A fine New Year gift

Jisha Surya
First Published : 23 Dec 2010

Don’t be surprised if you hear a song, the tinkling of anklets or high-pitched drama dialogues on entering the Technopark campus. Emphasising its tagline ‘harmony@work’, one of the largest IT parks in the country is all set for an employee-friendly makeover. Technopark is launching a fine arts club - ‘Natana’, which will offer the best platform to nurture and express one’s talent.
 It’s time for techies to escape the strain of project deadlines and enjoy an opportunity to brush up and showcase their talents, which might once have been a part of their eventful school or college days. Those keen to get training in any art form for the first time too can cheer up. With the support of Group of Technology companies (GTech) - a strategic grouping of IT/ITES enterprises in Kerala, Natana will be launched at a star-studded, gala event on January 20.
 Anoop P Ambika, secretary of GTech and CEO of the Technopark-based Kreara Solutions, is the torchbearer of the new initiative. Anoop was instrumental in taking such a novel idea to the discussion forum of GTech. ‘’The objective of the club is to bring together professionals from the community who are keen to pursue their interests in culture, music, films, dance and other forms of arts. Top officials of all the companies have welcomed the employee-engagement programme. The employees are eagerly waiting for its launch, which is planned on January 20. So far, around 350 employees have registered their names,’’ Anoop said.
 Elaborating on the process of setting up the club, Anoop said, ‘’We are in the process of identifying talents to create a talent pool. For that, a core committee consisting of two representatives from each company has been constituted. This core committee is led by some employees, including Deepa Rahul and Rakesh, who are known to television viewers.’’
 The members of the talent pool will be segregated based on their interest. The club will have association with professional organisations, which are expected to conduct grooming sessions. All interested employees will be brought to a single platform with the launch of Natana. Performance of a professional group, a known talent of Technopark and a new member of Natana, will mark the event launch.
 Enquiries are pouring in. Employees are keen to know about the activities of the club, some want to know about training and some even enquire on facilities to learn new art forms. The website of Natana, which enables employees to fill a column ‘I can’, is already flooded with messages of wannabe artists.
 Organisers of Natana have published a list of talents they are looking for. It includes dancers (classical and western), singers (English/India), musical instruments (traditional/ fusion), acrobats, mimicry, traditional fine arts (Thottam, Theyyam etc), content writers, art directors, actors/mime artists, film buffs, DJs, magicians, speakers, aspiring models and fashion/dress designers. Natana plans to give help to ailing artists in the future.
 Time is the only challenge in front of the organisers. ‘’Though the employees work for 8-10 hours a day, only 6-7 hours could be considered as very productive. The rest of the time goes for browsing, discussions and other engagements. Natana is planning to make use of this time,’’ the organisers said.
 Natana is expected to turn out as the best New Year gift for the techies.
jisha@expressbuzz.com

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Piracy sites a big hit; cops mum

Jisha Surya
First Published : 17 Dec 2010


THIRUVANATHAPURAM: The latest edition of the IFFK is all set to conclude after offering a bouquet of world movies. Since downloading films from piracy sites is becoming increasingly popular, Expresso searched for the IFFK movies at some of the piracy sites and shockingly found that most of the films were available on them.
 Someone who missed the IFFK would have downloaded some of the best movies from these sites. What if you could enjoy all these movies without taking the festival pass, without waiting in queue, without taking leave and absolutely free of cost? Anyone would say ‘great’ since few see it as a crime. Even the Cyber Cell is silent since ‘there is no complaint against the piracy sites’.  Only the producers and those who worked behind the film suffer.
 If you check the list of movies available in file-sharing networks like BitTorrent, Werner Herzog’s ‘Aguirre, the Wrath of God’ to Mohan Raghavan’s latest Malayalam movie ‘T D Dasan Std VI B’ are available. Films that appeared in the competition section, including ‘The Last Summer of La Boyita’, ‘The Japanese Wife’, and ‘Paleri Manikyam...’, among others, are available for free download.
 Unknown users have uploaded the films in World Cinema section which won  much acclaim, like ‘It’s Your Fault’, ‘White Ribbon’, ‘Black Heaven’, ‘Just Between Us’, ‘The House of Branching Love’, Certified Copy’, ‘Film Socialism’ and lot more. Latest Indian movies too are available.
 However, the authorities, who take stern action against illegal CD rackets in the State, remain silent on illegal movie websites. Cyber Cell DySP Sukumara Pillai said nobody had so far complained against such sites. ‘’Unless there is a complaint, we can’t take action. If there is a case of copyright violation, strict action could be taken against them,” he said.  However, he added that it was difficult to identify all those who were  downloading these movies from the piracy sites.
 According to a survey conducted by the Motion Picture Distributors’ Association (MPDA) last February, India is the fourth largest downloader in the Internet through illegal means. The other leading countries are the US, the UK and Canada. Ironically, considering the number of Internet users, India is far behind the list. The cyber laws in India are toothless to take stern action against these sites.
 At a news conference held at the IFFK venue on Tuesday, the International Federation of Film Producers’ Association had raised its voice against illegal downloading. It demanded strict laws to check the illegal practice, which was badly affecting the film industry.
jisha@expressbuzz.com

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Facelift for Tagore Theatre

Jisha Surya
First Published : 13 Dec 2010

Tagore Centenary Theatre, the city’s cultural haven, is all set for a renovation. An indispensable venue of major cultural events in the city, the Tagore Theatre will be shutdown for almost nine months from now.
 The renovation works will begin on January 10. The Kerala Transport Development Finance Corporation (KTDFC) is in charge of the works, which may cost around Rs 7 crore. The amount includes Rs 5.95 crore earmarked in the last budget for the renovation and Rs 1 crore of the Information and Public Relations Department.    The works will be completed in two phases, including the renovation of the building and the beautification of the landscape. Maximum utilisation of the existing space will be the focus of renovation. The total area of the auditorium will be 8,848 sq ft, with 612 seats on the ground floor and 346 seats on the first. The new stage will have a width of 14.75 m and area of 1,938 sq ft, which is 80 percent more than the older one. The total stage area, including the back stage, will be 4,995 sq ft.   The sound and lighting system will be modernised. Performance lighting, general lighting and ambient lighting will be included in the new theatre. The existing sound equipment, which is outdated, will be replaced.
Lifts and ramps will be arranged in such a way to provide accessibility for the physically challenged. Toilet facilities will be improved. There will be separate gents-ladies toilets for physically challenged. Not a single tree on the premises will be cut down for the beautification, the authorities said. The parking space too will be developed.
 The new building plan has been designed by Kumar Group. The other works will be tendered in the coming weeks. Though the time reserved for the renovation is six months, the authorities believe that it would take nine months.
jisha@expressbuzz.com

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Delay over improving city roads

Jisha Surya
First Published : 08 Dec 2010

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: December 31 is the deadline set by the Government to complete the Phase II works of the City Road Improvement Project (CRIP). Rain, land acquisition issues, lack of co-ordination between various departments and various other reasons lead one to a single conclusion - Phase II works are unlikely to meet the deadline.
 Project Engineer of Kerala Road Fund Board (KRFB) Sreekantan Nair said works on only 12 km of the remaining 28 km roads are likely to be completed under Phase II. A total of 42 km road is expected to be developed under CRIP, which includes an underpass and two flyovers.
 Around 14 km roads have been completed under Phase I. The entire  project is slated for completion by April 2011.
 According to Nair, works on MG Road (from LMS to Attakulangara) will be stopped at Overbridge owing to various obstacles. The list of obstacles includes the stalled work of Thakaraparambu flyover and land acquisition at Thampanoor, among others. KRBF, which is the facilitator responsible for removing the hurdles, however, is silent on the issue.  Junction improvement works at Sasthamangalam and road works at Kowdiar-Pattom, Kowdiar-Peroorkada-Vazhayila etc are progressing.
 Officials of the Thiruvananthapuram Road Development Company Limited (TRDCL), the concessionaire of the project, expressed confidence in completing some major road works, provided there is no rain. “Only 10 days is needed to complete the remaining works. The roads will be ready for commissioning if there is no rain for 10 days,” TRDCL vice-president Anil Kumar Pandala said.
 The Airport-MLA Hostel road is another major road which the KRBF officials claimed would be completed under Phase II. However, some of the major roadblocks are on this road. The shifting of two cemeteries and a dispute relating to a Railway Overbridge are some of the land acquisition problems troubling the authorities on this stretch. Final resurfacing works are remaining on some parts of this road.
 At Chackai bridge and at KIMS bridge in Anayara, the approach roads remain to be completed. Lack of co-ordination between various departments has hit the road works here.
 Work is progressing on the Panavila-Model School stretch, which was delayed following JICA-assisted water works.
 Currently, the authorities are busy carrying out patch works on some of the major roads in the city in connection with the upcoming International Film Festival of Kerala. Priority is being given to   completing this work, rather than meeting the deadline of CRIP Phase II.
jisha@expressbuzz.com

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Marriage hit due to road works

Jisha Surya
First Published : 04 Dec 2010

THIRUVANATHAPURAM: Two young people, slated to tie the nuptial knot the coming Sunday, have become the latest victims of the unending road works at Nalanchira.
 Mohammed Muneer, a resident of Kanyakulangara, near Vembayam, was to be married to Surumi at the Juma Masjid, Vattappara, on that day. A reception was planned at the Kottakkattu Convention Centre in Nalanchira the same evening. But with the dragging road works making travel to the area impossible, the families of the bridegroom and the bride had no option but to shift the venues at the last minute.
 They have placed newspaper advertisements saying that the wedding will be held on the same day, but at the Islamic Centre, Vazhuthacaud. The reception has been moved to the Sree Mulam Club.
 “The marriage was planned almost a year ago. Who would have thought that such a bizarre situation would arise?’’ Mohammed Faizal, the bridegroom’s brother, lamented, adding that the family was scrambling to inform everyone about the change.
 ‘’Most of our relatives are in distant places and some are abroad. We are using all possible means - from telephone calls to advertisements - to let them know. We had printed the invitation cards and invited everyone before the condition of the road became so poor. The change of venue became extremely critical after that,”  he said.
 Residents, students and workers in and around the Kesavadasapuram-Nalanchira stretch have been on tenterhooks for the past several months. The mud-filled, dug-up roads, coupled with the unexpected December rains, have literally paralysed their lives. None of the troubles have turned an eye-opener to the authorities.
 Although the marriage venue has been changed, the condition of the roads is such that the bridegroom will be forced to take an alternative route to reach the venue.
 Mohammed Faisal said that they were so short of time that they had not bothered complaining to the authorities. “There is no time for that. We are all busy due to this last-minute change. But the issue must be brought to the notice of the authorities since we are facing so much trouble owing to this work,” he said.
 The advertisement which appeared in some newspapers on Friday clearly states that road works are the reason for the change of venues.
 This might be one of the thousands problems faced by the local people. Nobody is clear about when the menace would stop troubling them.
jisha@expressbuzz.com

