Category Archives: Green Initiatives/ Environment

The bamboo boys

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives/ Environment, Nature
Rohit Sahdev and Rohit Kumar / by Special Arrangement / The Hindu
Rohit Sahdev and Rohit Kumar / by Special Arrangement / The Hindu

Meet Rohit Kumar and Rohit Sahdev who have launched Brush with Bamboo, an eco-friendly alternative to the plastic toothbrush

Rohit Kumar and Rohit Sahdev, both students of UC Berkeley, met when they were doing a semester in India in 2006 at the University of Delhi. As they became friends, they realised what damages plastic waste was doing not just to India but to countries across the world. And so, Kumar and Sahdev decided to give up plastic but realised that there were not many eco-friendly alternatives especially for toothbrushes. In July 2012, after much trial and error, they launched Brush with Bamboo.

About 4.7 billion plastic toothbrushes are manufactured every year, and they all invariably end up polluting our oceans. “With our eco-friendly toothbrush, we felt that we had a unique opportunity to help the planet and make a living at the same time,” says Kumar. Designing the toothbrush was a difficult task. Since Kumar and Sahdev were political science and business graduates, they had to start from scratch. “After some research, we discovered that bamboo would be an ideal material. In terms of sustainability, bamboo is abundant, sturdy and one of the fastest growing plants on Earth. At the same time, it is naturally anti-microbial and anti-fungal, so it does not mould in wet environments,” Kumar explains.

It took about eight months to perfect the first version of the toothbrush but the bristles posed a problem. “We tried using bristles that were made from 30 per cent bamboo but they didn’t last long enough. A year later, we launched a second version in which we improved by switching back to a high grade of pure nylon (certified free of toxic chemicals),” Kumar says. Unfortunately, there is no good alternative to nylon bristles. “The only other alternative is boar or pig hair, and we do not agree with using animal hair,” he adds.

The bamboo toothbrushes / by Special Arrangement / The Hindu
The bamboo toothbrushes / by Special Arrangement / The Hindu

Brush with Bamboo has so far sold nearly 50,000 toothbrushes across the world and the numbers continue to grow rapidly. “No else had come out with a eco-friendly toothbrush at that time, so we were being purchased and stocked by retailers from around the globe,” Kumar explains. And about six months ago, they introduced bamboo drinking straws. “They are made from a variety of thin bamboo. About one billion plastic straws are used everyday and we wanted to do something there as well. Our focus, though, will be on toothbrushes. Our next product will be a toothbrush that is for children.”

Brush with Bamboo offers worldwide shipping though their website www.brushwithbamboo.com

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus> Society / by Anusha Parthasarthy / Chennai – September 01st, 2013

Modular toilets for Tirupur soon

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives/ Environment, Uncategorized

Modular toilets to come up in 14 places at an estimate of Rs.3.6 crore

The Corporation council meeting held here on Friday resolved to set up modular toilets at select 14 places at an estimated outlay of Rs 3.5 crore.

Mayor Visalakshi Apukutty said these toilets would be coming up in wards 3,6,18, 21, 31, 32, 35, 36, 38, 52 and 53 under ‘Namma toilet’ scheme.

Corporation Commissioner K. R. Selvaraj said each toilet complex would have five to six seats and would function as community toilets.

The administration plans to obtain grants from the State Government to offset the capital expenditure for the project.

During the meeting, councillors representing CPI, CPI (M) and DMK staged walk out in protest against the move to privatise solid waste management (SWM) project in select 30 wards out of the total 60 wards.

They pointed out that the handing over of the SWM project would only increase the cost of garbage collection.

“The present method of collecting garbage through various women Self Help Groups has been effective. Why then, the need to privatise the project?” they wondered. For the opposition councillors, there was surprise support from the ruling party too.

S. R. Jayakumar of AIADMK said that he could not morally accept the concept of privatising the said SWM project for 30 wards.

