Versatile: The App can detect symptoms on any part of the crop and is trained to read even images of lower quality. | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
An App using this tool can diagnose the disease and give treatment options
Identifying diseases and pests on banana crops will now be just a click away. Researchers have developed a new artificial intelligence system (AI) which can look at photographs and tell what disease the plant has and also give recommendations and treatment options to the farmers. The results showed that the model was over 90% accuracy.
Training the network
The neural network was given about 20,000 images showing diseased and healthy plants. “Just like teaching a kid to tell an elephant from a horse, we taught the AI to identify leaf, root, fruit diseases and pests. Pictures from Uganda, Colombia, Congo and India were fed into the system for the training,” says Dr. Sivalingam Elayabalan from the Department of Biotechnology, Imayam Institute of Agriculture and Technology (IIAT), Trichy, Tamil Nadu. He is one of the authors of the study published in Plant Methods.
The tool is now incorporated into an App called Tumaini, meaning hope in Swahili, and being tested.
Expansion of scope
The team is planning to add more diseases based on regions and also make the App available in local languages. “When users take the photo, it gets uploaded to a global system for large-scale monitoring. Also, it is automatically GPS-tagged so we know what and where the problem is. We are also planning to incorporate high-resolution satellite monitoring to check the health of large fields,” explains Dr. Michael Gomez Selvaraj, from the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), Colombia in an email to The Hindu. Dr. Selvaraj is the senior author of the paper. The App can detect symptoms on any part of the crop, and is even trained to read images of lower quality.
Major Indian diseases
The app is now being tested across many countries and when the confidence of 100% is reached it will be available for free download. “Yellow leaf spot and Fusarium wilt are the major fungal diseases in India and farmers spend a lot of money on fungicides. Apart from the fungal disease, the viral disease such as Banana Bunchy top virus is a big problem in hilly areas of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Northeast region. The App can tell the farmers in advance bringing down the treatment costs,” says Dr. Elayabalan. “We are now testing the App in Tamil, and it will soon be available in Hindi and Malayalam. The National Research Centre for Banana (NRCB) and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) have shown interested in the App.”
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sci-Tech> Science / by Aswati Pachi / August 17th, 2019
Former Justice Prabha Sridevan, right, presenting the award to Kenneth M. Quinn. Rotary Club of Madras East vice-president T.R. Gopalakrishnan is also seen.
Former diplomat Kenneth M. Quinn honoured at event
Former U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia and President, World Food Prize Foundation, Kenneth M. Quinn on Thursday underlined the need for encouraging small holder farmers, who are mostly women, to run their farms.
Speaking to reporters after receiving the Dr. M.S. Swaminathan Award for Environment Protection presented by the Rotary Club of Madras East and Cavinkare Private Ltd., he said post-harvest food waste must be brought down, which is why connectivity to small villages was important.
“Small farmers need to take their produce to markets and they need to be provided the latest scientific inputs so that they be able to have sustainable farming practices to produce quality food,” he said, adding more should be spent on agricultural research.
Speaking at the award ceremony, he suggested that agriculture scientist M.S. Swaminathan be awarded the Rotary International’s award for world understanding and peace. Former Judge of the Madras High Court Prabha Sridevan thanked Mr. Quinn for working to rid the world of hunger and ensure access to quality food. UN-WHO Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan, and daughter of Prof. Swaminathan, said Mr. Quinn had brought about many improvements to the World Food Prize, including increasing the cash award.
Appreciating the Rotary International’s efforts for eradicating polio, she said the campaign was in its final stages. Club vice-president T.R. Gopalakrishnan and Cavinkare CMD C.K. Ranganathan were present.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Tamil Nadu / by Special Correspondent / Chennai – August 09th, 2019
Bonding over sustainable fashion & conscious living, three feisty women set up Wildflower — a brand that resonates with their cause.
