Lakeside Photowalk

Would like to hear from amateur camera enthusiasts who wish to join OMR Greens on a  PhotoWalk this weekend along the lake behind ETA Rosedale.
Idea is to capture images of the recyclable garbage discarded on the lakeside. An album of such photos would be published in Facebook, as a run up to the OMR Greens Recyclables Retrival Day.
Our plan is to mobilize a group of students, equipped with garbage bags, for a lakeside recyclables collection, on a specifed date (say March 10 or 17). Plastic bottles, cardboard, paper etc. so collect would be sold to raddiwalahs. And the proceeds would go the rag-picker families we have identified at Padur.
To-do list for OMR Greens:
1) Contact local municipal school for mobilsing student voluntters.
2) Shop for sponsors to pay for gloves and polythene garbage bags.
3) Connect with Hindustan University civil engineering faculty for drafting project report and cost estimates for barbed wire fencing on strategic segments around the lake; and for construction of public toilets, with piped water from the lake, for the benefit of those who now use lakeside bushes.
The project report, prepared by the university faculty, would be taken up with relevant authorities.

A walk by the lakeside, Padur

 I have heard Padur residents get water supplied from a  lake in their backyard. Truckloads of water Mantri Synergy residents used to get before borewells were activated was, presumably,  sourced from this lake. Beneficiaries would find a visit to the lake educative. For me, a lakeside walk early this morning was thought-provoking.
Tell-tale movement of persons,  close to the lake suggest the following::
1) There is a crying need for a row of public toilets, watered from the lake,  for the benefit of those now using lakeside bushes for the purpose.
2) The water body needs to be fenced off , to make it inaccessible to public.
3) The muddy pathway that runs along the lake is so littered with snails that we could do with a signpost, saying,  'Snails Crossing: Tread/Drive Carefully'.

They are seen in scores moving about on the muddy road, in early mornings. Snails dislike sunlight. When it comes to pace the fastest of snails, they say, move 50 yards per hour.
The need for fencing off the lake can't be overstated. State govt. water supply undertaking has a pumping station that was put up five years back  under a community drinking water supply scheme  funded by the Asian Development Bank.  Lake-fencing, and provision of public toilets, which might not have been necessary factors when the drinking water scheme was launched, in 2008, now assume a critical dimension.

Suggestion: Engineering students/faculty in neighbourhood  institutions such as Hindustan University  and Mohd. Sathak Engineering College can take up Padur lake improvement as a class project. The project report they come up with can become a campaign theme for OMR Greens for mobilizing public support for implementation of the lake conservation scheme.

TED event at Hindustan University

Was pleasantly surprised to see this newspaper ad. announcing a TED event in my OMR neighbourhood.  In fact,it is being organised at Hindustan University, located next door to our apartments complex at Padur.  So close, and yet beyond my reach, tariff-wise -  as all TED events usually are. But then we would have access to the TED talks when they are uploaded on the Net eventually. If you are registered with TED website, you get e-mail notification whenever they upload a set of TED talks.
Speakers listed for Hindustan University TED event include corporate seniors, creative artistes, choreographer, cameraman, dancer, disaster management expert,  human resettlement specialist, and art director and set designer Thota Tharani who has worked in over 100 movies , including  Nayagan, Sivaji and Dasavathaaram.
They would address a select audience in an auditorium with limited seating. The day-long programme, Sat.Feb.16, starts at 9 a m, and seating is on the first-come, first-served basis. A TED speech  usually lasts  18 minutes, and though  there are shorter TED talks, of 6 to 8 min. duration.
Invitees are categorized as students, academics and corporates, presumably, with varying registration fee. E-mail tedx@hindustanuniv.ac.in , or call Venu Menon -8056047466; Ravi Kiran - 9994286098.

Calling high rise communities at Padur

ETA Rosedale towering over its Padur neighbourhood.

We would like to hear from high rise communities in Padur neighbourhood -  ETA Rosedale,  Akshaya, Ouranya Bay and the like. (e-mail us:  gvktn@yahoo.com)
OMR Greens  is planning a Padur Walk  this Sunday (Feb.17),  following a positive response from local residents to our Kelambakkam Walk. We reckon a green initiative, by high-rise community residents at Padur can only promote  neighbourly  relations  with our neighbourhood old-timers.Putting it plainly, it's a PR exercise, for our mutual benefit.
OMR Greens have been there before -  trash-busting at Padur market street. Our first outing didn't evoke much enthusiasm among local residents.  People watched us,  mopping up trash from their pavement, with curiosity, amusement, and skepticism. Not one of then came forward to give us a hand. Of course, panchayat  president,  Mr Chinnakutty,  arranged for street-cleaners to cart away the trash we collected.

