The views expressed in this article are that of the author's and do not in any way reflect the views of the organisation.

A group of civil and structural engineers give probable solutions and talk about the lessons learnt from the Chennai floods. After the recent floods, most Chennaites have undergone the experience of living in an unplanned city. As the city grew, it occupied most of the water bodies. Though we cant change the plan of the city, here are some ways in which we can make the city ready for any eventuality due to incessant rain. We have made technical and non-technical solutions. We want to gather civil engineers and other like-minded people to be a part of them team and find the best solutions. This is an initiation to go further and make Chennai a flood-proof city in the future. Here are the technical solutions

1. Improve flood water disposal system

The present drainage system is not designed for the sheer size of the population. Therefore, in case of heavy incessant rains, the drainage pipes do not have the capacity to dispose all rain water in a short time. We suggest the disposal of flood water by separate storm water lines or existing drainage lines with automatic pumps. Most people are not aware that they are staying in low-lying areas. Our solution is to keep boards with ground elevation with respect to nearest water bodies at all important places.

2. Construct retaining walls and use sandbags

During the recent floods, most deaths happened due to the lack of time to escape from the flood water. There should be a temporary remedy to give time to people to safeguard themselves and their belongings. Identify a row of houses as shown in the first picture and make use of a retaining wall. The space in between can be filled with sand bags to arrest water. Construct additional temporary retaining walls just next to the reservoir gates using rapid hardening cement within hours of incessant rain.

3. Release water from reservoir after studying areas

The authorities are not aware that the actual situation arises due to release of water. Hence, the contour of the total city beyond water bodies in 3-D form needs to be studied. Here are the non-technical solutions to the problems we faced.

1. Identify vendors to supply food

Photo source: Facebook

Drinking water, milk, and bread was sold at Rs. 100 to Rs. 200 during the flood. The solution is for the government to identify possible vendors and provide logistics support to them. So that they can sell these essential food items at MRP.

2. Repair potholes on the roads

Photo source: Facebook

Some potholes are so big that vehicles may tilt while negotiating the road. Allocating funds, calling tenders, and finalising the lowest bidder is time consuming. The authorities can minimise the time taken to complete these works by creating a separate fund and ensuring works are completed on a war footing. To ensure quality of work, help may be sought from local NGOs. There should also be signages warning people about manholes ahead.

3. Select media to communicate emergency news

There were a lot of rumors three days before the floods about the release of water. It is important to select some of the media channels to communicate vital information during the floods about rescue work, supply of food, etc.

4. Encourage use of solar power

Photo source: Facebook

There was no power supply as all power cable boxes were water logged and this could have caused short circuit. People were not able to communicate with others as their phones ran out of charge. The use of solar power could have prevented this problem. People must install at least 1 kW solar power panels, especially in houses situated in low lying areas. People must also use remote batteries to charge their phones.

5. Operate public transport services

Photo source: Facebook

There was no access to public transport for nearly a week in a few places. This made individuals venture out with their own vehicle. This is dangerous as smaller vehicles find it difficult to negotiate manholes, drains, etc. We suggest that public transport services must be operated, even if the route is 50 per cent clear.

6. Insist on single-point coordination for volunteers

Photo source: Facebook

Some people got food more than once and the support of more volunteers. This can be solved by ensuring single-point coordination. There should be area-wise division of volunteers and helplines need to be popularised.

7. Create a cleaning force for garbage removal

Photo source: Facebook

A cleaning force must be in place. It should be ready to attend to emergencies from the nearest city.

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About the author: This article has been written by the civil & structural engineers from Anna University's 97 batch (SEA97).

They lost their daughter in a gruesome road accident. But they have channelled their grief in the best way possible to help others. Meet the Tambwekars.

My candle is lit on both ends, it will not last the night

But oh my foes, and ah my friends

It gives a lovely light - Edna St. Vincent Millay

The Tambwekars lost their daughter Arundhati in a road accident in Vellore on September 9, 2014. Arundhati was on her way to Christian Medical College (CMC), where she was doing her PG Diploma in Clinical Pathology. Though she was riding pillion, she was wearing a helmet. The terrible condition of the road was possibly the biggest factor responsible for her death.

“My daughter Arundhati was everything any mother could wish for. She was beautiful inside and out. She was hardworking, gentle and intelligent. Arundhati studied MBBS at the Sri Devaraj Urs Medical College in Kolar and was the class topper. She was a wonderful Bharathnatyam dancer and a sensitive poet. She would often go out of her way to help others and she always put others before herself,” says Dr. Shubhangi.

Arundhati’s parents say that life without her felt meaningless.

Photo source: Facebook

After a while though, they realised they had to carry Arundhati’s memory and values forward in a positive way. And this is how the Arundhati Foundation, a non-profit trust, was set up in December 2014. The Foundation is funded by the Tambwekars with the money they had kept aside for their daughter.

The Foundation gives an award in Arundhati’s memory.

Photo source: Facebook

The Dr. Arundhati Tambwekar Award for Excellence in Pathology is a gold medal given to a graduate from CMC who scores the highest marks in in DCP, MD in Immunohematology and Transfusion Medicine, and MD in General Pathology. “The decision is put to a vote in the Department. Not only does the recipient have to be academically brilliant, he or she also has to have a passion for the subject and the qualities that she valued,” says Dr. Shubhangi. The winner of the first award was Dr. Eliza Koshy. Dhwani is another initiative of the non-profit -- the Foundation sponsors speech therapy or a hearing aid for one hearing-impaired person. The Foundation has partnered with the Rajan Speech and Hearing Clinic in Bengaluru for Dhwani. Through another programme called Aditi, the Foundation provides pathology textbooks to deserving women students in Goa Medical College (Dr. Shubhangi’s alma mater) and CMC. The most ambitious and far reaching project taken on by the Foundation is called Vikram.

Through this initiative, the Tambwekars are creating awareness about road safety.

Photo source: The Arundhati Foundation

The focus is on accident prevention and repair of bad roads. The Foundation tries to influence policymakers and also attempts to get accountable parties to rectify the condition of the roads.

“I don’t believe in fate. When an accident happens, something is wrong. Either the roads are not in good condition or the driver is at fault. There is always some element that contributes to the accident. In fact, research tells me that over 97% of accidents are avoidable. A little discipline could go a long way,” says Dr. Shubhangi.

