If you ever visit the White Magic Shooting Floor Studio in Ramanatukaara, a picturesque town in Kerala, you can be sure that you won’t be leaving with just pictures. The studio is also home to a terrace garden filled with organic fruits and vegetables and is, naturally, famous among the town dwellers.
The terrace garden is the labour of love of owner and photographer of the studio, Shibi M. Vaidyar, 42, from Kozhikode. The reason for the terrace’s popularity, besides the novelty of a studio-cum-organic garden, is that Shibi distributes the harvest for free to his customers and neighbours.
“The last set of the harvest that I got was 80kg tomatoes, 20 kg ladies finger, 10kg green chillies and 10 kgs of brinjal. Now you wouldn’t expect such a huge amount of harvest from the studio terrace right?” laughs Shibi.
Saving Water With A Terrace Garden
The idea of utilising the terrace space to grow plants germinated due to the overflowing of the water tank. Shibi wanted to stop the wastage and tried to think of ways to conserve it. That’s when he came up with the idea of setting up his own terrace garden where he can use the excess water from the tank as well as the water used to clean the studio.
Shibi’s studio which is situated on the airport road in Ramanattukara has been open for almost 10 years now but the terrace garden was started just about 3 years back.
“The first plant was tomato, I saw it sprout within a few weeks and this got me really excited because I have no previous experience in farming or even planting anything for that matter and this actually came as a surprise. So I slowly started expanding the garden and now we have a whole variety of plants,” explains Shibi.
Now that his garden has flourished, he harvests around 120kg of veggies in a month!
Harvesting Rainwater
When the garden expanded, Shibi needed more water. He asked the other shop owners in his building and then collected all the excess water flowing from all the tanks in the building in a separate tank exclusively dedicated for the terrace garden. That way, there would be no wastage of water from the entire building.
Keeping the momentum of water conservation going, Shibi has also started rainwater harvesting to store enough water for the summers.
“Things are a lot easier for me because the soil here is very rich in nutrients. All I do is add a little bit of peanut cake manure and neem leaf manure to the grow bags. The terrace is not my own. The owner of the building, Hajiyar was so amazed by the harvest that he has given me the terrace for cultivation absolutely free of cost,” explains Shibi.
All the produce from Shibi’s farm is completely organic and he is very keen on avoiding the use of chemicals and other artificial fertilisers.
“Even if I decide to expand this as a business, I won’t use any harmful chemicals. I spend around Rs 4000 every month for the garden and I think that’s a small price to pay for a lifelong source of healthy vegetables,” he adds.
Simple Idea Big Results
Today, Shibi uses up all his free time in the garden and says that he plans on expanding the garden even further with more varieties of plants that can easily be grown in bags.
“Most of the time, Shibi closes up the building because he’ll be the last one out after watering all the plants and giving them all the required nourishment. It’s truly amazing to see his dedication and what he has done with the small space on the terrace,” says Hajiyar, owner of the building.
“Photography is and always will be my passion but the love for farming is something that I didn’t even know I had in me which surprises me every day,” he concludes.
Overflowing tanks are a common sight in most buildings in our country. Shibi’s simple idea to resolve this issue by creating a terrace garden has brought a huge difference and impacted his life in an unexpected way. Such simple and innovative ideas can save up on our precious resources.
After a string of failures with his startup ideas, William Mathews, an MCA graduate from Kappatumala, a village in Kozhikode, decided to move to the UAE.
But in 2010, William left his job there, returned to Kerala and went on to establish a ‘fruitful career’ (pun intended) there.
In a span of 10 years, this techie has filled 8 acres of his land with 550 varieties of tropical fruits and also diversified into coconut cultivation, pisciculture and apiculture.
Today William’s ‘Infarm’ fruit farm is immensely popular in Kerala and a must-visit place for researchers and agricultural experts from across the country.
“I gave up my job in the UAE because there was absolutely no growth, and returned with the dream of developing a fruit farm. I thought that it would be a hobby but it has become a great business model and generates a lot of money,” explains the 42-year-old.
Kerala’s Very Own Amazon
William’s orchard is home to over 30 varieties of lemons, 19 varieties of dates, 7 varieties of guava and 8 varieties of passion fruit besides exotic fruits like the American Coconia, the “mickey mouse fruit,” wax apples, the Himalayan mulberry, Rollinia, and the Brazilian jaboticaba, from around the world. There are also hyper-local fruits such as ‘Mooti pazham,’ ‘Njara pazham and ‘Karapazham.’
Williams bought the saplings of these trees which were worth Rs 500 back in 2010. Today their cost ranges from Rs 1000 to 2000.
He also converted family-owned paddy fields into mangosteen orchards which are part of his fruit farm.
“Fruit forests or fruit farms are a very popular concept outside India but have not been experimented on a large scale in the country so far. I feel that it is definitely something that the states in the Western Ghats should try out because the humid climate in these areas is apt for them,” he adds.
Besides the fruits, the farm also has a few medicinal plants like frankincense, camphor and rudraksha.
William has also recently expanded into apiculture and pisciculture. The farm currently has 2 ponds with different varieties of fish and almost 100 boxes of honeybees for cultivation.
“This farm didn’t pop up overnight. I’ve done a lot of research and travelled to several farms across India and abroad to get a better understanding of how it’s done. Most of these saplings cost a fortune and at that time since I was struggling financially, my parents advised me not to invest in farming. But every time I found a tropical fruit that was rare and could be grown in Kerala’s climatic conditions, I would purchase it immediately. Today when I look back, I’m glad I took those decisions because I can finally see my dreams coming true,” explains William.
Stepping Stones
As mentioned earlier, before the farm, William had experienced a series of failures.
“Right after my graduation in 1996 from Rajagiri, I had a plan for a startup called ‘Status Idea’ which is similar to today’s ‘Facebook.’ The application would allow people to connect with their friends and colleagues in real-time. But my timing was all wrong. India was not familiar with the concept of a startup at the time and I failed miserably,” explains William.
While his focus was on the farm, to ensure that his skills in IT would not go to waste, he started a skilling centre named Mavoor Institution of Computer Technology (MICT) which would teach students the basic concepts of IT, coding and technicalities of operating a computer. Today, with almost 60 students attending the classes, it has also begun to gain momentum.
“My wife Seena is currently heading MICT and my children Joshua and Joel, who study in Classes 8 and 9, respectively, help me out with the work in the farm. Both of them have developed a passion for farming and I’m glad they understood its value at such a young age, says William.
“I believe that every household should plant vegetable and fruit saplings according to the space they have. This will never go into waste and you will soon be able to use the produce from your own backyard,” William concludes.
William is one of the many people who switched careers from the IT world to farming with an aim to create a diverse ‘fruit forest’ and make these tropical fruits accessible to others. At a time when farmers are quitting agriculture, people like William gives us hope for a greener future.
PM Illias from the Pulickal Panchayat in Malappuram, Kerala has been innately connected to nature since his childhood. Wanting to carve out a piece of heaven for himself, he began cultivating a forest of his own almost 15 years back. And now the 10 acre land around his home is a flourishing farm, home to almost 50 varieties of fruits, vegetables and teeming with livestock! But what the environmentalist never imagined was the recognition he would receive for this project, especially the Kerala State Award for the best farmer.
Today 48-year-old Illias’ farm is one of the most popular ones in Kerala not just for its variety of fruits and vegetables but its effective waste management system that’s helping an entire society! With the manure from the cows and goats and the plant waste from the farm and his neighbours, Illias has created a perfectly organic ecosystem in his farm.
The Better India’s “BETTER TOGETHER” initiative has brought together civil service officers from across the country as they help migrant labourers, daily wage earners, frontline workers, and all those who need our help most in these troubled times. You can join us and support them in this fight against COVID-19.
With varieties of Litchi, Sappotta, Mangosteen, Papaya, Jackfruit, Noni, Guava and many others, Illias has dedicated 4 acres of his 10-acre land exclusively for the cultivation of fruits. Of the remaining 6 acres, 2 acres is for everyday vegetables like bitter gourd, tomatoes and ladies finger and the rest is somewhat of a tree museum with varieties like Teak, Cedar, White Cedar and Hopea.
“In the span of 15 years, I’ve collected many varieties of saplings, all of them from the Teak Museum in Nilambur, Malappuram. These saplings have grown into tall, majestic trees and stand as a reminder of the hard work and time that has gone into the cultivation of this farm,” says Illias. Besides the farm, Illias has also invested time in poultry and dairy farming with cows, goats, ducks and chicken.
Moreover, the water required to maintain the farm is also managed within its boundaries through rainwater harvesting. Illias has set up five ponds in the empty spaces of the 10-acre land to collect water. The dedicated farmer has also ensured to collect biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste from around the neighbourhood so that the waste in their area is managed effectively.
One of ponds in the farmland
“The summers can be a tricky season, especially when you have to maintain such a vast area. That’s when I started rainwater harvesting. Ever since then neither the farm nor the people in our locality have had to face any kind of water scarcity. I’ve also kept aside one of the ponds for children to learn swimming in the summers. That’s just something that brings me joy,” Illias explains.
As for fertilisers, Illias makes it the farm itself with a biogas plant and a vermicomposting system.
“Illias’ farm has become a boon for the entire society. Every day he collects the waste from the entire locality and if it’s biowaste, he uses it in the plant or adds it to his vermicompost and as for the plastic waste, he repurposes them or sends them to the recycling centres nearby,” says Sanjeev SJ, an officer from the Krishi Bhavan in the panchayat.
Illias in his Farm
Teaching Farming
Apart from looking after the farm, Illias is also keen on teaching students about farming and its values. In fact, after completing their training from Illias, the students of the AWMH College, Cheruvannoor have started their own farm and use the harvest to prepare food in their college hostel.
To spread the message of eco-consciousness, Illias has also opened up his farm for field trips and encourages students from schools to come and experience the fun of farming and his recyling activies.
“I’ve given about 2-3 years of training in the past to selected college students and to my surprise they gained interest and now have their own farms. Many experts from the Kisan Krishi Bhavan have also visited my farm and given me guidance on how to expand the farm furthermore,” Illias recalls.
