Bringing nature's treasure closer home

A gnarled vine snaking up the trunk of a host tree represents a success story for the Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute at Palode near here. The creeper, belonging to the Coscinium fenestratum species, a key ingredient in over 60 Ayurvedic preparations for various ailments including eye diseases, is brought back from the brink of extinction.

Time was running out for it till 1984 when the institute took up an ambitious conservation project for the species, confined to its natural habitat in the interior forest and endangered by over-exploitation. After several attempts, scientists managed to germinate seeds of the climber, known as maramanjal (tree turmeric) in local parlance for the dark yellow flesh of its stem. Today, the institute regularly supplies saplings of the species to the Forest Department for reintroduction into the wild.

The 27-year-old climber is just one of the attractions in the sprawling 300-acre campus that is home to a bewildering diversity of flora. For five days from Tuesday, the institute is keeping its doors open to the public, under an outreach programme to showcase its rich biological wealth and its research achievements.

On Wednesday morning, the normally silent campus was abuzz with activity as hundreds of children from several schools streamed in, along with college students, researchers, teachers, nature lovers, and families including senior citizens.

From the largest collection of bamboos in India, to a carefully recreated homestead medicinal plant garden, giant water lilies floating in a pond, rare orchids, palms, ferns, trees, and tissue culture plants, the Open House had something to capture the interest of every visitor. Everyone of the over 4,000 species on display had name boards for identification.

Stalls exhibiting the research activities and achievements of the various divisions at the institute witnessed a heavy rush. An art and photo exhibition and display of different types of thatching, traditional farming equipment such as yoke, plough and paddle, fish trap, coconut leaf baskets, vetiver fans, wooden boxes, combs, kitchen utensils, and bamboo ladders were the major attractions.

Collection of seeds is another highlight of the event. The double-coconut seed weighing up to 17 kg that is endemic to the Seychelles and the wild durian (Cullenia exarillata) eaten by the lion-tailed macaque inhabiting the Silent Valley forest were instant hits with students.

Another interesting highlight is the lady's slipper orchid, a variety that was believed to be extinct until it was rediscovered in the early 90s. The institute is engaged in efforts to propagate the species and reintroduce it in the wild. The traditional homestead medicinal plant garden with its emphasis on conservation education is also a big draw.

Visitors thronged the grounds to see various species of carnivorous plants and the country's richest collection of 68 bamboo species. The sales counter set up on the campus sold ornamental plants, fruit tree saplings, and medicinal herbs worth over Rs.20,000 on Tuesday.

Institute director P.G. Latha said the Open House would be made an annual event from next year and organised on November 14 to coincide with Children's Day. She said 25 women farmers had been indentified for training in mushroom cultivation and processing as part of a scheme to be implemented in collaboration with the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD).

Deputy director S. Rajasekharan said the Open House was designed to supplement classroom education by exposing students to the wonders of nature and help them develop an interest in biological sciences.

Speaker G. Karthikeyan inaugurated the Open House on Wednesday. V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai, Executive Vice- President of the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment, and K.C. Shashidhar, Chief General Manager, NABARD were present at the function.

The Open House goes on up to Saturday. Entry is free.

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Thampanoor tales

Thampanoor is full of landmarks, be it the railway station, bus station, cinema halls or tutorials.

WHEN THE monsoon lashes the city or even during the cool summer showers, the people of Thiruvananthapuram think twice before going to Thampanoor or Pazhavangadi. Although both these places are in the heart of the city, they are localities where even an unexpected downpour can create pools of waist-deep water in a matter of minutes.

Despite the efforts to clean up the drains and the sewerage system, and widen the thoroughfares to accommodate the ever-increasing traffic, the persistence of water logging and chaotic traffic conditions point to the fact that things are still beyond control of the authorities concerned.

The presence of the Trivandrum Central railway station, Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus terminus, Railway Mail Service (RMS), half-a-dozen movie theatres, several parallel colleges and countless hotels create a bedlam here at all hours. Thampanoor has also become notorious as a centre of all kinds of nefarious activities once the sun sets.