And a little discipline is what the Tambwekars are trying to instill in drivers. They believe that it’s easier to work with young and impressionable minds so they intervene at the school level. Every month, they take traffic awareness and road safety classes in schools across Bengaluru. For children in the age group of 5-10, they tell stories and show cartoons about the precautions to be taken. For the 12-16 age group, the Tambwekars show videos and educate children about the responsibility that comes with having a vehicle. The Foundation also teams up with other non-profits like Save Life Foundation to raise questions on the city’s traffic black spots through RTIs and other civic channels. “It is disheartening to see so many parents riding pillion when their underage children are driving scooters or bikes. If we don’t show our children the difference between right and wrong, who will?” Dr. Shubhangi asks. If a complaint regarding a pothole has not been attended to despite repeated follow-ups, the Tambwekars themselves take some Shelmac and go fix the potholes. The Tambwekars say they feel satisfied they have done their bit at the end of the day when people walk up to them and promise they will wear helmets and won’t use the phone while driving. They have also managed to create an extended network called Friends of the Arundhati Foundation. These people, who live in different cities in India, manage to create awareness about road safety in their own way. Dr. Shubhangi recalls the story of Sundararaman, the president of a school in Trichy, who got in touch with her through the Foundation’s Facebook page. He created road safely awareness among his students and recently told her that his school gave free helmets to all the students who come on bicycles to school.

“It is not easy for us to relive the death of our child every day. But if it helps create a sense of responsibility in others and makes a small change, then that is all we need,” says Dr. Shubhangi.

Here’s the Arundhati Foundation’s pledge:

I will always wear a helmet when driving a two-wheeler I will protect my pillion rider by getting him/her a helmet I will NEVER drink and drive If I drink, I will NOT drive If I need to answer or make a call, I will STOP I will give pedestrians the first right of way I will not allow my underage children to drive I WILL OBEY TRAFFIC RULES I will teach my children and friends the above

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Abdul Kalam is said to have touched the lives of many people in India. One such person, whose life changed after meeting the late President, is Madhusudhana Gupta, a civil engineer from Chennai. "I was working with L&T, when I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Kalam in 2003. A 45-minute discussion with him changed my life. The social inequalities and problems in our society used to trouble me. However, Mr. Kalam told me to find remedies to these problems and write about them," he says. And so Madhusudhana wrote on the various problems people were facing and the probable solutions to tackle these issues. But after some time, he felt that his writing wasn't gathering much of a response.

"I realised that writing also meant that only a few people would be able to access the information. I wanted to bring about a change to society as a whole and realised this can only be achieved through action," he says.

Since the last two years, Madhusudhana has been at the forefront of a host of philanthropic activities.

His latest initiative is a called 'Feel of Birthday'.

"I was wondering how best to spread the word on the Swachh Bharat movement. It is something I hold very close to my heart. The idea of spending the money one keeps aside for one's birthday to clean up the surroundings, struck me as interesting," he says. And as per his decision, Madhusudhana went ahead and celebrated his son Kushal's 4th birthday by cleaning up a slum in Chennai's Perambur locality. Madhusudhana, his friends, and around 15 local residents cleaned the area and painted the walls. With the help of Corporation personnel, they cleared the garbage from the area. "Earlier, people couldn't even walk in the area as the stench was that bad. We have now given dustbins to a few families in order to encourage the practice of segregation," he says.

He and his friends (a network of civil engineers from Anna University) have decided to make this a regular practice.

Next month his friend's son's birthday is coming up and they plan to celebrate in the same manner too.

"The best takeaway from this event was when my daughter's friend Varshita (who had accompanied us) went home and told her father that she wanted to celebrate her birthday like this too. This is my motive. To encourage as many people as I can to spend some time and clean up their surroundings," he says.

His son Kushal was thrilled to have his birthday celebrated in such a different manner and wants to continue this every year.

Madhusudhana is involved in other philanthropic activities as well. He and his friends have sponsored chairs for teachers at a Corporation-run school, where they didn't have any. The school also had a high dropout rate. In order to get the children back to school, they donated game kits - containing football, badminton racket, cricket bat - to the school. "You won't believe it. As many as 10 children have started coming to school again," he says. Madhusudhana is also the creator of swachhbharatindia.com. Through this website, he plans to organise people to promote the Swachh Bharat campaign and contribute actively to it. Here's wishing you all the luck for the future, Madhusudhana.

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U. Sagayam is a senior IAS officer in Tamil Nadu, who is widely known and appreciated for his anti-corruption activities. He has often annoyed politicians and influential personalities in the state by rejecting bribes. So much so, that he has been transferred over 20 times in more than two decades of public service, for his efforts to eliminate corruption.

“Sagayam is an iconic IAS cadre who takes pride in being honest. He is an enthusiastic officer in whatever he does,” T. Udhayachandran, a fellow IAS officer who has known Sagayam for years, once told Live Mint.

Here are 10 amazing things to know about this honest officer. He will make you believe in the power of civil service.

1. Ubagarampillai Sagayam is the youngest of five sons of a farmer, who says his mother taught him honesty.

Source: Facebook

Hailing from Perunchunai village in Tamil Nadu, Sagayam earned his Master's degrees in social work and law. His father was a farmer and his mother a housewife.

“Our adjoining field had mango trees and my friends and I would pick the fallen fruit. But my mother made me throw the mangoes away, saying I should enjoy only what is mine,” he told Outlook Magazine.

2. He joined the IAS in 1991 as the Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Ootacamund.

Source: Facebook

U. Sagayam came into the limelight right away for accusing the District Collector of favouritism towards operators of large tea estates. This led to the first of his many transfers.

3. The sign on his office door reads: "Reject bribes, hold your head high."

Source: Facebook

On joining a new post, the first thing that the officer does is to place this sign in his office.

“I know I sit under a dangerous slogan and probably alienate people. But I have been the same Sagayam from Day 1. Standing up against corruption is not for a season. Nor is it a fad. It’s forever,” he said.

4. In 2000, he sealed Pepsi Cola's bottling plant near Chennai after finding dirt in many bottles.

Source: Facebook

By this time, Sagayam was the Additional District Magistrate in Kanchipuram. This was where he detected dirt floating in many Pepsi bottles. Refusing to give in to external pressure, he sealed the plant.

5. In 2004, he confiscated 5,000 subsidized domestic gas cylinders in three days.

Picture for representation only. Source: Wikimedia

When Sagayam was the Deputy Commissioner of Civil Supplies in Chennai, he found that restaurants were using gas cylinders illegally, leading to a loss to the exchequer.

6. In 2009, he created history by becoming the first IAS officer in TN to upload details of his assets on the district website.

Source: Wikipedia

After he was named the district collector of the Namakkal district, Sagayam posted the details of his personal assets – a bank balance of Rs 7,172 and a house worth Rs. 9 lakh in Madurai, jointly owned with his wife. He was 47 years old at that time and used the 'purely voluntary disclosure' provision under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, uploading the information during the RTI week.

“It will create confidence in the people and also motivate the administration at large, as the impression of public servants in the eyes of the people is at low ebb,” he had told Deccan Herald.

