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 "Ask not what the Environment can do for us but what we can do for the Environment."
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 Spreading the Message Through Environment Days -
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Earth Day 2000
- The Principals Summit - The Principal's of over 40 premier academic institutions of Mumbai, participated in a seminar, in order to create environmental awareness in schools, through outbound programs
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Supplier's meet held once again, this time to emphasize on the hazards of plastic packaging. Our suppliers were requested to reduce unnecessary packaging by adopting eco-friendly alternatives. The goal set for them was to reduce packaging by 30%. To encourage and motivate our suppliers we also instituted 3 awards.
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World Environment Day 2000
- The Orchid supported a month long campaign for cleaner air in Mumbai. The Orchid collaborated with the Transport Commissionerate - Maharashtra, Dignity Foundation and C.L.E.A..N. - Air, to have Dignitaries accompany the Flying Squads and man PUC Centres, as directed by the High Court of Mumbai. The object of the exercise was to ensure that no polluting vehicles escape undetected and that the issue of invalid or false PUC Certificates is totally eliminated under the watchful eye of the Dignitaries, supported by The Orchid
- We had also held an inter-departmental Eco-Skit competition for our Team Members on the occasion.
- Potted plants distributed to all the invitees of the day.
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Working With Students in Schools and Colleges -
Since school children are the generation that will chart our future, we have worked with over 80 schools and colleges covering more than 10,000 students.
To highlight a few are:
St. Anne's High School & Junior College who participated in a Inter-school Science Exhibition wherein 100 schools had participated & they won the 3rd prize for the same.
39 Students of College of Home Science who were required to do a project on "Eco-friendly Interiors" out of which one of the girls stood first achieving the highest score in the project.
We had assisted students from the Sir. J. J. Institute of Applied Arts for their project from which a particular students project was exhibited at a 4 day Exhibition organised by their college.
We also did a programme where we combined education with entertainment for students. These students visited the Kamats Klub (a sister concern of The Orchid), spent time swimming, playing and in between gave them a talk on environment through puppet shows, entertainment and games. We targeted about 10,000 children & more for this one day environment workshop.
We also hosted a presentation cum dinner for Project Eco Quest, organized by the students of D. Y. Patil College for over 100 people.
150 students of Grade IX & X from Smt. Lilavatibai Poddar High School the effect of which was the school banned the use of plastic bags, tiffin boxes and water bottles completely. They even took up cleaning of Juhu beach (a beach in the suburbs of Bombay, which is popular among Mumbaikars).
For World Conservation Day celebrated by P.E.A.S. (Programme for Environmental Awareness & Action in Schools) Western India Region we sponsored 700 cloth bags with a Eco pen and Eco pencil to go alongwith it for the 700 students participating in this programme from various schools (SSC & ICSE) of Bombay. This entire event was coordinated by the Hasnat High school.
Enlisted below are names of a few the schools & colleges for whom we gave lectures, organised filed trips to our Hotel or assisted them in their thesis, projects. This is only a indicative list not an exhaustive one.
