Holiday Homework

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Pondicherry, now known as Puducherry

Government
• Type - Municipal Council
• Body - Pondicherry Municipal Council (PDY)

Area
• Total 19.54 km^2 (7.54 sq mi)

Elevation - 3 m (10 ft)

Population ( acc. to 2011)

• Total - 244,377
• Pop. Density- 13,000/km^2 (32,000/sq mi)

Languages
• Official - Tamil, French

What makes Pondicherry/Puducherry special?

- Often referred to as the 'French Capital of India', Pondicherry is a vibrant city located on the
south-eastern coast of India. Brimming with unspoiled beaches, heritage buildings, French and
Tamil quarters, ancient temples and churches and a colonial ambience, this French Colony has
a plethora of things to do and see.

This neighbourhood has great examples of colonial French architecture.

Puducherry Botanical Gardens is located south of the New Bus Stand.

Sengazhuneer Amman Temple at Veerampattinam village is one of the oldest temples in

Pondicherry. The car festival conducted in mid-August is famous in Puducherry and other
neighbouring states. The festival takes place on the fifth Friday since the commencement of the
Tamil month of 'Aadi' every year from the date immemorial.

Pondicherry is better known for its magnificent churches most of which were built in the 18th
and 19th centuries, such as the grand 300-year-old Immaculate Conception Cathedral, and the
chocolate-coloured Gothic Sacred Heart Basilica, there are also many temples to see. A
number of heritage buildings and monuments are present around the Promenade Beach, such
as the Gandhi statue, French War Memorial, and 19th Century Light House.
Pondicherry is famous for its fusion cuisines born from an amalgamation of French and South
Indian flavours. Its food also blends the best of various other European cuisines.

Conservation Programs?

1. A large aspect of Pondicherry is its flora and fauna. To conserve these lush forests anf
wildlife, multiple programs were initiated
Auroville's afforestation campaign began in the early 1970s. In the next ten years, as part of a
massive soil and water conservation programme, over a million trees - timbers, ornamentals,
fencing, fruit and fodder trees etc.- were planted. As the trees grew, and micro-climates formed,
many species of bird life and animals returned, further accelerating the dissemination of seeds
and enriching the environment.

2. While the sea is a draw for tourists, Pondicherry no longer has the sandy beaches that once
graced its coastline. The breakwater to the harbour and other hard structures constructed on the
shore caused extreme coastal erosion and the sand from Promenade Beach disappeared
entirely. As a result of the city's seawall and groyne construction, the beaches further up the
coast to the north have also been lost.

But recently, the government has been taking steps by constructing a reef and re-dosing sand.
The Promenade Beach is one of the cleanest in India and has been selected for Blue Flag
certification.

3. The Pondicherry Heritage Festival, rich with a number of events, aims to create and
strengthen the unique identity and sense of belonging of the people of Puducherry, to showcase
and celebrate the rich and diverse tapestry of Pondicherry’s heritage to visitors and the world,
and to discuss how to preserve the cultural heritage for generations to come,

It is organised by People for Pondicherry’s Heritage, Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural
Heritage (INTACH) and PondyCAN, with the support of the government of Puducherry.
French

Elysia is the name of my smart city. It is the metropolis of the future, smart and connected.
Elysia is a beautiful green city. This intelligent metropolis is being developed thanks to the
combination of ideas and creative forces of the inhabitants of the 23 municipalities. This human
collaboration is at the heart of the Elysia project. Elysia offers multiple benefits such as
Adequate Water Supply, Assured Electricity Supply, Sanitation, Efficient Urban Mobility and
Public Transport. However, it is the availability of affordable housing that make Elysia a top
choice for residence. Lastly, Robust IT connectivity and digitalisation tie all these factors
together to create the perfect paradise. I invite you to visit Elysia and witness it in all its glory.