7. In March 2011, the election commission hand-picked Sagayam to oversee elections in Madurai.

Picture for representation only. Source: Flickr

He was supposed to ensure that the 2011 Legislative Assembly elections were conducted fairly. Arriving in the state 20 days before the elections started, he conducted a campaign to educate voters about the law and to urge them to reject bribes. He also investigated attempts of vote-buying in the region and confiscated Rs. 20 lakh that was intended for distribution among voters. He was later awarded an appreciation certificate from the Chief Election Commissioner, S Y. Quraishi, for conducting free and fair elections.

8. In 2012, he submitted a 13-page report to the TN government, showing that the state had lost Rs. 16,000 crore to illegal quarrying in Madurai

Source: Facebook

As the District Collector, Sagayam toured quarries and visited mines to investigate reports of illegal quarrying. He was working on the basis of an anonymous petition and found that some companies were stealing granite from neighbouring sites. Right after he submitted the report, he was transferred to the post of Managing Director of the Tamil Nadu Handloom Cooperative. This was his 19th transfer.

9. In 2015, he became a hero by spending the night in a graveyard to protect evidence.

Source: Twitter

This was after he was appointed by the Tamil Nadu High Court to probe a multi-crore granite scam in Madurai on September 11, 2014. He approached the local police to exhume bodies of victims who were allegedly buried in the graveyard after a ‘human sacrifice’ performed by a granite quarry operator. When the police refused, he decided to spend the night at the graveyard himself because he was worried the evidence would be tampered with. He was awake almost the whole night and spent time chatting with journalists and local people.

10. Over 5000 villagers protested against one of his transfers, forcing its withdrawal.

Source: Twitter

In Namakkal, Sagayam attempted to reform the Village Administrative Officers (VAOs). On learning that the VAOs were living in the cities, far away from the villages they were supposed to oversee, he tried to persuade them to live in the villages. When the VAOs and local politicians tried to have him transferred, over 5,000 villagers protested against the attempt, forcing the withdrawal of the transfer orders.

Also Read: 10 Amazingly Dedicated Indian Civil Servants You Will Be Proud To Know

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This article is part of the #KhudKoKarBuland series & is made possible by Birla Sun Life Insurance.

Janarthanan is a 24-year-old mouth artist. He lost both his hands in a devastating accident at the age of eight and has been facing each day like a challenge since then. He has won more than 150 prizes in painting competitions since 2003, including two national awards. This is his story of determination and grit, narrated with his beautiful art.

“People always feel that they can’t do something or the other because they concentrate on a lot of negativity. But remember how we used to play many different games as children? We would focus on something – a puzzle to solve or a game to finish, and be completely positive that we will be able to achieve success. If we could think that way as kids, why can’t we have the same attitude as adults? One just has to feel positive,” says Janarthanan, a young man who lost both his hands and a leg after an accident when he was 8 years old.

Today, this Chennai resident is an accomplished mouth painter and has won over 150 prizes at different painting competitions.

[caption id="attachment_42855" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Mouth Painting

Janarthanan[/caption] It was March 4, 2000 – just another day for young Janarthanan who returned home after school and went to the terrace to play with his friends.

"I found a seven feet long iron rod on the terrace and started playing with it. I was spinning it while standing near the edge of the terrace and didn’t notice a high tension electric line adjacent to the building. The rod suddenly came in contact with the line," recounts Janarthanan.

He fainted due to the electric shock and the nearest transformer burst into flames. Hearing the noise, his parents and neighbours rushed to the spot to find the little boy burnt and unconscious. He was immediately taken to a nearby private hospital but the doctors there had never seen such a case. Janarthanan had suffered 99% burns and they didn’t know how to treat him. So his father was advised to take him to the Government Stanley Hospital. A group of 13 doctors, headed by a child specialist named Dr. Seeniraj, treated Janarthanan.

As the injuries were very deep, they had to amputate his right hand up to his shoulders, left hand up to the elbow, his left leg till the knee, and the toes of his right foot.

[caption id="attachment_42850" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Mouth Painting

His family[/caption]

“I was cured after eight months and eight operations. Dr. Seeniraj told my father that this child has got a second chance and it means that he will achieve something great in life. It gave my parents a lot of hope,” smiles Janarthanan.

He asked his doctor a simple question during the recovery period – “How will I go to school after all this? How will I go normally, like I used to go earlier?” And the even simpler answer to this question changed his life.

“The doctor just told me that he knows many people who write with their mouth, and I should also try. I started trying that evening only. And kept practicing for days till I finally succeeded,” he says.

After his treatment, Janarthanan went to the Government Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine in Chennai to get a prosthetic leg. His family had spent a lot of money on his treatment by then, and this was the maximum they could afford. Soon, he started walking, after fighting immense pain with his unbeatable determination during the practice sessions. All this while, Janarthanan also continued to practice writing with his mouth. One day, he saw his mother drawing some flowers in a notebook. It struck him then that he could try drawing and painting as well. So he did.

And after several days of hard work, he succeeded at that too – painting with poster and water colours.

This was when some people at the rehabilitation centre advised him that he should participate in painting competitions because his work was so impressive.

[caption id="attachment_42854" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Mouth Painting

He writes, draws and paints with his mouth[/caption]

“Earlier, I used to feel very shy and bad about going out. But when I did finally participate in one competition, I ended up winning the first prize. It really encouraged me. Everyone was talking about my victory and there were posters about my recovery at the hospital to encourage other patients like me. Every time I saw those posters, I used to get motivated to participate in more competitions,” says Janarthanan.

He practiced his art himself and never joined any training centre to learn painting or drawing. Since his first victory, he has participated in many big and small events, winning in most of them.

The first time he participated in a national level competition was in 2005, through Bal Bhawan in Chennai. The competition was held at three levels – zonal, district and state.

Janarthanan went on qualifying at each level to finally reach the finals, which were organized in Delhi.

“I didn’t participate with children with physical disabilities. The competition was for everyone, and it was really tough. A few months after the event they sent me a letter saying that I was selected for the National Award and had to go to the Rashtrapati Bhavan to receive it. I didn’t expect anything like that, and it was a priceless moment. I met Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. ‘You should be a role model for others,’ he told me. I am still living by his words,” the artist remembers.

He has won more than 150 awards since 2003, and received a recent one from musician A. R. Rahman.

[caption id="attachment_42856" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Mouth Painting

Receiving an award from A.R. Rahman[/caption]

Janarthanan wrote all his exams with his mouth, including his class 10 board exams for which he was granted some extra time.

With his desire to become a computer graphics designer, Janarthanan did a course in multimedia, followed by a visual effects course from Loyola College.

After that, he joined a media channel and worked there for three years.