Naturally, Illias has received a lot of recognition for his efforts toward the environment and his society. Apart from the State Award for the Best Farmer, Illias has also been bestowed with the Sarojini Damodhar Foundation Akshayasri Award.
The happy farmer says this success wouldn’t have been possible without his wife Memoona, “It is a combined effort. My wife helps me take care of this farm and my children Aisha Manna, Masna and Abdul Rahman contribute to maintaining it too. A single person cannot develop and sustain all this, “ Illias says.
Though he was born into an agricultural family, the state agricultural department’s classes and other financial aid helped a lot, Illias informs. “Above all though, it was hard work through hardships that bore fruit,” he smiles.
Illias’ farm is a stellar example of people coming together and joining hands to save resources and effectively manage waste, a model that we too could implement.
“Right now we’re in Italy. We’ve booked the ticket to Kerala and we’ve reached the check-in but the Italian government is saying that the Indian govt. is not permitting anyone inside the country right now. Where are we supposed to go? . . . They should have informed us earlier. There are pregnant women and children with us and right now we have nowhere to go. . . . It’s like we’re in purgatory.”
Dr Bindu Satyajith received this video appeal from a group of students on the morning of 10 March. These students were stranded at the Rome airport and were not being allowed to return to India without a COVID-19 negative certificate. Dr Bindu, the founder of Kerala-based NGO, EUnnathi already knew that Italy was under lockdown due to the thousands of new COVID-19 positive cases being reported daily from 1 March.
She instantly forwarded this video to Shyam Kurup, a Naval architect from Alappuzha. Shyam had been an active volunteer for relief missions during the Nepal earthquake (2015) as well as floods in Chennai and Kerala (2018). Dr Bindu had a feeling that he wouldn’t hesitate to help the students and surely enough, both of them got to work immediately.
For seven days, the duo worked tirelessly to provide essentials to the students stuck at the Rome airport and brought 14 of them back home by paying for their flight tickets.
The Rescuers From Kerala:
(L) Shyam Kurup and (R) Dr Bindu. Image Courtesy: Shyam Kurup.
In March, certain restrictions and regulations were put into place for people flying to India from highly affected places like Italy. For instance, all existing visas (except diplomatic, official and International Organisation employees) and visa-free travel facilities granted to Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) were suspended from 13 March. Those who were to travel a few days before this rule was implemented had to carry a COVID-19 negative certificate. Over 200 Indians stuck in Rome had given their samples but were yet to receive the results.
Mounika Midasala, one of the passengers stranded in Italy tells The Better India (TBI),“On 10 March, I and more than 80 students were stuck in the Rome airport because Air India wouldn’t allow us to travel without a negative certificate. The flight was already delayed by 12 hours. Our parents contacted many influential people. But no use. We started making videos and posted them on social media explaining our situation.”
Below is the audio clip from Saidas Sivadasan, another student, speaking about the incident in Italy.
By the following day, Dr Bindu and Shyam had assembled a team of volunteers who could aid in the evacuation of the students stuck in Rome. This team consisted of campaign designers, counsellors, co-ordinators, mentors, fundraisers and volunteers from the World Malayalee Federation (WMF).
WMF, headquartered in Vienna, has its branches in 120 countries. It’s support was crucial for on-ground work in Rome where Shyam’s team couldn’t reach physically.
The students stuck in Rome. Image Courtesy: Mounika Midasala.
“We managed to reach out to a few students at the airport and added them all in a common WhatsApp group. The students were stuck at the airport for four days with no food and no way to go back to their residences. They were not allowed back without a COVID-19 negative certificate which the hospitals said will take a few days to arrive,” Shyam tells TBI.
The students were naturally getting desperate, tired, angry at the sense of helplessness. “We contacted the Indian Embassy in Rome. They wanted us to go back to our residences. But we had no place to go to because of the lockdown situation. In return, we asked the embassy to find us accommodation but that didn’t work out either. I don’t know who told the EUnnathi group about us but they are like angels to us. I owe so much to Shyam,” Mounika shares.
By the next day, Shyam and Dr Bindu’s team sent an SOS email to the Ministry of State for External Affairs, Kerala. They received a prompt reply assuring that the matter was being looked into.
Quick Evacuation:
Acting quickly to gain as much traction as possible, Shyam posted an appeal to government officials on his Facebook wall to take urgent steps in rescuing the students.
On 15 March, Shyam received an update that one among the stranded people was a pregnant lady from Bengaluru who was in severe pain. Akshita, (name changed) is in her first trimester. Shyam posted another video appealing for help, this time tagging the Karnataka government too. Soon enough, ministers and other influential personalities were tweeting his videos in an attempt to make the government aware of the situation.
Meanwhile, the team started working on addressing the second problem – that of providing food to the stranded students. Since the Indian Embassy in Italy was yet to arrange for food and accommodation, volunteers from the WMF got to work.
Deepak Dasari, another student, shares, “We were stuck in the airport for two days without food or shelter. Only on the third day at the airport did we receive food from a restaurant and accommodation from the embassy . . . Shyam contacted us out of the blue but kept us informed about the updates right when we were feeling hopeless.”
On the backend, Shyam and Dr Bindu had already added several influential people and media personnel to the students’ WhatsApp group. In the meantime, an Air India flight reached Italy to evacuate stranded Indians. But unfortunately, the flight was scheduled only for Milan. Students in Rome still lived with uncertainty.
Finally, A Flight Home:
The students in Ethiopia. Image Courtesy: Mounika Midasala.
“Truth be told, we were also not in favour of evacuating the entire lot without confirming that they were all COVID-19 negative. But we had to act fast. From the entire group stuck in Rome, 20 had enough resources to book an airline that was still operating to India. They took the opportunity and flew back. It was the people with limited resources that were suffering,” Shyam tells TBI.
By 16 March, Shyam and other members of the team had found out about an Ethiopian Airline that could take the students from Rome to Addis Ababa (the Ethiopian capital) and from there to Mumbai. They informed the students about this and asked them to contribute as much as they could. Each ticket cost about Rs 68,000. The total amount for 13 students and Akshita came to over Rs 950,000. Shyam could afford to sponsor four tickets.
Dr Thomas, who worked for rescue operation contributed Rs 3.75 lakh. Everyone else in the team pitched in as much as they could and bought tickets for the Ethiopian plane that took off from the Rome airport on the 17 March.
Of the 200 people stranded in Rome, 20 booked a new flight. Fourteen were evacuated by Shyam, Dr Bindu and their wonderful team. The remaining students were finally evacuated by an Air India flight on 22 March.
There were many players in this rescue operation. Shyam and Dr Bindu stand out for their proactive efforts in setting the wheel in motion. Krishna Teja, an IAS officer who worked with Shyam during the Kerala floods was happy to comment on his efforts. “I can describe him as energetic and empathetic. Wherever there is a need, he makes sure his services are available.”
But we also want to highlight the contribution made by Dr Thomas and the students themselves who showed resilience in a situation full of uncertainty and panic. The evacuated students are under home quarantine as of now and so far, haven’t shown any symptoms of COVID-19. Their results from the hospital came back and all of them are negative.
From working in a quarry after passing out of Class 10 to selling fish, the string of odd jobs that Ajith had to take up to sustain his family is unbelievable.
But the will to learn and the determination to be financially secure kept him going, and eventually, he achieved what he once thought was impossible.
Today, the 28-year-old proudly adds the prefix of “Dr” before his name and is the first auto driver in Kerala to have a PhD. Currently working as a visiting lecturer in the Malayalam Department at Sri C Achutha Menon Government College in Kuttanellur, Ajith tells us how he overcame a life filled with hardship and struggles to get to this point.
A Bumpy Ride
When Ajith was just three months old, his father abandoned him and his mother. At that point in time, they had nowhere to go and didn’t even own a piece of land or a house of their own.
“My mother filed for a divorce, and even before I turned one, we moved to her village. We had to live in a house without electricity, and my mother would go for daily wage work to keep the house running and to send me to school. It was one of the most difficult phases in our lives,” recalls Ajith.
With the struggle to make ends meet, education was the least concerning factor for the family.
“I was always a below-average student, and when I failed in Mathematics in Class 10, my mother calmly asked me what I wanted to do. I knew I had to help her out, so I decided to drop out of school and make some money,” he adds.
A desperate Ajith joined the workers at a quarry and started working day and night. He would earn around 100 to 200 rupees every day, which was good enough to sustain a family of two. But when the rainy season started, the work was cut down to half a day, so he started taking up other jobs like selling fish and working in farms in a race to make as much money as he could.
Taking The Right Turn
“When I was working in the quarry, many people asked me what I was doing there and why I didn’t complete my education. At that point, with the urge to make money, I didn’t think about finishing school. But after a year passed by, I realised that I could achieve so much more with my potential and decided to expand my horizons. So in 2007, I returned to the Muvattupuzha Govt High School intending to complete my education,” Ajith explains.
Santhosh Kumar, Ajith’s Political Science teacher in school, motivated him to continue studying, so, after passing out from school, he joined St Peter’s College, in Kolenchery, to pursue an undergraduate degree in Malayalam. Money was still an issue, but he had enough to purchase a second-hand auto, so he did that and started doing evening rounds after college and made use of all his holidays to earn money for his college fees.
A Paved Road
“Once I completed my undergraduate degree, I couldn’t stop myself from studying further and joined the Muvattupuzha Sri Narayana College of Education to pursue a BEd degree. With the auto as a steady source of income, I didn’t have to think twice about following my dreams,” says Ajith.
With the goal of becoming a lecturer, Ajith went on to do his post-graduate degree in Malayalam at the Thunchath Ezhuthachan Malayalam University.
Soon after graduating in 2015, Ajith became one of the first to get selected as one of the 15 research students of the University.
“This was an unexpected turn in my life. I never expected to be one of the first PhD students of the college, and I’m truly grateful for Prof T Anitakumari, my research guide for helping me complete my doctorate in three years,” says Ajith.