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‘State Government failed to implement proposals’

Jisha Surya
First Published : 16 Nov 2010

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: ‘’Hundreds of fatalities and thousands of serious injuries on the Kerala roads could have been saved if the recommended road safety actions had been implemented earlier. Who should be accountable for the loss of these lives and the seriously injured persons?” asks Stein Lundebye, World Bank road safety consultant, who had the responsibility of suggesting road safety standards of KSTP roads.
Lundebye, who visited the State several times to review the progress of implementation, said the State Government had failed to implement the proposals. ‘’There have been agreements on many traffic and safety issues. However, there has been a lack of implementation of proposed actions. The road safety action plan was completed 4-5 years ago and many very sensible professional recommendations were made. Once a year, I make a visit to Kerala to see what progress the government has made with the implementation of proposed recommendations. Every time, I prepare a list of proposed actions, which often do not get implemented,’’ Lundebye, who is currently in Norway, said in an e-mail interview.
According to Lundebye, change of officials (read the frequent change of PWD Ministers) has seriously affected the implementation of the proposal. ‘’I would like to say that I believe many road accidents could have been avoided if the government had taken appropriate actions over the last 4-5 years since the Kerala Road Safety Action Plan recommendations were made,’’ he said.
Main suggestion of the World Bank is to improve the North-South and West-East strategic roads. The National Highways in Kerala (around 1,500 km) represent about 1.2 percent of the total road network in the State and these highways account for around 20 percent of the road travel and about 38 percent of the road fatalities. Hence, there would be big gains by improving the safety on these highways, he said.
Lundebye believes alcohol and drugs are the reasons behind 20-30 percent of the accidents, though the State road accident statistics do not show so.
He said since Kerala has the highest alcohol consumption per capita in India, it would be the major reason for road accidents.  ‘’The traffic law enforcement by the police must also be improved drastically to check speeding and drunk-driving. Use of seatbelts (in front and rear seats) must also improve. Safety belts are some of the cheapest and most effective safety measures. Traffic signing and road marking by PWD should improve. Proper bus laybys and ‘school safety zones’ should be established along the main highways,’’ he said.
Worrying trends
■ Kerala’s fatality rate in 2003 was five times more than that of many countries with mature road networks.
■ Over half of Kerala’s fatal crashes occur on the National Highways and in the three major cities: Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi/Ernakulam and Kozhikode
■ Existing data makes it difficult to identify road user types being killed and injured on Kerala’s roads. Some estimates put pedestrian fatalities at more than 50 percent of the total.
■ High population density, traffic congestion and roadside friction results in increased crash risk, especially for pedestrians.
■ Buses appear to be involved in an inordinately large proportion of fatal crashes.

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It is only a trial run, says Minister

Jisha Surya
First Published : 12 Nov 2010

PWD Minister M Vijayakumar has said that the decision to pedestrianise the Museum-Vellayambalam stretch will be revoked if it causes inconvenience to the public. The road will be closed to traffic from 5 am to 7 am from November 14 only on trial basis, he said. He was responding to the two opposing views on the decision published in Expresso on Thursday. Here, prominent personalities, including the Minister, react to the viewpoints. If you have an opinion or a suggestion on this issue, please e-mail us on trivandrum@expressbuzz.com. You can also write to us at The New Indian Express, Unnithan Lane, Sasthamangalam PO, Thiruvananthapuram-10
M Vijayakumar PWD Minister
The opposition against the pedestrian road comes out of total misunderstanding. The decision is made on a trial basis. It is temporary. If there is any difficulty, it will be revoked. The decision has been taken for a good purpose. It is a part of government policy of Total Physical Fitness Programme, focus of which is building a healthy generation. Now, only health conscious people are going for morning walks. By introducing a road for morning walkers, I hope a whole family will come for morning walks. Regarding the use of open spaces, it’s the Government which has opened Museum and Kanakakkunnu for public. We also plan to open stadiums, Harithavedi at Kowdiar and parts of Putharikandam for morning walkers. There are alternative roads from Vellayambalam and LMS. Also,  there are no private institutions or residential areas along the Museum-Vellayambalam stretch. All these factors were taken into consideration while choosing this road. This is for the benefit of the people.
Anil Kumar Pandala
Vice-president, Thiruvananthapuram Road Development Company Limited (TRDCL)
I oppose the idea of an exclusive road for morning walkers. All roads developed under the City Road Improvement Project (CRIP), undertaken by the TRDCL, have given due importance to pedestrians. Under the project, path for pedestrians and motorists has been properly demarcated. Also, the footpaths offer facilities for a continuous and smooth walk. There are no ups and downs on the footpaths. Footpaths do not break at points where they meet with inner roads. These raised footpaths, in turn, will act as humps or speed breakers for the vehicles using the inner roads.
This facility too will ensure the safety of pedestrians. The footpaths are of 2-metre width and 12-cm height from road level. All these factors ensure protection of pedestrians in every way. There are exclusive pedestrian zones in foreign countries. But those areas lack continuous footpaths. Vellayambalam-Museum road is one of the major arterial roads and I do not think closure of it, at any time, would be practical. There are enough open spaces in Thiruvananthapuram, which could be effectively used for morning walks.
Sony Thomas
CEO, World Road Safety Partnership
It is not a surprise that there are opinions for and against it. I see it as a positive decision. Only some areas of concern must be addressed. Instead of complete closure, a part of the bidirectional road must be closed. This could be operated on a trial basis. This may be helpful for those travelling to Medical College from Sasthamangalam area. Closure of the Museum-Vellayambalam road is crucial since a lot of morning walkers are using Museum and Kanakakkunnu areas. Many foreign countries are providing such facilities for pedestrians, including morning walkers and shoppers. It think 5 am to 7 am is not a busy time as school buses and other vehicles will mostly start plying after that.
Sasthamangalam Gopan
Councillor of Sasthamangalam ward
I had opposed the move to close the road, during a meeting convened by Minister M Vijayakumar. I feel the decision is not practical as the Museum-Vellayambalam road is a major road. Lots of school children will be affected by this decision. The school buses start plying early in the morning.
Also, this decision will affect patients going to Medical College. Such closure will cause trouble in cases of emergency. Using alternative roads may not be a cause of concern for the rich. What about the middle class and poor? This decision is not in favour of the general public. A number of free spaces are available for morning walkers.
K Chandrika Mayor
I just received a copy of the report on the decision. I am looking into it. I can’t respond now because I don’t know the details.
jisha@expressbuzz.com

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HIL produces Endosulfan despite ban in Kerala

Jisha Surya Express News ServiceFirst Published : 01 Nov 2010 03:23:20 AM ISTLast Updated : 01 Nov 2010 12:11:21 PM IST
THIRUVANATHAPURAM: Union Minister K V Thomas’ pro-endosulfan speech is just a tip of the iceberg. It shows a smaller part of the Union Government’s policy of making profit by gambling the lives of common people.
A Government of India enterprise itself is producing endosulfan in Kerala for the past three decades though it is not known much to others.
The Government’s indifferent attitude towards the endosulfan-hit State is reflected in the factory standing tall at Udyogamandal in Kochi.
With an excuse that endosulfan ban has limited its use, Hindustan Insecticides Limited (HIL), a Government of India enterprise, under Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, has been producing the deadly chemical in the very same State where more than 2,000 families are victims of aerial spraying of the deadly chemical at Government-owned plantation.
Originally started in 1957, Endosulfan Technical Plant was put up in HIL in 1980. The production capacity of the plant is 1,600 MT per annum, whereas the overall production in the world is around 12,800 MT per annum. Apart from the plant in Kochi, HIL has plants in Punjab and Maharashtra.
K K Dhar, deputy general manager of HIL, Kochi, said that endosulfan is being produced in the company. “There is no ban on production. There is no directive from Government regarding it. We strictly prohibit sale of endosulfan within the State. It is being used in other States. We are concentrating more on exports,” he said.
Endosulfan is mainly exported to Europe, South America, Gulf and South East Asia and South Africa.
Asked on the environmental impacts on the area, he said that they are strictly following the norms.
However, according to the study of Greenpeace International in 1999, the activities at the HIL plant in Kochi had resulted in substantial contamination of water bodies in the area with DDT, endosulfan and other hazardous organochlorine chemicals and has caused release of many of these chemicals into the environment.
India’s opposition to the Stockholm Convention is clear from the fact that it is the major producer of endosulfan.
Apart from Government-owned HIL, Excel Crop Care and Coromandal Fertilizers are other producers.
The three are producing 4,500 tonnes annually for domestic use and another 4,000 tonnes for export.
Endosulfan was banned following a High Court directive in 2002.
Since, State Government has no role in the Insecticide Act, it has to remain a mute spectator of Union Government’s autocratic stand.
Though the lives of thousands in Kasargod have been affected and study of National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOH) point to the ill-effects of endosulfan, the Union Government is still adamant on its stand that use of endosulfan have no link with the lives of hundred in Kasargod.