(L to R) Anjula Giriram, Sangeetha Arul and Shibi Kumaramangalam seker.archanaa@gmail.com ARCHANAA SEKER The writer is a city-based activist, inyour- face feminist and a media glutton Photo: R Satish Babu
Chennai :
Friends Sangeetha Arul, Anjula Giriam and Shibi Kumaramangalam had a vision — to organise pop-up events that were different from the rest. So, the trio established Wildflower in 2018, a platform that promotes sustainable and ecofriendly brands from all over India. “We believe that conscious shopping decisions can make a positive impact on the environment, society and lifestyle,” share the trio. In a freewheeling chat with CE, they discuss their journey, life lessons, philosophies and more. Excerpts follow.
Tell us about your journey in event management?
Sangeetha: I was in the communication field and coordinating has been one of my strong skills. When I was in the US from 1999 to 2012, I used to help around with Tamil Sangam, a group where all the US-based Tamil people would gather and conduct events. I realised that management was one of my strengths and decided to put it to good use. Anjula and I went to college together, but were doing different things. We met after a long break in 2012 and decided to start our own company.
Shibi: I’m a lawyer and I predominantly work in the field of women’s rights, sexual harassment at the workplace. But I’ve always been interested in sustainable fashion and conscious living. When I heard about Sangeetha and Anjula’s business idea, I was impressed with the way they had put everything together — promoting conscious consumption. I decided to collaborate with them for the pop-up, which aimed to promote awareness about ethical fashion.
How do you choose the brands you work with?
Shibi: When it comes to choosing brands, we ensure we invite brands which promote sustainable living and fashion. For instance, Last Forest is a brand that we support. They come from Kotagiri and work with the Toda tribe. Apart from ensuring that a brand is ethical, we also focus on the procurement process, that is sourcing and packaging is done in an eco-friendly way.
We follow a strict no-plastic policy. We try to promote the concept of ‘less waste’ by creating awareness on reuse, repurpose and recycle. We want to show people that being environmentally friendly and conscious is not unaffordable. Working with local brands not only supports local entrepreneurs, but it also enables the customers to develop a good rapport and relationship with them.
What is the first step towards a sustainable lifestyle?
Sangeetha: We send out around 80,000 bags of garbage every day, just think about the volume of consumption and wastage. I believe that rather than just a handful of people working towards a sustainable and eco-friendly lifestyle, thousands of people doing it imperfectly is fine and that makes a huge difference. We need to encourage people to take small steps…it will go a long way. Shibi: I’m very passionate about sustainable fashion and conscious living. This is my first venture with Wildflower, we organise events that promote conscious consumption. It is not about making profit, but we want to introduce shoppers to a sustainable principle.
What is your most memorable event of all the events you have organised so far?
Sangeetha: The first event which was held in March 24, 2018 at Hiranandani called Spring Fling Fashion was quite memorable. We had to start from scratch — right from finding vendors, talking, convincing and sourcing from them, everything had to be done. It was trial and error. Another challenge was to get in touch with these sustainable brands from all over India
. People were apprehensive. We learned a lot from the event. Though it was challenging, it was a learning curve and served as a stepping stone for us to do bigger and better. Our dream is to extend our help to all the start-ups and budding women entrepreneurs. We want to help them with marketing and communication services. Anjula: We had just started and everything was new to us, but it was nice to see people turn up from different parts of the country to Chennai. We received excellent response for our first event.
Tell us about a typical day.
Sangeetha: My day starts at 6 am. As soon as I send my children to school, I start preparing for my meetings, as per the day’s schedule. I usually have phone calls lined up with vendors and clients. By the end of the day, I am exhausted.
Event management is challenging, but I love my job! Shibi: I send my six-year-old daughter to school, go on with my day job, meet friends in the evening and hang out with them. I feel women are inherently very good multi-taskers. Sometimes I also help to rehabilitate abandoned pets. Anjula: I’m a part-time home baker. First thing is to manage the house and my child. I read when I’m not baking or busy meeting people for the events.
