GreenLife News
Understanding a country means you have to examine a country and feel the pulse of its activists who feel they need to do something but feel powerless. They know they are doing the right thing, but do not feel they can change anything as the cards are stacked against them.
GreenLife has entered Angola and is feeling the pulse of the local population. Here is a small clip of one such organisation Guardians of the Coast -in Benguela Angola.
In a first recorded indication that the tourism sector of boats impact wildlife a Dugong showed up in the central area of Port Blair at the Marina park. the animal was roaming around and it is the first ever recorded Dugong at Marina park in Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Dugong roaming in Marina Park Port Blair.
January 2020 After 15 years and 640 tonnes of plastic recycled, GreenLife Society in Andaman and Nicobar Islands is going out of business and closing down its recycling plant. Ashraf Hanif Managing Director of GreenLife Industries informed the GreenLife Society board “we do not have enough plastics to make a viable business and we cannot carry on making losses”. In normal terms a business not being able to find raw materials would be a disaster to make its business viable. In our opinion its an achievement we rarely ever see.
The reason this came about is because of 15 years of hard campaigning and getting the government to act and make laws regarding the use of plastics.
If you go to Andaman Islands in 2020 you will not see one plastic bag been given to you by a shop keeper it is now illegal. Pet bottles which was our biggest source of plastic to our recycling plant has also been banned, you will only see 2 litre water bottles and Coke and Pepsi are only in tins now. This new instigation is due to our awareness in the islands and the Prime Ministers Swachh Bharat campaign coming together at the right time to defeat this relentless pollution.
Hasmukh Hoslo Jiwa Executive Director explained “GreenLife Society Andaman and Nicobar Islands basic idea was to make this an issue it is not an NGOs work to clean up the waste on islands. I started this in 2005 it was to create an embarrassment to the Port Blair Municipality to show that recycling plastics can be done if they organise themselves. We had never any intentions to continue this work forever. Finally we see they have got the message after a lot of screaming and shouting we are all on the same page I hope our project shows a future for other island communities and countries around the globe:”
The remaining plastics is collected by the municipality and small recycling stations.
We would like to thank the Finnish Embassy for realising this project and initially financing this project after the Tsunami and thank individuals who came along and gave their time and energy in raising funds and awareness.
Joins GreenLife Society to work on conservation of marine environment. Those who have dived for fun all the diving life can join ECO Divers and learn about conservation of the Andaman Marine Species. The set up is quite simple you join as a normal diving trip and ask for the conservation program. We will then fit you into our schedule for a conservation dive.
With continued bad planning by the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Administration GreenLife Society decided to take the initiative and team up with the best scientists and environmental specialist from the prestigious ETH University in Switzerland to develop a concept which benefits both the islanders and tourists in promoting a carbon emission free tourism plan for tourists resorts. GreenLife Society Director discussed with the Gujarat leaders of India the plan to implement not only "Smart Cities" but also "Smart Tourism". After nearly three years of planning the concept and calculations have been finally made and handed over to developers.
In a first for India GreenLife volunteers captured on film two Dugongs mating on Neil Island in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. You can watch the video here:
The Administration of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands has sent GreenLife a letter stating they will provide land and electricity to GreenLife to set up a second recycling unit in Havelock island. The first project was based in the capital Port Blair and has shifted over 400 tonnes of plastic from the islands for recycling to the mainland in 2014. GreenLife will have to raise funds for the clean up of Havelock and setting up a new unit. If you would like to contribute please go to our Take Action page
Here is clip on video and an article in National Geographic the first week our machine arrived. We have become much more efficient as we were overloaded in the first years.
Our first week in full production for recycling plastic
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June 2014
After over a year of preparation the pictures are ready to be viewed (if you happen to be in the Indian Ministry of Finance). Hasmukh Hoslo Jiwa contributed to the wildlife permanent exhibition in the Ministry of Finance.
Bat Fish-Ministry of Finance Exhibition
June 2014
In what is seemed as the first step to stop unnecessary suffering to sharks The Government of India has announced a ban on the finning of sharks in the Indian waters. Anyone caught with only the fins in the fishing boats and not the whole shark will be prosecuted under schedule one laws protecting endangered species.
India lists several of the dozens of shark species in its waters as endangered, including hammerheads, broadfins, Oceanic White Tip, Manta Species whale sharks.
Under the Environment Ministry's new policy, announced Monday, fishermen now found with hauls including detached fins risk up to seven years in prison for hunting an endangered species since identifying species by fins alone is difficult.
This move was spearheaded by the MOEF, Maneka Gandhi, Humane Society, GreenLife Society all provided advice to stop the indiscriminate torture and wasteful disposal of the sharks whole body.
GreenLife Society Executive Director Hasmukh Jiwa stated " This is a very balanced approach to conservation we know the fishermen are earning money from the fins but there is no need for them to throw the shark body into the water and leave it to drown. (sharks drown if they cannot swim). This will allow those fishermen to carry on but not the scale they are used too. We are hoping this will create a relaxation in the numbers caught and allow sharks to breed and increase their numbers."
Here are some articles from international papers:
October 2013
Dugong dugon Principle Investigator for GreenLife Society India- Hasmukh Hoslo Jiwa is selected to represent IUCN Sirenian Group for India. Mr Jiwa is quoted in saying "its quite an honor and quite timely it was 10 years ago I was able to get the Dugong nominated as State Animal for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands I look forward to working with the new group".