Old timers say the locality never used to be the haunt of anti-social elements until now. Thampanoor came into prominence when the railway line was extended till here from Chacka. For a long time, it remained the `land's end' of the Southern Railway, till the extension of the railway line, first to Nagercoil and subsequently to Kanyakumari, in the early Eighties.

Much of old Thampanoor comprised wetlands, so much so that it was always referred to as Thampanoor yela. The railway station and bus terminal stand on what were once lush paddy fields. There were also two large ponds here, the Vaniankulam and Manjalikulam, both of which were reclaimed a long time ago. Vaniankulam has been converted into a parking space for trucks and lorries as well as the godowns of the State Warehousing Corporation. Manjalikulam is today the playground of the SMV School for Boys.

The most impressive landmark in Thampanoor is the elegant, granite building of the railway station. It was opened in 1932 during the Regency of Maharani Sethu Lakshmi Bai. Masons who cut and chipped the rocks for the building used to camp at the site that is now the Ponnara Sreedhar Park. A narrow road running from Chenthitta in front of the New Theatre to Aristo Junction existed even then.

In 1929, the Power House was opened on land adjoining the Railway yard to provide electricity to the city.

Historian Kizhakkemadom Govindan Nair says that Thampanoor acquired its name from Kunjunni Thampan, Palliyara Vicharippukar or Chamberlain of Maharaja Uthram Tirunal. Maharaja Uthram Tirunal was the younger brother of Swati Tirunal. Much of Thampanoor belonged to Thampan, a native of Cherthala, who was also the son-in-law of Irayimman Thampi.

Numerous aristocratic Nair houses such as Arappura Veedu, Charuvila veedu, Kalluvila, Nanthiar veedu, Mannuvila, Mele Veedu, Maithanam Veedu, Thaivila and Thottathuvilakom were located in East Thampanoor. There are also a few places of worship here, the oldest of which are the shrines of Subramanya and Ayyappa. The small temple of Vighneswara in front of the railway station and the large mosque behind the KSRTC terminus are fairly recent.

Thampanoor also has a cluster of cinema theatres, of which the New Theatre and Sree Kumar are the oldest in the city. The New Theatre was rebuilt during the 1970s. Both these theatres were owned by Merryland P. Subramoniam, veteran director and filmmaker, who gave an impetus to Malayalam cinema by making mythological films such as `Sree Guruvayoorappan' and `Kumarasambhavam' and many popular commercial films too. Those were the days when posters and hoardings were not seen often. Cinema advertisements were placed atop bullock-carts and handcarts and taken around the main streets of the city. Drummers and men carrying gaslights or `petro-max' lights on their heads walked in front of the carts. It was also the custom in the theatres to play aloud popular film songs before a show started. And invariably, the first song to be played aloud would be Sundarambal's unique rendering of the song, Jnana Pazhathe Pirinje... , in praise of Lord Muruga.

Today, Thampanoor is the focal centre of the `tutorial' culture that thrives in the city. These parallel education institutions also woo regular college and school students. Prominent parallel colleges of yesteryear include SNT, DoWell, Victory, Shanker's and Our College.

Thampanoor is associated with two unforgettable names of 20th century Malayalam literature. The editor, critic and historian, Kesari A. Balakrishna Pillai, was born in the Pulickal Mele Veedu family of Thampanoor. Noted Malayalam poet P. Kunjiraman Nair breathed his last at the C. P. Sathram here. It is a traveller's bungalow built by the Corporation of Trivandrum and named after Sir C. P. Ramaswami Aiyer, the able but autocratic Dewan of Travancore, to commemorate his 60th birth anniversary. Novelist P. Kesava Dev wrote his masterpiece, `Odayilninnu', while he was lodging at Thampanoor near the present Athulya theatre complex.

