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Athira and Ashly lost their father when they were very young. And the only memory of their childhood the sisters can still recall is of their mother working to make ends meet as a sole parent.

But things changed when, in 2016, their mother, Anitha Chembuvilayil shared a long-buried secret in her heart, with her daughters.

“I still remember that day. There was a mix of emotions in my mother’s voice. I had never seen her like that with her face completely lit up. She was very anxious while telling me the story but at that very moment I knew what I had to do,” Athira tells me.

Anitha had finally summoned the courage to tell her daughters of the time when, as a young woman, she had fallen in love with a man named Vikraman. But, fate had decided against their marriage and Anitha’s father tied her destiny with another man’s.

What followed the confession was an act of a daughter’s unconditional love for her mother.

Aathira and Ashly not only got in touch with Vikraman but also encouraged their mother to begin her life again. On 21 July 2016, in a small ceremony with friends, a 52-year-old Anitha finally married her long lost love, Vikraman.

This is their story.

When Anitha met Vikraman

It all started in the year 1984 in Oachira, Kollam, Kerala when Anitha was a student of class 10 while Vikraman was a teacher at her tuition centre. Vikraman, who was highly involved in political events, would meet Anitha often at party events and they eventually fell in love.

But when Anitha presented the relationship before her family, her father, who was an Assistant Engineer in the Army regarded it to be beneath his dignity to marry off his daughter to Vikraman.

Anitha’s father forced her to end the relationship and cut all ties with him. Later, Anitha was married off to another man from the same village. On hearing the news of her marriage, a heart-broken Vikraman moved to Chavara, Kottayam and continued his life there as a teacher.

A few years into their marriage, Anitha and her husband had their daughters. But within a few years, Anitha’s husband died by suicide, under the influence of alcohol.

“I was just 8 years old when my father killed himself. But from then on our mother ensured that my sister and I came out of that traumatic childhood. She struggled so much to educate us and to send us to school and college. She literally gave herself up so that we could fulfil our own dreams,” explains Athira.

Although Anitha never had the opportunity to complete her formal education, by selling land and taking up odd jobs, she managed to educate both her daughters who completed their undergraduate degrees from the MG University, Kottayam.

New Beginnings

Destiny intervened when in 2016, Vikraman returned to his hometown in Oachira after his retirement. The two eventually met and Anitha opened up about Vikraman to her daughter Athira and narrated the entire story.

It was then that Athira and her elder sister Ashly decided to reunite the two and get them married.

“I met him a couple of times after that and asked him if he was willing to reunite with my mother. But he was adamant that my sister and I should settle with our own lives before thinking about a future with our mother. So soon after my marriage, we took the idea forward,” she adds.

Although Athira and Ashly had to face a lot of resentment from some of their closest relatives, they placed their mother’s happiness above all else and proceeded with the wedding ceremonies.

“The best part was, my grandfather who was against the marriage about 32 years ago was the one that handed over the thaali,” Athira shares. In Hindu tradition, the father of the bride passes a thaali (a tray laden with things of sacred value) to the groom.

Sadly, it seems as if fate was not done with Anitha and Vikraman’s story. After spending four blissful years with his long lost love, Vikraman sadly bid farewell to the world last month at the age of 72 due to a severe stroke.

“We all miss him a lot but I’m glad that he was able to leave with a fulfilled love story. And moreover, he was able to fill my mother’s life with happiness and bring a smile to her face,” concludes Athira.

Crossing all boundaries of age and time, these daughter’s fulfilled their mother’s wish, giving us a story that showed us love in all its beautiful forms.

(Edited by Saiqua Sultan)

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Even when her entire life came to a standstill, Chitra Nilambur refused to give up the fight against the injustice shown towards her community.

The 34-year-old belongs to the Kootanaykar tribal community in Malappuram, Kerala. She was born in the Appankapp Colony in Pothukallu Village, Malappuram, completed her primary education from the nearby tribal school and studied upto Class 10 at the Catholicate High School.

Although she was a good student, circumstances prevented her from pursuing her education any further and was married off at the age of 16. By 18, she had a child.

But that didn’t stop Chitra from pursuing her dreams.

Knowing that most children from tribal communities in the remote forests didn’t have access to education, she started working as a teacher and as a tribal promoter with the Tribal Community Development Team of the state government.

Chitra’s efforts to go visit different tribal villages, organise seminars and classes to spread awareness about the importance of education and her enthusiasm to speak to each family individually enabled many students to continue their school education. She even helped students procure the necessary documents to join school.