1. Datta Meghe College Of Engineering
2. Sophia Polytechnic
3. Narsee Monjee College Of Commerce & Science
4. Pillai's College Of Architecture
5. Nirmala Niketan College Of Home Science
6. Naval Institute Of Technology
7. L. N. Welingkar Institute Of Management Development & Research
8. S.N.D.T. Women's University
9. Hasnat High School
10. J. J. School Of Applied Arts
11. National Institute Of Design
12. K. Hafizka Institute Of Hotel Management & Catering Technology
13. Bharati Vidyapeeth College Of Architecture
14. Academy Of Architecture
15. L. S. Raheja School Of Architecture
16. Asian Institute Of Technology - Thailand
17. Rizvi Academy Of Management
18. Kamala Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute For Architecture And Environmental Studies
19. Kids Adventure Group ( Aged 7-12 Years)
20. Rizvi College Of Architecture
21. Dr. Bhanuben Mahendra Nanavati College Of Home Science
22. Narsee Monjee Institute Of Management Studies
23. Rizvi Institute Of Management Studies & Research
24. IES College Of Architecture -
25. Sydhenam College
26. Jai Hind College
27. Kangaroo Kids
28. Kindergarten Activity Class
29. Small Wonders
30. Sarvajanik College Of Eng. & Tech, Surat
31. Parle Tilak Vidyalay
32. IHM, Dadar
33. S.K.Somaiya College Of Arts & Commerce
34. Patkar College
35. Dahanukar College
36. Jasudben School
37. St. Andrews College
38. St. Peter's School
39. Smt. Maniben M.P. Shah Women's College Of Arts Commerce
40. Jawaharlal Nehru Engineering College, Aurangabad
41. K.C. College
42. IIT, Powai
43. Khalsa College
44. J.N.E.C. College Of Architecture, Ahmedabad
45. Ramniranjan Jhunjhunwala College
46. SIES College
47. Wilson College
48. H. R. College Of Commerce & Economics
49. Akbar Peerbhoy College Of Commerce & Economics
50. Mithibai College Of Arts, Commerce & Economics
51. Manipal Institue Of Tech.
52. Jadavpur University,Calcutta, Dept Of Arch
53. Anjuman -I-Islam Inst Of Hotel Mgmt
54. Carmel Of St. Joseph
55. Regional Engg College, Tiruchappalli
56. D. G. Ruparel College
57. B. V. Bhoomaraddi College Of Engg, Hubli
58. Late Bhausaheb Hiray S. S. Trusts College Of Arch
59. American School
60. Anandibai Podar High School
61. University Of Pune, Departmetn Of Environmental Science
62. Arya Vidya Mandir
We also have out stations students coming to us for information and help in their thesis project etc. Not only have these students traveled from places like Pune, Panvel, Chennai, Akola, New Delhi but emailing us from Singapore, Switzerland and USA as well.
Another means of spreading environment education and sharing information is through CD-ROM's, which is a knowledge base on hospitality and environment sponsored by The Orchid during the GOOD EARTHKEEPING Seminar. This CD-ROM is a tool especially developed for this occasion and is a first of its kind in the hospitality industry, which will serve as a jump-start towards taking individuals towards a better environment.
The Orchid also distributes this CD-ROM to various educational institutions and environment organisations.
The Orchid has sponsored the Environmental Teaching Resource Pack for Hospitality Educational Centres which is being published jointly by The International Hotel & Restaurant Association (IH&RA), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and International Association of Hotel School Directors (EUHOFA).
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Advanced Locality Management (ALM) -
The Orchid spearheaded this programme of the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (M.C.G.M.). Under this programme the residents of an area take up the cleaning and maintenance of that place by contributing Re1 per day. The residents themselves take up cleaning and maintenance and the M.C.G.M. offers guidance and other aspects like funding. It is basically a residential programme but we were the first commercial entity to take it up on such a large scale. It was on The Orchid's initiative and drive, which got together 5 neighboring hotels, offices, taxi and shop owners to adopt this programme. For this purpose we have even formed our own trust known as AIRPORT HOTEL ZONE REPRESENTATIVES ASSOCIATION where hoteliers contribute Re 1 per day per room.
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Greening the City -
At The Orchid our driveway is lined with local trees and flowering plants, the gardens in front of the main entrance and terrace gardens are beautifully landscaped and filled with indigenous plants. We take care of over 400 potted orchid plants, which are grown indigenously. At The Orchid we do not encourage the use of cut flowers and every guestroom, office and public area are decorated with live plants in pots.
The Orchid has also adopted, developed and maintained 8 gardens in various parts of Mumbai. These gardens are situated at Churchgate on Madam Cama Road, Tardeo, Chowpatty, 2 at Bandra & Vile Parle and one Sion - the former 3 being in South Bombay and the latter 5 in north Bombay.
The Bombay Chamber of Commerce & Industry's Civic Award 1998 - 99 for Beautification of Mumbai was Presented to The Orchid for development of a traffic signal island at the junction of K.B. Patil Marg & Madam Cama Road.
We also sponsored 20 trees and tree guards for Maheshwari Nagar Road and Chunawala Compound Road Residents Association.
To go a step further and adding to the flora and fauna around The Orchid has adopted and is maintaining a bus stop for the use of the public at large. Earlier the bus stop was seen as a singular iron rod with a flap on the side displaying the bus nos. and their routes. The Orchid developed it further by making a nice shelter, which creates a protection from the sun and rain alongwith a stand for the people to sit on.
In January 1998 The Orchid had participated in the Exhibition & Workshop on Horticulture organised by the Bombay Municipal Corporation & The Tree Authority wherein we won 7 awards in different categories.
In 1999 we supported the exhibition through sponsoring the trophy for the same.
In the year 2000 when we participated for the above mentioned exhibition cum workshop we once again won 4 awards in different categories.
The Rotary Club of Bandra International at their International Flower Show
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also awarded us 4 prizes in various categories. As mentioned earlier at The Orchid we do not use cut flowers hence we participated in this competition displaying a varied range of potted plants and proving that potted plants too look beautiful.
We are also developing two smaller gardens for St. Peter's School at Mazagaon and another one Local Municipal School for the lesser-privileged children at Chowpatty.
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Good Deeds for the Community -
- We donate clothes to charitable institutions.
- We host Christmas parties for blind women and underprivileged street children
- We give away food to orphanages and homes for the aged on their special occasions.
Names of some of the Charitable Institutions we are associated with:
Society for the Home for the Aged
Andhakshi Ashram
Fellowship of the Physically Handicapped
St. Catherine's Home (an orphanage for girls)
St. Dominic Savio Boys' Home
The Association for The Relief & Education of The Street & Needy Blind Indian Female.
SHARE (Society to Heal Aid Restore Educate)
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