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North-east monsoon showers likely from Friday

Jisha Surya
First Published : 27 Oct 2010

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Though delayed, favourable conditions are developing for the onset of the north-east monsoon.    
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) is closely monitoring the situation and is expecting the withdrawal of south-west monsoon and the subsequent onset of north-east monsoon within a week. According to the IMD, the north-east monsoon rains are likely to commence over Tamil Nadu and the rest of peninsular India around October 29.
The presence of cyclone Giri in the Bay of Bengal and formation of low pressure areas had delayed the north-east monsoon. Normally, the north-east monsoon starts on October 15, according to the IMD. Owing to the presence of low pressures over the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, wind concentrated towards the low pressure region. There was no expected reverse flow of wind. To mark the onset of north-east monsoon, wind patterns must change from the existing southwesterly to northeasterly.
As the effect of Giri and low pressures have faded, the IMD expects increase in rainfall activity over the extreme south peninsula towards the end of the week enhancing the possibility of the onset of north-east monsoon. The criteria for declaring the onset of north-east monsoon are the presence of widespread rainfall over the coastal Tamil Nadu and adjoining areas, withdrawal of south-west monsoon up to 15º N and onset of persistent surface easterlies over the Tamil Nadu coast. According to the IMD, these factors are developing and north-east monsoon may hit within a week.Weather experts feel that normal withdrawal of south-west monsoon and onset of north-east monsoon are changing.
Atmospheric scientist and professor-in-charge, Chair for Climate Change, SCMS, C K Rajan said that the State received fairly widespread rainfall this month. However, this was not under the influence of north-east monsoon. ‘’It is high time that we changed the weather concepts,’’ he opined. ‘’Now, the State is receiving rainfall, but the reasons are different. North-east monsoon should have been the reason for rainfall. But the rainfall this month was caused by low pressure formations instead,’’ Rajan said. The rain during north-east monsoon will be marked by thunderstorms.

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Endosulfan: Activists for tighter regulation

Jisha Surya
First Published : 21 Oct 2010

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Either a nation-wide regulation or more power for State Government could only bring effective solution to the endosulfan threat,  feel social activists studying on the effects on endosulfan in areas like Kasargod. The report of extensive use of the banned chemical in cardamom plantations in Idukki is a proof that ban won’t be effective unless there is a nation-wide regulation, they said.
 Activists are also accusing agriculture officers for secretly encouraging farmers to use endosulfan.
Farmers in Idukki believe that unlike other pesticides, Endosulfan won’t harm honeybees and thus helps in pollination. Also that the effect of endosulfan will last during rain. These beliefs are supposed to tempt farmers to use the banned chemical.
 Social activist and documentary filmmaker M A Rahman who brought to light the dangers of endosulfan use in Kasargod said that the Central Government was acting in the interests of manufactures of endosulfan and that was evident from its stand at the recently-concluded Stockholm Convention. “The Central Government, which is responsible to act, is not supporting the ban. Unless the State Government is given more powers, restrictions won’t be effective,” he said.
“It seems hundreds of lives in Kasargod are not enough for the government to assess the extreme effects of endosulfan. Twenty-two years of continuous aerial spraying on government-owned plantation has ruined many lives in the area. Still the Union Government is not supporting the ban only because India is the largest manufacturer of endosulfan,” Rahman said. Government-owned Hindustan Insecticides Limited is one of the major manufacturers of endosulfan. US firm Bayer CropScience, from where HIL took patent for manufacturing endosulfan, ceased  production in 2007 following the ban in US.
 Rahman also slammed the Union Government for brushing aside the report of National Institute of Occupational Health, which clearly studied on the ill-effects of endosulfan.
 Environmentalist Dr A Achutan said farmers were inviting trouble by not following the procedures prescribed in the bottle. “Farmers must use masks, assess wind direction, cover water bodies and use specified intensity of chemical. But most of them fail to do this,” he said. In 2000, the Achutan committee and NIOH jointly suggested ban on endosulfan for five years to study its ill-effects. Ten years have passed and government has not yet heeded to this recommendation. “I heard the government has begun a study in the area now. But the result would be negative as there is no use of endosulfan for the past 10 years,” Achutan said.  As majority of members demanded ban on endosulfan at the sixth meeting of the Persistent Organic Pollutants’ Review Committee (POPRC) at the Stockholm Convention, activists are hoping that India might be forced to ban its use by the next meeting.
Better alternatives
Principal Agriculture Officer of Farm Information Bureau G S Unnikrisnan said no pesticide could be termed harmless. “Every pesticide have toxicity of varying intensity. Since pest attacks are common on cardamom plants, the Government must promote alternative ways like organic farming. Organic extracts like ‘pyrethrum’ extracted from Chrysanthemum are being successfully used in cardamom plantations in Kumili,” he said.

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Farmers of Idukki flirting with danger

Jisha Surya
First Published : 20 Oct 2010

KATTAPPANA: Even as the Stockholm convention of the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee on Tuesday proposed a ban on the use of the deadly Endosulfan pesticide, it is revealed that a large number of farmers in Idukki have stepped up its use in cardamom plantations.
Unmindful of the ban on Endosulfan imposed by the Kerala High Court in 2002, the cardamom planters are using Endosulfan rampantly.
Its use is common at big and small cardamom plantations in Pooppara, Udumbanchola and Rajakumari areas.
Easy availability from the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu and its effectiveness as a pesticide make Endosulfan a preferred choice of farmers.
And social activists are alleging that increasing cases of cancer in the area in recent times.
There is no specific checking at the Kerala-TN checkposts and pesticide bottles bought from shops in TN freely cross border. Middlemen carry the bottles in bike and sell them at plantations at almost double the price. Usually `300-400 are paid by the local planter for a one-litre bottle.
According to local pesticide trader Jijo, small scale farmers in the area demand Endosulfan every day. “They knew it has serious after effects.
But, Endosulfan is highly effective in controlling pests such as stem borer. Though not available in shops the area, agents from Tamil Nadu are selling it here,” he said.
Endosulfan is a wide spectrum insecticide, not associated with any particular insect, which makes it more acceptable for naïve farmers. The farmers feel that spraying the chemical just before blooming would be highly effective for better crops.
Most people in the area are also aware of the increasing cancer cases and skin diseases.
O J Varkey, a cardamom farmer, said that small farmers were not using Endosulfan though it was easily available.
“It is the big estate owners who are taking this extreme step for profit. Poor plantation workers don’t know its illeffects,” he added.

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Make Idukki a green garden

Jisha Surya
First Published : 12 Oct 2010

KERALA: Novelist and scriptwriter Susmesh Chandroth, hailing from Vellathooval in Idukki, is a staunch advocate of environment conservation in Idukki district. Susmesh urges all the political parties and its candidates to work towards making the high ranges a 'green range.'
"Unlike the other districts which rely on industries or IT, Idukki depends solely on cash crops and agriculture. Before the new officebearers of the local selfgovernment bodies assume office, I would like to remind them of one thing Idukki needs an overall green conservation," says Susmesh. "Apart from financial aid, the farmers must be made aware about the new markets for flowers, sericulture etc, which could be effectively implemented in a naturefriendly place like Idukki," he says. Susmesh wants the LSG representatives to focus more on environment conservation and alternative forms of energy.
"The government's policy to conserve Munnar alone won't help. It must conserve the entire Thodupuzha, Udumbanchola, Devikulam and Peermade taluks. Steps must be taken to check unauthorised constructions in the district. It must be converted into a green garden, thereby, preserving its unique ambience," he says. "Unnecessary political interference is delaying the commissioning of the windmill at Ramakalmedu. Efforts must be taken to tap the strong wind energy in the district. As shortage of water is a major problem, it is high time we shifted the focus from hydroelectric power to wind power," he says.
Susmesh feels that the bureaucrats' attitude is one of the reasons for the backwardness of Idukki. "Bureaucrats are often posted in Idukki on punishment transfers. They are arrogant and lazy. A number of illiterate and naive people depend on them. The people's representatives must urge the government to post efficient officials who will be sympathetic towards the needs of the poor," says Susmesh

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Brahmin woman power for IUML

Jisha Surya
First Published : 02 Oct 2010

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It was a moment anyone would have loved to watch - Muslims and Hindus jointly seeking votes for ‘their’ candidate at -Karamana ward in Thiruvananthapuram Corporation. The candidate? L Radha, a Brahmin.
What’s even more surprising is she has been fielded by the Indian Union Muslim League as its independent candidate for the ward reserved for women.
Radha filed her nomination papers and sought the blessings of Muslim leaders of the area on Thursday.
When ‘Express’ met her on Friday evening, she was on a hectic door-to-door campaign accompanied by a group of men and women _ Hindus and Muslims.
“Development is my motto. Religious enmity has no significance. My candidature proves the secular stand of the Muslim League,” Radha said.
After the Ayodhya verdict, Radha received a series of calls asking her to spell out her stand on the issue. “I told them I oppose enmity of any kind. All of us can work together for the welfare of society,” she said.
Radha, an LIC agent, is a known figure in the ward where Tamil Brahmins are a majority.
Surprisingly, of the four IUML seats reserved for women in Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, it has fielded two Hindu and a Christian candidates.
“The fact that Muslims and Hindus have been co-existing on both sides of the road in Karamana for centuries is a perfect example of the secularism of the place. Hindus and Muslims welcome Radha as the UDF candidate,” said IUML leader and former ward councillor Mahim.

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Delay: Whom to blame?