From our perspective it was worth the trouble. Video clips we uploaded on YouTube were noticed by other OMR communities at Sholinganallur,Thoraipakkam and elsewhere.  Nearer home, for OMR Greens, the Padur  trash-bust marked the start of our association with  Hindustan University. A representative group students and the faculty joined in our street cleaning exercise.
We have since met the Hindustan University director, Mr Ashok Verghese, who evinced critical interest in our activities, and offered to designate a faculty group to work with OMR Greens in drafting a plan of action for the next 6 to 12 months.  Upcoming Padur Walk is our first outing since our meeting with Hindustan University director.
The Padur Walk, starting from Mantri Synergy, would stop by at Hindustan campus gate,  Rosedale complex across the road,  before proceeding to Padur.  We make our way through side streets in the neighbourhood to wind up in front of the Padur Panchayat office.

After the walk we have lined up a field trip to Mamallapuram organic waste recycling plant. Some Mantri residents have voluteered to drive us in their cars to the waste-to-energy conversion plant. We should be back at Mantri's for lunch.
The Mamallapuram plant, run by Hand-in-Hand, a Kanchupuram-based NGO, has a 100 cubic meter bio-methanation unit with capacity to handle 800 kg. kitchen/food waste.

Kanpur Rani Joins Kelambakkam Walk

Kanpur Rani (front row, right)  is not a name one would easily forget. But it isn't because of her name  OMR Greens cherishes  her participation at our Kelambakkam 'Awareness' Walk  today Sunday (Jan.20). It was our first public event in 2013; and indeed the first of its kind since OMR Greens was launched in September last. Walkers included Kelambakkam residents, and a group of Hindustan University students and staff members led by assistant professor Geethadevi .She is an old hand for us at OMR Greens. Geethadevi had led a similar group from Hindustan University when we went trash-busting at Padur over 3 months back.

Kanpur Rani is on the staff Hindustan University. Her presence at the walk is significant because she chose to join us against doctor's orders - he prescribed bed rest. And she needed to be particularly careful. Ms Kanpur is in a family way. Which  prompted our colleague Gopalan Ramanujum to observe that at  OMR Greens we have all age-groups represented, even a child unborn. I told him, we  shouldn't be surprised if the mother-to-be, nick-named Kanpur names  her child after 'Kelambakkam'.  Such was Kanpur Rani's enthusiasm for OMR Greens Kelambakkam Walk. Her drive, and determination, to contribute to our cause  made our day.

Akilan Rajendran, a student participant, e-mailed us saying it was  'a gud programme...hats off, sir'. We solute him and his college mates for making our Walk a lively affair. A bunch of local youths led by Stalin led us through the bylanes of Kelambakkam, much to the surprise and amusement residents. On the way we were joined by Stephen,  a local AIADMK party functionary, and Dhev, a Dalit social activist. And then we had  Kelambakkam panchayat chief G Venkatesan marking his presence, despite his pre-occupation with monitoring  polio-drops admin. centres set up at strategic points.

 "A wonderful program,....very useful for our society. Our next program would have more participation," so says D. Strugle Stalin, our man in Kelambakkam. He suggests we plant trees this Jan.26, making the Republic Day a 'green day'. Dhev wanted OMR Greens reps. to address  his community members. Though our strength didn't exceed 40, watching us moving about with placards a by-stander asked if we had police permission to take out the procession.
None of us had thought of it.

Trash-busting 20/10, Padur @ OMR

Trash-busters pose for photo by Arun Raveendran Nair. He handles a shovel and trash 'tokri' as well as he does, a camera.
We thought we would be beaten back; and despite a wet and unwelcoming weather a bunch of us, hardcore OMR Green-ers, made a go of Trash-busting on Padur main street. We had the backing of Hindustan University  students, notably girls, and two faculty members  Prof. Geethadevi, and Dr Ilavazhagan, who took to the street with us in our green awareness drive.
Dr G Ilavazhagan, Director(Research), Hinduatan University,  along with a student, did heavy-duty trash-lifting near Padur bustand.   Prof. Geethadevi, got down to picking up used paper cups discarded on pavement in front of a teashop.
Padur Panchayat chief, Mr Chinnakutty, showed up at the bus stand to facilitate our 'do' and and organise transporting of trash to the dumping yard. Shopkeepers,and scores of passers-by stood watching us, perhaps,  baffled at our intervention. OMR Greens' Rajaraman and Prof. Geethadevi went up to shopkeepers to tell them what the score was; and why it wasn't such a good idea to litter pavement with garbage. A shopkeeper was heard arguing, it was for the panchayat to keep the streets clean. Maybe, he has a point. And OMR Greens' appeal is addressed to people and their panchayat alike.
OMR Greens on YouTube                  

Tapping Wind/solar power on OMR

A roof-top windmill fitted on Hindustan University campus

 Those of us in Mantri Synergy, and neighbouring Ouranya Bay, Victoria Towers or Bella Tuscany and other OMR communities don't need experts to say we come under 'a wind zone'. We experience it. We also know big wind turbines over 100 metres in height wouldn't work in our place. We could try micro wind turbines, say 15-metre tall, as they plan to do, for powering street lights on ECR. Chennai Corporation is reported to have commissioned a study for tapping wind/solar energy with hybrid models.