[caption id="attachment_42848" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Mouth Painting

With Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam[/caption]

Currently, 24-year-old Janarthanan is working as a freelancer in the field of film editing and is concentrating on learning more about film direction.

[caption id="attachment_42847" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Mouth Painting

He is exploring the filed of film direction[/caption]

“I face each day like a challenge, and without the support of my parents and sister, I would not have reached so far. I just want to continue being positive and do what I love,” he concludes.

Janarthanan, you really are an inspiration for many. Here’s wishing you the very best for all your future projects.

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Flowers that never wilt and leaves that don’t dry up, can only be found in a dimly lit greenhouse in the heart of Ooty. This evergreen artificial plant kingdom is the only one of its kind in the world. All the plants here are fabricated with thread and look so natural that they rival real ones in beauty. One of the most fascinating tourist attractions of Ooty is the Thread Garden, located right opposite the Ooty Boat House. This magnificent display of flowers, plants and lawns is fabricated entirely from thread, with the help of canvas, wire and glue. This amazing garden is indeed a sight to behold.

A unique technique known as ‘four dimensional hand wound embroidery’ is used to make the plants in this garden.

[caption id="attachment_46559" align="alignnone" width="2119"]

Welcome to the unique garden.[/caption]

Photo credit: Sonika Sharma

Mr Antony Joseph, the man who created this spectacular wonder, used to work as a lecturer in a private college. He gave up his job when his father passed away, to look after the family's textile brushes and wooden accessories business. Production in this unit was mainly for Coats Vivella Group Companies, which helped him develop his relationship with Coats India.

Around this time, Antony started developing other items too because of his interest in handicrafts.

Antony Joseph making a bouquet of flowers.

Photo Credit: Thread Garden

“Handicrafts have always been a passion and my initial research was in designing caps, wigs and brushes using Coats threads. The success of these items, at an exhibition conducted by Coats Vivella India Ltd, prompted me to increase the scope of my research. This resulted in the innovative technique of ‘hand wound embroidery.' The company encouraged me to continue my research for designing novel hand wound embroidery crafts, supplying me the main raw material – the embroidery threads," adds the proud designer.

In 1988, he started a unique research and work centre with nine ladies, making plants and flowers using this technique. Canvas is cut in the shape of the leaf or the petal. Glue is applied and the thread is wound neatly onto the piece of canvas. No needles and no machinery are used to make these beautiful plants. This painstaking technique is done with only the nimble fingers of the artisan and hence it takes very long to complete a project. Grass and stems, as well as the stamen and filaments of the flowers, are made with a wire base and embroidery thread is wound on the wire to complete the pieces. The various parts of the plant, once ready, are glued together in such a manner that they look extremely natural. When a bunch of flowers is placed in a flowering pot it is very difficult to differentiate it from a natural bouquet, since the design and the colours of the threads used are so perfect.

Keen concentration and patience are the hallmark of every one of the artisans. They have to make sure the winding is perfect, without any overlapping of threads, knots and gaps between the threads.

[caption id="attachment_46557" align="alignnone" width="3264"]

Bird of Paradise created with thread[/caption]

Photo Credit: Sonika Sharma

In the initial years, Antony Joseph had several opportunities to display these spectacular works of art in many parts of the country.

“People really wondered at these novel creations and my experimental pieces sold easily anywhere they were exhibited. This helped me to run my work centre back home in Koratty, near Thrissur, in Kerala,” he says.

In 1993, Coats India accepted this newly developed craft technology and published an article with colour transparencies in its magazine Needle ‘N’ Embroidery. The Crafts Council of India sent him a special message congratulating him on his invention of hand-wound embroidery, without the use of needles or machinery.

He received appreciative messages from almost every part of the country and this encouraged him to continue his research and create new varieties of plants.

[caption id="attachment_46558" align="alignnone" width="3264"]

Beautiful white flowers made of thread.[/caption]

Photo credit: Sonika Sharma

Antony wanted to establish a garden with many varieties of flowering and non-flowering plants using his unique embroidery technique. He was able to employ 50 women and train them in this craft. After 12 years of untiring work, they were able to successfully fabricate around 100 different plant species and were ready to set up a garden. He initially set up the Thread Garden in Mallampuzha, a popular dam site in Kerala. However, due to floods, he had to shift from there. In 2002, he chose the present location opposite the Ooty Boat House and ever since then this place, which looks so unassuming from the outside, has been on the tourist map of the Nilgiris.

For this amazing feat, Antony Joseph and his artificial garden have been mentioned in the following books of records – India Book of Records, Tamilnadu Book of Records, and Unique World Records – as the first thread garden in the world.

[caption id="attachment_46563" align="alignnone" width="4512"] Plants in pots and water lily's in the water Photo credit: Thread Garden

Plants in pots and water lilies in the water[/caption]

Photo credit: Thread Garden

Antony Joseph hopes that this garden gets a mention in the Limca Book of Records as well as the Guinness Book of World Records. There are some criteria yet to be met to achieve these accolades, which he is striving for.

“Making artificial pieces of flora look natural is the real challenge! This Thread Garden is a success story of overcoming this formidable challenge. Creation of each piece of art is an imaginative expression of nature as it is. To achieve the ultimate goal a permutation and combination of forms, light, shades and patterns has been used” he emphasizes.

[caption id="attachment_46565" align="alignnone" width="4512"] This one of its kind evergreen garden. Photo credit: Thread Garden

The one of its kind evergreen garden. [/caption]

Photo credit: Thread Garden

The garden, as such, is complete and there is nothing more to be added to it. However, the artisans still work on making these flowers, back home in Kerala. Their products are encased in glass cases and sold at the sales counter in the garden premises. A list of instructions on how to take care of the flowers in the glass case are given to every buyer.

The sale of these glass encased flowers helps promote the craft.

[caption id="attachment_46566" align="alignnone" width="1235"]

Encased in glass, flowers sold at the sales counter. [/caption]

Photo credit: Aparna Menon

Mr Antony Joseph can be reached on his mail id mail@threadgarden.com.

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About the author: Aparna Menon is a freelance writer, writing for various newspapers for the past 10 years. Her main fields of interest are wildlife, heritage and history. A keen traveller, she loves to read and write and does a lot of art work too.

At the time when many parts of Tamil Nadu were flooded due to incessant rains last year, and thousands of people were struggling to live through every passing day, there were a few localities in Chennai that remained unaffected. A. Vicky Kumar is the resident of one such area – there were no roadblocks, no power cuts, no loss to life and property. But he was deeply moved on seeing the plight of the rest of the city and his fellow citizens. With the view of helping as much as he could, he gathered about 12 volunteers including his wife Vishakha, and they set out to help in rescue operations. They called themselves ‘The C Team’. Closing their businesses for the entire month of December, the team started visiting slums, relief camps and individual homes to deliver rescue materials like food, clothing and medicines to people in need. One of the most special volunteers of The C Team was Vicky’s 2-year-old daughter, Jiya. The student of a preschool named Developing Roots in Chennai, Jiya was a part of every field operation the team conducted.