No ‘Brakes’ To Your Dreams
After being awarded his PhD in 2019, Ajith also cleared the UGC NET the same year. Today, he works as a visiting lecturer at the Sri C Achutha Menon Government College situated in Kuttanellur, and continues to drive his autorickshaw.
“My life was a series of failures, but I was determined to turn those failures into stepping stones and prove the world wrong. The only thing to remember is, our dreams have no boundaries. The only boundaries are the ones we set,” Ajith concludes.
Using and throwing that plastic straw is such a trivial thing, no? How much time does it take anyway? A few seconds? Chucking that thin bit of nothing in the can and forgetting all about it. But the irony is that, THAT trivial thing will outlive you, me and many generations to come. And this is something to think about.
Reduce, Reuse and Recycle are not the buzz words anymore that we used to use in our school speeches. They are a cure to the ecological disaster we all are sitting on right now. And even the smallest of eco-friendly alternatives to plastic have taken on a crucial role in our fight to protect ourselves.
With this exact thought process, two techies from Trivandrum, Fariq Noushad and Previn Jacob Varghese have introduced a sustainable alternative to plastic straws – papaya leaf stem!
The duo has introduced an indigenous way to reuse papaya stem waste and make straws that have a shelf life of up to six months.
“The stem of the papaya leaf, which usually goes to waste, makes for a beautiful natural straw. So, we have tied up with 40 farmers from Trivandrum who grow papayas on a total area of 30 acres to procure the stems,” Fariq tells The Better India (TBI).
The idea of using papaya stems mushroomed when the two childhood friends were brainstorming to enter the sustainable industry after working for around two and a half years in a software company in South Africa.
“After doing our B.tech from Kerala University and working in the software industry, we studied the markets and realised that nature is a potential field to tap. During our research, we found a vendor cutting the stem and putting it in coconuts. We thought that though papaya is widely grown across India, the stems have no value. Thus, the raw material is easily accessible and affordable,” says Fariq.
Th research led to the duo founding their organisation ‘Greenikk Sustainable Ventures Pvt Ltd’ in Thrivendrum’s Kochuveli industrial area to process the straws. At present their firm supplies 2,500 sustainable straws every month to a juice outlet in the city at Rs 3 (per straw).
Testing, Failures & More
The techies embarked on their journey a year ago with no prior experience in making straws and very little knowledge about how the Indian markets function. From finding mentors who would guide them in making the straw durable to conducting numerous experiments, Fariq and Previn gave their heart, soul and savings to this project. The testing process was done at a farm in Neyyantinkara.
Giving an insight, he says, “We washed the stem in hot water to remove all the dust and kept it for drying in sunlight. However, we realised the straws were shrinking and they tasted bitter. So we added salt and turmeric in boiled water to get rid of the taste. Regarding the shrinking problem, we realised they needed limited sun exposure.”
The controlled drying led them to develop a 3-step process. For the same, they purchased two machines, a water bath and oven from their savings and designed a control drying machine on their own.
Things progressed as soon as the machines came in. To test if their product was worth selling, they even participated at the TATA Social Enterprise Challenge at IIM Kolkata. Among entries from 500 innovators, their product was the second runner up.
Fariq and Previn have hired a team of around ten people to run the machines and carry out the manufacturing process.
After the straws are purchased from the farmers, they are brought to the warehouse where each stem is cut into two halves and washed in clean water. They are dried and then soaked in a solution that removes proteins. The last step is packaging. The machines can make 4,000 durable straws in a day which amounts to almost a lakh per month. The profits are divided equally between the duo and farmers, thus providing farmers with an extra source of income.
One-time use plastic items like straws are extremely harmful to the environment and they take hundreds of years to decompose. Previn and Fariq’s sustainable solution could help in eliminating the need for plastic straws to a large extent.
Get in touch with Greenikk Sustainable Ventures Pvt Ltd here.
Nasar, a resident of Arukutti, a town in the Alappuzha district, is an engineer who also doubles up as a farmer.
Spending only 30 minutes on his farm, a plot of land measuring 60 square feet, every day, the man has created an elaborate kitchen garden with 26 varieties of vegetables using simple and natural techniques.
Everything In Just A Small Space!
“I grew up in a family of farmers and was always interested to see the process—right from sowing to harvesting. This interest never died down, and for the past 21 years, I’ve been cultivating the vegetables for my entire family, and have not purchased a single vegetable from the market in the last two decades!” explains Nasar.
Nasar’s farmland is divided into different sections for climbers, creeper and tubers. With just enough space to walk, the farm is filled with vegetables like cucumber, bitter gourd, carrots, ginger, tomatoes, varieties of chillies, spinach and even cauliflower.
“Space is not a factor at all. If you plan out your area properly, you can grow all the vegetables you’ll need. I believe that every home should have atleast a mini kitchen garden. The satisfaction of eating your own harvest in unbelievable and once you experience that you’ll never be able to say No to farming,” says Nasar.
Here are some tips from Nasar on how to grow vegetables in a 60 sq feet space:
You should be able to fit 60 grow bags in 60 sq feet. 15 grow bags must be kept aside for beans exclusively and the rest for other everyday vegetables.
The plants must be placed according to the availability of sunlight.
During the rainy season, laying waterproof sheets over the soil can prevent weed and other pests from the soil entering the grow bag.
The grow bags must be filled with equal amounts of dried manure powder, soil and sand and the saplings must be planted in it carefully.
A drip irrigation system should be followed during the summer so that the plants get the necessary amount of water.
Plants must be watered very carefully. Avoid hosing them down with water as this can severely damage their health.
Chemical pesticides and fertilisers must be avoided at all costs.
Completely Organic
“One thing I’m very particular about is the fertilisers that are used. If you opt for a chemical fertiliser or pesticides, there’s absolutely no point in farming because you’re bringing alterations to the natural process. Always opt for creating an organic fertiliser which will also give you a better yield,” explains Nasar.
For all his plants Nasar uses a homemade organic fertiliser which comprises 1-kilo fresh manure, 1-kilo jaggery, 1-kilo peanut cake powder and 1/2 kg banana mixed in 30-litres of water and left to soak for seven days.
“The mixture must be mixed atleast once a day during this period. While adding it to the plants, this mixture must be used in a 1:8 ratio with water. This fertiliser can be stored for upto 45 days,” he informs.
Nasar also practices mixed cultivation in a 1-acre land where he mostly grows fruits like mangosteen, litchi, sapota as well as coconut trees.
Currently the general secretary of the Organic Kerala Charitable Trust, Nasar has inspired many of his villagers and has received awards from many local committees for his unique and precise cultivation techniques.
We hope that you also try out Nasar’s cultivation techniques and let us know if they worked for you!
After working as an architect for almost 15 years, Eldho Pachilakkadan, 42, a resident of Kottayam, decided to quit his job and turn to a simpler lifestyle surrounded by nature.
He turned this dream into a reality by turning a 10-acre barren land that he owned in Senapathy, a village in Idukki, into a flourishing self-sustaining ecosystem with fruit and vegetable varieties from across the world.
What’s incredible is that he managed to accomplish this in only three years!
Today, he also offers trekking and off-roading experiences in the forest, which he has christened as ‘Swarga Medu (Heavenly Abode).’
So how did he manage to do that?
The Trek To The Top
The trek to ‘Swarga Medu’.
After completing an undergraduate degree in Architecture from the Government Polytechnic College, Adoor, Eldho took up a job at a firm, while also dabbling in several other fields. From owning restaurants to textile shops and even art galleries—he’s done everything.
Eldho was also part of an NGO where he and his friends offered to do voluntary work for the government’s forest services. The treks, hikes and the just being involved closely with nature, inspired Eldho to create something of his own.
“It was during one such trek in Idukki that we came across this plot of land, and I immediately felt some connection with it. It was barren, and I wondered if I could play some role in its transformation,” he explains.
So in 2009, Eldho bought the land along with his friend, Vivek Vilasni, and created a ‘heaven on earth.’
“The idea was to create a self-sustaining ecosystem that was close to nature. Rather than using systematic techniques and traditional methods, I allowed the saplings to flourish on their own with just food waste,” he adds.
10 Acres of Pure Bliss
The view from Swarga Medu.
Located on the misty hilltops of Idukki, Swarga Medu has many delights on offer, and one of them is its fruit forest that has over 20 varieties of apples, 6 to 7 varieties of oranges, grapes, mangosteen, litchi, strawberry, and many more.
“But it wasn’t easy to get these saplings. I’ve travelled all across the globe trying to source plants that would fit the soil and the climatic conditions in Kerala. I would have to say that was the hardest part,” he explains.
Every evening, Eldho collects fruit waste from all the nearby shops and carefully uses it to make the soil more nutritious.
“Besides that, I don’t add anything else for the nourishment of the plants because I believe nature has its way of sustaining itself. As human beings, we are merely there to sow the seeds, and I believe that we shouldn’t be the ones disrupting nature’s cycle,” he adds.
Besides the fruit forest, Eldho has also opened up ‘Swarga Medu’ for tourists and other agricultural experts. Although the forest doesn’t have facilities to accommodate tourists, they are provided with tents and welcome to camp overnight, trek through the hilltops and even taste the varieties of fruits.
“It was never the money factor that led me to create Swarga Medu. I wanted to lead a peaceful life in a natural environment and that’s what I got. As for the revenue, a sufficient amount is generated, which is enough for my family and for the maintenance of the farm,” he explains.
Becoming A Fruitarian
With almost 90% of his diet being fruits from his forest, ‘Swarga Medu’ has also transformed Eldho into a fruitarian—which means that his diet comprises primarily of fruits.
“It’s been about three years now, and my diet consists of only fruits from the forest. My theory is to eat what nature provides me with—nothing more, nothing less. And so far I’ve got enough and more nutrition from these fruits,” he explains.
Eldho’s wife Bincy and his two children have not wholly adopted this lifestyle but have been a constant support for him through his journey.
Future Plans
Eldho with his family at Swarga Medu.
Eldho is currently working on a project named ‘Utopia’ in Kottayam and Ernakulam where he plans to lease out small plots of land and create a self-sustaining ecosystem out of it in a way that it can provide enough harvest for a family to survive.