What are your life philosophies?
Shibi: Surround yourself with positive people and positive energy. Do one good thing and try to give back. Life is short, eat the cake, drink wine, buy the shoes. Sangeetha: I try to live a balanced life, hoping to make a small positive impact on the environment and society. Anjula: Whatever life throws at you, take it slow.
What do you love about Chennai?
Sangeetha: A big chunk of my life was in the US. But currently, Chennai has become a place where I can do what I love while being surrounded by friends and families. Shibi: I’ve lived away from the city most of the time and there is no place like home. With my regular meet-ups with my friends at Chamiers and exploring new places — Chennai offers a beautiful experience.
Anjula: I grew up in a conservative environment and after moving to Chennai from Sivakasi after my marraige, I was able to be myself without people judging me. I meet friends and feel quite lucky. Not everybody gets to do that.
How do you recharge your energy at the end of the day?
Sangeetha: When everybody goes to bed, I ensure I spend time with myself. The peace helps me get through the next day. Shibi: Socialising and Netflix Anjula: I read books.
What are the life lessons you have learned through your work experience?
Sangeetha: We couldn’t say no to people before and now we know where to draw a line. I learned to be tough and sure of what we want from others and their expectations. You can’t please everyone. Anjula: I learned new skills from the most unlikely places and people. I am not a social person, but I realised I could be if I wanted to. From printing to creating promos, we learned the nuances of the business.
What plans do you have for Wildflower?
Sangeetha: Currently, we are keeping it small and taking forward all the lessons we have learned more sustainably. It’s about quality and not quantity for us. We want to make a difference. Shibi: We don’t want people to just buy, but also know about the products and become ethical in consumption. We want to provide our customers with affordable cotton dresses which are not mass-produced…skincare brands which recycle ‘dabbas’, cloth pads.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Rinreichui Kashung / Express News Service / August 01st, 2019
Various measures by forest officials helped this tiger reserve to consistently recorded more than 30 percent annual increment in tiger population, which is highest for a tiger landscape in India.
Chennai :
Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR), which is created in 2013, is adjudged as the best performer in the country for its ability to increase more tigers between 2014-18 compared to any other tiger reserve in the country.
The award, instituted by National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), was received by STR Field Director V Naganathan from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday during the release of 4th cycle of All India Tiger Estimation results, which coincides with the Global Tiger Day.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Tamil Nadu / by S. V. Krishna Chaityana / Express News Service / July 29th, 2019
Hosur-based Kenneth Anderson Nature Society (KANS) has been demanding that the Melagiri region in Tamil Nadu be declared a wildlife sanctuary named after Anderson.
Considered to be a pioneer of wildlife conservation, Anderson authored eight books and close to 60 stories about his hunting exploits.
While they are mostly about his encounters in the wild, the books also discuss the importance of conservation and upholding the rights of the forest dwelling communities.
According to the KANS, Melagiri is under threat from deforestation, irresponsible tourism and unplanned development.
Ironical as it may sound, the legacy of an India-born British hunter from India’s colonial past is now living on in the conservation efforts of a nature society, founded in his memory in Hosur in Krishnagiri district of Tamil Nadu, in 2008. Known as south India’s Jim Corbett, Kenneth Anderson studied and worked in Bengaluru (Bangalore at the time) in the 1920s. After 15 years in the posts and telegraph department, he took up his last job at the British Aircraft Factory in Bengaluru (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited) as a factory manager. He was also an avid sport hunter, interested especially in big game.
But it is as a writer that he is remembered most widely today. Anderson authored several books based on his hunting exploits in the jungles of south India and is considered by many as among the first wildlife conservationists in the region.
A view of Jawlagiri made famous by Kenneth Anderson in his writings. / Photo by Peppin Jerold.
