Bengaluru: A tree of many stories- how one church is weaving sustainability into Christmas
Bengaluru: The festive spirit in Bengaluru has taken on a colorful, woven form this year at the ‘Primrose Mar Thoma’ church. Standing tall at twenty-five feet, the congregation's latest Christmas tree isn’t made of plastic needles or expensive tinsel but of memories and repurposed fabric, reported Deccan Herald.
Members of the church choir have spent hours meticulously fixing old, discarded sarees onto metal frames to create a towering tribute to both faith and the environment.
This vibrant installation is the latest chapter in a journey that began as a small experiment back in 2008. What started as a curious attempt to see if holiday decorations could be meaningful without being wasteful has blossomed into a cherished annual tradition.
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Over the years, the church has proven that beauty can be found in the most unlikely places, having built previous trees out of everything from old tires and videotapes to coconut shells and even shredded paper from local printing presses.
By using locally sourced materials that are often overlooked and end up in landfills, the church community is sending a quiet yet powerful message about responsible consumption.
The saree tree represents a collective effort, with families donating their worn-out garments to help the vision come to life.
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Maharashtra sets up state vaccination task force to strengthen immunisation programme
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.
The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.
The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.
The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.
"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.
To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.
"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.
The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.
The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.
It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.