“Many friends and well-wishers told us not to take her along for field work as she may fall sick stepping in to the dirty waters but we never bothered regarding what could happen because the need of the hour was to help the needy,” says Vishakha.

The entire team, including Jiya, were also recognized among thousands of other volunteers who put in their hearts and souls to work for Chennai, and she received a plant sapling and a certificate of appreciation from the music industry maestro Illayaraja, on December 17, 2015. Jiya will be three years old this March. Kudos to her parents who were not scared of uncertain situations and ensured that their daughter got a glimpse of what such social activities look like, to make her understand the importance of helping others in need.

Have a look at her – busy during work.

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In Chennai, 23-year-old Narmada J, ex-boxing champ at state-level, is training young girls for free along with her friends. Even without adequate boxing gear and facilities, they aim to box their way into the Olympics. Every day after they are done with their classes Chithra, Mercy, Kalaivani, Gayathri and others make a beeline for a sandy ground located near the Police Boys Girls Club and the Housing Board tenements of Kannagi Nagar, one of Chennai’s suburban localities chosen by the state government’s slum clearance board to relocate the city’s poorest. This is where the youngsters spend a few hours working out followed by some sessions of boxing held under the watchful eye of their coach, J. Narmada, 23. They don’t have access to even the most basic boxing gear like a punching bag or a proper rink. They have to share a single pair of gloves among 35 girls. And, the most nutritious diet they can afford is millet porridge with an occasional egg.

But such deprivations haven’t stopped them from performing well at divisional level boxing tournaments at Kannagi Nagar.

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Girls in select lower income neighbourhoods of Chennai are receiving training in boxing, something that has given them the confidence to stand up for themselves and dream big[/caption]

Credit: Hema Vijay\WFS

In fact, today there are 70 other girls training hard to become professional boxers in at the Corporation Higher Secondary School in Ayanavaram and the Jayagoplal Garodia Government Girls Higher Secondary School at Choolaimedu. “Chennai girls are the best. They have the guts to dream. In places like Manipur, where boxing is almost a part of regular schooling, they have good training facilities and boxing gears. But even though Chennai girls don't have that, they have no doubts that they can punch their way to the Olympics,” remarks a proud Narmada. This young coach’s face lights up when she talks about “my girls”, and how much they have progressed in the last few months.

“With just four months of training, the girls at Kannagi Nagar have managed to bag two gold and two silver medals at the Divisional Level boxing tournament held in Kancheepuram district. They also won one gold medal and three silver medals at the Chennai Divisional tournaments. Imagine how far they can go with intensive training and the right equipment,” she points out.

Narmada perfectly understands the tough circumstances those training under her face on an everyday basis. Like her parents, those of her pupils, too, eke out a living as fishermen or daily wage labourers. But, being unaccustomed to an easy existence, they are eager to grab the few opportunities that come their way. They are extremely tough and spirited, qualities that give them a definite edge in a ruthless sport like boxing.

Today, Narmada is a heroine to these primary and secondary school girls.

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Coach, J. Narmada, 23, is a true heroine for the primary and secondary school girls she trains for free week-after week.[/caption]

Credit: Hema Vijay\WFS

And why not, as she and her friends train them for free, week after week. The sessions take place after school hours, and sometimes, during school as well. “On my own, it might have been difficult to convince the schools to support the girls’ training. But the fact that I work with Magic Bus, a non-profit that works with schools to bring about behavioural changes in children through sports, has been of immense help,” remarks the committed sportsperson. She has won bronze medals at the Nationals in 2007 and 2008, and was named the best boxer at the state level in 2008. She has also won the Gold at the state level in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009. Though she didn’t make it to the international platform, Narmada has made up her mind to ensure that her girls do. To make her “mission” a success she has roped in her old classmates E. Sevvandhi, M. Bhuvaneshwari, M. Nila, and S. Durga to join hands with Magic Bus. Narmada herself had gotten into boxing in 2006 when she was in Class 6, thanks to a Chennai Corporation initiative. “We didn’t even know what the sport was called, but we would go to tournaments and feel happy when we won a medal,” recalls her friend and fellow player Sevvandhi. It was around that time that the state government had introduced boxing along with judo, karate and other such combat sports for girls in corporation-run schools.

Of course, even back then, boxing was not new to Chennai slums; like carrom tournaments, men and boys in the lower income neighbourhoods, especially those in north Chennai, had taken to boxing, with local ‘area’ and ‘street’ tournaments holding sway. The craze for this extreme sport perhaps began in the 1970s when the Nehru Stadium in the area had hosted boxing legend Muhammad Ali.

So, how did Narmada’s parents react when she decided to take up boxing? “More than my parents, my relatives were afraid that I would injure myself. My parents were very supportive; though they rue that all my medals and certificates have not come useful as they haven’t got me a job,” she says. Narmada credits much of her own progress to her coach J. Loganathan, who she says has been motivating and guiding her all along. After school, Narmada enrolled for a degree in physical education (B.Sc. Physical Education) and became an instructor with Magic Bus. As a social worker, her “salary is less, but satisfaction is boundless”. She says, “Frankly, to bring about behavioural change in children, I had to bring in behavioural changes in myself, as I am a role model to them,” she muses candidly. A remarkably talented woman, Narmada works as a gym trainer in the mornings to earn her bread and butter.

At the moment, Narmada’s main priority is to get a few boxing bags and gloves for the girls training with her.

[caption id="attachment_50160" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Boxing in Chennai

E. Sevvandhi has joined hands with her friend J. Narmada to train girls in boxing so they can make it to the big league.[/caption]

Credit: Hema Vijay\WFS

As of now, her friends and she have pooled in some money to buy three pairs of boxing gloves that are shared between 100 girls! A pair of gloves costs Rs 2,000, while a boxing bag costs Rs 2,800. They are hopeful that someone would step in and sponsor the same for them. What does boxing give these young women? “To some extent, the ability to protect themselves. But the crucial thing is the self esteem they develop as they play; it comes with moving to the next level and winning the cash awards at the various tournaments,” explains Narmada. They carry themselves with a lot of confidence, which is crucial for moving ahead in life. “My speed is not what it was but if my girls make it to the big leagues then I will be more delighted than if I would have made it myself,” says Narmada. Even though it remains to seen whether they make their state and country proud in the future – although they are raring to make it big in the boxing arena – for the time being, the opportunity to play has given them the boost they needed to stand up for themselves and dream.

Written by Hema Vijay for Women’s Feature Service (WFS) and republished here in arrangement with WFS.