In fact, the Hosur-based Kenneth Anderson Nature Society (KANS) has been demanding that the Melagiri region in Tamil Nadu be declared a wildlife sanctuary named after Anderson.
According to S.R. Sanjeev Kumar, vice-president of KANS, this would invite global attention to conservation efforts in the region. The society works extensively to reduce man-animal conflict in Aiyur, Jawlagiri and Anchetty– all forest areas in Tamil Nadu that have repeatedly found mention in Anderson’s books.
With Karnataka’s Bannerghatta wildlife sanctuary to its north and Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary of Tamil Nadu to the south, Melagiri has two major elephant corridors that account for the huge numbers of the pachyderms in the area. The tiger reserves of B.R. Hills, Sathyamangalam and Male Mahadeeswaran Hills are also in the vicinity.
The biggest attraction of Melagiri is the Hogenakkal falls of the Cauvery river. Thousands visit the falls regularly to indulge in coracle rides and other river activities like river rafting, walks and medicinal baths. Trekking up the Melagiri hills, to enjoy the view of the Eastern and Western Ghats merging, is also popular among visitors.
Tourists paddling coracles at the Hoggenakkal falls. Photo by K.A. Shaji.
Wildlife conservation in Anderson’s writing
Anderson authored eight books and close to 60 stories about his hunting exploits. His first, Nine man-eaters and one rogue, first published by London-based George Allen and Unwin in 1954 was about the reasons behind tigers, leopards and panthers turning man-eaters and elephants turning rogue. He starts with a tiger that turned man-eater in Jowlagiri in Melegiri and a panther in Gumalapur, which caused 42 human deaths.
While all his books narrate his encounters in the wild, they highlight the importance of conservation and upholding the rights of forest-dwelling communities as well.
“Although he contributed immensely to the literary genre known as shikar writing in India, Kenneth Anderson remained relatively obscure. He never got the recognition Jim Corbett had won – probably because he was writing in Corbett’s powerful narrative shadow,” said Peppin Jerold, a wildlife enthusiast and an avid Kenneth Anderson fan.
Jerold is an engineer based in Bengaluru, who moderates a popular social media group titled Kenneth Anderson with 18,000 members who are avid readers of Anderson classics.
Among Jerold’s favourite Anderson stories is the one about Muniappa, a wily shikar guide well-known in the Melagiri division of forests spread across Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri districts. Muniappa once approached Anderson for help to kill a man-eater tiger that, according to him, was creating terror in Jawlagiri. Sceptical about Muniappa’s intentions, Anderson first undertook a fact-checking mission. Sure enough, he discovered that the alleged culprit was a panther with no inclination to kill human beings. Further investigation revealed that Muniappa had promised to make a gift of the animal’s hide to some senior forest officials.
The Jawlagiri forest bungalow where Anderson has stayed. / Photo by Peppin Jerold.
“The ecological horrors of hunting were less those days,” said Laxmeesha Acharya, president, KANS. “People like Anderson targeted only man-eaters and spared all other animals. They remained proven conservationists, who were extremely sensitive towards the fragile ecology of the region,” he added.
“Anderson hunted man-eaters mainly on the request of government and forest officials of that time in response to the fear that gripped local affected communities. But his stories are full of concern for the depleting animal population and the flora around. Going by the books, he had a keen sense of natural history and appreciation of the wild. He was also an expert on animal behaviour,’’ said R. Mohan Raj, Coimbatore-based conservationist and secretary of Tamil Nadu Green Movement.
Interestingly, a mango tree planted by Donald, Anderson’s son and a hunter himself, still provides shade to Muniappa’s grave, located in the Jawlagiri forest. Anderson succumbed to cancer in 1974.
What ails Anderson’s haven
Once infamous for the presence of number of man-eating tigers, Melagiri is the setting for 20 of Anderson’s most famous hunting tales. With more and more young fans taking to his writing, thanks to accessibility to his works on the Internet, Melagiri has been put on the global map. Its proximity to Bengaluru has also made it easier for wildlife enthusiasts eager to retrace Anderson’s jungle trysts in the region.