K. Marappan of CPI (M) asked why there was a huge delay in filling the vacancies of two councillor posts caused by the death of the incumbents last year.

“The rule clearly asks to conduct by-elections within six months to fill the vacancies,” he pointed out.

S. Ravichandran of CPI expressed dissatisfaction over the inadequate medical infrastructure and manpower in the Corporation-run maternity hospital near Bungalow stop. “It does not even have X-ray,” he said.

Some other major complaints raised by councillors include mosquito menace, poor laying of black top surfaces on the roads which comes off in quick time and lack of adequate drainage.

Deputy Mayor S Gunasekaran was present in the meeting.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Coimbatore / by Staff Reporter / Tirupur – August 31st, 2013

Drive to bring back TN’s tree

Education, Green Initiatives/ Environment, Nature

The Chennai Corporation has begun a green drive to retrieve the palmyra and the move has received appreciation from tree-lovers and environmentalists.

Called the Karpaga Virutsham, the palmyra was once abundant in the city.  In the last two decades it has vanished due to rapid urbanisation.

“The palm tree is drought-resistant and requires little water.  Even saline water will not affect its growth,” says ‘Nursery’ Rajendran, a tree-lover who supplies saplings.

However, the IIT Madras campus has a large number of this indigenous species.

Listing many places from where the palm has disappeared, he said Siruseri and Oragadam were such places. “I was asked to assist in cutting palm trees in Siruseri. But, I have opted out,” he recalls. Each and every part of the tree is useful but its slow growth deters people from rearing it though it does not require maintenance.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai /  August 30th, 2013

Scope of mushroom production yet to be mushroomed fully

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives/ Environment, Nature

Tamil Nadu lagging behind Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Punjab and Haryana

Mushroom production has tremendous scope in Tamil Nadu.

However, the State does not have the number of entrepreneurs to meet its requirements, laments S.S.T.Rajenthran, who won the “progressive mushroom grower” award in 2011 from the Director of Mushroom Research, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, “for his outstanding contribution to the mushroom industry.”

S.S.T.Rajenthran with milk mushroom. / Photo: R. M. Rajarathinam / The Hindu
S.S.T.Rajenthran with milk mushroom. / Photo: R. M. Rajarathinam / The Hindu

Mr.Rajenthran, 46, is an ITI-educated entrepreneur who is into mushroom production for the past over 25 years. He has a unit near Thuraiyur, about 25km from here.

The ICAR has recognised his expertise in milky and oyster mushroom cultivation. He also supplies high quality spawn to mushroom growers.

It has commended his “keen interest in providing support to small and marginal mushroom growers and his efforts in popularising mushroom consumption among common public.”

Mushroom has excellent medicinal properties. It is rich in protein, fibre, and amino acids. Mushroom is a 100 per cent vegetarian food and is good for diabetes and joint pains. Pickles, pappad, soup powder, health powder, capsule, health drinks and pakodas can be made using mushroom. It has no cholesterol and helps in purifying blood. It has low sodium and substantial vitamin and minerals.

Mr.Rajenthran calls it an “agri-based industry.” But officially it has been classified as horticulture. India is so gifted that it could grow temperate, sub-tropical, and tropical mushrooms.

During 1989-92, marketing of mushroom was a problem in Tamil Nadu. “It is no more so. Chennai alone gets five tonnes of mushroom a day at present from various parts of the country.”

“However, Tamil Nadu is now nowhere in the national map and it is Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Punjab, and Haryana which are doing well in this sector.” It has good export potential for countries such as China, Singapore, Dubai, and Europe.”

“It is quite remunerative and fetches at least Rs.200 a kg at present. The profit margin is 30 to 40 per cent.”

Mr.Rajenthran, who is now concentrating on milky mushroom cultivation, says that its shelf life could be five days as against one day of button mushroom. If kept refrigerated, milky mushroom could be kept for 10-15 days.