“With people coming back to the ways of sustainable living, I hope to see everyone living a life closely involved with nature. I hope that ‘Eutopia’ could be the beginning of such a lifestyle,” he concludes.
Digging through the ‘suranga’ cave wells, one of the oldest water harvesting systems found in the regions of north Kerala and Karnataka, 67-year old Kunjambu has singlehandedly provided water to the villagers of Kundamjuzhy, a village in Kerala’s Kasargod district for more than 50 years.
Kunjambu, who started digging at the age of 14 is now one of the very few suranga diggers left in the country and claims that thus far, he has dug out over 1000 of these cave-like wells.
What are Surangas?
‘Suranga’ in Kannada or ‘Thurangam’ in Malayalam is a narrow cave-like structure dug into the lateral sides of hills.
These unique cave wells are almost 2.5 feet wide can be dug up to 300 meters until a water spring is found, and are considered to be one of the most sustainable water harvesting systems in these regions.
The water that flows into the tunnel is channeled into a reservoir that is built near the tunnel. Once the water starts freely flowing from the springs, there is a steady supply of freshwater for years, without the use of motors or even pumps.
Said to have originated in Iran, this sustainable water harvesting system is now sadly being overpowered by the borewell culture, and many of the existing surges have become futile.
Kunjambu’s Journey
“This job requires a lot of strength and determination. I always set out with a pickaxe and a candle with a hope to complete digging these caves in one go,” begins Kunjambu.
“When you’re digging a cave that’s almost 300 meters deep, the oxygen levels tend to drop. To ensure that I don’t end up suffocating in these caves, I carry a matchbox and a candle with me. So if I’m not able to light the match, it means the oxygen levels are deficient, and I have to exit immediately,” he adds.
From finding the right place to start digging, to ensuring that the caves don’t collapse, Kunjambu says that all the steps to the suranga system require the digger to be aligned with nature.
“For instance, if i want to find the right place to start digging, I look at the plants nearby. If these plants are flourishing and the soil has a certain amount of wetness, then it means we’re found the spot. This knowledge can only be obtained through years of experience and along with that you get also develop a certain amount of faith in nature,” he explains.
Rise of the Borewells
“When I initially started, surangas were an essential part of our culture, especially because of the need for water for agricultural purposes. But soon, borewells began popping up and became the alternative. Slowly, we started losing our jobs, “ he explains.
As surangas require manual labour in comparison to the digging of borewells, the rates are much higher. Kunjambu explains that this may be one of the reasons for the sudden switch to borewells.
Consequently, many diggers, including Kunjambu, who do not support borewell culture, had to take up the job became it the only means of livelihood available.
“Borewell culture is very harmful to our nature, unlike surangas. When digging for borewells, you strike right at the heart of the earth, leading to the draining out of the groundwater. It can also make the nearby areas prone to earthquakes because it disrupts the natural way of things,” explains Kunjambu.
Benefits of Surangas
“Surangas have been an ideal resource for farmers for a long period of time. They are a perennial source of water, and borewells can never become a replacement to this system, especially in regions like Kasargod where the tendency for a collapse is much higher,” explains Shree Padre, a renowned writer from Kasargod.
Today there are more than 5,000 surangas in the Kasargod district, but most have become ineffective because of its decrease in popularity. However, people like Kunjambu are not ready to give up, yet.
“Although the suranga system is slowly dying, I want to continue my journey in the depths of the earth as long as I can, in hope that this system can be revived again,” Kunjambu concludes.
Twenty years ago, if someone would have told Seenat Kokkur that she would one day be an expert agriculturist and transform the lives of many women, she wouldn’t have believed it.
But that’s precisely what happened. Seenat, who is 40 today, is the founder of an all women’s farming group called ‘Penmitra’ which has encouraged an entire village to take up organic farming!
Penmitra: The Way Up
Seenat comes from a family of farmers and had to discontinue schooling after Class 10. Not too shortly after that, she was married.
“I had never thought that life would come to a standstill after my wedding, and since I was only educated till Class 10. I couldn’t apply for a formal job. So, I continued as a homemaker. But coming from a family of farmers, I thought I should try my hand at agriculture and decided to cultivate whatever I could in my surroundings,” Seenat explains.
Seenat sourced saplings and seeds from the nearby Krishi Bhavan and got around 20 grow bags from the Mannuthi Agricultural University and planted tomatoes in all of them. After a few weeks, she began to experience the joy of farming when the plants bore fruit.
She decided to expand her vegetable garden with ladies finger, green chillies and even cauliflower. Within no time, women from nearby households started approaching her for her unique techniques and tips.
That’s when an idea occurred to her, and acting on it, she started an all women’s farming group under the name ‘Penmitra’ (a woman’s friend) that could bring together the women in her neighbourhood to cultivate vegetables that they could sell or use for their own needs.
What started as a 10-member group has now expanded into a group of 50 that cultivates vegetables, fruits and even paddy.
Penmitra didn’t stop at that. They started attending workshops, classes to expand their knowledge in agriculture and soon gained popularity when they started selling their organic produce at yearly harvest markets.
“Penmitra started in 2015, and we never imagined that it would expand so much in just five years, but now there is not a single home in Kokkur that doesn’t follow organic farming. I feel proud that we were able to motivate an entire village to grow their own vegetables!” Seenat exclaims.
Into The Paddy Fields
After their initial success, Seenat and her team decided to try out paddy cultivation. Although they were using fresh vegetables from their farms, they realised that the rice was still from the markets.
So starting with 5 acres of land on lease, Penmitra prepared the soil for paddy cultivation.
The youths in the Kokkur village who were fascinated by the expansion of what was once a small farming unit, decided to help out and do their part.
“Paddy cultivation requires a lot of physical work, and when these children came together to help us out in the fields, we were more than happy to welcome them. They started coordinating among themselves and formed Whatsapp groups so that they could work in shifts. It was truly a kind gesture,” Seenat recalls.
Despite the water crisis, Penmitra was able to get a decent harvest.
“People who have been cultivating paddy for ages were shocked at the amount of harvest that we had got. Since we were beginners, we had asked for advice from agricultural experts from the Krishi Bhavan which had helped us a lot,” explains Nirupama, another member of Penmitra.
Exposure to Different Fields
In 5 years, Penmitra began to be recognised as a source for economic independence for women.
“We started showcasing our product at various farm fests, and besides farming, we took up new hobbies like creating curios and accessories from the natural waste material like coconut shells and husks which also became famous at exhibitions,” Seenat explains.
Seenat now aims to expand Penmitra’s activities into poultry and dairy farming and even invest in the cultivation of tapioca and coconuts.
Life Today
“I had given up on so many dreams when I was young, and even when I decided to start with Penmitra, my husband and some close friends discouraged me from doing something that involved a lot of physical labour. But none of that stopped me,” says Seenat.
Along the way, Seenat also managed to complete her schooling and attend college. When Penmitra started to fall into place, Seenat decided to take up long-distance education from the Indira Gandhi Open University (IGNOU) to fulfil her dream of completing her education. Today, she not only heads an all women’s farming group but is also a karate expert with a BA in History.
“Nothing should put a stop to your dreams, not your gender, age, or your family. All you need is a little bit of faith in yourself,” Seenat concludes.
For the past one week, the hallways of the Kannur Medical College Hospital have been empty. Although there are approximately 50 patients who have been admitted after exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19, the doctors and nurses don’t have to run around the hospital in their PPE kits thanks to a new caretaker that has recently taken charge.
Developed by the professors and students of the Vimal Jyothi College Of Engineering, the ‘Nightingale-19 robot’ has been providing the patients in the hospital with meals, water and even a chance to communicate face to face, virtually with the doctors who are treating them.
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With a capacity to hold items up to 25 kg, it can serve meals and 1-litre bottles to 15 patients at a time and allows the patients to make calls to their doctor and even their relatives.
The robot was inaugurated via video call last week and has functioning been since then.
How A Ventilator Turned Into A Robot
The Nightingale-19 Robot
Prof Sunil Paul, one of the many brains behind the Nightingale-19 was initially looking to create an innovative ventilator—one that would be an improvement upon the current design—but before proceeding, they visited the Kannur Medical College Hospital and asked the medical staff for what kind of help they were looking for.
The overwhelming response was that they were looking to reduce the frequent visits to the patient’s room.
“The doctors, nurses and canteen staff have to regularly visit the patients’ room to provide their meals, water, refreshments and even for check-up rounds. Every time they went, they would have to wear a PPE kit and dispose of it immediately. That’s when we thought, why not create a cost-efficient robot that can help with these routine visits?” explains Sunil.
The team headed by Prof TD John, the Dean of the Robotics Department, developed the first prototype of the Nightingale-19 in the beginning of April. This prototype was a miniature form of the actual model and could carry three bottles.
Based on the feedback they received, the team decided to make the robot more user friendly for the medical workers and use MDF (Medium Density Fibre Board) instead of metal so that the robot can be disinfected without causing corrosion.
The team included a video calling unit in the robot so that the patients can converse with the doctors remotely.
Prof. Sunil Paul with the robot
“When the doctor comes for rounds, they are completely covered up in the PPE kit, and the patient will not be able to see their face when they speak. The robot’s camera facility will be able to break that barrier, but more importantly, it’ll reduce the risk of the spread,” explains Dr Ajtih Kumar, Nodal Officer, Kannur Medical College Hospital,
After two demo models, the team finalised on the third model which was christened as the ‘’Nightingale-19’.
Made with a microcontroller board, a car’s wiper motor, a car motor and a racing drone’s camera, the robot can be remote-controlled in a 1km range.
“Deriving knowledge from our previous experiences, we took the most sustainable and reliable equipment for this robot, and since we used material we were familiar with, it was easy to develop as well,” explains Sunil.
He insists that the project is entirely a team effort. “Our students Amal Babu, Daniel Paul and Noel Joseph, were also selected to work on the project along with the professors which made the process all the more exciting and fruitful,” he adds.