Many wildlife activists, say KANS members, have been inspired by the vivid tales of Anderson to pitch in with forest department officials in the region to conduct wildlife censuses, dig elephant-proof trenches and help forest-dwelling communities to live safely and in harmony with nature.
“People might have objections in calling a hunter a conservationist. But we have no information that Kenneth Anderson killed animals other than man-eaters and that too at the behest of local governments and forest officials. On the other hand, his books are still prompting youngsters to engage in conservation activities,” said Piyush Manish, a Salem-based green activist.
However, the region has been beset with problems. Deforestation and consequent soil erosion have been rampant.
“Large scale deforestation by the timber lobby and land mafias is killing a major portion of the Melagiri forests, especially on the banks of the Cauvery. Though little known outside Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, indiscriminate tourism is becoming a growing threat to wildlife. Wildlife offences are high in the region as violators can easily escape to nearby Karnataka by swimming across the river,” said Sanjeev Kumar, adding, “illegal laterite quarries are another cause for concern.”
“Located close to Karnataka and on the banks of the inter-state river Cauvery, Melagiri forests are now under stress mainly because of interference by timber lobby and land mafias,” said K.J. Sreekumar, an organic farmer and environmental activist based at Dhenkanikottai on the outskirts of Melagiri. “Wildlife offenders are managing easy escape by swimming across the river and running to the Karnataka region on the other side. Unregulated tourism in the form of large scale trekking and camping within the forests also posing as a big challenge to conservation,” he pointed out.
Tourism on the Kaveri has had an impact on the Melagiri forests. Photo by K.A. Shaji.
Native vegetation has also taken a hit with the unchecked growth of invasive lantana shrubs that are affecting the growth of other flora that herbivores like deer and elephants feed on.
It hasn’t helped either that Melagiri has been largely overlooked on the conservation map, and received very little media attention.
According to KANS president Acharya, Melagiri is a biodiversity hotspot that has fallen prey to unplanned development that has resulted in the unprecedented loss of wildlife. KANS has identified the number of hit-and-run deaths in the national highway stretch between Anekkal and Dharmapuri as the most alarming. The organisation has been conducting roadkill awareness programmes for the general public regularly.
“There is a forest village called Belekare located hardly 35 kilometres from Bengaluru’s Electronic City. But reaching there involves a huge risk because of the lack of any motorable road and presence of wild elephants,” said Acharya. The villagers were accused of helping poachers and the timber lobby. KANS has been working with the forest department to involve the 40 families in the village in conservation activities, said Acharya.
Fishing and cattle-grazing are now threatening the existence of smooth-coated otters in the region. An Otter Conservation Project in the Biligundlu Reserve Forest along the banks of the Cauvery is another KANS initiative. Conservation efforts are also on to protect four-horned antelopes and grizzled giant squirrels.
According to Acharya, most KANS members started engaging in conservation activities inspired by Anderson’s writings. Despite the challenges, the support that they have managed to garner through social media is driving their efforts. Locals in the area feel that an interpretation centre and museum on Kenneth Anderson, ‘the hunter, nature enthusiast and chronicler of wildlife’ close to the waterfalls can make create more awareness.
“Kenneth Anderson used to say that jungle was his birthplace and heaven. He had also wanted to make it his resting place. So, it is only fitting that this area be declared a wildlife sanctuary and named after him in order to inspire more people to join hands to save his beloved Melagiri,” concluded Peppin.