With respect to reports that mushroom could be cultivated at low cost – even as low as Rs.50, 000 to Rs.1lakh, he says, “Whenever you use timber for the production chamber, there is every possibility fungus might affect the timber which in turn would hurt the mushroom in due course,” he contends. Hence, investment is a major problem for the entrepreneurs, he adds.

According to him, mushroom production requires a temperature of 28 deg C to 35 deg C and a humidity of 75-80 per cent. Hence a humidifier is a must. Besides CO2 should be totally removed from the chamber and there should be fresh air.

For a production unit of 30 X 15 ft, a minimum of Rs.9 lakh would be required. A crop requires 45 days and at least 1.5 tonnes could be harvested per crop. “On an average, 10 tonnes per unit is possible per annum.”

Besides, he suggests that one set up a spawn and compost unit at Rs.25 lakh so that he could supply spawn and compost ready to produce mushroom within a radius of 50 to 100 km.

Mr.Rajenthran, who advocates organic farming of mushroom, suggests that the State government introduce mushroom in the noon meal scheme to serve nutritional food to children and promote mushroom industry. Self-help groups could produce the same and supply, he adds.

Mushroom production requires very little land and can be a good source of employment for educated youth. The two primary inputs for mushroom production – agro-waste and labour are easily available. Integrated mushroom production in existing farming system will supplement the income of rural masses and will lead to inclusive growth, he adds.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Tiruchirapalli / by G. Sathyamoorthi / Tiruchi – February 03rd, 2013

City researcher identifies raft of medicinal plants

Green Initiatives/ Environment, Nature
Senkaanthal flower, the State flower is one of the important medicinal plants found in the forests within the city./ by Special Arrangement / The Hindu
Senkaanthal flower, the State flower is one of the important medicinal plants found in the forests within the city./ by Special Arrangement / The Hindu

 The forest tracts around Chennai abound in herbs that were once commonly used to treat medical conditions. P. Oppili reports

Beyond the Guindy National Park (GNP), the IIT-M campus and Nanmangalam forest, the city has forested tracts that support around 30 species of plants known for their medicinal values. N. Muthu Karthick, a researcher with CareEarth, a Chennai-based biodiversity organisation, has identified these plants. And his research has brought surprising facts to light. For example, these plants were commonly used in the day-to-day diet.

Cissus Quadrangularis / by Special Arrangement / The Hindu
Cissus Quadrangularis / by Special Arrangement / The Hindu

Over 100 species of medicinal plants were found at Trisoolam hills, Vandalur Reserved Forest, Unamancheri and other forest tracts in and around Chennai. Those who stayed near these forest areas utilised the medicinal plants for minor ailments, skin allergies and common infections.

D. Narasimhan, Associate Professor, Botany Department, Madras Christian College, Tambaram, said 60 per cent of the flora found in the city were said to contain medicinal properties in them.

Cleisanthus Collinus / by Special Arrangement / The Hindu
Cleisanthus Collinus / by Special Arrangement / The Hindu

Primary Health Centres (PHC) in the city had a Siddha medical practitioner, who used to prescribe extracts from these plants for simple ailments.

Apart from a Siddha clinic, the civic authorities also created medicinal plant gardens within the PHCs, he said. P. Sudhakar of CPR Environmental Education Centre, who studied the flora in the parks in the city said about 50 per cent of flora in the public parks were ornamental flowers, while another 50 per cent were medicinal plants. Apart from this, a 28 per cent of weeds were also found in the parks.

The study revealed that the weeds also contained medicinal properties, Sudhakar added.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai> DownTown / by P.Oppli / Chennai – August 12th, 2013

Man awarded for selling purified ground water at low cost

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives/ Environment, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Nature, Records, All, Science & Technologies

Coimbatore :

Anuj Sharma, COO of Sarvajal, a firm that sells water, was in town to receive the Force Park Shared Value Award from the Park Group of Institutions on Wednesday. His firm purifies ground water and sells it through water ATMs.