M. G. SASIBHOOSHAN &
BINDU SASIBHOOSHAN
Photo: S. Gopakumar

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13 e-toilets to be set up in the city

As many as 13 fully automated e-toilets, a convergence of electronics, web and mobile technologies, will be installed in busy areas along the arterial road of the capital and in the beach resort of Kovalam using the District Innovation Fund (DIF) and from the MP fund.

Kowdiar, Vellayambalam, Saphalyam complex in Palayam, Government Secretariat, Putharikandam maidan, Gandhi Park, East Fort, Shanghumughom, Eve’s beach and Asoka beach in Kovalam are the places where the e-toilets are to be installed. Two e-toilets each are to be installed at Shanghumughom, Eve's and Ashoka beach at Kovalam, where the tourists frequent mostly and the remaining places are to get one unit each.

The e-toilets to come up will be the upgraded versions of the ones installed in the museum and Kanakakunnu premises recently. The 13 e-toilets will come in handy for the public, especially the Sabarimala pilgrims, as the city lacks efficient toilet facilities. The civic authorities had also not bothered to take adequate steps to address the public sanitation issue and it continues to be a neglected area as in other cities in the country.

Being set up at a cost of Rs. 55.55 lakhs, 90 per cent of the funds for installing the 11 e-toilets at eight vantage points is being provided by the district administration and the balance amount is being mobilised by the Kerala State Electronics Development Corporation (Keltron). The e-toilets at Putharikandam maidan and Saphalyam complex is being installed using the MP funds made available by T. N. Seema, Rajya Sabha MP.

“The sites are yet to be handed over to us. The units are ready and the works are expected to be completed early next month’, an official of the Keltron told The Hindu. Keltron had also been awarded the maintenance contract of the e-toilets for seven years by the district administration. Free service is be provided by Keltron during the warranty period.

Delight Bharat 9005 and Delight Bharat 9999 e-toilets developed by Eram Scientific Solutions, the Technopark- based company, is to be installed at these places. The unmanned unit features automated door opening, power flushing, automatic closet washing and sterilisation, and platform cleaning mechanism. The system is backed by SMS alerts to inform the control room about the status of the water tank and the waste management system in the event of a failure.

The door opens automatically when a coin of the specified denomination is inserted into a slot at the entrance. The lights and exhaust fans are controlled by sensors and come on only after a person enters the unit thereby saving power. GPRS technology is used for remote control to monitor the daily collection and halt the operation in case of failure.

The flushing unit uses only 1.5 to 4.5 litres of water compared to a normal domestic flushing system that consumes six to seven litres on an average. Waste water management depends on bio-membrane reactor technology using bacteria. The waste water is recycled.

The DIF was provided to the districts under the recommendation of the 13th Finance Commission to make cutting edge level of the Government responses to the felt needs of the people. A sum of Rs. 1 crore had been made available to all districts in the country.

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Mullaperiyar: hartal total in four districts

LDF workers protest in front of the Kumili post office as part of the hartal on Monday.

Shops and trading establishments remained closed in Idukki, Ernakulam, Alappuzha and Kottayam districts on Tuesday in response to a call for hartal by Kerala Congress (Mani) and Kerala Congress (Jacob), Bharatiya Janata Party and others over the Mullaperiyar issue.Transport services were affected in these districts as buses kept off the roads and protesters blocked roads at some places. Boat services did not operate in Alappuzha district. In Idukki district, the hartal is in place for the second day.
Member of the Assembly E. S. Bijimol (CPI) is continuing her hunger strike at Karinkulam Chappathu in Idukki district for the third day. Protests are on in different parts of the district including Chappathu and Kumili demanding Central intervention to resolve the Mullaperiyar issue and ensure the safety of people. Protesters say recurrent tremors and water level in the reservoir at the spillway level could cause breaches in the dam. The local Tamil population has also joined the stir.
Many shops in other parts of Kerala also remained closed, as a section of traders had also called for hartal over Central government’s move to allow foreign investment in retail trade.

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