The cost of developing the robot was approximately Rs 45,000 which is very cost-efficient compared to the PPE kits, which cost Rs 1500 per kit and cannot be reused. “Also, they are not very comfortable to wear—especially in this heat. So, the robot has helped in that regard as well,” says Dr Ajithkumar.
Besides the robot, the team from Amal Jyoti College has also provided the hospital with foot pumped sanitizers.
Future Projects
When asked about developing the robot further on, Prof Sunil Paul explained that currently, the department has a few ongoing research projects with German universities, which may help in faster production of the robots.
“The need for these robots is only going to expand in the future. Based on its performance during the next two weeks, we will start supplying more robots to other hospitals shortly,” says Sunil, concluding the conversation.
We all dream of a beautiful home that we can call our own. This is perhaps a shared aspiration that we earnestly work for. But, there are several choices that one needs to make to ensure that in the process of building a perfect home, we do not cause damage to the environment.
Reports say that this sector accounts for almost 25 to 40 per cent of the world’s total carbon emissions! Research further shows that 50 per cent of the climatic change and 50 per cent of landfill waste can be attributed to construction processes.
Additionally, the sector is responsible for 40 per cent of drinking water pollution and 23 per cent of air pollution.
Inside the sustainable home which is built on a bamboo structure and 90 per cent of the materials are recycled
But, Ashams Ravi, a Thiruvananthapuram based architect nullifies all our preconceived notions with his home. Using recycled materials that include items like beer bottles and bricks and doors sourced from sites where buildings have been demolished, he built his green home as a natural extension of the environment.
The house is built using techniques that are eco-friendly, keeping the carbon footprint at a minimum. The most interesting factor was that the house was built in a matter of four months!
As a practising architect, who is involved in the construction of sustainable buildings, he naturally took the green route when it came to constructing his own home.
Ashams Ravi is a practising architect with COSTFORD in Thiruvananthapuram. It took him only four months to build his own home.
“With floods and landslides that Kerala faced in 2018, I was sure that my house should be consciously built without causing much damage to the environment. We bought the land early last year and started construction in April 2019. By August, we were done with the construction,” says the 27-year-old architect.
How the Sustainable Home was Built
The 2500 sq. feet home stands on a plot which is 13 cents in size (5662.8 square foot). It’s important to point out how conscious they have been in ensuring there is no damage caused to the ecology and how they accommodated their plans to build around nature.
The view of the house from the front. It has been named, ‘Canaan’, which in the Bible means the ‘promised land’.
“The land we bought had a slant. However, we decided against digging up the soil to level it and just went ahead with the construction process. Also, there was a big mahogany tree which was right in the middle of the plot but we built around the tree and it is a part of the home now,” says Ashams.
The house has two floors in addition to the ground floor and each floor has two levels. Also, 90 per cent of the materials used in the construction process are recycled.
“We thought of reusing materials from demolished building sites and someone’s trash became a treasure for us. I sourced materials like timber, Mangalore pattern tiles, bricks, and stone. The use of cement is very minimal as the manufacturing cycle starting from the production of limestone in the quarry to its transportation and use has a lot of carbon footprint,” he explains.
Beer and alcohol bottles have been upcycled to make lampshades and walls.
Renewable materials like bamboo form the skeleton of the building. Research shows that bamboo has a greater tensile strength of 28,000 pounds per sq inch, as opposed to steel’s which is 23,000 pounds per sq. inch. Ashams says that this also helps in ensuring that local tribes benefit by selling the bamboo.
“We treated the bamboo with borax as it helps in crystallising the fat content that most insects are after. Similarly, we’ve also used the trunks of coconut trees that have been chopped down. We use them as pillars once it has been treated the same way,” he says.
Items like beer bottles have been repurposed to make lampshades around the house. There is an entire wall in the house that is made from recycled beer bottles and plastered with mud and lime.
These windows have been made using discarded iron rods from construction sites with bicycyle parts incorporated in the middle
Ashams also has a good network of people who sell materials from demolition sites. In this manner, they were able to obtain a few eclectic pieces that have added a certain rustic charm to the house.
“The Palace of the Diwan of Travancore was privately owned and when it was later demolished, I visited the site. I found a large door which was shabbily painted over. So, I decided to scrape off the paint and now it is the main door of the house. Also, there was a large window with a wooden frame, which was again painted over. Once the paint was removed from the railings, I found that they were made of brass. So, I let it be as it is since brass is not prone to corrosion,” he says.
The house has multiple levels because the land has a slight slant and hence, there are staircases around the house. (Right) The floors with beautiful terracotta tiles
Ashams also managed to source a large horse cartwheel used in races during Pongal, a harvest festival, celebrated in Tamil Nadu. The wheel has now been used as a window frame in the home. The floors in the house comprise of terracotta tiles and black oxide. There is a hall on the top floor which has been constructed for family gatherings. The floor here is made from cow dung which is layered over bamboo slabs and jute sacks soaked in very little cement grout.
Conservation and Management around the House
In addition to upcycling building materials and using sustainable materials, the techniques used to build the home ensure that resources are judiciously used.
The water tank that has been constructed in the courtyard
Take for example the ‘Rat Trap bond’ technique in which the bricks are arranged vertically, as opposed to horizontally by maintaining a hollow space within the wall. This technique not only involves lesser bricks but also reduces the cost of masonry by 30 per cent.
However, the most advantageous feature is the fact that it acts as a thermal insulator, meaning the interiors stay cooler in the summers, while in the winter it is warmer. “The house is almost 3 degrees cooler in the summers and at night, we don’t even need to switch on the fans. This obviously ends up saving electricity,” he says.
Talking about the bricks on the wall which remain exposed adding an old world charm, the young architect says, “Plastering doesn’t really add to the foundational strength of the building so we did not use it.”
A bedroom in the house
The house also has a biodigester in place which is used to compost their kitchen waste. The waste from the toilet is also connected to this biodigester (instead of a septic tank) through pipes that run underground.
The courtyard provides additional ventilation and acts as a space where people can meet up and celebrate different occasions. Since there is a slight slant in the plane, Ashams decided to do something interesting.
Arches and open spaces around the house ensure ventilation. While, on the right family pet Eva is hanging out and resting by the window made from a repurposed horse cartwheel
On the downward sloping plane, he constructed a water tank to harvest rainwater. To ensure that the overflow does not go to waste during the monsoon, he created a drainage hole which lets out the water to a constructed wetland which helps recharge the groundwater.
“We dug out a 5 ft pit and placed bricks and broken tiles to mimic the natural aquifers. We have covered that with a layer of soil which is five inches thick and have planted a species of grass and arrowroot. This prevents the water from getting wasted as surface run-off,” he says.
Influence of COSTFORD
Ashams and his family
The young architect picked up most of his sustainable building techniques skills from The Centre of Science and Technology for Rural Development (COSTFORD). He has been working with the organisation for close to three years now and joined them full-time when, in mid-2017, he graduated from Prime College of Architecture and Planning in Nagapattinam.
COSTFORD is a non-profit organisation founded in 1985 by Kerela’s former CM, C. Achutha Menon; Dr. KN Raj, Economist and Chairman of Centre for Development Studies, Social activist TR Chandradutt and legendary architect known for his sustainable building practices, Laurie Baker.
Beautiful patterned tile floor
Architecture is at the heart of the organisation’s operations and they build sustainable homes for the underprivileged under rural development programmes like Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY). They also take on projects with clients who can afford to pay them for their services of designing and constructing environmentally conscious homes for them.
Roadblocks to Building a Green Home and Looking Forward
Although the house came to life in four months, it wasn’t a bed of roses for Ashams.
Instead of chopping down the tree, they made it a part of the house
“I think one of the key challenges was that we didn’t really have a final plan on paper. This was because we were constantly modifying and designing parts of the house based on the items that we found on demolition sites and other places. So, we had to be quick on our feet,” he says.
Regardless, he has built a home that has caught the eyes of many. One of these people was Arvind Mohan, a 26-year-old Dhrupad musician based out of Thiruvananthapuram who wanted to build an eco-friendly home and approached COSTFORD. Ashams then became one of the main architects working on the project.
The prayer room (left). There are spaces around the house where one can sit by the window and read
One day, when Arvind visited Ashams’ home, he was completely mesmerised.
“Most of the elements have also been incorporated in my building plan. But one thing that really caught my eye was their beautiful courtyard and I have told him that I want something similar in my house. My house too is built using materials found in demolition sites. I wanted a home that is eco-friendly and built around nature. I am glad that I am getting that and I cannot wait to see my house completed,” says Arvind.
The open space at the top most part of the house where family members gather and celebrate different occasions. (On the right) A hallway, around the house
Ashams is happy that clients and other people have shown interest and have been inspired by his home.
“Whenever we go about any activity, one must remember that only what is necessary should be taken from the environment. We must remember that mother earth is not something that is given to us by our ancestors but something that we have borrowed from our future generation. We need to give up our greed for a cleaner, better planet,” he says signing off.
A sitting area at the top which serves as a verandah
With over half the area of Saudi Arabia being deserts, the possibility of practising agriculture there is very minimal. But for 15 long years, Hameed A, a farmer from Kerala, has been growing all kinds of vegetables and fruits in the country’s capital! Hard to believe, right?
From tomatoes to papayas, Hameed turned 40 acres of barely fertile land into a flourishing farmland.
“You could say I created a mini Kerala there. The land was so green and flourishing with produce that no one would believe it was in Saudi Arabia,” Hameed tells The Better India (TBI).
Today, the 50-year-old, who returned to his hometown in Palakkad a few years ago, continues to do what he does best, farming, which he claims earns him upto Rs. 5000- 8000 a day!
From Kerala to Saudi Arabia
“I went to the Gulf in my 30s and farming was the last job option I had in mind. I didn’t even know if it was possible. But to my surprise, the Arab in Al Kharj, Riyadh that I was supposed to work under asked me to cultivate vegetables in the 40 acres of land that he had. This was not an easy job, but since I had grown up in a family of farmers, I had an idea of how to go about it. So in just a span of one year, I was able to turn the place around,” explains Hameed.
Growing tomatoes, carrots, green chillies, ladies finger, cucumber, bitter gourd and papayas, Hameed utilised the entire 40-acre to its maximum potential and had almost all the kinds of vegetables that he grew in his hometown.