“Pure water can easily be made available at a lower cost,” said Anuj. He had started the project 4 years ago in his home town of Alwar in Rajasthan. His water is now available in a few states as of now. The purified water is supplied through tanks from where people can collect it using their ATMs. “A litre of water will cost a maximum of 50 paise. The ATM which is similar to those used to withdraw money from banks can be recharged using cards. They will show the quality of water apart from the balance available.

“We target places where there are ground water sources, but lack quality water distribution. There should be a minimum of 1,000 households in the area,” he said. ‘Water ATM’ was a concept they developed to monitor the distribution of the water and check its quality.

“Around 50 percent of diseases are water borne diseases. At the same time, most water purifiers are either inefficient or costly. Thus, I came up with this idea,” he said. Responding to charges of commercialisation of water resources, he says they make sure their business model is affordable to all.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Coimbatore> Water Resources / TNN / August 08th, 2013

Soon, a memorial for Kongu chief who built grand canal

Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives/ Environment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Nature, Records, All, Science & Technologies

Coimbatore :

Seven hundred and thirty years after he built the 56.5 mile long Kalingarayancanal to connect River Bhavani with River Noyyal, hoping to enhance irrigation facilities in the Erode region, a fitting memorial for the Kongu chieftain Kalingarayan inKalingarayanpalayam, where the irrigation canal originated, is in the pipeline. PWD Minister K V Ramalingam has confirmed that the memorial would come up inside a children’s park where there will be a special column and statue of Kalingarayan.

A memorial for the chieftain has been a long pending demand from the Kongu Vellalar community. Long forgotten by authorities, there is no memorial of Kalingarayan anywhere in Western Tamil Nadu. When the minister visited Kalingarayanpalayam recently, to release water through the canal, the locals urged him to initiate the long pending project.

The canal supports one of the largest ayacuts in the state. It irrigates vast stretches of turmeric, sugarcane and paddy fields. So, its creator must get a fitting tribute,” said Ramalingam. The canal had deteriorated in recent years and a massive renovation is in progress. Efforts to ensure smooth flow of water till the tail end of the canal and prevent the flow of sewage and industrial waste into it are going on. The canal is the worst affected waterway in the district due to indiscriminate dumping of untreated effluents by the textile processing and tannery industries.

Kalingarayan has contributed significantly to the region’s development. Born Lingaya Gounder around 1240, he rose to become Veera Pandian’s (1265-1280) chieftain,” says Periyaswami Prahladan, a farmer on its banks. The PWD is planning to build the memorial at an estimated cost of Rs1crore. In the beginning, the canal irrigated only about 3,500 acres, as historian and traveller Francis Buchanan noted in his diary, later published as ‘A Journey From Madras Through the Countries of Mysore, Canara, and Malabar”.

Buchanan visited the entire region as per the orders of then British Governor General Marquis Wellesley to check the state of agriculture from April 23, 1800 to January 15, 1801. In his book he writes that Kalingarayan’s family never seemed to have received any reward in the form of land on account of the grand canal that he built.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Coimbatore> Industrial Waste / by K A Shaji, TNN / August 14th, 2013

Erode farmer sets record in rice yield

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives/ Environment, Nature, Records, All

Coimbatore :

In what could be a milestone in rice farming in the state, a farmer from Varathampalayam village in Sathyamangalam in Erode district has raised a bumper crop of the hybrid variety CORH3. The farmer, M Palanisamy, has harvested about 1,400kg of hybrid seeds which will be procured by Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) and the department of agriculture at a rate of Rs 110 per kg.

Palanisamy, who employed cutting-edge technology, has earned Rs 1.88 lakh from the harvest and after meeting the expenses of Rs 40,000, he will get a net profit of Rs 1,48,000 at the rate of Rs 74,000 per acre, a remarkable achievement in rice farming.