“It was a great feeling to be able to act as a bridge and give these children a chance to fulfil their aspirations and dreams,” she explains.

During this time, while working closely with various government schemes, Chitra came across several instances where land contractors were taking advantage of the uneducated tribal communities.

“These contractors and government officials would take money from tribal families claiming to speed up the land allocation process, but eventually refuse to give them ownership of their land. I started speaking up against them, and they soon tried to bribe me with money. When that didn’t work, they started threatening me. By then, I had even lost my job,” she explains.

Chitra had to face several false accusations during her fight for tribal rights. Some even tried to frame her as a Maoist, but that just made her even more determined to continue the work.

Forest Rights

It is estimated that 25 crores of India’s population lives in forest lands, out of which 10 crores are tribal communities. Although the 2006 forest rights act came into being, Chitra is still fighting to claim the rights over lands that belong to certain tribal communities.

“Almost 104 families in Neliyampathy, Palakkad were given claim over 1 acre each, but only 28 families were allocated the requisite plot of land. When we enquired about it, the government officials kept delaying the process and denied to give us a proper answer. A similar situation happened in Wayanad as well. Whether it is through the forest rights act or otherwise, at the end of the day, our (tribal) community ends up bearing the brunt, and I couldn’t just sit there and do nothing,” says Chitra.

To make the community aware of their rights, Chitra conducted various classes and seminars explaining tribal rights and how to write petitions to the various tribal communities in Wayanad, Malappuram and Palakkad districts.

Along with this, she and her team of volunteers identified leaders from these communities and trained them specifically to ensure that petitions would be filed at the right time and that the matters with regard to the forests rights would reach the respective authorities without any corruption by area leaders and contractors.

“As a result of the work that my volunteers and I have put in, we’ve been able to claim most of our land, and today the community is aware of their rights,” Chitra adds.

Into The Light of Education

Besides her fight for forest rights, Chitra has been a part of groups like Mahila Samakhya and the Neeti Vedi that empower tribal women to pursue their dreams and aspirations.

“After joining the group, I was motivated to continue pursuing my studies. So I completed Class 12 and acquired a BA in Malayalam. Now I work as a paralegal worker for Neeti Vedi, Malappuram,” she explains.

As a paralegal, Chitra has been able to sort out cases for many tribal communities. In 2017, she even rescued a hearing-impaired tribal man from bonded labour and was able to get him Rs 7 Lakh as compensation.

She also founded ‘Patika Varga Seva Society’ (Tribal Upliftment Society) in 2017 to address the various issues that the tribal communities face including education, land rights and employment opportunities.

Her work for the empowerment of the tribal communities won her the MJ Joseph Outstanding Commitment Award in 2018, given to grassroots level innovators and leaders.

“Documentation and paperwork can be quite overwhelming for the tribal communities due to the lack of awareness. I’m trying to bridge that gap and ensure that we get what we deserve,” she concludes.

(Edited by Gayatri Mishra)

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Also known as the ‘Ooty of Malabar,’ Kerala’s Kakadampoyil village with its misty hills and valleys makes a perfect avenue for the one-of-a-kind fruit forest that brothers, Abdul Hameed Haaji, 50, and Abdul Salim, 54, have built next to their house.

With fruits ranging from the elephant apple to the Burmese grapes, these brothers have procured saplings from across the world and are growing them in the 18-acre orchard.

“We have a unique range of fruits that cannot be found in India, and have set up the orchard in such a way that tourists and visitors can walk through it, taste a few fruits and even buy saplings. Besides fruits, we also have grown vegetables and rear a few cows and even fish,” explains Abdul Hameed.

Although the brothers brought the land in 2011, they couldn’t cultivate much as anticipated due to a stone crushing business they needed to look after. Unwilling to let either go, they decided to parallelly manage their business along with the farmland.

“We’ve divided up the work, and managed to figure out a way to run both businesses. So far, everything has been running smoothly,” says Abdul Salim.

Around five years ago, the duo also leased a farm in Gundalpettu, Karnataka to grow fruits, primarily mangoes. Although they had a few successful harvests, after a year’s drought and the difficulty of sourcing water, they gave up that land and dedicated their time entirely towards their orchard in Kakadampoyil.

A Walk Through The Farm

With 18 acres of land spread across the breezy hills of Malabar, the brother duo has taken advantage of Kakadampoyil’s cool climate to plant saplings that are suitable for colder regions.

From Barasu, elephant apple, strawberries, Pulasan, mangosteen, Abiyu miracle fruit, dragon fruit to local varieties of guava and pear, the farmland’s got it all.