His employer was so impressed that he leased out 20 acres of land exclusively to Hameed, where he could cultivate and sell his own set of vegetables. Along with 10 other Indian and Palestinian workers, Hameed worked for 15 years, cultivating that land.
Hameed’s work would start early in the morning at six with watering the plants and would finish by around 5 in the evening where he would make sure to pull all the weeds and add manure and other fertilisers to the plants.
“Since it was a huge chunk of land, watering the land was taken care of by sprinklers. They were set up on a 50-metre long pole that would water the plants at a 1 km radius. There was a borewell set up nearby from where we would source the water,” says Hameed.
Although not all kinds of vegetables grew there, Hameed made sure to test out all his options. Every time he would come back to Kerala during the holidays, he would take back all kinds of seeds to see which one would grow in the Arabian soil.
“The Arabs are known for their cultivation of dates, poultry and dairy farming, but growing vegetables is not their forte. But I firmly believed that with the right resources any piece of land can flourish and well, it did!” says Hameed.
Unfortunately, Hameed’s farmland didn’t last for long. In a torrential rain that lasted for almost a week, all the crops and vegetables were destroyed. Dejected at the devastation of the years of labour, Hameed decided to make his journey back home.
Down But Not Out
“That phase of my life was very difficult. I had no idea where to start but I knew it had to be farming. So without thinking twice, I took up the 1 acre of land that I had and started cultivating vegetables, all over again. Besides this, I also took up about 10 acres of land on lease to cultivate paddy. With the help of my wife Zubaida and my four children, Jafar, Mohammed, Nasira and Jasna, the cultivation started gaining momentum,” says Hameed.
Today, Hameed cultivates almost Rs 8,000 worth of produce every single day. Besides the vegetables and the paddy, Hameed has also ventured out into poultry and dairy farming. With 30 chickens and about 6 cows, Hameed gets enough manure for his fields as well.
Although Hameed faced a lot of financial trouble when he returned from Saudi, today, Hameed’s completely organic vegetables have gained a lot of popularity in the markets and are receiving a lot of appreciation from across Kerala at various expos and harvest festivals. Hameed has been recognised by many awards including the award for the best farmer in Palakkad.
“Nature has its way of paying back. I worked for 15 years and now I can proudly say that nature paid me back for what I lost,” Hameed concludes.
The 2018 floods devastated Kerala, claiming 480+ lives. When transport facilities shut down, the supply of essentials and medical facilities became difficult. Fortunately, one group of volunteers showed a lot of courage in the Alappuzha district during that time. Called the Flood Volunteers Family (FVF), the group vowed to extend aid whenever any disaster hits Kerala.
Nearly two years after the group first met, the COVID-19 pandemic hit us. On 30 January, Kerala reported the first positive case in India – a student who had returned from Wuhan, China. And in the next four days, the number had risen to three cases – all of them from the coastal state.
The seriousness of COVID-19 was becoming evident across the country, and by the following month, several states, including Kerala, had imposed a statewide lockdown.
FVF knew this was a call for action. This time, they took up the cause to deliver medicines and other essentials to patients who either cannot step out of their homes, cannot afford to purchase medication or those localities that have run out of essential daily goods. No delivery is too difficult for them – even if it meant interdistrict travel or skipping a meal.
Since this initiative began, FVF has successfully delivered to 119 patients in over 90 spots in Kerala.
Keeping Kerala Fit
Image Courtesy: Rahul Roy
The FVF volunteers know how important it is to maintain social distance in these times. As travel passes, documentation and travelling solo has become a norm now, of the 250+ volunteers in the group, four have come forward to deliver essential medicines in Ernakulam, Kollam and Kottayam, apart from their hometown, Alappuzha.
“Medicines are a part of essential services, but a nationwide lockdown means that their supplies are dwindling, that pharmacies are running out of supplies and that some people cannot step out to get them. When we realised this, we took up the responsibility to deliver medicines in these three major districts of Kerala,” Rahul Roy, a mechanical technician by profession, tells The Better India (TBI).
Begun in mid-March, the four volunteers have put up their contact numbers on social media. Calls have been coming in since then. “One delivery very close to my heart is that of a cancer patient in the Punnapra village of Alappuzha. The patient was unable to get any medicines in the village. The nearest supply was in Thiruvananthapuram,” Fazal Muhamed Sali, another volunteer shared.
Thiruvananthapuram is over 130 km away from Punnapra – a journey of three and a half hours one way. FVF volunteers fulfilled the request on 25 April.
Foot Soldiers in the Line of Duty
Rahul, Fazal, Arun Narayana Panicker and Athul MV visit the patients and deliver medicines. But 10 more are on standby, in case these four have to be quarantined. It’s a health risk the volunteers are ready to take during the crisis. Besides, the 250+ volunteers who had first come together during the 2018 Kerala floods are providing financial backing for these missions.
“We generally go on bikes and alone. But when we have too many medicines to pick up, and they are not available at the same place, we go in pairs. Only for long-distance interdistrict travel do we take the car,” Fazal shares. The car, he adds, is volunteered by Shyam Kurup, another one of the FVF volunteers.
One cannot travel in Kerala without an authorised travelling pass. And since over half of the requests for travel passes are getting rejected, FVF’s work becomes all the more critical.
“We contacted the District Collector of Alappuzha district who was only too happy to help us out with the passes. The traffic police frequently stop us, but since we have the pass, we have faced no issue so far,” shares Rahul. Fazal adds that the patients send their prescription over WhatsApp to the volunteers so procuring medicines also becomes easy.
These Kerala Warriors Won’t Back Down
Image Courtesy: Rahul Roy
Rahul recalls how a young single mother called them up to ask if they could deliver food for her 9-month-old baby. “The food packages contained rice and dal, but the baby required milk formula. The mother too required some basic medicines. She sustains her family selling lottery tickets, and the lockdown has hurt her business. There was absolutely no doubt about our help. We did it without charging her even for the supplies.”
He also mentions that on a busy day, they deliver to 10-15 spots in one go. When asked about how they manage food and water, Rahul reluctantly shares that they have breakfast at home before they leave. Since the hotels and restaurants are all shut, they cannot stop anywhere for meals. So if they forget to carry their lunch, it’s no food until they get back home. “But who has the time to think about food when we have essential medicines to deliver?” he asks.
In these trying times, such heartwarming initiatives are a source of comfort. We will never tire of sharing the stories of these selfless people who are risking their health while ensuring the safety of others.
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“Death is not the opposite of life, but a part of it.” This quote by Haruki Murakami comes to mind as I sit down to write about Ashraf Thamaraserry.
In the last 20 years, Ashraf has repatriated the mortal remains of approximately 5,000 expats who died in the UAE, to countries across the world. He has dedicated his life to the cause, and today, even as the world has come to a standstill, his work continues.
The Padma Shri (2018) nominee spoke to The Better India about his journey and why he has dedicated his life to this cause.
When Death Came Calling
Ashraf Thamaraserry
In 1998, Ashraf and family moved to the emirate of Ajman (in the UAE) from Kozhikode, hoping for a better future. He set up a garage, and the work took off. Life was moving along smoothly, but then, an incident transformed his life’s purpose—he handed over the garage to his brother-in-law and became a full-time social worker.
“It was the year 2000, and I was visiting a sick friend at a hospital in Sharjah. I saw two men standing outside the hospital and crying uncontrollably. I figured that they were Malayali and asked them what was wrong. They explained that they were brothers, their father had passed away, and they did not know what to do next or how to bring his body to their hometown in Kollam. I barely knew anything about the procedure, but I offered to help them with the repatriation clearances,” he explains.
Ashraf reached out to the Indian embassy, and within four days, he was able to repatriate the body back to Kerala. And ever since that incident, dreadful phone calls at all hours of the day have become part of his life.
Sathish Joy, a factory labourer in UAE who has experienced Ashraf’s random act of kindness says, “When an entire family is grieving over the loss of a loved one, it is difficult to focus on practical matters like documentation and clearance. This is why Ashraf bhai’s intervention is such a blessing.”
Before the body can be transported, it is necessary to procure the embalming certificate, which declares that it is fit to be transported by air or sea. For this, the body has to be taken to the embalming centre, and then the body is placed in an airtight coffin designed for air/sea passage.
At times, Ashraf has even borne the expense of the procedure and also accompanied the body to the native land. “The cost to transport these bodies is expensive, and many blue-collar workers who struggle to make ends meet cannot afford it. In such cases, I bear the entire expense, and if need be, I take it back to their home,” he explains.
Ashraf recalls an incident where he accompanied a body to Odisha and was stranded there for four days unable to find the person’s relatives. He finally reported the body to the police station and decided to return to the UAE. But on his way to the airport, he received a call from the police station saying that the relatives had claimed the body and were afraid to claim it earlier because they had no money to pay him.
“I wish they had known that I do this free of cost,” he mentions.
In 2018, Ashraf filed a writ petition in the Indian Supreme Court against the Indian airlines’ policy of weighing dead bodies and charging Rs 200 per kilo. While he had pleaded for the fee to be entirely waived off by the airlines, that did not happen. However, due to his constant efforts, Air India, the country’s national carrier, has now implemented a fixed charge of Rs 30,000 for transporting bodies irrespective of weight.
Ashraf was also the one behind the repatriating process for actress Sridevi’s body. “Since the matter was pending with the Dubai public prosecution, it took longer—about three days—for the procedure to be completed. After boarding the coffin onto the hearse I left since I had four other bodies to process,” he explains.
Work In The Time of Corona
A donation drive organized by Ashraf Thamaraserry in the UAE for the COVID-19 relief.
With lockdowns implemented across countries, the calls on Ashraf’s phone have tripled. Many bodies that had to be sent over cannot travel due to restrictions, and the grief is even worse at this point of time.
“This week, I had sent a 10-year-old child’s body to Kannur, Kerala. The parents were not allowed to travel with the body, and they had to watch the funeral online. This was truly heartbreaking, but in such a situation, there’s nothing we can do,” Ashraf explains.
