Un voyage A travers l’Europe, le Moyen-Orient et l'Afrique sur le theme du changement climatique

Interview of two activist who prepare the German Climate Action Camp in Hamburg for august 2008.
Video ; Benoit. Realisation : Purvi.

I have been travelling through Poland now for almost 2 weeks with Ben’s family. I am getting used to Europe, I think; its difficult in a fun sort of way realising the intensive meat culture here where its just as tough to find chicken in a normal restaurant they way finding beef in India seems like a wild goose chase.

Photo From Wikipedia

Yesterday I visited the salt mines at Wieliczka near Krakow and the Auschwitz and Birkenau concentration camp. We visited the salt mines first and I was being kindly informed about the salt mines by Benoit while I peered outside the window hoping to catch a glimpse of the water body nearby. Much to my surprise we stopped around a school like structure. It was then I realised that it was an underground salt mine. Led by tour guide who in her uniform looked a Russian army chief straight out of the latest Indiana Jones movie, it definitely seemed like I was taken back in time. The strong Eastern European accent gave an all around effect to entire visit.

So after going 150 m underground (the other 150 m being unavailable for the tourists) and losing count of the steps we were using to cover this distance it seemed ages till we reached the salt mine and what a breathtaking sight it is. The walls yet covered in rock salt gives an eerie effect on the setting, with dim lights leading us from one chamber into another. The elaborately carved underground rooms, the beautiful opaque chandeliers made from salt just like the floor and the ceiling is an absolutely stunning sight. The Cathedral inside also has various recreations of the Bible, the Last Supper etc. The salt floor felt like marble to touch and the structures has a dim porcelain glaze.

Photo From Wikipedia

The tour guide led us from one chamber to another explaining the function of each room and the life and the history of miners and the mine as we went around recreating history in our minds. She even mentioned that there were miners who spent their lifetime working in the mines without ever seeing the daylight again. She explained that according to folk story as salt was not available in Poland it was Queen Kinga from Hungary (later married to King Boleslaw of Poland ) threw her engagement ring in Maramures salt mine of Hungary and which miraculously travelled through to be found in the mines of Wieliczka.

The Wieliczka salt mine proudly boasting of being a World Heritage site is a must see for all visiting Poland. It had been until 2007 in continuous operation, producing table salt, since the 13th century. It was one of the world's oldest operating salt mines (the oldest being in Bochnia, Poland, some 20 kilometres distant from Wieliczka). Active mining was discontinued in 1996 due to low salt prices and mine flooding. The mine on an average attracts around 1.2 million tourists annually. Indeed, I would definitely recommend it as a once in a lifetime visit for everyone. Being used to looking at the salt heaps in India, the Wieliczka salt mine will definitely be an experience I would wish to revisit.

By the time we left the salt mine it was early afternoon with our stomach eager for some food. Food, Europe and I don’t seem to be going well together. Chicken and seafood being the only kind of meat that I eat, it was difficult, considering I found all other possible animals on the menu except chicken. Animals ranging from deer, rabbit, cow, pig, duck etc seem to be a staple diet for everyone living there. So I just got accustomed to eating an oily potato pancakes which were quite popular here. So after my not very thankful meal we headed to Auschwitz.

Photo From Wikipedia

Auschwitz- Birkenau concentration camp was one of the largest Nazi concentration camps. Situated a mere 50 kms away from Krakow, this place takes you away from the big city atmosphere to that of pain, suffering and torture, expanding your minds to the horror human mind, spirit and body is capable of suffering against how its capable of torturing helpless victims of civilization forgetting humanity.
The name Auschwitz is taken from nearby village called Oswiecim and Birkenau refers to the birch trees surrounding the area. Around 3 million people are known to have died within this camp.

It is a nerve chilling moment as you walk through gates "Arbeit macht frei" translated into English as ‘work makes (one) free’. The cobbled street and bricked barracks each around 2 floors high seem shy to give out its secrets. It’s as you walk around through each of these severe looking buildings that the intensity hits you of life for those who lived to die here without hope. The exhibitions in each barrack are devoted to each country/region from were prisoners were brought in. Auschwitz 1 was were the Nazis opened the first concentration camp for men and women and used Zyklon B to conduct experiments and mass extermination of Jews. Located within this premise was Block No 11-‘the block of death’, the standing cells and the starvation cells.

Photo From Wikipedia

The exhibitions share poignant stories of bravery, those who dared to fight and those who perished, of those who lived to tell and those who died with the secrets of their death. The pictures, the innumerable lists of people, the ruin and remains of the space the barracks , the barbed fences, the worn out uniforms of the prisoners speaks out the heinous and downright disgusting part of history that they were made to suffer.

It is not for me to tell more about this place as I don’t think I can do justice to it as a mere spectator. I think for each one Auschwitz is a personal experience of learning and understanding humanity. Just to learn more about their life and get a perspective on yours it is definitely worth a visit to understand Poland and its history.

I came back to our hotel with a new found appreciation for life.

It was almost 2 years ago when I started working with DTEWA (Dahanu Taluka Environment Welfare Association) as a campaigner. The organisation when I joined had embraced many issues like Solid Waste Management, Tribal Upliftment etc. But the core issue remained that of the Thermal Power Plant. To understand the problem of the Thermal power Plant, it is important to know about Dahanu.