Jisha Surya
First Published : 23 Sep 2010

THIRUVANATHAPURAM: It is turning out to be another case of the complainant becoming the accused. The real culprits behind the delay in land acquisition are none other than the Kerala Road Fund Board (KRFB), TRIDA and  PWD. Lack of will and initiative on the part of these government agencies is the real reason behind the inordinate delay in taking over the remaining land for the City Road Improvement Project (CRIP).
 Responding to the Expresso reports on Monday and Tuesday, officials and owners of the properties which are accused of acting as hurdles for road-widening said they still don’t have a clear idea on what has to be done for handing over the land. In most of the areas, the land owners had agreed to the compensation amount, but the government agencies were dilly-dallying.
 The area belonging to the Secretariat Association near the Cantonment police station was handed over to the government five months ago. But, there has been no step to take over the land and redefine the boundary of the building.
 According to the general secretary of Secretariat Association Irshad, around two cents of land had been transferred to the government for the CRIP works five months ago. The issue of the adjacent area of the Cantonment police station too was sorted out. KRFB officials too confirmed giving payment for the land. However, the files of approval have not moved yet.
 Displacement of traders is cited as the hurdle in widening the MG Road. The KRFB officials said that TRIDA had the responsibility of  displacing the traders at East Fort. Several new buildings are cropping up in the area, but the TRIDA is doing nothing. The government went a step ahead by constructing a building for Supplyco’s People’s Bazaar in the area.
 However, the General Manager of People’s Bazaar, Rajan, said that he was unaware of the decision to acquire land for road works.
 Prime land owned by PWD at PMG has been set aside as compensation for land acquired from four areas belonging to the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB). According to KRFB officials, a lot of issues, including a High Court directive, need to be sorted out regarding the land of TDB and the decision was pending with the government.  The KRFB says it it just a facilitator and the government must take a final decision.
 Still, the KRFB officials expressed the hope of completing the Phase II works by December. “Land acquisition issue is a hurdle in  four-five areas. But works progressing in other areas will be completed by September-November. By December, all roads under Phase II will be completed,” KRFB COO Harikesh said.
 Will the government agencies make the final punch at least in November, after the local body polls?
jisha@expressbuzz.com

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Deadlines are passe

Jisha Surya
First Published : 20 Sep 2010

THIRUVANATHAPURAM: Forget all deadlines. There will be an indefinite delay in implementing the City Road Improvement Project (CRIP). Ironically, the one who is accusing the implementing agency and officials for  the delay is the main culprit. The buck stops at the State Government, which is yet to clear the major and most important hurdle - land acquisition.
 The road works are progressing at major corridors without having a clarity regarding the works in areas where the Government is yet to acquire land. With elections to the Local Self-Government bodies at the doorstep and Assembly elections in the offing, chances are high that the Government would be compromising further on land acquisition. It would rather play safe for votes.
 October end was highlighted as the deadline of Phase II of CRIP. As per the current status, the works will be delayed indefinitely. Umpteen factors - politics, money and even religion - play a role in pressurising the Government to abstain from land acquisition.
 The widening works of MG Road will be delayed as there has been no consensus on acquisitions at two stretches. The Travancore Devaswom Board has not heeded so far to the request of the Government to hand over land. A group of traders has raised protest against acquiring land at the Pazhavangadi - East Fort stretch. These disputes regarding the work on the Corridor II (MG Road - LMS to Attakkulangara) have been continuing for the past six years.
 As per the contract, the Government should have cleared the land for Phase III works by now.
 But private players alone are not responsible for delaying the works. The Government even failed to take the initiative in removing the roadblocks caused by the area belonging to Cantonment police station and the adjacent Secretariat Association building. A comfort station at Ottukuzhy junction, belonging to the Corporation, that needs to be razed down, too remains untouched.  This road, under corridor VII (Vanross Junction - Secretariat Main - West - Gate), was originally planned to be completed under Phase II. Without clearing the land acquisition, the implementing agency,  Thiruvananthapuram Road Development Company Limited (TRDCL), could not take up the initial drain works.
 At Corridor III (Museum - Bakery Jn - Thampanoor - Overbridge), the Model School- Thampanoor stretch has a lot of issues remaining to be sorted out. Apart from land acquisition problems, utility shifting of JICA-assisted water works and KSEB are all obstructing the road works. The Government and the Kerala Road Fund Board (KRFB) have been groping in the dark for the past several years.
 Even the shifting of small Milma booths has become a major hurdle. It is bizarre that Milma booths at Kowdiar and Sasthamangalam junction are major stumbling blocks when it comes to road works in the area. The facilitator for road works, KRFB, was supposed to clear the shifting much before the road works.
 Shifting of KWA pipelines and land acquisition by some private parties are the cause of delay at Corridor X (Kowdiar - Peroorkada - Vazhayila). Utility shifting still troubles the Pattom - Marappalam stretch.
 Drain at Kowdiar and culvert at Sasthamangalam are some other issues over which the TRDCL is facing public wrath. The Government, which is responsible for giving the go-ahead for works, remains mum on the issue.
 Apart from land acquisition, as many as 48 unresolved issues, majority of them regarding utility shifting, have been troubling the TRDCL. As the company is operating under BOT scheme, it has the responsibility of maintaining the road for 15 years after the completion of the works.
 After clearing land acquisition and related hurdles, the TRDCL is left with only 18 months for completing the works. So, the current deadline is applicable only to the Government to clear all hurdles.
jisha@expressbuzz.com

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Saving the grand old banyan tree

Jisha Surya
First Published : 31 Aug 2010

THIRUVANATHAPURAM: Setting a role model for green development, the Sasthamangalam junction is being expanded without chopping down the old banyan tree that has been providing shade for decades.
The Kerala Road Fund Board (KRFB) and environmentalists have reached a consensus on the fate of the trees at Sasthamangalam junction which once faced the axe for the junction improvement works. There was mutual agreement on retaining the trees at the traffic island, while cutting a few on the footpath for the improvement of the junction.
Five trees, including the giant ficus, at the junction will not have to give way for the renovation of the junction. The decision was taken after a meeting held last week which was attended by KRFB officials and environmentalists, including Sugathakumari and architect R Shankar.
According to the KRFB officials, the workers will only cut trees on the footpaths. The auction for these trees was held at Sasthamangalam on Tuesday. All the trees at the island will stand tall to see the development of the junction. The ficus tree, the prop roots of which spreads to surroundings, will, however, be pruned to avoid damage to the road in future.
Back in March, when R Shankar tried to check on an alternative path without chopping the tree, he was almost manhandled by a mob. However, the tireless efforts of a few such environmentalists and local people paid off.
KRFB Chief Operating Officer PC Harikesh promised that the junction improvement works would not harm the trees at the island. "Only trees which critically affect the road works will be cut down. These include some trees on the footpath. The ficus tree will be pruned to curtail its further growth," he added.
With the controversy surrounding the trees coming to an end, the junction is all set for renovation. Project Engineer Sreekantan Nair said that the junction improvement would be completed in a month. "Now, drain works are progressing along the road till the Ramakrishna Mission Hospital. It will be over in two weeks. The junction improvement works will be completed within a month," he said.
However, officials of the implementing agency - Thiruvananthapuram Road Development Company Limited (TRDCL) - expressed their displeasure over the decision. The TRDCL is responsible for  maintaining the road for the next 15 years. "The ficus tree, which spreads its prop root, will damage roads. But our concerns fell on  deaf ears. We are left with no option but to go with the decision," a TRDCL official said.
The Sasthamangalam and Vellayambalam junctions have been waiting for improvement for months after the completion of the road works. The BSNL work, which delayed the junction improvement works at Vellayambalam, too has been resolved.

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A mall that’s special

Jisha Surya
First Published : 10 Aug 2010

The number of IT parks is usually directly proportional to the number of shopping malls. This theory is applicable to all other Indian states except Thiruvananthapuram. Though the city is blessed with the country’s first IT park, it was lagging all these years in new-age culture.
 But a major shift is on the cards with a rapid expansion of IT parks in the district. More and more MNCs are now evincing interest in setting up shop, right from coffee spots to multiplexes. The government too has decided to hop on the bandwagon.
 The Bypass road, which houses the country’s first IT park; Technopark,is all set to get the first ultra-modern shopping mall. If everything goes well, the Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation (Supplyco) will be the first to set up a hi-tech mall on this stretch, which no MNC has explored till now.
 The Supplyco is on the hunt for one acre of land near the Technopark to start this new venture. Already, the Supplyco has opened hyper markets at Kottayam and Kochi. This will be the first time that the Supplyco will be venturing into the most modern concept of shopping malls.
 ‘’The Supplyco supermarket will be the hallmark of the mall. There will be shops of various departments like poultry and handicrafts. The mall will also have medical shops, restaurants, snack bars and other food stalls,” said Yogesh Gupta, Managing Director, Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation.
 But the Supplyco shopping mall will have a difference of its own,  when compared to other malls run by the MNCs. The main idea behind the setting up of a mall by the government is to sell the products at the most affordable prices to the common man.
 Regarding the private participation in the mall, Gupta said, “Private companies too can run shops on rent. These will be allotted on a tender-basis. The only condition will be that the private companies must ensure minimum price for products.”
 “We have written to the government for one acre of land. Further plans will be laid out after getting the land. As of now, we are planning to have a building with minimum 10,000 sq ft,” Gupta said.
 At last, a mall for the city, that too offering low prices for products.
jisha@expressbuzz.com

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Church makes ‘ultimate sacrifice’

Jisha Surya
First Published : 04 Aug 2010

THIRUVANATHAPURAM: Finally, there is a way out of one of the biggest road blocks in the development of the MLA Hostel-Airport Road under the Thiruvananthapuram City Road Improvement Project (TCRIP).
 Dismantling portions of two cemeteries at Pattoor - one owned by the St Joseph’s Latin Catholic Cathedral, Palayam, and the other belonging to the St Thomas Marthoma Church, Pattoor, was a highly sensitive issue, which troubled the officials of the Kerala Road Fund Board (KRFB) and TRIDA for years. The church authorities too faced stiff opposition from followers, who were not ready to compromise on the memorials of their loved ones. After six long years of discussions, the churches have finally agreed to shift the dead souls for a purpose that will benefit the entire society.
 The authorities of both the churches have handed over authorisation letters to the Road Fund Board. As compensation, the Government will give a bigger area of land - at Pattoor on the Public Health Lab premises - than what the churches now own and the Road Fund Board will construct vaults and retaining walls for the cemeteries.
 As many as 500 bodies will be shifted from 23 cents of the 165-year-old cemetery belonging to the St Joseph’s Cathedral. The new cemetery will be constructed on 27 cents of land belonging to the Public Health Department.
 ‘‘The amount required to construct 800 vaults will also be given by the KRFB,’’ said Fr C Joseph, vicar, St Joseph’s Cathedral. Mortal remains of hundreds of people at the 13.5-cent cemetery of the Marthoma church at Pattoor too will be taken to the PH Lab premises.
 Work to shift the corpses will be a tedious process which may take almost an year.
 “There was stiff opposition from the people because they thought once handed over, the government would bulldoze the cemetery. Taking their sentiments into consideration, remains of each of the buried will be collected in separate caskets and transferred to a new vault with all rituals. As it is a time-consuming process, only two graves will be shifted per day,” Fr Joseph said.
 He said the church took the initiative in talking to the relatives who faced a Catch-22 situation following the decision to remove the remains of their beloved. “Giving land for road-widening is essential for development. The Latin Catholic Church has always stood for the development of the nation. During the construction of ISRO at Thumba, the diocese was ready to give away its church and the land for it,” Fr Joseph said.
 It was the intervention of the new PWD Minister M Vijayakumar, former PWD Minister Mons Joseph, Health Minister P K Sreemathi and TRIDA Chairman Ajayakumar over a period of time which broke the ice. Sreemathi took the initiative in handing over the land of the Public Health Department which lies adjacent to both the cemeteries.
jisha@expressbuzz.com