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Bullied at school for being different, this transgender woman now runs an organisation that is transforming lives. Her incredible story of overcoming the odds and empowering those in need will leave you inspired! She walked into the room quite hassled from having to juggle a meeting and household chores back at home. Apologizing profusely for arriving late to the interview, she sat on the floor, gulped down a glass of water and said, “Let’s start.” Tell me something about yourself, and the organisation you run, I said. First, let me tell you something about myself, she said in a cheery tone. And, for the next half an hour or so, Swetha Sudhakar, the transgender woman who is the founding member of Born2Win Social Welfare Trust, shared her journey.

From discovering her identity in her teens, to becoming a counsellor and a trainer, to then establishing an organisation which not only empowers people who belong to the third gender, but also supports anyone who seeks aid in any form - hers is a truly remarkable story!

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“I feel proud to say that I am a transgender woman. And this happiness comes from within,” she shares. While Swetha utters these words with ease, her battle to discover and retain her identity was nothing short of miraculous.

The Early Days

Swetha, who completed her secondary and higher education at the Corporation Boys School at Nungambakkam, Chennai, was at the receiving end of some of the choicest abuses everyday by her fellow classmates. Every slur that referred to a person of an alien gender was used on her. “The school would close at 3.30 PM and I would keep worrying that they will tease me. I’ve cried a lot too,” she admits. Things at home weren’t all smooth sailing either. “My father passed away when I was young, and my sister had a love marriage. So we were shunned from our society,” she shares. By the time she entered the eleventh standard, Swetha had taken up a job at a telephone booth to support her mother, who worked at an export factory. “My neighbours would wonder why I walked differently,” she says.

“Back then, I didn’t know my identity. I couldn’t tell if I was a boy or a girl. It was when I turned 14 that I discovered who I was.”

Starting out with a salary of Rs. 1,200 a month, Swetha worked at the booth for close to two years. The owners, she says, believed that her presence brought a lot of success to the shop and they made sure she was well fed and taken care of. Once she completed her schooling, she applied for a correspondence course at Madras University and handled the accounts at a wholesale shop. While things seemed to be going well, one incident in particular led her to put down her resignation. “We once won an award hosted by India Cements for the ‘Best Business Setup.’ When we went to collect the award, having always been at the grassroots level, I didn’t know how to drink even a glass of water like the wealthy do,” she narrates, “I did it wrong and my owner blatantly asked me, ‘Don’t you have any sense?’” Terribly offended by the remark, she quit her job and spent a brief period managing the house, refusing to take up any other offer that came her way. One can say that this period led to a turning point in Swetha’s life. “One day, I spotted a school senior who teased me at school, walking along with a set of transgender women,” she says. Upon questioning, the senior admitted that she knew long ago of her identity but kept it discreet lest she be teased by her peers too. That was also when Swetha discovered terms such as transgender, MSM (men who have sex with men), lesbians, homosexuals, bisexuals and more. She eventually joined a community-based organisation which worked towards scaling HIV Intervention Programs for the MSM communities.

“That’s when I realised that there are a lot more people like me, that we were not of unique birth but just a different gender,” she says.

In the eight years that she worked there, she grew by leaps and bounds both professionally as well as personally. She went from being a trainer and facilitator, to becoming a program manager, a councillor, a documenter and more! “Eventually, I began questioning the seniors about their work. They also felt threatened because of the progress I was making within the community, and showed me the door,” she reveals. While the departure wasn’t pleasant, the parting of ways is what got Swetha thinking about founding an organisation of her own. “In those eight years, I had networked with several writers, advocates and notable people in the mainstream. And I was clear that I didn’t want to start another HIV-focussed organisation,” she states.

Born2Win Social Welfare Trust was established in February 2013 and was set up with the larger goal of providing support (of any kind, to the scale they could), to anyone who came to them for help.

The organisation has 12 positions occupied by members of the transgender community, including roles like secretary, founding director and treasurer. Although a social welfare trust, Born2Win does not accept any membership or membership fee. “We don’t want to take charity, nor do we want to make money simply because we don’t want altercations on whose money was spent for a better cause,” she candidly admits. Instead, Born2Win either creates and sells products such as yearly calendars, or raises money through events like fashion shows and exhibitions. Funds thus raised are then donated towards a social cause or given to persons seeking financial help or are even donated to lead generation-based aid. For example, in 2013, during its first year of operations, Born2Win held the first trans* achiever awards where the organisation identified 13 members from the transgender community who became agents of social change and made a mark in different fields. It also recognised and felicitated five mothers who accepted their trans* children as they were. These achievers were featured in the Born2Win calendar the following year (in 2014), and the sale proceeds of Rs. 30,000 were donated to HIV Positive orphans. The awards ceremony went on to became an annual occurrence that was held around the 15th of April, to commemorate the day that the landmark Supreme Court judgement recognising the trans community as the third gender was passed. During this period, 27 trans achievers and nine allies of the transgender community were felicitated. While the proceeds from the 2015 calendar (showcasing the winners of the previous year), were donated to the Adyar Cancer Institute, the proceeds from the calendar showcasing the winners of 2015 is set to be spent towards educating five transgender women.

“We wanted to prove a point here. That transgenders don’t just beg or become sex workers. They can make meaningful contributions to the society as well,” she claims proudly.

At an individual level too, the organisation has helped people gain educational and employment support. For example, Sri Sathya Sai Medical College & Research Institute (Thirupporur), was on the lookout for people to supervise its ward, pharmacy and more. Its Pondicherry branch already employs a few transgenders who informed Swetha of the openings.

“I negotiated for a salary of Rs. 12,000 including travel and food expenses for seven transgenders, trained them personally by accompanying them every day to the site and teaching them how to carry themselves, how to talk to people and more. Today, four of them still work with the institution, with full time accommodation being provided for them,” she shares.

The Dream

When Swetha began delving deeper into empowering these communities, she realised that while people were willing to extend aid,a lot more had to be done: “The society at large needs to understand the challenges surrounding the third gender and be more accepting of it at a family level, and even at an ecosystem level. The approach shouldn’t be that of sympathy but that of acceptance. And from the community perspective, we need to look inward and be prepared to accept the kind of support coming our way,” she says. By the organisation’s tenth year of operation, she hopes to empower at least a hundred transgenders. Isn’t that a small number? I ask, and she points out the potential challenges she could face in achieving even such small a target.

“Typically, these are people who leave their homes at a very young age and join the transgender communities. They are conditioned to believe that begging or indulging in sex work is the only way to make money for a trans person. If you tell them, study for 16 years and then earn a living, they are going to say, when I can earn quick money by doing these tasks, rent an apartment, buy jewellery and live a comfortable life, why should I?” she explains.

