August - 2009
Dear Nature Lovers,

All know that our earth have very limited resources. Soil is one of the most important natural resource that we are losing day by day…
Lets put it to wise uses & restore its fertility for better future !

Regards,
Ketaki & Manasi.
Soil conservation…
Soil… it is composed of broken rock particles formed due to chemical & environmental processes like weathering & erosion… it is a mix of minerals & organic components in solid, gaseous & aqueous state.
Majority of soil is produced in specific set of atmospheric & environmental conditions like in Western Ghats in southern India where conditions like high rainfall, variation in temperatures, etc exist, this narrow belt can be termed as ‘soil producing zone’… while other areas like plains, oceans get transported soil, rich in organic matter… the rate of soil erosion should be similar to rate of soil production for healthy nature… by an estimation, it takes more than 500 years to generate an inch of soil layer… so valuable is the resource.
Man have been modifying soil for various purposes from ancient time… for cultivation, house construction, making bricks, etc. Until the population was less, resources were sufficient & in healthy state. With increase in population & change in life style, soil quality, fertility have lowered. Major causes of soil degradation are infrastructure (roads, townships, industries) development on fertile agricultural land, roads / township / farmhouse development on hills, chemical based farming, fire, dams, over irrigation, etc. Even gardening activity in cities put pressure on soil in hilly areas, as loads of red soil is brought from high rainfall zones like Mulshi, Satara, Mahabalewhar, making these sensitive zones denuded & prone to erosion.
We must stop these anti-environment activities even for human health. We do have solutions… making bunds for arresting soil, adding organic matter, preventing yearly fires, maintaining vegetation cover on soil, using fly ash for making bricks, etc.
We can easily do this,

     - Do not use red soil for gardening
     - Generate your own soil for use
     - Use kitchen & garden waste to enrich soil
     - Save every particle of soil while excavation, road / building construction, gardening, etc.

Nature have been creating this resource for thousands of years & it takes a day for an earth moving machine of JCB to destroy this rich top soil layer putting it down the drain. Lets know the worth of resources & landscapes… lets plan for firm & deeper roots… with enriched soils !

*  Open calendar image by clicking on thumbnail, save it to computer and set it as desktop background for your computer monitor.

* Eco-friendly Ganesh idols: To offer a natural alternative to Plaster of Paris and chemical paints, eCoexist has been reviving the art of idols made in ‘shaadu' – natural clay. We have located sculptors in the village of Pen , Maharashtra and Sirsi, Karnataka to make nearly 300 idols. These are painted using natural pigments only, are completely biodegradable and can be immersed in water at homes easily. They cause no environmental pollution whatsoever. These idols will be available in the cities of Pune, Mumbai and Hyderabad for the year 2009. Follow this link for more details - www.e-coexist.com or write to us for more info.

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