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Women cops: Danger in uniform

Jisha Surya
First Published : 27 Jul 2010

THIRUVANATHAPURAM: Their words were like steam ejecting out of a pressure cooker. They were visibly infuriated, frustrated and even helpless to protest. A high-level committee’s recommendation, directing all women police constables to tuck their shirts into their pants, has triggered widespread resentment among women police constables.
On Monday, ‘Expresso’ met a number of policewomen on duty in different parts of the city and their protest seemed unanimous. All of them said ‘NO’ to the proposal, on strict condition of anonymity. “We feel safe, secure and confident in the current bush shirt uniform,” they said.
They pointed out some physical reasons which, they felt, only women could understand as their reason for opposing the suggestion. Ironically, IG B Sandhya was the convenor of the panel which suggested the new reform.
A woman police constable said that they were desperately searching for a way out to express their protest. “How many people know how hard it is to manage during menstruation. Sometimes, it happens in the middle of duty. The current uniform helps us to manage till we get the opportunity to change clothes. It is absolutely impossible with shirts tucked in. What do we do in the public glare with dark spots on our pants?” she asked.
Another woman constable had a different physical reason to point out. “Many of us have undergone uterus surgeries and there is inconvenience in wearing tight dresses. Usually, we get 45 days’  leave after surgery and will have to assume charge even before the stitches heal,” she said, adding that the present style of wearing shirt over the pants would provide her a chance to loosen the belt a little whenever she felt uncomfortable.
The recommendation gives exception to pregnant women, but the police constables allege that exemption can be availed only after the sixth month of pregnancy. Special permission from the SP concerned is necessary for this.
Some of the policewomen also pointed to the possible threat from voyeurs, whose number is on the increase day by day. Cyber crimes, including cellphone pornography, are mounting.
Will the policewomen get exception from ogling? “Never! We have to fight against all odds. Cellphone is the new villain. Anybody can take pictures of our body parts without our knowledge. During public protests, I don’t think we would get enough confidence wearing tucked-in shirts,” a constable said.
When asked about women IPS officers wearing tucked-in shirts, a woman constable said, “Are they going out to the field? Their routine is generally confined to the car and the office. That is why they are recommending such reforms. Also, we face questions like how are we different from constables in other states who wear tucked-in uniforms. Yes, they are right. But we are speaking out our issues”.
Expresso met some policemen too. While some empathised with their women colleagues, others had different points to raise.  “Uniform is not a thing to feel comfortable with. It is a statement of your discipline. See, none of our women constables are standing erect. They don’t even wear belt through the belt loops. The new uniform will press the need for maintaining a fit body,” a policeman said.
The policewomen in the city, who don’t have the freedom to speak out about such issues, are planning to take up the matter with the authorities through the Police Association.
jisha@expressbuzz.com

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Rain washes make-up off

Jisha Surya
First Published : 21 Jul 2010

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After the much-hyped pothole-filling exercise, PWD Minister T M Thomas Isaac had claimed that his department had successfully filled 95 percent of the potholes in the city. A couple of days later, most of these potholes started resurfacing, as if to mock the hasty face-saving exercise. Monday’s heavy rain has washed away the temporary make-up and revealed the gutter-laced real face of city roads.
Most of the areas which caved in after restoration works, however, have the involvement of other agencies, such as Kerala Water Authority (KWA) or JICA. The areas were handed over by these agencies after pipe works or JICA-assisted water works. The pathetic state of these roads points to the shoddy work carried out  by these agencies in restoring the road after pipe works.
When contacted, a KWA official, who is responsible for the pipe work on the MG Road in front of the Secretariat, even commented that pothole formation was normal during the rainy season.
The totally-dilapidated state of the Panavila-Thampanoor Road, which once shocked Isaac on his visit to inspect the work, continues. Isaac had given a one-day ultimatum to all JICA works which were delaying the road works. However, the JICA officials are still sticking to the July 31 deadline.
The potholes, meanwhile, have resurfaced in most of the roads even after the temporary make-up. The major road which connects the Bakery Junction Flyover to the Thampanoor bus stand has turned a  nightmare for city dwellers.
A senior JICA official said that they had started the road restoration works. “Though some works, including testing, are yet to be completed, we are planning to transfer the road to PWD after temporary restoration of the road. Further works from Manorama Junction to RMS will be done later,” he said, adding that work on the Panavila-Model School stretch would be completed before July 31, provided there was no rain.
The case is no different along the Museum-Vellayambalam road. A large pothole, which had developed following a water pipe leak, was filled last week. The potholes resurfaced in the heavy rain on Monday, exposing the futility of the PWD work.
The KWA officials said that they had handed over the road to the PWD after completing the road works. “We did some temporary restoration of the road and handed it over to the PWD. It is their responsibility to restore it properly,” said a KWA official.
The newly-tarred M G Road in front of the Secretariat has more than five potholes on the small stretch that connects the main gate and south gate. The PWD filled all the potholes on Tuesday, but many doubted the durability of the work.
TRDCL, the private consortium executing the road works, blamed the KWA’s pipe work in the area as the cause of potholes on the road.  “KWA has left the road after temporary restoration. Some days after the tarring, roads caved in at these areas,” said a TRDCL official.
When contacted, Devakumar, KWA Executive Engineer who oversees the pipe works along MG Road, said, “Formation of potholes is nothing new during the rainy season. Also, the tarring of the MG Road is in its initial phase only”.
When asked about the futility of pothole-filling works during the rainy season, PWD Chief Engineer Joseph Mathew said, “We can’t just leave the road as such saying that it is a waste to fill potholes during the rainy season. It may not last, but may save the lives of some motorcyclists during the rainy season”.
jisha@expressbuzz.com

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Will Psalms make his life better ?

Jisha Surya
First Published : 08 Jul 2010

J Sreekumar had been clueless about the value of the 162-year-old ‘Book of Psalms’. Neither did he know that the fragile shelf at his home in Vanchiyoor held a key to history. However, he has now decided to put one of the greatest possessions of his father for sale in the belief that it would bring him a fortune.
 Printed in 1848 by the Church Mission Press in ‘Cottayam’ for the Madras Auxiliary Bible Society (as printed on the book), the book is the ‘Malayalim’ translation of the Book of Psalms. Though there was no response to his page in the eBay site, he received many calls asking details of the book.
 A shelf of wonders awaited the Expresso team which went to see the 162-year-old Book of Psalms. There were more rare and interesting books. ‘Vrikshayurvedam’, which prescribes methods to change the characteristics of a tree is one among them. “I have heard that  using the methods in the book, one can change the shape of a leaf or can get the desired colour of cotton from a cotton plant,” Sreekumar said.
 It was during a discussion with eminent scientist N Gopalakrishnan that he realized the value of this rare book. Amazed by the content of the book, a Japanese academician had requested him a photocopy, which he later sent to her.
 Another interesting book is ‘Kakshapudam’ which is all about black magic. “It has almost all black magic methods, including ‘Uchchadanam’, both in Sanskrit and its translation. One can easily perform black magic using this. However, I never tried,” he quips.
 Showing a copy of ‘Manusmruti’ he said, “I don’t have an idea about most of the other books. I believe that there are almost 500 old books.”
 Being an avid reader, Sreekumar took interest in preserving his father’s collection of books. He was just six when his father Subedar Major M K Janardhanan died in 1965. He left a bundle of books, which still remain unlisted. “I try to keep them away from dirt and insects. Still, I lost many of them,” Sreekumar said.
 “Once, I saw an article by Malayinkeezhu Gopalakrishnan, which refers to a souvenir released during the ‘shashtipoorthi’ of Sir C P Ramaswamy Iyer. It said there were only 100 copies of it. I had a faint memory of seeing one of its kind. When I checked, it was all damaged in moisture. It was disheartening,” he said.
 Sreekumar is running a DTP - photostat shop near his home in Vanchiyoor. If his Book of Psalms indeed gets sold, Sreekumar plans to use a part of the money to preserve his father’s collection.
jisha@expressbuzz.com

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Dispute delaying Panavila-Thampanoor work

Jisha Surya
First Published : 07 Jul 2010

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The ongoing dispute between officials of the Road Fund Board and Kerala Water Authority (KWA) is hindering the works of some major roads under the City Road Improvement Project (CRIP).
Apart from the lack of co-ordination between these departments, a new villain has now entered the scene. Trenches excavated on roads for the JICA project is the latest bone of contention between the departments. The Road Fund Board alleges that roads excavated for the JICA-assisted water works are not properly refilled. “As per the JICA contract, only excavated earth is used to fill trenches. If the trenches are not filled with quarry muck or wet mix macadam (WMM), there is the possibility of sinking of land,” alleged an official with the Road Fund Board.
He added that the government must take a decision on refilling the trenches as it requires more technical specification and allocation of more funds.
When contacted, the KWA official responsible for the JICA works denied this. He said they were already using WMM to fill the trenches. However, the Road Fund Board official bluntly rejected this statement.
The Panavila-Thampanoor Road, which connects the Bakery Junction Flyover to Thampanoor bus stand, is in a totally dilapidated condition owing to JICA works. “The KWA and the PWD are yet to take a decision on this refilling issue. To make the Panavila-Thampanoor road available for traffic at the earliest, we have decided to use the area above the filled trenches on the sides of the road as pedestrian bay. Decisions on how to fill other trenches will be made later as it involves sanction of more funds,” Kerala Road Fund Board project engineer Sreekantan Nair said.
“As soon as the JICA completes its work, the PWD will begin its work,” he added.
The JICA officials are claiming that they would complete the work before July 31, provided there is no rain. The TRDCL, responsible for CRIP works, would take another two months for the completion of the road work. In short, the total road works would be completed only by October.
Two other issues at the Panavila-Thampanoor stretch, regarding land acquisition and shifting of a transformer at Aristo junction, come under the Revenue Department and KSEB.
The Revenue Department claims to have solved the issue. “Land owner Savy Mano Mathew had secured a stay order in favour of him, which delayed the works. Now, the final verdict has come out and that is in favour of the Revenue Department. A notification to acquire this land will come this week. The case regarding another piece of land owned by a hardware shop will be settled soon,” a Revenue official said.
The Bakery Junction Flyover, which was expected to ease the traffic congestion in the city, is still struggling to serve its purpose owing to all these issues.
jisha@expressbuzz.com