Elysia est le nom de ma ville intelligente. C'est la métropole du futur, intelligente et connectée.
Elysia est une belle ville verte. Cette métropole intelligente se développe grâce à la conjugaison
des idées et des forces créatrices des habitants des 23 communes. Cette collaboration
humaine est au cœur du projet Elysia. Elysia offre de multiples avantages tels qu'un
approvisionnement en eau adéquat, un approvisionnement en électricité assuré,
l'assainissement, une mobilité urbaine efficace et des transports publics. Cependant, c'est la
disponibilité de logements abordables qui fait d'Elysia un premier choix de résidence. Enfin, la
connectivité informatique robuste et la numérisation associent tous ces facteurs pour créer le
paradis parfait. Je vous invite à visiter Elysia et toute sa splendeur.

Social Science

What is “Jal Kranti Abhiyan’?

Last year, India’s Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation
launched a new program called Jal Kranti Abhiyan (or Water Movement Initiative) to improve
water access to villages across India.

Their main objective is to strengthen grassroots involvement and promote at the village level,
adoption of both traditional and modern knowledge and practices for water resource
conservation. The Indian government has gathered together NGOs, educational institutions,
policymakers and citizens to participate in this initiative in order to raise awareness about the
issue.

How does it work?

They began by selecting two of the most water-scarce villages or jal grams in the majority of
districts in each state in order to implement their pilot programs. These programs are mainly
capacity-building in nature with workshops and seminars to educate communities in addition to
utilization of various forms of print, traditional, and digital media. The Jal Gram program also
looks to select and train two water professionals in each jal gram - a female and a male - to
share knowledge with other villages as well as their fellow community members.
What kind of training?

The training can range from learning how to construct rainwater harvesting structures including
johads and jalkunds (retention ponds), to creating katas (mud dams), and drip irrigation systems
constructed from bamboo and bicycle pumps. These are some traditional water conservation
methods. Modern methods of harvesting and recycling such as Microirrigation, spring
rejuvenation and wastewater recycling have also been cited.

Case Study

Background- The Bharatpur district poses a challenges to human settlement because of

extreme temperature, erratic & deficient rainfall, very deep, scarce and saline water sources.
With highest density of population and prevailing high growth rate of population the per capita
water availability is going to further reduce to alarmingly low levels implying that the challenges
for water sector are much more and severe in the area. It was
decided that one Rain Water Harvesting (RWH) Structure should be established in schools, so
that people may replicate the same for their household purposes. At the same time Schools
(Students) will get safe drinking water for several months. Against the background the RWH
project was initiated with following socio-economic objectives:

1. To create basic infrastructure facilities for the community such as:

o Provision for drinking water
o Building internal roads
o Basic sanitation
o Formal education
o Community centers
o Electrification
o Training cum Production Centers etc.

2. To instill in villagers, especially women, children, youth and older people an urge and
keenness to work for their own development.

Project Methodology/ strategy: Project methodology can be divided into following phases:

1. Awareness Phase

- Demonstration of Rain Water Harvesting Structure in the village.

- Awareness generation among villagers regarding Water Management, Water Harvesting and
value of safe drinking water.
- Awareness creation for school

2. Planning Phase

- Collection of list of villages/schools.

 - Village Level Committee constituted for proper management and future sustainability of
structure so created.
- Awareness creation for school teachers and students on safe drinking water and maintenance
of structure.
- Strategic involvement of PRI’s, Government departments and local leaders in the construction
work.

3. Construction Phase

- Selection of site
o Close to school buildings but away from trees.
o Having good drainage facility.
o Accessibility to teachers and children.
- Casting and plastering of water tank of 3000 litres water storage capacity.

4. Outcome:

The project got a grand success and impacted in social, environmental & economical life of the
surrounding community. Few of impacts are as under:
- 42 schools and villages benefited by provision of drinking water facility.
- Awareness creation amongst community regarding the importance of water.
- Contamination free safe drinking water for school children.
- Motivation of community for sustainability of Rain Water Harvesting