breakdown – Consumers of the HT Feeder suffer Frequent Breakdown of power. After some days CABLE FAULT Location is identified, Another Team comes next day for Digging, another day CABLE JOINTER Team comes to JOIN The Cable, another day a team comes to Restore the Dug Up area.  

When an OLD TRANFORMER develops some Problem – Consumers face frequent Disruptions – A STANDBY Transformer taken from JUNK YARD is Brought and Connected – Transformer in Use is Sent for REPAIR – another day Brought back and Re-Installed.

In Conclusion it was ADMITTED – BRPL+ failed to EDUCATE CONSUMERS ABOUT DEMAND SIDE MANAGEMENT POSSIBLE WITH SMART METERS SINCE 2003. Reason All initially and Many Consumer FRIENDLY were Disabled, in 2003 – Second Meter Display could have been provided in Living Rooms like Wall Clock – reminding consumers all the time about Connected Load.

Ø We could have TOLD Consumers to Avoid or Delay switching on Air Conditioners, Geysers, Booster Pumps, Washing Machines when FREQUENCY of power supply is 49.9 per second or less prefer when 50.1 or more, but feature was DISABLED.  

Ø We could have PARTNERED with 1% Largest Consumers who have GENERATORS for Load Management than affecting 100% Consumers.  

INVENTING INDIA THINK TANK - INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES & PROJECTS

Innovative Energy, Power, Transport, Water, Smart Cities, Manufacturing, IT, Agro Projects & Technologies 

Y-77, Hauz Khas, New, Delhi-110016, India. Ph: 8826415770, 9871056471, 9871711430

11 years old Slum Kid from Mumbai, Sunny Pawar of “Lion” fame wins the “Best Child Actor” award for “Chippa” at the prestigious 19th New York Indian Film Festival 2019”

 

Please do find herein a Note on “Sunny Pawar of Lion fame wins the “Best Child Actor” award for “Chippa” at the prestigious 19^th New York Indian Film Festival 2019”

 

 

Also Please find below a high resolution photograph of film’s poster

 

http://www.ultraindia.com/files/chippa-poster.jpg

 

Please do find below the link of the trailer of the film  ;

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHkw1dSElL4            

       

Would appreciate if you can carry a brief on the same.

 

For further Information, I can be contacted on 9820310487

 

Thanking You

 

Vivek Kotian

 

 

11 years old  slum kid from Mumbai, Sunny Pawar of “Lion” fame wins the “Best Child Actor” award for “Chippa” at the prestigious 19^th New York Indian Film Festival 2019”

• Sunny was chosen the final winner for this category amongst the 4 other nominees who acted in different films of various Indian languages showcased at the festival
• After its premiere in MAMI 2018, along with NYIFF, Chippa was also screened at various International film festivals like: Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles, Mipcom & others
• Written and directed by Safdar Rahman, Chippa : A coming of age film of a 10 year old boy narrated across a single night features Sunny Pawar as a 10 year old main protagonist
• Sunny’s debut film “Lion” in which he played a child version of Dev Patel was nominated in 6 categories at the 89th Academy Awards in 2017 & has won him International accolades & awards.

Mumbai: Presented by Indian – American Arts Council from 7^th May to 13^th  May. The 19^th NYIFF had the largest number of Hindi & Indian regional language films showcased at the festival.

 

Chippa is a story about the aspirations of a child who lives on the streets, told through a journey he takes into an enchanting world that he creates himself on one wintry night in Kolkata. The film is an endearing & universal homage to the spirit and the timeless stories of children growing up everywhere.

 

In “Lion” Sunny Pawar was also nominated for the Critics Choice Awards in the “Best Young Performer” Category, “Best Actor” by AACTA Awards, “Special Mention Grand Jury Prize” at Asia Pacific Screen Awards and a nomination for the “Young Artist Award”.

 

Chippa is a heart-warming story of a boy, who on the eve of his tenth birthday receives a letter from his long-absent father. He then decides to leave his pavement abode to find out more. The film spans the length of the single night which tracks the fantastical & eventful journey which Chippa takes to discover the connections to his father.

 

The film has a supporting cast of Chandan Roy Sanyal, Masood Akhtar, Sumeet Thakur & Mala Mukherjee in pivotal roles & is produced by Ultra Media, Travelling Light & Victory Media. The film also will be screened in various film festivals globally.