Located on the border of Maharashtra and Gujarat, Dahanu is only a mere 120 kms away from the hustle and bustle of Mumbai/Bombay. Dahanu is a small town with most of it population being land owning, horticultural Parsis and Iranis whose forefathers had migrated there after leaving Persia and indeginous Warli tribe who have over the years become marginal fisherfolks, farmers, labourers etc. Situated in a ecologically strategic location Dahanu is still 42.5 percent of forest.
Thus owing to the forest cover, its coastal location, providing abundant natural resource, its tribal culture and its horticultural wealth, It was one of the three, among its kind in 1991 , to be declared as Ecologiacally Fragile by the State of India. The Notification specifically restricted the setting up of polluting industries in Dahanu and restricted these to a limit of 500 acres. The Notification also classified industries into Red, Orange and Green categories on ecological considerations.
The Notification also stipulated "no change in land use" while directing the State Government to prepare a Regional Plan demarcating all green areas, orchards, tribal areas and other environmentally sensitive ones.



All said and praises for Dahanus beauty, but it is yet a fight for those living in Dahanu. It was in 1986 when the The Dahanu Thermal Power Plant was proposed to be built in Dahanu. Even though it was met with a fierce protest from residents and farmers who formed DTEWA (Dahanu Taluka Environment Welfare Association) under the leadership of Ms Nergis Irani and Katy Rustom, the Thermal Power Plant was built and put to function. Surprisingly all the committees appointed by the State and the Central Government to ascertain the viability of a fossil based Thermal Power Plant in the area were unsure of its repurcussions and gave it a negative verdict.
Yet, the Ministry of Environment and Forests granted permission to the company then owned by the Bombay Suburban Electric Supply (BSES) Co. Pvt Ltd to set up a 500 MW thermal power plant in the region. However, the company was given clearance conditionally with fifteen consent conditions laid down "to minimize pollution caused by the Plant and to protect Dahanu Taluka".


Satelite view of the coal power station with google.


Meanwhile the DTEWA appealed to the Mumbai High court against the permission but lost the case as the court cited the need to produce energy to provide electricity for Mumbai as a reason to sanction the Thermal Power Plant in Dahanu.

Dahanu Thermal Power Station (DTPS) is Reliance Energy Ltd.'s single largest power generating facility. It is a 500 MW (2 X 250 MW) coal based thermal power station. Located over a spread of 834 acres of land the Thermal Power Plant is directly adjacent to the coastal area therby making it easier for the Thermal Power plant to dump the hot water produced into the sea. This especially is a cause of concern among the fisherfolk as the decreasing annual catch bears witness to their plight and concern.



Over the years the fight for a clean existence for the residents of Dahanu has been a part of Daily life. One of the stipulations of the environment clearance was the setting up FGD (Flue Gas Desulphuristaion) unit with 90 percent efficiency. This condition imposed in 1989 was left hanging till the environmentalists decided to pull up the Thermal Power plant as they saw no attempts being made of its installation. The environmentalists took up the issue with the specially constituted quasi-judicial authority, the Dahanu Taluka Environment Protection Authority (DTEPA) that passed an order on May 12th 1999 directing the company to initiate the process of "setting up of the FGD unit within a period of six months and complete the same within a reasonable time period."
This was then again delayed by Reliance till March 2005 who was then ordered by the Dahanu Authority to put in 300 crore Rupees as a bank guarantee towards the commitment of protect Dahanus Environment. This was then again appealed in the High Court by Reliance only to have the amount lowered to 100 crores. The FGD was finally installed and is now being monitored by various environmentalists and the DTEWA as they receive bi annual reports of its function.

I think it would probably have been very strange day if it had not been for Monica and her couch surfers hosting me and making me feel absolutely at home when I had just flown in from India the same morning. So as we celebrated my first travel to any foreign country later that evening I could not help but think about the day's events and my observations.



I got off the airport extremely confused; trying to figure out what time it was back home in India and being overwhelmed by just being 5784 kms away from India I searched for Ben in a small crowd of around 30 people. As time passed I panicked having no Euros no phone or the fact that I know nobody here I made a quick decision to ask some help if any from the Tourist office; The difference of Monica and friend Isa 's(both Polish) hospitality and friendliness was later extremely appreciated when I met them to the rude tourist office officials who seemed to be too bored to listen to a foreigners problem and query. I finally did find Ben and did manage to make it outside the Airport. But I did feel a little disappointed that I cross oceans to find similar bureaucrats here as well,

At first impression Poland did not seem very different than an Indian suburb with very little traffic no pollution whatsoever and very few people with small shops scattered around but that did not last long for me. As the first 5 minutes passed by I think the few similarities that I had found had turned themselves into big differences – the afternoon warmth disappeared giving way to a windy evening, Warsaw seemed to look cleaner by every step I took, I started finding small hole in the wall café with charming décor and jazz music. I think the principle by which India is different from Poland is the subtlety. India's charm lies in its colourfulness its pretty in your face shiny demeanour, the fancy jewellery the big moustached men with the sari clad women with flowers in their hair. Definitely urban India is more different and close to any European country which is why I haven't found anything extremely shocking yet but I am sure there will be plenty to find here and plenty to learn. I am really excited to discover Warsaw's old buildings, the elaborate graffiti, the urban Warsaw with their kinotec's (Cinema halls) the little of Poland which I remember seeing from the bus back to Monica's place from the Airport.