Preserving for posterity: A. Parameswaran, has been collecting seeds of native vegetables and fruits | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Oddanchatram-based organic farmer A Parameswaran has created a bank of over 300 varieties of seeds of native vegetables and fruits
Patches of dark rain-bearing clouds gather in the far west, masking the lofty peaks of the majestic Anamalai mountains that separate Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The South West monsoon has set in, but the interior Dindigul district of southern Tamil Nadu falls in the rain shadow region, getting only an occasional drizzle and a breeze or two. At the Kuttiyagoundanpudur village near Oddanchatram in Dindigul district, the red ochre soil in A Parameswaran’s six-acre farm is athirst for some moisture. The brinjal saplings are wilting in the harsh sun; baby vegetables take shelter under the skimpy shade of the leaves.
“But my plants will not die as they are native to this region. The drizzle is enough for them to sustain till October when the North East monsoon will bring us rains,” says Parameswaran, an aeronautical engineer-turned organic farmer.
The 28-year-old has been collecting seeds of native vegetables and fruits for the past three years. He now has a collection of over 300 varieties of seeds of different vegetables and has set up the Aadhiyagai native seed bank, from which he provides seeds to farmers in the neighbourhood.
“I grew up watching my parents till dry land and though I graduated in Engineering, my love for agriculture remained intact. That’s why I returned to my village,” says Parameswaran. The pocket around Oddanchatram, despite being arid and devoid of any perennial water source, has emerged as the vegetable hub of the State. The market in Oddanchatram is the largest in Southern India, in terms of the volume of vegetables it sends on a daily basis to a majority of Kerala and some parts of Karnataka. “But that’s all because of production-focused agriculture. Genetically-modified seeds, flush with pesticides and fertilisers are giving the results,” says Parameswaran.
“Until some two decades ago, we never had to buy seeds. We would let some of the yield dry up on the plant itself. And seeds from those vegetables/fruits were used for sowing in the next season. Today, a farmer spends 20 per cent of his investment on seeds. At the Government seed bank, 100 grams of seeds are sold for ₹3,500 and about 150 to 200 grams of seeds are needed for an acre of land.”
Parameshwaran realised the importance of saving native seeds after attending a workshop at Vanagam in Karur, where he was inspired by the ideals of organic farmer pioneer G Nammalvar. “That was also the time when things like Bt brinjal were hot topics.” He went around villages across Tamil Nadu over he past couple of years, speaking to older people, learning about the various vegetables native to specific regions. “I was surprised that I ended up noting down names of about 100 varieties of brinjal alone. A lot of them were already lost and were nowhere to be found. Likewise, there are as many varieties of lady’s finger. Ever seen a pink ladies finger? You can find it in the Kongu belt,” he adds.
“Gradually, I found out some native varieties that people continued to sow in small patches of land either in their backyards or in farms. These were used for family consumption and was not sold in the market. That’s where I collected the seeds from. Now, I encourage every farmer in my village to set aside a small patch to grow native vegetables.”
Parameswaran also sets up terrace gardens and backyard farms for people. “Last month, I set up a native vegetable farm in one cent of land for a friend in Madurai. Even in congested cities, people can grow these native varieties. They don’t need much of any resource. Native seeds are naturally potent, drought-resistant and have high immune levels against pests and diseases.”
“The only reason why native vegetable varieties are not commercially viable in today’s production-result-oriented agriculture is that they are long-standing crops. Winged beans and sword beans are not as popular for the same reason. Some native plants may live for a year and yield only after four months from sowing. There’s one variety of lady’s finger that lives for four years. Whereas, genetically modified brinjal’s life span is only four months and it yields within 20 days and the farmer can keep going in for the next batch of plants in quick succession,” he adds.
Parmeswaran is now in the process of collecting seeds of native vegetables from Karnataka, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh.
For details, visit aadhiayagai.com, facebook.com/aadhiyagaiseedsavers or call 085263 66796
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Life & Style> Homes and Gardens / by A. Shrikumar / July 06th, 2019
In February this year, Jains Green Acres Flat Owners’Association was declared the second best in water management, among residents welfare associations in the country, under the National Water Awards – 2018. The Award has been instituted by the Union Ministry of Water Resources. The Association received the recognition for its efforts in conserving energy.