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State to have two Doppler radars

Jisha Surya
First Published : 24 Jun 2010

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state too joins the beneficiaries of the Rs 1,000crore modernisation plan of the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Under the plan, two Doppler radars will be installed within two years in the state. Apart from these, the IMD is busy with the installation works of Automatic Weather Station (AWS) and two Rain Gauge stations in every district. These two projects are expected to give a facelift to the Met Centre in Thiruvananthapuram.
The Doppler radars will be installed in Kochi and Mangalore by next March. It will be installed in Thiruvananthapuram within two years. The radar will provide short range accurate weather prediction within a radius of nearly 400 km. So the entire state will be covered by the three radars coming up at Mangalore, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram.
"Forecast will be sharp, as this accurate weather prediction machine can assess the intensity of rain from a cloud, windspeed, movement of the clouds and thunderstorms," Met Director K. Santhosh said on Wednesday.
After signing an MoU signed with a French company Meteo France International in 2009, the IMD has ordered a 'Synergy system'. As many as 12 Doppler radars have been installed in the country under the project.
Comprehending the limitation of the lack of regional weather monitoring systems, the IMD Thiruvananthapuram is now exploring sites to install AWS in every district. Two Automatic Rain Gauges too will be installed in every district soon. The IMD has secured an NOC from the State Government to install the systems in each district.
"As of now, there are only five AWS centres in Kerala. With the installation of AWS in every district, more local information on rainfall, temperature, wind speed, atmospheric pressure etc will be available," Santhosh said.
"No manual intervention is needed for these systems. It has sensors which will send the data to satellite. The IMD centre will monitor the data and sufficient information will be provided from here," he added.

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Traders take a tough stand

Jisha Surya
First Published : 23 Jun 2010

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: What is the cost of development? When letting the authorities raze his shop for widening the MG Road in 1996, Gangadharan may not have had an idea. But, after waiting for five years in vain for rehabilitation, Gangadharan found the answer. He committed suicide.
Memories of that eviction and unkept promises are still fresh in  the minds of traders who are now facing displacement for the Thakaraparambu flyover. This time, however, all the 56 traders are not ready to budge without proper rehabilitation.
Last June 2, a committee headed by Law Minister M. Vijayakumar had proposed temporary sheds for the 16 shops which need immediate dismantlement. The committee also promised to take necessary steps to solve the legal issues with the promoters of Big Bazaar. But these are not enough to raise the confidence of the shopowners. They see it as a political ploy ahead of the panchayat elections.
“We have heard so many offers so far. We need permanent rehabilitation. We are ready to shift to temporary sheds near Parthas, provided there is a court order stating that this is temporary and we will be rehabilitated permanently. Otherwise, we fear it will affect the case against Big Bazaar,” said a shop owner at Power House Road. The traders are pointing to many incidents, including the suicide of Gangadharan, as examples of the price they had to pay for development.
Though the traders are being accused of sabotaging the flyover work, the buck, finally, stops with the government. “The government did nothing to remove the legal hurdle. The government pleader is absent whenever there is a hearing on the case. Thus, it has lagged for two years. Now, all of a sudden, they have come up with new offers,”  Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithi general secretary Ravikumar said.
“We are not against development or the flyover. Let it come. But not at the cost of our lives,” he said.
The traders said all rehabilitation packages offered to them were acceptable. But nothing worked. “They said we would be rehabilitated at Putharikandam or at the land of Sri Chithra Home. The land under the proposed flyover too was offered. But nothing materialised. We lost hope,” he said.  The 45 cents of land earmarked for accommodating the traders evicted for the Thakaraparambu flyover was purchased by Malabar Castle in 2004.
With the support of officials of the Corporation and TRIDA, a multi-storeyed building eventually cropped up there, which now holds the retail giant Big Bazaar.
Based on a report of Revenue Principal Secretary Nivedita P. Haran, the Revenue Department, in 2008, initiated proceedings to take over the land. However, the Malabar Castle secured a stay order against the process. Till date, the government has done nothing to get over this legal hurdle.
As a trader rightly pointed out, “if the government is not showing the will to remove a single block of the big business group for a public purpose, it has no right to demolish the livelihood of small shopkeepers like us”.
The Thakaraparambu flyover is a necessity. But in making it a reality, the government must also show the will to ensure proper rehabilitation.
CRUCIAL FOR CITY
What next? This was the question raised after the inauguration of the Bakery Junction flyover. The obvious answer was the proposed flyover at Thakaraparambu.
 Ironically, the Thakaraparambu flyover, which is now touted to be  the city’s second, was suggested as the first and most important flyover. According to the N.S. Sreenivasan Committee Report submitted in 2002, the Palayam underpass and the Thakaraparambu flyover are the major components of road network development in the city for ensuring efficient and uninterrupted flow of traffic across M.G. Road. Thakaraparambu flyover was part of the first Intermediate Ring Road which passes through Vellayambalam junction, Thycaud, Choorakattupalayam, Power House Road (access to the southern opening of the Railway Station), Thakaraparambu Road, Vazhapalli, Kavadi Road, Pettah, Naalumukku, Kannammoola, Law College, PMG, LMS and Museum Junction.
jisha@expressbuzz.com

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English Malayalam online dictionary, finally!

Jisha Surya
First Published : 19 Jun 2010

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Being a PhD student, Kailash Nadh did not have enough time to realise his dream project - a portal on citizen journalism. But what he finally managed has started making ripples among Malayali netizens. The 23-year-old has single-handedly created olam.in, an English-Malayalam online dictionary.
Kailash is among the umpteen net users who have for long felt the need for an online English-Malayalam dictionary. But he managed to create it using all available sources known to him, including the Wikipedia dictionary. Kailash has managed to add more than 1 lakh words so far.
“It was the lack of good Malayalam resources that motivated me to do so. The Swathanthra Malayalam Computing (SMC) project too has inspired me,” said Kailash in an email interview.
It was his keen interest both in the language and Information Technology that made the site so attractive. The navigation tools are easy to use.
The site also invites users’ participation in contributing words and the response has overwhelmed Kailash.
“A dozen new words are getting added everyday. The submissions are moderated to prevent redundant and erroneous data,” he said. Kailash left his hometown Kozhikode in 2005 to pursue BSc in Computer Science and PhD - both from the Middlesex University, London. From there, he started contributing to the Malayalam computing movement.
“Youths are spending considerable time on web, which is dominated by English. This is not a bad thing and it has made the web truly global.
But the fact that other languages are overshadowed is dismaying. This is why efforts such as SMC deserve great appreciation,” Kailash said.
Kailash is now working on adding a Malayalam-Malayalam dictionary to this site. “KJ Joseph aka Datuk, who is based in Malaysia, digitised a large, old Malayalam dictionary and made it available to the public a few years ago. I am in the process of turning this large data-set into a searchable form which would power the Malayalam-Malayalam dictionary,” he said.
A citizen journalism portal is also in the pipeline. “My plan is to have a centralised system solely for Malayalam - an arena for people to submit their literary works, including poetry, articles and random musings. Journalism would be a part of it. As per the plans, it will not have mainstream news, but opinions, editorials and discussions on current affairs,” he said.
Kailash has been helping music talents in south India through his company ‘Vettila Music’.
“The company utilises the latest technologies in media distribution and taps the power of social media to promote talents. With ‘Vettila Music’, we are trying to bring about innovation in our music industry,” he said.

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Takeoff today

Jisha Surya
First Published : 15 Jun 2010

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: You may be deceived by the name. Bakery Junction doesn’t have any connection to the mouth-watering ‘pedas’ and ‘ladoos’ of Sweet Mahal. Neither is it related to the spicy sandwiches and yummy burgers of Ambrosia.  It might be some metrosexuals who gave the chic name Bakery Junction to the old ‘Rottikkada Mukku’. According to old people living in the locality and city historians, the name Bakery Junction is the Anglical version of ‘Rottikkada Mukku’ (bread shop).
Senior journalist Malayinkeezhu Gopalakrishnan, who is a keen observer of the transformation of the city, said that commuters depended on this ‘rottikkada’ for their tea and snacks. ``Queen’s Bakery at Spencer Junction was considered to be the first bakery in the city. Then, Bakery Junction was known for this small ‘rottikkada’, where bread and tea were sold to people waiting for buses,’’ he said.
 The ‘rottikkada’ functioned beside the road that leads to Valsala Nursing Home, just outside the compound wall of the Reserve Bank. Some residents of the area also believe that a foreigner named Baker lived there and thus it turned to be called Bakery Junction. However, there is no proof to support this.
TRANSFORMATION
The transformation of the place to a busy junction dates back to 1869, precisely with the construction of the Secretariat building. The bricks to build the Secretariat were brought from Chenkalchoola (hence the name). Rest of the city, including the Rottikkada Mukku, grew with the Secretariat as the focal point. All arterial roads were developed during the time of Ayilyam Thirunal, with Secretariat as the destination. ``T. Madhava Rao was the Dewan of Travancore then. The city got a facelift during that period. The gazette of 1869-70 cites Chenkalchoola-Paruthikunnu (Cotton Hill) road as the first road in the city. More roads were developed in and around the Secretariat. Subsequently, the Rottikkada Mukku too developed into a busy junction. Private buses used to be parked on the backyard of the church at Palayam. People waited for buses to places like Malayinkeezhu and Peyad at Rottikkada Mukku,’’ Gopalakrishnan said.
 He said most of the places like Nandavanam, Vanross Junction and the location of the Reserve Bank of India had been paddyfields and coconut groves once. With the junction getting busy, these lands were reclaimed and new buildings cropped up. The building of the Russian Cultural Centre at Vanross Jn was once the office of the state Congress Committee before and for a short term after Independence. Cotton Hill (then Paruthi Kunnu) was the main residential area of the bureaucrats during that period.Vanross, who had been the excise commissioner of Travancore, had lived in the palatial bungalow that was later rechristened Gorky Bhavan.
 According to Kesavan Nair, a retired PWD employee, and wife Krishnamma, who have been living near Bakery Junction for as many as 60 years, Bakery had been a notorious place before the arrival of Reserve Bank and Valsala Nursing Home. ``There was only a small bread shop, a pan shop and a tailor shop. It was the junction formed by five untarred roads. Only two three huts were there,’’ said Kesavan Nair.
MAKEOVER
Again, the credit for the makeover of the Bakery Junction can be attributed to the Secretariat - but not in a positive way. The unending processions and dharnas in front of the Secretariat used to create a bottleneck at the busy Statue Junction.
The N.S. Sreenivasan Committee report in 2002 found a solution to this by suggesting an Inner Ring Road. Bakery Junction Flyover was one of its major components. The first full-length grade separator of the state was finally made a reality after eight long years.
jisha@expressbuzz.com