Last week, the bodies of three expats were refused to be offloaded and were sent back to the UAE from the Delhi airport.
“The family members who were already dealing with the grief of losing their loved ones were devastated to hear this. I fought with the embassy and immigration office for an entire week, before the remains were finally sent back to India and received by the family,” Ashraf explains.
With numerous cases like these, Ashraf is now working 24/7 to help the NRIs find solace amidst the distress of the pandemic. He has also organised food collection drives for the needy.
His Pillars Of Strength
Ashraf with his family
After a day’s work that starts at 5 AM and numerous calls and requests that need to be handled carefully, Ashraf returns home to a supporting family.
“Ashraf sees almost ten dead bodies a day which is very mentally tiring for a person. So when he gets home, we don’t ask him about his work, nor does he share any stories of grief with us. His time with us is filled with positivity, and we try to make that time as joyful as we can, “ says Ashraf’s wife, Suhara.
“Initially, the kids and I used to wonder why he set out on such a journey. I was extremely baffled because he gave up a huge share from the garage, and that meant we would only have the bare minimum to live. But a few years later, we were having dinner with the Indian ambassador, and his family. That’s when I truly understood the value of the work he did and how much of a difference he was making for the NRI community here in the Gulf,” explains Suhara.
Ashraf’s children, Shafi (22), Shefana (17), and Mohammad Ameen (8) have also been very supportive of their father’s journey.
“I’ve taken Shafi, my eldest, on some social work rounds because at some point I will have to stop and someone will have to take the legacy forward,” explains Ashraf.
Over the years Ashraf has won numerous awards from the Dubai Police as well as the prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya Award in 2015 and an honorary doctorate by Kings University, Tennessee, USA. The Kerala government also nominated him for the Padma Shri Award in 2018. Reshel Shah Kapoor, a filmmaker, has even made a six-minute documentary on Ashraf called ‘The Undertaker’.
Ashraf with all the awards he has received.
But the man remains ever humble.
“I believe that everyone deserves a peaceful goodbye from this world, and I do whatever I can to help. Yes, my work affects me, I’m only human. But the family of the deceased must be allowed to grieve in peace before saying the final goodbye. They shouldn’t have to worry about anything else. That’s why I step in as the ferryman,” Ashraf concludes.
Can you imagine a scenario where your bones get fractured if you sneeze too hard or if you shake hands with someone?
For Fathima Asla, 24, who has lived with Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), also known as brittle bone disease, since she was only three days old, this is an everyday matter.
Even the slightest movement can cause severe fractures to her legs and arms. In just 20 years, she has had more than 50 fractures in her body and just as many surgeries.
But despite her physical limitations, Fathima nurtured big dreams and worked hard to make them come true. This is her story.
The First Few Years
“My father, Abdul Nazar, was also diagnosed with OI as a child. Although it is not as severe as mine, he had to face a lot of difficulties and had to give up on a lot of his dreams. Which is why when my parents found out that I had it, they made sure that I was never denied any opportunities,” Fathima explains.
Like every other child in Kozhikode’s Poonoor Village, Fathima also joined the nearby government school. Every day, her mother would carry Fathima on one shoulder and her school bag on the other.
“I still remember my primary school days. My parents had arranged a separate chair for me in the corner because I couldn’t sit on the wooden benches like the other kids. It was a sort of isolation I didn’t ask for but couldn’t avoid because of my situation,” she adds.
Fathima grew up in a loving atmosphere—everyone, from her teachers to classmates, was very sensitive to her condition. But she craved acceptance and wanted to be one of them.
“All of the students were very caring and would help me take notes and eat my lunch and would even wash my hands for me, but nobody wanted to be my friend and just sit and talk with me, which was quite hard for me,” she recalls.
But by the age of 12 when she was in Class 6, Fathima decided to change her outlook on life. She decided that her physical disability would never come in the way of what she truly wanted to do, which in this case was to make friends.
“I interacted with them and gave them a chance to get to know me. In doing so, I slowly shed my inhibitions, and that helped me realise my potential. I began to believe that I was capable of achieving anything that I wanted,” she explains.
Stronger Than Bones
After scoring 90% in her Class 10 exams, Fathima decided to enrol in the science stream for the rest of her school education.
While the school authorities discouraged her from going ahead with that decision and asked her to opt for the humanities stream instead stating that she would not be able to clear the practical examinations, a determined Fathima went ahead with her application, which was ultimately accepted.
But a severe fracture and a surgery that followed made it extremely difficult for her to cope with the syllabus and study for her exams.
“I had fractured my right thigh, and it was tough for me to move around even in the wheelchair. But I powered through because it wanted to finish my studies at the same time as everyone else. My family couldn’t afford to send me for separate tuitions so I opted for the crash course that my school offered where I could learn everything in one go. So after months of missing classes, I went to write my final exams,” says Fathima.
Clearing all her written and practical exams, Fathima graduated with 85% proving all her teachers wrong. With a clear cut aim to go to medical college, Fathima prepared for her entrance exams.
“Although I gave my entrance exam, I was in the differently-abled category, so there was a special interview with the medical board and their approval was required for me to pursue the course. As soon as I entered the room, the panelists took one look at my wheelchair and said that I was not eligible. I was completely heartbroken,” explains Fathima.
Walking Into Her Dreams
But Fathima didn’t give up. She set aside that year entirely to prepare for the entrance exams and to try something she had never done in her entire life, to walk.
“I understood that if I had to be eligible, I would have to get out of my wheelchair. So over the next few months, I tried walking around the house and with my crutches. It was quite risky, but with the help of my parents and my siblings, I started to get the hang of it,” says Fathima.
A year later, Fathima was able to attend the interview in her crutches. She let out a whoop of joy when the board gave its approval—she had quite literally fought her way through to her dreams.
Today, she is a final year student at the Kottayam Medical College and is pursuing a degree in homoeopathic medicine.
In addition to her studies, Fathima is also a YouTuber and owns a channel called ‘Dream Beyond Infinity’ where she shares her thoughts and ideas. Through the channel, which now has more than 5000 subscribers, she also introduces other differently-abled individuals and gives them a platform to share their stories.
“Being differently-abled does not mean you should give up on your dreams; it just means that you have to try ‘different’ ways to achieve them,” Fathima concludes.
“The 2018 Kerala floods came as a blessing for me… The house we used to live in was made from boards and plastic sheets. We couldn’t even call it home. It couldn’t bear the slightest wind. It might just be impossible for you to imagine my four children, including my daughter living in that shed,” says Sujatha, a widowed daily wage worker, while talking about the team that built the sturdier home she now lives in and loves.
From the confines of a small ramshackle hut, Sujatha and her family now live in a pucca house complete with large windows and a roof that won’t rattle and chatter or worse, give in, under monsoon showers.
Meet Srishti Engineers and Builders, a firm bustling with energetic young builders and engineers with a passion to create structures that last for the neediest of our lot. Without charging labour cost, the team has completed 12 construction projects for the victims of floods that ravaged Kerala in 2018.
Sujatha was one of them.
The Better India (TBI) got in touch with Arun Narayanapanicker, who co-founded Srishti with his younger brother, Vishnu and friends, Gibin and Mobin Mohan. This firm, established in 2017, has been a ray of hope for many homeless families in Kerala.
In fact, when I called Arun, he was on his way to deliver emergency medicines as part of his service during the COVID-19 lockdown.
Building Homes for the underprivileged in Kerala:
Many stories of courage, compassion and heroism were reported during the massive Kerala floods of 2018. Arun, Vishnu, Gibin and Mobin too were part of the same narrative.
“We were involved in many volunteering activities like evacuation, supplying medicines, water, and food among others. As we travelled in the hinterland, we got acquainted with the plights of the residents there. Many people from the Kuttanad region (which covers the Alappuzha, Kottayam and Pathanamthitta districts) live in fragile temporary shelters that won’t hold ground if heavy rains or such other calamity strikes. We identified some of them and began thinking of ways to help them,” informs Arun.
As a team, their goal has always been to be the firm that helps the underprivileged build their dream homes.
“Building one’s own home is a dream that everyone cherishes. The whole point of starting Srishti instead of joining an established architecture firm was to be able to fulfil this dream of others. Even the underprivileged have some sort of shelter but is that really home? We want to build houses that provide space, privacy and security to the occupants,” Vishnu shares with TBI.
While only 1 per cent of the population in Kerala falls below the poverty line, life for them becomes unbearable during the frequent monsoon-wrought floods. It is well-nigh impossible for those living in temporary shelters or huts to face such unforgiving wrath of nature.
But, with their concerted efforts and vision to help the marginalised, the four friends have helped several such families shift into more secure, comfortable homes in a matter of just two years!
How the Kerala Team Manages to Pull This Off:
(Left to Right): Vishnu, Gibin, Arun and Mobin.
The main driving force behind Srishti is the 50+ daily wage labourers who work with the firm and who truly can empathise with the plight of those who live in Kuchha huts.
Arun shares with us that the construction workers dedicate extra time to build the homes pro-bono.
“Our labours are our strength. Some of them are residing in rental homes and so we are always thankful to them for their strong support,” Arun shares. He adds that they are also associated with voluntary groups and organisations like the Khalsa Aid and the Flood Volunteers Family for financial aid.
“With the Khalsa Aid, we have completed maintenance activities of two schools that were affected by the 2018 Kerala floods. Since the floor level of the classrooms was very low, they became waterlogged during the rainy season. So we raised the floor up to 1.5 ft height to prevent the problem,” the 28-year-old civil engineer adds.
These construction activities are done without charging any labour cost, substantially reducing the cost of each project. “Now all these people are like our own family members. So we no longer need to book hotels or eat in a restaurant in these areas. Our family is ready to welcome us. In a way, it is money saving!” he quips.
The team has completed 12 such projects so far, helping out families and schools in need. Sujatha is one such grateful “family” of theirs. Another is Ratheesh, a farmer who lost his home during the floods. Even then, he did not back out from carrying out rescue missions. He would go from house to house, in his boat and rescue those in need.