Hence, Swetha believes the change has to come from within, and there need to be more role models from within the community, that they can look up to. In other words, such a change should be driven by the seniors in the community who are responsible for them. “That being said, there are many people who want to study and work. Those are the kind of people I am looking to empower,” she insists. Harbouring a dream to become an IAS officer while whole-heartedly content at being a social worker, Swetha concludes, “My mind tells me that I am empowered. I need to know that. Somebody else should not be telling me that. I tell you again, I’m proud to be who I am.” Note: Born2Win is conducting the fourth edition of the Trans Achievers Awards on April 28th, 2016 and is looking for financial support (in the form of buying passes for the event). If you are interested, you can reach out to them at born2winsocialtrust2013@gmail.com.

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About the author: Madhumita Prabhakar is a full-time business journalist and freelance features writer by day and a rose tinted glasses clad short story writer by night. She blogs regularly on Medium and her short stories have earlier been published in journals such as eFiction India and New Asian Writing.

Coimbatore City is on a construct-a-thon to build toilets through a unique crowdfunding initiative, Toilet First. In Tamil Nadu, it is a tradition to celebrate 80^th birthdays like weddings. It is charming to see grandpas and grandmas exchange garlands and cherish their togetherness, which has lasted for decades. One such old couple in Coimbatore decided to celebrate the occasion like no one else probably has – by helping build toilets.

They donated Rs. 2 lakhs to the Coimbatore Municipal Corporation’s Toilet First initiative, which is on a mission to make Coimbatore free of open defecation.

Eleven hundred students (and counting) from various colleges are volunteering to build these toilets brick by brick. Danseuse Mridula Roy has committed to contribute to build one toilet every month. Corporates and other organizations are funding the initiative too. Coimbatore’s Municipal Commissioner, Vijayakarthikeyan, says every day he receives at least two cheques towards Toilet First. In short, thousands of people from different walks of life are coming together to make Coimbatore open defecation-free. What’s special about this initiative? The Toilet First initiative works on a very unique idea, arguably the first ever in India, a crowdsourcing model to build toilets. In Swachh Bharat, the funds for building toilets come in portion contributions – from the Swachh Bharat fund, from the state governments, from the local civic bodies, and from the beneficiaries. While the first three fund sources are available, the last part where the beneficiary has to contribute is where the catch lies. How do you get the toilets built when the families cannot afford to contribute their share? That’s where the smart move of crowdsourcing comes in from Coimbatore’s Municipal Corporation. The team, led by the Municipal Commissioner Vijayakarthikeyan, has formed a nonprofit body called Toilet First, which pitches in to make up for the deficit amount through crowdsourcing. The team has gone all out – with an impressive website and a catchy logo, a full-fledged social media campaign, and tremendous amount of local involvement.

By opening up the project to the crowd, the team has ensured that it is not just money that is pouring in, but great support and involvement from people all over the city too.

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Coimbatore Municipal Commissioner Vijayakarthikeyan (Center) with the volunteer team[/caption] Toilet First has become the mobilizer of a fast paced movement to build toilets in every household in the city of Coimbatore. How fast paced you may ask? Toilet First, which is just one-and-a-half months old, has already built 600 new toilets in households in the city. The city has mapped the households that do not have toilets and got applications to build 2500 toilets. To reach this target, the team is literally on a construct-a-thon for toilets. The Toilet First army of volunteers, involving students and the public, is getting together to build toilets overnight. The team is taking up a construct-a-thon challenge to build 1000 toilets within 72 hours in the month of May – a feat that Coimbatore will take great pride in. As a demo towards the construct-a-thon, 50 toilets were built within 72 hours in Kalapatti. With regular construction and the construct-a-thon, the first phase target of 2500 toilets will be completed in the next couple of months, says a very confident Commissioner.

The team is backing up its efforts with a strong awareness campaign that is spreading the word about the need for hygienic habits.

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A happy beneficiary of the Toilet First initiative[/caption]

Apart from volunteering by students and citizens, there is some serious learning that is also happening here. Toilet First gives opportunities to civil engineers to get hands on experience in construction through this project.

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Students can be seen busily working on construction sites before and after their college hours.[/caption] They supervise the work, coordinate with the labourers, and even dirty their hands with hands on construction work. On a daily basis, they update the team about the progress through a dedicated Toilet First app. Toilet First’s motto, “Let's Fund Together, Build Together, Unite Together,” is in many such ways bringing Coimbatore together as a city, beyond achieving its Swachh Bharat goals. Featured Image Credits: Covaipost.com

Like this story? Or have something to share? Write to us: contact@thebetterindia.com, or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter (@thebetterindia).

About the author: Ranjini Sivaswamy is a freelance writer and one of the first team members of The Better India. She comes from a mass communication background and is currently a consultant with IIM Bangalore.

This Kodaikanal school produces everything it needs in its own backyard. It is not just self-sufficient in food grains, vegetables and dairy but also in water and electricity. It provides a holistic approach to learning.

Amidst the Palani hills of Tamil Nadu, in the lush green terrain of Kodaikanal, is the quaint Sholai School. In Tamil, 'sholai' means forest. Also known as the Centre for Learning Organic Agriculture and Appropriate Technology (CLOAAT), this is no ordinary school. Here, children learn with no fear or stress. There aren’t any awards, nor are there any punishments. There aren’t any exams. nor is there a rush to get ahead. As serene as the landscape is the school’s holistic approach to learning, laying emphasis on hands on experiences to open young minds.

Sholai School is the brainchild of Brian Jenkins, a British social anthropologist. Jenkins first came to India in 1969, to study at Bodhgaya. Inspired by J. Krishnamurthy, the great thinker and teacher, he began teaching at Krishnamurthy’s Brockwood Park School in the UK. And after 14 years, Jenkins set foot in India again to start something on his own. He located the scenic 100 acre area near Kodaikanal, where he began his school from a small building and a kitchen. Today it is a far bigger complex, housing classroom blocks, separate hostels for boys and girls, a dining area, a library, vast open spaces for farming, and the school’s very own dairy.

“The aim is to produce responsible citizens, who do not only relish the fruits of the earth but also learn to preserve it in return,” says Jenkins.

One of the most distinctive characteristics of Sholai School is its ecological and sustainability practices. Self-sufficient in terms of food grains, fruit and vegetables, and dairy products, much of its food is grown in its own backyard, using organic farming methods. It even exports home-grown coffee to Germany. The food cooked in Sholai is 100% vegetarian, using bio gas. So it’s fresh food, healthy food. The dairy not only produces organic milk but also organic cheese.

Water from the hilly streams, wells and from rain water harvesting meets the requirements of the school, without having to depend on the municipal supply. And if this wasn’t enough, the school uses renewable energy too. Power is generated through photovoltaic panels and a micro-hydroelectric turbine, independent of the town grid electricity. There are solar panels in the entire school and four biogas plants to fuel the kitchen.