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Life begins where the story ends

Jisha Surya
First Published : 14 Jun 2010

Many left the inaugural screening of the third International Documentary and Short Film Festival with a heavy heart and soggy eyes. But the director of the inaugural film ‘Children of the Pyre’, Rajesh S Jala, is all smiles. Through his internationally acclaimed film he has rewritten the lives of seven children who were boiling, evaporating, in the cauldron of the world’s hottest and busiest cremation ground.
Manikarnika cremation ground in Banaras, where the seven children eked out a living burning the dead, has perhaps not changed. But the children have. They are getting proper education, care and support - solely because the man behind the documentary was not ready to abandon the children to their fate after shaping a film out of their wounds, frustrations and longings.
For Jala, only 40 and a filmmaker for the past 14 years, documentary is not just about making films but a mission to better humanity. It was serendipity that led Jala to the boys. He went to Banaras in 2007 to make a documentary on Banaras. “But I was clueless about the subject. I used to frequent the ghats for a month. One day I saw a boy. He came out of nowhere in a flash, snatched a shroud that covered a dead body and ran away. I followed him and found that a group was working near the ghat, which collect the shrouds, clean it and recycle it for sale,” Jala said. He followed them and befriended them. Jala had stumbled upon his subjects. He worked with the boys for more than two years.
The documentary won national and international acclaim, including best documentary at Montreal and Sao Paulo film festivals. However, Jala was not ready to quit. “During the making, I became friendly with the kids and was keen to do something for them. Last year, I approached Plan International, a community development organisation. They liked the film and launched a project, Bhageerathi, to help not only these seven children but also 300 similar children in Banaras,” he said. Inspired by his film, an American couple met Jala and the children and sponsored the education of four.
The couple regularly visits Banaras and is in constant touch with the children. All the four are now studying at a private boarding school in Saranath. Two are learning dance. One is studying English and computer. 300 other lives too are changing.
This is not the first instance of Jala changing lives of kids through his documentaries. His feature-length documentary ‘Floating Lamp of the Shadow Valley’ was about a 10-year-old boatman in the Dal Lake. He was the son of an ex-militant and the sole breadwinner of a six-member family. Jala and his friends are now taking care of education of this boy.
A native of Kashmir, Jala describes himself as a victim of terrorism. “I belong to a minority community, Kashmiri Pandit. The whole community was uprooted in 1990s and my family had to spend life in a camp in Delhi for 8-9 years,” he said. He says there are more stories to tell about Kashmir.
Jala is currently doing documentaries for Doordarshan, the money from which he saves for his next documentary. TV documentaries support him to live as a professional filmmaker. “I used all my money for ‘Children of the Pyre’. Some of my friends helped me financially. But I have to repay that. Thankfully, it won so much acclaim that I have got recognition in national and international festivals,” he said.
Jala refutes the criticism that filmmakers like him are selling poverty to the international audience. “I make film about humanity and inequality. They say India is shining. India is shining only for a small section of people. Others are suffering. I want their voices to be heard. This is about changing the perception of society,” he said.
jisha@expressbuzz.com

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12-year-old girl to conduct idol Installation

Jisha Surya
First Published : 23 May 2010

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Jyotsna Padmanabhan, a 12-year-old girl, is all set to script history by being the first female in Kerala to conduct an idol installation in accordance with tantric rituals.
The girl’s entry into the sanctum sanctorum of the Paikunikavu Sri Krishna Temple at Kattoor near Irinjalakuda on Sunday to conduct the ‘prathishta’ of Goddess Bhadrakali will mark a new chapter in the religious history of Kerala as there is no precedent of a woman, other than a spiritual leader, conducting an idol installation.
If you tag it as a revolt by a group who does not have a clear-cut idea of the existing rituals and rites, you are mistaken.
Jyotsna, a seventh-standard student, belongs to Tharanallur Mana, one of the two Tantri families in Kerala, the other being Thazhamon.
Those leading her as considered to be the last words in the tantric rituals.
Born and brought up in the world of temples and poojas, the girl had developed a keen interest in tantric rituals and started learning it under Tharanallur Padmanabhan Namboothiripad, the tantri of many renowned temples including Sree Rama Temple in Thriprayar and Koodalmanikyam temple in Irinjalakuda.
The rituals at Paikunikavu Sri Krishna Temple will begin at 9 a.m. when the girl will enter the ‘Balalayam’ to invoke the deity in a ‘kalasam’. This will be installed at the renovated sanctum sanctorum. Jyotsna’s guru Tharanallur Padmanabhan Namboothiripad will lead the tantric rites.
Friends and well-wishers of the family have arrived to witness the sacred event.
Jyotsna’s father Padmanabhan Namboothiripad said the move was not meant to create any controversy, rather to say that the tantric science did not ban women from performing rites. “Tantric science says that women are ideal to perform these rites. Problem is with the ritual and practices. Rituals are bound to change in the course of time,” he said. He said he was guiding his daughter in the path of truth and teaching her the best science known to him.
He added that there was no caste difference in performing the rites.
Jyotsna who started learning tantra at the age of seven, told ‘Express’ over phone from Irinjalakuda that she had interest in tantric rituals from childhood.
“I will continue to learn more,” she says.

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Laila might advance onset of monsoon: IMD

Jisha Surya
First Published : 22 May 2010

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: ‘Will Laila do an Aila act?’ This question started bothering weather experts across the country when the cyclone first developed as a deep depression in the Bay of Bengal. While the India Meteorological Department (IMD) believes that Laila would be ‘harmless’ unlike Aila which destroyed the monsoon build-up last year, some experts point to another unknown and unnamed cyclone, which poses a possible threat to the monsoon.
C K Rajan, professor in-charge, Chair for Climate and Environmental Changes, SCMS, said: “Another cyclone that developed in the Bay of Bengal has moved to the Somali coast. This cyclone is causing heavy rains on the Somali coast, developing a high pressure area in the northern hemisphere. This will weaken the cross equatorial flow.’’
The cross equatorial flow is the movement of moisture-rich wind from high pressure area in the southern hemisphere to the low pressure area in the north.
If a high pressure region develops in the northern hemisphere, the cross equatorial flow will become weak which will, in turn, affect the intensity of rain.
However, the officials at the Met Department here said they are not making an analysis of the phenomenon on the Somali coast.
“Except for the new system that has moved to the Somali coast, all other factors are favourable for the onset of monsoon. In fact, the arrival of Laila will strengthen the cross equatorial flow,’’ Rajan said.
Comparing Laila with Aila, Rajan said: “Aila affected the monsoon build-up in the Bay of Bengal as it developed after the onset of monsoon. Whereas Laila came a little early and it is expected to turn in a positive way.
''Only 4 percent of the wind will contain moisture. So anything that strengthens the flow of cross equatorial current could increase the intensity of rain.’’
IMD (Thiruvananthapuram) Director K.Santhosh said the arrival of Laila might advance the onset of monsoon.
He, however, admitted that the IMD did not make record of the phenomenon on the Somali coast.
MONSOON NEARING
T’Puram: Whether to thank Laila or not, the current situations indicate the earlier onset of monsoon. IMD Director K.Santhosh said: “The monsoon has already hit Sri Lanka and the Maldives much before the due date, May 25. As per indications, conditions are favourable for an early arrival of monsoon.’’
 Regarding Laila, he said, the wind pattern is favouring the advent of monsoon.
“As the cyclone move more towards north-east, it favours the south-westerly wind. This wind pattern favours the advancement of  monsoon,’’ he said.
Heavy rain, which is an impact of cyclone Laila, is likely to occur at isolated places in the state during the next 48 hours. “Rain will last for another 48 hours,’’ Santhosh said.
“A warning has been issued against fishermen venturing into the sea as there is strong onshore winds, with a speed of 45 to 55 kmph, from northwesterly direction,’’ he added.

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Who needs words?