During Navarai season in 2010-11, production of hybrid rice seeds was taken up in five hectares of land in and around Sathyamangalam. Besides, he has harvested 3,000 kg of produce from the male parent (R’ line) which will be sold in the market at minimum support price of Rs 10 per kg. “The R’ line is the sterile male line and is sown alternatively with the female line for pollination,” said S Robin, professor and head, department of rice of the TNAU. The TNAU organised a field visit cum awareness campaign in Varathampalayam on May 17 in order to inspect the hybrid rice seed production field and to create awareness among local farmers on advantages of hybrid rice seed production.

Dr. K. Thiyagarajan, director of the Centre for Plant Breeding and Genetics of the TNAU, explained that hybrid seed is a proven modern rice production technology, which helps farmers produce and earn more. Burgeoning population and shrinking resources like land and water put the onus on farmers to produce more per area. Rice, being the single most important food crop of the state, requires added attention as production constraints are enlarging and total rice area is shrinking.

TNAU, which developed the country’s first hybrid rice CORH1 in 1994, has so far released four rice hybrids with the latest being the short duration CORH3. Pilot studies were conducted over several years in Tamil Nadu, to standardise the locations for taking up hybrid rice seed production, he said. India  ranks first in total area under rice.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Coimbatore> Tamil Nadu Agricultural University / by Nandhu Sundaram / May 27th, 2011

Tamil Nadu Agricultural University advices rice farmers to carry out pest control

Green Initiatives/ Environment, Nature, Science & Technologies

Coimbatore : 

Advising farmers in rice growing areas to carry out integrated pest and disease management in rice, the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) has said that farmers growing samba rice in Cauvery delta and other rice growing areas should be vigilant against the possible infection of diseases. In its monthly pest and disease forecasting report, Centre for Plant Protection Studies of TNAU, cautioned that insects and pests like thrips and caseworms are expected in the nursery during this samba season. “It is recommended to adopt methods like wet seed treatment and seedling root dip to tackle this issue”, said a communique from TNAU.

Under the wet seed treatment method, seeds should be treated with carbendazim, a fungicide before sowing. Under the seedling root dip method nursery seedlings should be dipped in a solution dissolved with pseudomonas fluorescens before planting. Light trap to monitor adult moths and other insects, applying neem cake and spraying neem oil can be followed for controlling insects. Further details can be had from the department of agricultural entomology of TNAU at 0422-6611226.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Coimbatore> Tamil Nadu Agricultural University / TNN / August 02nd, 2013

Students get rare chance to know about Kangayam cattle

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives/ Environment, Nature
School students seen at the Kangayam tract in Tirupur district. / by Special Arrangement / The Hindu
School students seen at the Kangayam tract in Tirupur district. / by Special Arrangement / The Hindu

For the group of 37 school students from Coimbatore, the two-day stay at Senaapathy Kangayam Cattle Research Foundation (SKCRF) and Kangayam cattle tract offered a different experience. Not only did they get an opportunity to know about the cattle but they also went back richer with the knowledge of making some unique value-added products from the cow’s urine and dung.

Kathiyawadi horse

They also got a glimpse of the Kathiyawadi horse, a rare breed of horse from the North-Western belt of the country, reared at the facility. “We are facilitating and encouraging these type of visits by youngsters only to ensure that the future of the animal-species that face extinction like Kangayam cattle will be safe in the hands of the next generation,” K.S.M. Karthikeya, managing trustee of SKCRF, told The Hindu.

Jeeva Amirtham

Apart from teaching the students the origin and benefits of Kangayam cattle to the farming community, the resource persons from SKCRF explained the techniques to make Jeeva Amritham, a product that can be made from urine of Kangayam cattle and used as a substitute for nitrogenous fertilizers. Another product that was usually made from Kangayam cattle’s urine and dung is Bij Amritham, used for seed treatment due to its anti-fungal properties.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Coimbatore / by R Vimal Kumar / Tirupur – August 06th, 2013