“The team got in touch with me after they found out about my rescue operations in Pulinkunnu. They approached me and asked if I needed anything. A lot of people had approached me before, offering help but when I got back to them, most did not respond to my calls. But the team from Srishti managed to complete the construction of my home in a matter of 3-4 months. The four engineers joined the construction labourers in the work. They carried the metal, bricks etc. It was so heartwarming for me to see that,” says Ratheesh.
Many among us pledge to lend a helping hand to the needy, only few actually have the strength and drive to carry it through. The Srishti men are some of those who cannot bear to be silent spectators of the misery of others. They revel in being in the thick of things, helping their brethren in their times of need. Living in these dire times, such strength of character is indeed the need of the hour.
When it comes to maintaining a garden or even a farm, watering the plans is one of the most important chores that needs to be performed every day. It is not something that can be skipped.
To make this process a little easier for people, Biju Jala from Karunagapally, Kottayam has created a low-cost irrigation system, which is easy to set up and can water up to 1o plants on its own. Additionally, this system, which is ideal for grow bags, also prevents insects and pests from causing damage to the plant.
The Irrigation System
Up until 2010, Biju Jalal was working as an accountant in UAE. It was only after returning to Kerala that he started investing his time and effort in farming.
“After returning to Kerala, I set up a terrace garden with almost 20 grow bags, filled with vegetables like carrots, tomatoes, green chillies and even different varieties of papayas. Since it was set up on the terrace, I would have to find time to water them atleast twice a day. And that’s when I decided to implement wick irrigation for my plants,” explains Biju.
In a conventional wick irrigation system, a bucket is filled with water which is then covered with a tray that has an incision in the middle. Through the incision, a thick cotton wick is introduced. One end of the wick touches the water while the other end of the wick goes through the grow bag which is placed on top of the tray.
This way, the required amount of water is taken in by the plant. The only difficulty here is that you need to keep filling in the buckets with water.
Biju decided to introduce a few tweaks in this system and make it more efficient. Instead of refilling the water in the buckets, he decided to connect the buckets with PVC pipes horizontally. This could eventually be connected to a water hose.
So when the buckets ran out of the water, the user could simply turn on the hose and fill up the buckets. The interconnecting PVC pipes would provide an equal amount of water to all the buckets.
The system started gaining a lot of popularity at expos and farming workshops, but one feedback that Biju got was that the decreasing water levels could not be seen. To solve this issue, he expanded the product even further and added a low-cost valve to it that could automatically pump water if the system is connected to the tank.
One unit of this wick irrigation system which consists of 10 interconnected buckets costs only upto 3000 rupees.
“I never thought this system would become so famous. In the past 8 months, I’ve sold more than 20,000 of these units, and the orders are just flowing in!” Biju exclaims.
Majudeen from Kannur, Kerala who has purchased a unit shares that it has helped him grow a large variety of vegetables on the terrace including beans and chillies. “The tray covering the water also ensures that there is no infestation, which is a great relief,” he explains.
Tips For The Grow bags
Although the irrigation system makes the maintenance a lot easier, Biju says that the grow bags need to be given a lot of attention.
Here are some tips that Biju feels will make this easier:
The soil in the grow bags must be dried for atleast 2 weeks. Then the soil must be sprinkled with water daily along with dolomite ( a mixture of magnesium and calcium). This will make it ready to absorb the water.
Before the wick is placed inside the grow bag, it should be soaked for atleast 10 minutes in water.
Use natural pesticides like a mixture of garlic and neem leaves to keep pest and insects away.
If the grow bag is placed under direct sunlight, cover the exposed parts of the grow bag with dried leaves or paper to avoid loss of moisture.
“If a family has three units of this irrigation system, they can easily grow all the vegetables for an entire year without much effort,” Biju explains.
We hope that Biju’s technique has motivated you to try out this irrigation system. Do let us know if his tips worked for you.
Joseph Francis, a resident of Ernakulam, grows almost 40 varieties of trees and practices pisciculture in his compound.
Doesn’t sound like a big deal, right? Wrong.
In just 5 cents of land, with 1800 sq ft being taken up by his house, Joseph does all this and more in his terrace and the remaining plot!
How It Started
Joseph Francis on his terrace
A
n AC technician by profession and a farmer by ancestry, Joseph, 63, has been finding time to follow his passion for farming for the past 20 years. Starting with roses and then moving onto orchids and mushrooms, Joseph finally figured out that mangoes were his lucky fruit.
“My maternal home in Fort Kochi had a wide variety of roses that my uncle had brought from across India. Even when cut roses could only be seen in Bengaluru and were quite uncommon in Kerala, our Kochi home had a huge collection. This really inspired me. So when I moved into my own home with my wife, we started with roses,” Joseph explains.
After trying out his hand in many cash crops and even mushroom cultivation, Joseph decided to try out mango cultivation after seeing a few saplings being grown in grow bags at an expo.
“I thought to myself if they could grow mangoes in bags then I could use up space in my terrace to grow a few varieties,” he adds.
But instead of using grow bags, Joseph decided to use PVC drums cut in half to grow his mango saplings. With incisions made at the bottom for the excess water to flow, these drums have been raised on metal stands on the terrace so that they can be moved around easily.
Joseph’s Orchard
His decision clearly paid off because today, this terrace is home to over 50 varieties of mangoes from across India—with some bearing fruit twice a year, and some, throughout.
Joseph has also created a variety of his own using the grafting technique and has named it ‘Patricia’ after his wife. He claims that this variety is the sweetest among the lot. Alphonso, Chandrakaran, Neelam, Malgova are some of the other famous varieties found in the terrace.
With at least 20 visitors every Sunday, his terrace has now become a sightseeing spot of sorts, and to those who are interested, he also sells his saplings that range from Rs 2500 to Rs 10,000.
“The hardest and the most important part is the maintenance of these plants. I’ve opted for a drip irrigation system so that plants are watered sufficiently. The trees have grown up to 9 feet, so the roots are pretty strong, so I make it a point to move the soil around in the drums so that it has room for moisture and nutrition,” Joseph explains.
Besides the mangoes, the terrace is home to many other fruits like jackfruit, rambutan, papaya, sapota and vegetables like bitter gourd, cabbage, ladies finger and tomatoes which he uses for his household needs. Joseph has also set aside an area to cultivate over 50 varieties of orchids using aquaponics and has invested in fish farming as well.
“I started with almost 250 varieties of roses, and today I’m cultivating mangoes. The point is, I was never interested in making a profit. Even today I give away all of my products to my friends, family and the visitors for free because that’s the joy of farming truly lies in someone enjoying the harvest you’ve cultivated,” he explains.
Setting an example to the many people complaining about the limited space in their homes, Joseph has proven that farming is possible for anyone, anywhere!
With The Positive Collective, The Better India’s COVID-19 coverage is available to regional language publications for free. Write to editorial@thebetterindia.com for more details.
Vinod Sahadevan Nair, 60, from Parassala, Trivandrum, likes to believe that he has established his own banana empire of sorts!
He might not be wrong. In a span of 30 years, Vinod has collected and cultivated over 430 varieties of the fruit from across India and the world! Thanks to this, in 2015, he entered the Limca book of records and was also given the award for the best farmer by the ICAR-National Research Centre for Banana.
Expanding His Farm With Unique Plantain Varieties
After completing his Bsc. in Physics, Vinod worked for a while and later started a web designing firm in Kochi. The firm was doing very well, but when his mother passed away, he decided to shut shop and return to Parassala to take care of his father.
“We owned 3 acres of barren land that was previously used to cultivate paddy. I was just 12 when my father started cultivating bananas in that land, and I began to help him out. Slowly, I grew to love the work so much that every day after school, I would head straight to the farm. Even after I left Parassala for studies, I would return on the weekends and involve myself in the farming work,” explains Vinod.
This time, Vinod decided to dedicate himself full time to farming and slowly started expanding his father’s plantain cultivation.
Unlike other households, Vinod wanted to create a farm that was unique and started collecting varieties that were not commonly seen in Kerala. He began travelling to Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharastra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Bengal, Odisha, Assam and Manipur to source varieties that were uncommon to a Malayali’s tastebuds.
Vinod even approached various horticulture departments, research institutes and universities in our country to get a hold of every single variety available.
Although many institutes refused to help him, Vinod didn’t give up and decided to look at international varieties of bananas. He travelled to Malaysia, Africa, Australia, Hawaii and Honduras and brought back many rare varieties that grow in coastal climatic conditions.
Growing 430 varieties of bananas
From the tall Assam Plantain to the short ‘Jahanji’, Vinod’s farm is home to over 430 varieties of bananas today. International varieties like the lady’s finger banana, red banana and the blue java are also members of the farm.
“According to the climatic conditions in each area, the taste of the plantain also differs. The Assam varieties even have seeds in them which is not seen in any other variety. Ottamungli, Karingadali, Suryakadali are some of the other Indian varieties that I grow. The way these varieties also vary from area to area. While some are treated as fruits, many of the varieties are used as vegetables and even added to meat dishes to boost their nutritional value,” explains Vinod.
“Every kind of banana has a certain cultural element attached to it as well. For example, ‘Manoranjitham’, a variety of Kanyakumari emanates a beautiful fragrance. So in the olden days, people would hang them in their homes during auspicious occasions, marriages and festivals,” Vinod adds.
Besides banana farming, Vinod also cultivates vegetables for his household needs and also rears domestic fowls—60 chickens and 20 ducks.
Future Plans
Vinod sells all his harvest from the farm in the wholesale market and earns upto Rs 1 lakh a month. His son, Ambaneesh V., who has completed his MTech has also recently started working on the farm.
“I’ve already gone on many expeditions with my father to different tribal settlements to find rare varieties. We trade our varieties with them to get a hold of new saplings. It is truly an amazing feeling,” explains Ambaneesh.
Vinod and his son are now planning to expand the business even further by creating products from the harvest like banana coffee, porridge and pickles.
“People in my village, even the little kids, lovingly call me ‘Vazhachettan’ (plantain man). To be honest, I am immensely proud to be known by that name. After all, this is my banana empire!” he concludes.
(Edited by Gayatri Mishra)
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