For a large community with 684 families, we are well aware that the water needs will be high, but we don’t have to worry about a crisis as we charted our water future even before the plans of the buildings took shape.
Jains Green Acres on Old Dargah Road in Pallavaram was built in 2008. During the construction stage itself, about 300 owners met every two to three months and brainstormed about having a proper rainwater harvesting structure and groundwater recharge system.
A percolation pit on the premises. Photos: special arrangement
Rooftop rainwater is being effectively harvested at each block with hedges created around each of the 22 blocks and the water being diverted from the terrace to the ground, which allowed for faster percolation of rainwater into the ground.
Water supply from the borewells sunk during the construction of the apartment were found to be inadequate when more residents started moving in and hence, 10 more rainwater harvesting wells with a depth of about 10 feet, were created at strategic locations. These wells helped us tide over the harsh summer season.
The builder had initially provided a sewage treatment plant with a capacity of 2 lakh litres, which was found to be inadequate with the per capita consumption of water.
So, we got the builder to enhance the plant to treat 4.5 lakh litres of water. The treated water was fed to the trees and flowering plants on the campus to boost the groundwater table.
In 2015, the Association decided to install water meters at each house and have the residents pay the bills based on consumption. This single measure to curtail excess consumption of water brought down the usage from about 4.5 lakh litres per day to 3 lakh litres.
(The writer is the president of Jains Green Acres Flat Owners Association)
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / News> Cities> Chennai / by Sunil Kumar / July 02nd, 2019
This home in Kilpauk has managed to generate its own power, water and gas, shrugging off the dependence on government and private agencies that usually provide these utilities.
While the rest of the city has been sweating it out, running hither and thither in search of water and power, one household in the heart of the city remains blissfully as an island, all resources available in abundance. Whether it is water, power or cooking gas, all these resources, tapped through natural means, are available in plenty in the house of D. Suresh.
Known as ‘Solar’ Suresh, this 72-year old resident of Kilpauk, despite living in the midst of the concrete jungle, has created a sustainable model house independent of basic amenities usually provided by the civic authorities.
The Hindu, which has been tracking Mr. Suresh regularly since the installation of roof top solar power plant in January 2012, revisited him to find that his progress towards sustainable living now includes a bio gas plant, fed by a terrace garden, and even a machine that literally produces drinking water out of thin air.
The mechanical engineer-cum-management graduate has a simple philosophy: “Everything is available in nature and one only has to make an attempt to use simple technology to tap the natural resources.”
His house in Vasu Street is fully powered with the 3 Kw rooftop solar plant that provides round-the-clock electricity. His well has never dried up, even when the city is facing a dire water shortage, and drinking water available just by pressing a button. The vegetables and greens harvested from his terrace garden are organically grown, and besides consuming it, the family also distributes the produce to neighbours.
Mr. Suresh said the budget required for installing all these equipments to make one’s house to be abundant with resources is also very low. With a 3-kilo watt (KW) rooftop power plant yielding, on an average, 12 units per day, he has been able to power 2 inverter air-conditioners, 23 lights, 15 fans, one double-door refrigerator, one hp motor pump and a washing machine.
The cost worked out to only ₹1.80 lakh for installing the rooftop plant. “I don’t really use the electricity connection, but I have retained it just for old times’ sake, and pay the minimum – ₹500 every two months.”
Mr. Suresh carefully considered his next addition to the house and zeroed in on a bio gas plant. The idea behind going for a bio gas plant was to make use of the kitchen and food wastes profitably. The bio gas plant of one cubic meter capacity was installed at a cost of ₹ 35,000 by sourcing plastic water tanks. He said: “All one has to do is feed the plant regularly and it would be supply gas with no need for maintenance of any sort.” The byproduct which is organic manure generated from bio gas forced me to go in for a terrace garden where we farmed vegetables and greens. Mr. Suresh said the only cost invested for terrace garden was minimal, to buy 150 pots.