Jisha Surya
First Published : 11 May 2010

Like other employers, Kerala State Science and Technology Museum director G Arul Gerald Prakash too was at first skeptical about the efficiency of special youths from the National Institute of Speech and Hearing (NISH) while employing them as data entry operators. However, the four youths proved their efficiency within days, setting examples for other organisations and differently-abled students.
“We admitted them with the recommendation of Education Minister M A Baby. Initially, I was not that confident. But they were more efficient than others I have seen so far. They proved their efficiency within no time and then we started giving them more important tasks,’’ Prakash said.
Vijilal, Vinulal, Renjith and Shiju - the confident and vibrant youngsters - seemed enjoying their work.
Their inability to hear the ‘tuck tuck’ sound of the keyboard and share their feelings verbally do not diminish their enthusiasm. Vijilal and Vinulal, siblings from Alappuzha, travel to the office and back by train. Renjith and Shiju are from Manacaud and Enikkara respectively. All the four reach the work place at sharp 9.30 a.m. and work till 5 p.m.
Their responses to Expresso’s queries were spontaneous. They scribbled on a piece of paper or typed on their mobile screen to convey us their joy of earning and acquiring an identity. They added that their families too are happy with their jobs.
All of them have Diploma in Software Systems from NISH. They joined KSSTM in December and are getting an honorarium of Rs 2,000 per month. Admitting that this amount doesn’t match the excellence they show in their work, Arul Gerald Prakash said they were planning to increase their salary after the next executive committee meeting.
But, the job of a data entry operator is definitely not the finishing point of their run against fate. Shiju and Vinulal want to appear for PSC exams and thus win a decent Government job. Renjith and Vipinlal expressed desire to pursue computer courses.
Honorary Director of NISH G Vijayaraghavan didn’t hide his happiness at the decision of S&T Museum to employ special children from NISH. “Some of our students got job in Government firms, some are presently working in companies in Technopark. NISH is the only institute in India which offers two degree courses for hearing impaired students,” he said.
Accommodating differently-abled youths as employees is nothing new to KSSTM.
Four mentally-challenged students of C H Mohammed Koya Institute have been working there as gardeners for the past two years and the museum is planning to appoint 10 more as gardeners.
‘‘A change is visible in the behaviour of the students who work here. I have given instructions to other workers to interact with them. Whenever I meet, I greet and talk to them. It will give them a notion that others too are respecting them,” said the director.
jisha@expressbuzz.com

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Testing times for T20 fans

Jisha Surya
First Published : 06 May 2010

When cricket lovers in other parts of the country sacrifice their sleep and remain glued to TV sets to watch the ongoing Twenty20 World Cup, majority of fans in the capital city are a disadvantageous lot. They are denied the chance to be part of the cricketing frenzy, thanks to the indifferent attitude of the major cable distributor.
Owing to the bitter fight between the Asianet Cable Services (ACS) and pay channels, including ESPN, Star Cricket and Star Sports, these channels were disconnected by the operator without any notice. While the ACS officials are citing the irresponsible behaviour of pay channels as the reason for the current crisis, the consumers, especially cricket fans, are terming it as cheating as majority of them had paid for the annual subscription that includes pay channels.
When contacted, ACS vice-president Ramanathan refused to comment on the issue stating that the matter was sub judice. ‘’We will get the details of the court order on the issue on Thursday. Then we will inform the public our stand,’’ he said.
ACV subscriber and state cricketer Reiphy Vincent Gomes said missing T20 matches was a great loss for a player like him. ‘’Now India has entered into Super Eight. So every match is important. When contacted, the ACV officials said they are providing Doordarshan to view Indian matches. But that is not enough. Now, I am planning to switch to some satellite channels,’’ he said.
Several irate viewers have lodged complaints with the website of the Indian Consumer Complaints Forum. In one such complaint, another subscriber Sreejith states that he felt cheated and believes it as a trick to support DTH service providers.
Unable to miss the match, Sreepathi, a staunch cricket fan, has switched to Tata Sky. ‘’I rang the cable operator and complained on the issue when I noticed the matter a month ago. They said that a case was going on and the matter would become clear by May 5,’’ he said.
IT executive Anoop R D said this was a matter which should be taken to the consumer court. ‘’We have already paid for one-year subscription. That was for all channels, including ESPN and Star. Then how could they unanimously take such a decision,’’ he said.
ACV is providing Doordarshan, which shows the matches played by India.
However, cricket fans are not happy as the semi-finals are nearing and they would miss more actions. They say, if it was unaffordable, the ACS could have subscribed to these channels for just one or two weeks so that the viewers won’t miss the match.
jisha@expressbuzz.com

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Lonely but firm

Jisha Surya
First Published : 04 May 2010

Success is a great leveller. A group of 25 students at the Sree Chithra Home for Destitute and Infirm (SCH) showed that success is not a mirage for those with limited living conditions.
Inmate of SCH, Gokul has secured four A+, three A grades and three B +.
Gokul, student at the SMV HSS, aims to become an engineer. Another three students got two A+ each and four students got three A grades. ‘’Among the total 30 students, 25 qualified for higher education,’’ SCH superintendent Elsy Abraham said.
While normal students wrack their brains over which optional subjects to choose for Plus-II, students at SCH are troubled by the need for a sponsor to help them pursue their higher education.
The SCH has conducted special coaching for these students with the help of some volunteers. Sajeev, who gives tuition for the inmates, said due to the poor background, the classes had to begin from the basic level. ‘’With the help of Shastra Sahitya Parishad, we conducted montly science training for the students’’.
Apart from Sajeev, Krishnankutty (who works in University College) and Sukumaran (Gandhi Bhavan) worked hard to give training to the students.
These volunteers, with the support of superintendent Elsy Abraham, opened a library with the aid from Library Council. Now the library is rich with as many as 6,000 books.
‘’If everything goes well as planned, cent percent success can be attained in 2-3 years. The students need sponsors to continue with higher education,’’ Sajeev said. ‘’We aim at improving quality along with the quantity of success,’’ he added.
jisha@expressbuzz.com

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May Day heroes

First Published : 01 May 2010 12:22:00 AM IST

Lady Clean  
For the past three-and-a-half years, Leela’s days have begun with waste.
She joins her team of 13 Kudumbasree workers at 6 a.m. to collect the waste from shops and houses in and around the Chalai market.
They collect the waste materials, segregate them - biodegradable and non-biodegradable - and then load them on to the Corporation’s garbage trucks. “Initially, the work was a bit hard for me. Now I am ok with it. I can now easily manage my home along with this work. I get Rs 5,000 a month, which is quite a good salary for me,’’ says Leela, who is also the president of the Cleanwell unit, Chalai II.
Leela and her team works without off days. Hartals are the only ‘off days’ for her. There’s a catch, though. The day after hartal gives the hardest time for them as the waste would have started stinking.
The Kudumbasree workers have a uniform - a green coat over a green saree.
“It is so hot to use the coat in summer. But this coat offers more freedom than the saree,’’ she says.
“We use gloves while working. But they get torn after two weeks. So, we have to buy them regularly,’’ she says.
Leela lives with her husband and a daughter near the Attukal Temple. She wakes up early and does the daily chores.
Her working hours are from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. “I take food after work at 1 p.m. During work, we have tea and snacks,’’ she says.
They sell the iron pipes, sheets and steel rods, among the waste, and save the money to buy diesel for their vehicle.
“The Kudumbasree conducts medical camps for us every six months. There, they take classes and give free medical check-ups,’’ Leela says.
“We are prone to communicable diseases like fever. But this work gives us enough salary and the confidence to lead a decent life,’’ she adds.



Diligent Woman
Is night travel unsafe for women in Kerala? Women vendors at Chalai wouldn’t agree.
Shailaja, one of the vegetable vendors at Chalai, who has been going back after work to her house in Vellayani after 8 p.m. everyday for the past 15 years, says with a smile, “It’s all part of work’’.
While selling fruits at Statue three years ago, a banyan tree fell over her. “I can’t lift heavy loads after that. Two months ago, a coconut fell on my head, which has affected my speech. I can’t shout loudly to catch the attention of buyers,’’ she says.
Due to her illness, she has now limited the sales to pineapples, banana and drumsticks.
“There is a daily rent of Rs 10 for this place, which I have to pay to the shop owner. The price rise of commodities has affected the sale to a large extent. I get Rs 200-300 daily after paying the wholesale dealer,’’ she says.
Shailaja says hartal is the only off-day for her. “I come daily,  unless there is an emergency,’’ she says. Every morning, she reaches Chalai at 8 a.m. and works till 8 p.m. This 12-hour shift continues  without a break.
Various factors, including price rise and illness, have affected her work.
Though Shailaja’s son and daughter too work, she is not ready to give up her job.
trivandrum@expressbuzz.com

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The end’s near

Jisha Surya
First Published : 22 Apr 2010

Wait for a month. Then you’ll be above the road, but not in the sky.
 Gifting city dwellers the experience of a cool ride on a 5.5-m-high road, the Bakery Junction flyover will be opened for traffic by May-end. The Trivandrum Road Development Company Limited (TRDCL), which is undertaking the work under the City Road Improvement Project (CRIP), has started the countdown of its prestigious project, the first of its kind in the State.
 Work of one more span of the flyover, that connects Panavila to Panchapura, is yet to be completed. The three-lane bi-directional road has a total width of 12 m, including two cross barriers, each of 0.5 m  width. The TRDCL authorities are expecting to complete the concrete work by May 15 and are planning to open the flyover for the public by May 31. There are 13 beams in the 520-m flyover.
 Unlike other flyovers in the State, which act as bridges over roads or railway tracks, the Bakery Junction flyover is a full-length grade separator. A grade separator is any structure which separates the uniform grade of running highways into different grades. Service roads are also getting ready along with the flyover.
 The flyover is being constructed in a special box-type structure, which uses less concrete and offers more strength. Pre-stressed concrete, which is more efficient than ordinary concrete in withstanding tension, is another specialty of the flyover construction.
 The flyover is a part of the inner ring road, connecting Bakery Junction, Thampanoor, Overbridge, Uppidamoodu, Vanchiyoor, Pattoor, General Hospital and Palayam Junction. According to the report by N.S. Sreenivasan in 2002, the inner ring road will offer an uninterrupted flow of heavy volume of traffic in major parts of the city.
 TRDCL vice-president Anil Kumar Pandala said the flyover can ease the traffic congestion in the city to a considerable level. ‘‘With the completion of the flyover, people can smoothly reach Airport or NH from Thampanoor even if there is a procession or demonstration at Palayam or Secretariat,’’ he said.
 The TRDCL faced numerous hurdles during the construction of the flyover. The work, which began in March 2005, was originally planned to be completed by March 2006. However, a number of issues, from land acquisition to non-availability of quality labourers, acted as roadblocks to the work. After a long break, construction was again taken up in April 2009.
 After a tremor hit the city in November 2009, the TRDCL authorities took the initiative to recheck the work with the help of two private agencies and made the necessary changes. ‘‘Though it brought out a two-month delay in the work, we are satisfied with the whole effort,’’ Pandala said. He added that he had spent days to get sanctions for traffic diversions, which also caused much delay.
jisha@expressbuzz.com

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