Jenkins does not believe in the existing hierarchical system of schools. Students from different classes and age groups are clubbed together for learning opportunities. He believes that learning ceases in classrooms – practical knowledge is out there in the field.

Perched on a hilltop, this school is surely one of a kind. Sholai is a school where children farm, segregate and recycle waste, manage livestock, and learn carpentry (they have made every piece of furniture for the school).

In addition, they learn horse riding, swimming, outdoor and indoor games, yoga, trekking, and bird watching.

A truly holistic learning approach such as this helps create better individuals and a better future for the world we live in.

All Images Courtesy Sholai CLOAAT

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About the author: With a degree in Sociology and Economics, Ramya is a blogger who writes on society and culture, hoping to bring about positive impact on as many people as possible. She runs a blog called www.meotherwise.com

A Tamil Nadu start-up has hit upon the perfect solution for India's overflowing landfills – it segregates waste, creates an alternative fuel for industries and ensures complete reclamation of land. Studies reveal that Indian cities generate 100 million tonnes of waste annually, putting India on the road to becoming the world's largest producer of waste. Rapid urbanisation has meant that dumping grounds that existed on the outskirts of cities 50 years ago have now become a part of their bustling suburbs. Add a steadily increasing population to this scenario and the future looks grim indeed – the municipal corporations of most cities are grappling with finding solutions to problems they are ill-equipped to handle.

Enter Zigma Global Environ Solutions with an answer: bio-mining.

In March 2015, five individuals from different walks of life came together, wanting to do something that was socially useful. Around the same time, Prime Minister Modi announced the Swachh Bharat mission. "It was like a sign," recalls Nagesh Prabhu, one of the founding members of Zigma. A meeting with Almitra Patel, Member of the Supreme Court Committee for Solid Waste Management, helped push things forward: "She really encouraged and guided us."

Buoyed by optimism and the support of those around them, the five youngsters started Zigma Global Environ Solutions - a company that offers solid waste management services.

In May 2015, the two month-old company approached the Municipal Corporation of Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu, with a simple request for some land on its dump yard and the requisite licenses to tackle the waste management problem head on. "At that point, Kumbakonam – like most municipalities – was talking about bio-capping as a method of dealing with the waste," says Nagesh. "Bio-capping is simply covering of the waste with soil. This is merely postponing the problem as the waste will still generate harmful gasses and cause water pollution. It’s like a ticking bomb that can explode at any time. The biggest problem is that you can't reclaim the land."

What the newly formed company suggested instead was a holistic approach to bio-mining: waste would be segregated using Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) plants, and the segregated waste would then be recycled or reused or, in some cases, find alternate uses. This responsible disposal of waste would also ensure reclamation of land.

Read also: How Two Youngsters in Coimbatore are Ensuring the City Becomes Waste Free "After visiting various countries, we realized the MSW plants cost a fortune. So, in keeping with the spirit of Make-in-India, we decided to go ahead and make our own plant," Nagesh says. Zigma designed, built and funded its own mobile MSW plant, undertaking everything from the preliminary research to implementation and execution. "Nothing was imported or bought from others," Nagesh says proudly. Equipped with its own mobile MSW plant, Zigma took on Kumbakonam's 6.5 acre dump yard, filled with 1,10,000 metric tonnes of solid waste. In the space of six months, the company cleared more than 60,000 metric tonnes of waste, reclaiming an impressive 3.5 acres of land! According to Nagesh, the government is now considering rehabilitating slum dwellers on this land. Read also: How This Waste Collector In Bengaluru Is Making Entrepreneurs Out Of Ragpickers Zigma's success is in large part due to its multi-pronged approach to waste management, which begins with proper segregation and disposal of waste

"We segregate the waste into organic and inorganic waste. Organic waste is that which can be decomposed or is already decomposed. This can directly be used as earth-fill," explains Nagesh. "Earth-fill can be used on lands that have been mined. Essentially, we take the organic matter that doesn't create any pollution and fill up these holes in the land. For the buyer, it will be like reclaiming the land. This land can then be used for anything, even agriculture, and there will be no harmful side effects."

Inorganic waste is classified into recyclable and reusable, or combustible. "Typically, plastic and tyres are considered recyclable. Reusable refers to materials that can be reused, like certain types of rubber in the tyre industry," says Nagesh. "Whatever is left over is all combustible – meaning it burns at a very high calorific value – so this is taken by cement factories as alternative fuel," he explains. "Cement factories currently use coal as their primary fuel. They mix this waste with coal and burn it. At 900° C – the temperature at which they burn this – there is no pollution."

This thorough approach to waste disposal allows Zigma to achieve a feat many consider near-impossible: 0% wastage.

"The norms allow for 10% to 15% of wastage – that is, 10% to 15% of waste that cannot be recycled, reused or is not combustible can be dumped back into the ground. But we were determined to have 0% wastage. Many people didn't believe that it could be done, but we've proved them wrong," Nagesh says with justified pride. Read also: Daily Dump – Easy and Effective Waste Management While bio-mining has been in use in India for six to seven years now, Zigma is the first to use it at this scale: "We do 250 to 300 tonnes of waste a day," Nagesh points out. According to him, other waste management services fail to dispose of segregated waste in a responsible manner: "They bifurcate the waste and give it back to the municipality. We take the entire responsibility of disposing of the waste responsibly to ensure there is 0% leftover." Zigma's success is more impressive in light of the fact that all its directors come from backgrounds as varied as IT, steel manufacturing and governance.

This diverse group of professionals, with little to no experience in waste management, has been able set new benchmarks in the waste management industry.

"There were many challenges," Nagesh says. "For instance, we had no idea about the impact the monsoons would have on our operations. We didn't realise that just three hours of rain could stop work for the next four days, since the machine doesn't work if the waste is wet." Zigma also didn't have a model to emulate or learn from: "There are no set models or plants for bio-mining in India."

"We made a lot of mistakes," admits Nagesh. "But we learnt from them all. The entire journey was learning by doing."

Zigma's operations have so far been funded internally: "The directors all pooled in their own funds," reveals Nagesh. "But we are looking for private equity now." Learn more about the company and the work they do on their website www.zigma.in The organisation's success at Kumbakonam has also drawn the attention of municipal corporations of other towns: "Five places have already approached us. We are looking at setting up seven to eight plants in Tamil Nadu soon."

Featured image source: Youtube

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“Each cup of tea represents an imaginary voyage.” – Catherine Douzel

What could be better than sipping a hot cup of fragrant tea on a mist shrouded mountain that boasts of the highest organic tea plantations in the world? This is exactly what Kolukkumalai Tea Estate offers.