Random shots @ Mantri,OMR

Some photos I took at random on a walk around Mantri complex.

Sunrise.Yes,that's an airplane, junked, parked at the backyard of Hindustan University.

A clutter of commodes at the basement parking lot.

Another shot of the parking lot,with a leaky patch.

Paver-blocks cover all available open space. Mantri project people and landscape architect, Mr Sekar James, have ignored our repeated plea to allocate space for Mantri residents community planting programme.

What is worse,they wouldn't even leave breathing space - a foot or two unpaved - around these coconut trees. Such is Mantri's drive to convert open space into car park slots for sale.

Ramp to the grocery store could have been a foot wider, for easy movement of shopping cart. The turn at the bottom of the ramp sharp and too narrow.

We know Mantri project people would clean up this mess before they leave. But they appear to be taking their time, with no one to ask questions.

This lot across the road isn't Mantri's making. It is a contributory effort, and a public garbage dump in the making. Children's school bus halt at here to pick up students in the morning.
We need the Ugly Indian to address the issue.
Listen in to this 5-min. BBC radio interview with an Ugly Indian.

Plea to Mantri's Residents Association

An article in The Hindu speaks of 'Parampara', an outfit that distributes free tulsi saplings for planting in apartment complexes, prompts me to refer to an earlier post in this blog - 'How about tulsi, Mr James ?' - appealing to Mantri's landscape architect to consider 'tulsi' for ornamental and hedge planting in common area of our complex.

If these plants now found in Mantri's landscape have any use other than ornamental,I would like to be educated. Besides, they must have paid quite a sum to the nursery for buying these hedge plants. Parampara has been distributing tulsi saplings free as part of their ongoing drive, for planting in schools, commercial places and apartment complexes.(Details from 9840324158/ 24991516).
Tulsi is worshiped in Hindu households. And,to quote from The Hindu,'tulsi works as effective cough remedy; and because of its aromatic oil content, it's a microbicidal and anti-viral agent that wards off insects; due to its ursolic acid content, it's a powerful anti-oxidant that prevents ageing and counters the effect of stress'. It is easy to grow, doesn't require much space. And the Krishna tulsi (Ocimum gratissimum), a shrub-like, long-living variety, has maximum medicinal value.
To revert to my plea to our landscape architect, we haven't had any response from Mr Sekar James. However, someone from his office (Mr Prabhakaran) phoned me acknowledging our e-mail, and saying he would meet us for discussion. This was in mid-October. And there has since been no further communication from him or Mr James.
Now that we have a residents association in the works, our working committee could consider taking up the matter. Should they decide to take it from here, I would be happy to forward to the committee my e-mail to Mr Sekar James.