Finally, Mr. Suresh shows off, with pride, his latest showpiece – the ‘Air to water’ machine which produces drinking water from atmospheric air and possibly the most valuable possession in a water starved city. He said the machine generates 25 litres of drinking water per day and costs only ₹40,000.
While normally the cost of running this air to water machine is ₹ 3 per litre (in terms of electricity charges to run the machine), for him it does not cost anything because the solar plant powers it.
Above all, a working, regularly-maintained rain water harvesting system, and recharge pits installed 25 years ago still keeps the well and bore well in his house flush with water.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by R. Srikanth / Chennai – May 31st, 2019
Sounthirarajan said the Indian government granted him a patent in November 2018 for his Super Sonic Hydrogen IC Engine.
Coimbatore-based mechanical engineer Sounthirajan Kumarasamy with his special eco-friendly engine. (Photo | EPS)
Coimbatore :
An engine that runs on distilled water and even rain water? Stuff of dreams, you say.
No, insists a city-based mechanical engineer. Sounthirarajan Kumarasamy claims his engine will break down water and be propelled by hydrogen. And emissions, how about oxygen for a change!
His prototype, he claims, can be used in all vehicles from two-wheelers to trucks.
source: http://www.youtube.com
Sounthirarajan says the Indian government granted him a patent in November 2018 for his Super Sonic Hydrogen IC Engine, which he says he will debut in Japan.
The class XI dropout from Kangayam in Tirupur did the research for his project at the District Central Library in Coimbatore. “During the initial years, I used my old defunct jeep to learn about the hardware,” said Sounthirarajan, who hails from a farming community.
The Indian government granted Sounthirarajan a patent in November 2018 for his Super Sonic Hydrogen IC Engine
“Utilising the thermal losses in the engine, hydrogen could be burned that helps vehicle run. I have currently designed the engine with the capacity of 100cc, which could emit oxygen while it’s running. All the tests were successful,” he told Express.
Sounthirarajan established his company in 2010 and says he has opened a branch in Tokyo a few months ago. He also runs an incubator cell at the PSG-Science and Technology Entrepreneurial Park (PSG-STEP), Coimbatore. He has been ‘working on designing this machine’ for the past ten years.
He said, “With my invention, you can run your vehicle for 200 km with just 10 litres of distilled water. We had even tried running the engine with rainwater and it bore fruit.”
Sounthirarajan now plans to organise an international summit in Kyoto soon to showcase his work to potential buyers from across the world.
He says that his machine could be sold for Rs 1.5 lakh for a four-wheeler. If it’s a two-wheeler, then he says the price will be around Rs 65,000.
His colleagues Prakash, Sathish, and Chandrasekar assisted him.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Tamil Nadu / by Express News Service / May 11th, 2019
Solar energy panels installed at a powerloom unit in Somanur.
E. Bhoopathi, a powerloom weaver in Somanur, invested ₹6 lakh in 2013 to install five kw solar energy system at his weaving unit. Generating at least 20 units of energy a day through the system, he is a motivation to many other weavers who are waiting for favourable policies to invest in solar power.
“Power cuts were crippling production six years ago and we could not afford to run the weaving unit with 10 looms on diesel generator. So I decided to go in for solar energy,” he says. The system is not connected to the grid and is supported with a battery. He is able to run the looms for seven to eight hours a day using solar energy.
Mr. Bhoopathi adds that the Government provides power subsidy to powerloom units. Further, net metering facility is not available for industries that went in for rooftop solar energy panels.
Hence, it is not attractive to many. But, if the powerloom units can connect the solar energy system to the grid and supply the excess power generated to the grid, many weavers will go in for it.
The PowerTex scheme implemented by the Union Government extends subsidy to powerloom units that want to tap solar energy.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Coimbatore / by M. Soundariya Preetha / Coimbatore – May 03rd, 2019