 Residents asociations on OMR could put their heads together to explore possibilities for putting in place hybrid micro systems for tapping wind/solar power. So that we could make wind/solar powered common area a reality at Mantri Synergy in two or three years from now.

 Experts reckon that effective solution to energy problem has to be found ,not in the availability of technology, but in reducing its expense and widening it accessibility. The proposed wind/solar powered street-lighting pilot project in Sholinganallur and some parts of ECR could serve as model for us to adopt in Mantri and other communities. Bringing down the cost is a challenge. Initial capital cost is high, but subsidy is available from the central and state govts. OMR residents association (an umbrella body of neighbourhood member associations of apartment owners) could be set up to look into subsidy options and also to work on a model project report for community level renewable energy programme.

 By way of reference material I would like you to watch these video talks: 1) Bunkar Roy on his 'barefoot movement' - 19.08 mins. It is a fascinating study on how a village school in Rajasthan has trained rural women to be solar electrical engineers for electrification of villages, not only in Rajasthan, but also in Afghanistan, Sierra Leone and other developing countries from where even unlettered grandmas received technician training for six months in Bunkar Roy's barefoot college.
2) MIT professor Donald Sadoway on the missing link to renewable energy - 15 mins. video talk. He is into developing battery for grid-level storage of wind/solar energy, at the lowest possible cost. The focus of Prof.Sadoway's invention is in bringing down the cost of huge storage battery.

 The photo at the top of this post signifies 'a tip of the wind turbine', to coin a phrase, (like 'tip of an iceberg'), of the work that might well be in process at the university engineering workshop. We could tap their experience/expertise in developing a wind/solar power model for Mantri Synergy.

Democracy at work

Such was the scene in front of Mantri Synergy this morning,as counting of votes polled at panchayat elections was still in progress, nearly 24 hours after it started at the Hindustan University campus. As its next-door neighbour we at Mantri Synergy suffered collateral impact of public enthusiasm of party supporters who thronged the OMR stretch in the vicinity of Hindustan University.
A call taxi we had ordered to visit a patient at hospital took nearly half an hour to negotiate the half a km stretch from Padur market to Mantri Synergy. The crowd of supporters blocking this stretch of OMR was still there when we returned home at 9 p m.

Vote counting that started early Friday morning continued till this morning. Incessant bursting of fire crackers by supporters of winning candidates continued through the Friday night. Supporters waiting for results of their candidates found our visitors parking lot quite convenient for them to make a night of it in the open. That they had come prepared for it, with packed food and water, was evident from the litter of plastic they left behind on our frontyard.

A Mantri resident's plight

Mr Ram who lives in H block bears the brunt of the dust-raising monster machine. In a comment left in Mantri Synergy Common Floor portal the H Block resident says, 'we always keep our doors and windows closed as I have a 2.5 year old. This keeps us away from the balcony. I hope in a year or so that machine goes away'.
Sad to hear about the plight of the child. While we can put up with many nuisances in the hope they would go away some day, we can't afford to ignore the well-being of children. Dust nuisance can be lessened by putting up a bamboo curtain on balcony (we have done this in D-901).
It cost us Rs.9000 to put up 'bamboo chick' on both living-room and bedroom balcony. I gather my D Block neighbour on 12th floor, Mr Sriraj, knows someone who can do it at half the price. He can be reached at 9444708530. I wish PropCare picks up the tab for balcony blinds at Mr Ram place, if only as Mantri's child-friendly gesture.
Other suggestions: 1) Would appreciate if Mr Ram could monitor the time and duration when the dust-raising machine operates. After getting data for a week we, along with PropCare, can take it up with the housing project next door the question of regulating the machine's operation to a fixed time daily. So that we know when to keep our balcony doors/windows shut.
2) As Mr D Venkatesan suggests, we could take up with the next-door project management the issue of steps they need to take by way of damage control.The pollution board people who, presumably, allowed the dust-raiser on site, can be involved in discussion.
3)Faculty/students at Hindustan University environment/structural engineering dept. can be approached for guidance. Maybe they could be persuaded to take this as a case study.
4) Chettinad Hospital can be approached for a health advisory on the steps the affected residents, notably children and the ailing, could take to cope with dust in the air.
Maybe we can share our concerns with the local media. I can visualize a newspaper cartoonist doing a sketch depicting Mantri Synergy residents moving about/sitting on the balcony with air-mask fitted in their mouth - the ones worn by the traffic cops posted at road-crossings.

Eco-friendly campus

Those who take a walk along Mantri's wind-swept driveway, as I do, can't miss this mango tree on the other side of the compound wall that we share with Hindustan University. In refreshing contrast to Mantri's landscaping - acres of tiled space with token patches of green - the university campus is eco-friendly with dense tree-cover.