Besides the fantastic range of fruits, the brothers also cultivate pepper, coffee and clove.

“The most expensive sapling that we’ve purchased was of the Burmese grape. But we didn’t think twice about buying it because it was a rare variety that we had to have in the farm,” says Abdul Salim.

“We’ve also ensured that the land is not deprived of any vegetables, so we are cultivating cabbage, cauliflower and beetroot, but this is mostly for our family’s everyday needs and not for sale,” he adds.

To ensure that all the saplings and trees in the farm receive enough water and nutrients, they have adopted drip irrigation in a step cultivation system. But instead of using plain water, they mix it along with organic manure.

“We’ve set up a biogas plant in the farm itself, so the remaining slurry from the plant is taken and mixed with water for the plants. This technique has resulted in an amazing harvest and also saved a lot of time,” explains Abdul Hameed.

To source manure, the duo has also turned to cow rearing with ten cows of the Kasargod ‘Kullan’ variety. This dwarf variety has a higher feed to milk ratio compared to other varieties.

With a minimum of 10 visitors coming in every day to visit the farm, the duo finds the nearby Kakadampoyil waterfalls to be a blessing.

“We’ve set up a stall near the falls, so most tourists buy saplings and fruits from there, and some of them visit the farm to come and get a closer look,” says Abdul Hameed.

A Lake Of Fish Within The Farm

In 2011, when the brothers saw the land, they were fascinated by the three huge ponds in it. So, once the orchard was taken care of, the duo moved to pisciculture and started rearing different varieties of fishes in the pond like Tilapia, Nutter and Rohu.

Alongside, they have also leased a plot of and about 7 kilometres away and rear fish with the help of the fisheries department.

“Despite the crusher business, we’ve always found the time for farming because it’ s our passion. We never started it for profits, in fact, the whole idea was to avoid depending on markets and neighbouring states for harvest, but now our farm has become a source of inspiration to many budding farmers who also wish to create something similar,” Abdul Hameed concludes.

The duo hopes to expand their farm with more rare varieties of plants and wish to make these fruits more accessible in the market in the coming future.

If you found this story inspiring, you can get in touch with the duo through their Facebook page.

(Edited by Gayatri Mishra)

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Most of us are aware of the benefits of coconut for skin, body, and health. The fragrant drupe (a fruit with an inner flesh and a seed surrounded by a hard shell) has healing properties, provides nutrition and quenches thirst.   

But did you know that coconut water has the potential to protect animals and can be a substitute for leather? 

Yes. Your read that right! A Kerala-based company, Malai Biomaterials Design Pvt Ltd, is producing a bio-composite material from coconut water that has the look and feel of leather.  

“This flexible biocomposite material has a circular life cycle. We use raw materials like waste coconut, banana stem, sisal fibre and hemp fibre that do not require any use of energy or chemicals. The final product is biodegradable that can decompose within 150 days. Our product is vegan and environment-friendly,” Zuzana Gombosova, co-founder of the company, tells The Better India (TBI). 

Zuzana is a designer from Slovakia based in India, who developed the material along with Susmith C Suseelan, an engineer from Kerala. A shared passion for the fashion industry and deep-rooted concern for the environment drove the duo toward investing almost a year to perfect the product and launch the company. 

At present, the company’s major clients are based across Europe and the US. They are supplying their product to prestigious companies like Crafting Plastics, TON, Ma-tt-er, Kazeto which is then changed to utility sling bags, tote bags, laptop bags, belted bags, wallets, mini backpacks and more.

Besides building a strong base with the clients, their sustainable product also made it to the London Design Week and the Prague Design Week in 2018.   

They Began by Pooling their Personal Savings 

Zuzana learnt about bacterial cellulose during her Master’s from University of Arts, London in 2013. Her thesis revolved around microbially grown materials through the fermentation process.

“I studied how bacteria grown in the coconut is being used in the food industry in the Philippines and the fashion industry in very few places. However, due to the lack of availability of coconuts in London, I was unable to experiment in detail. The idea stayed with me,” she says. 

After her Master’s, Zuzana went on to work in London and Istanbul before landing a job in Mumbai as a designer. Here she met Susmith who had joined the company after completing his Mechanical Engineering and Product Designing from Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru. 

Zuzana told Susmith about the potential of bacterial cellulose found in coconut water. Once the duo understood that they had a shared passion for sustainability, they quit their jobs and moved to Channapatna, a city in Karnataka’s Ramanagara District for a year-long research and development phase, funded by their personal savings. They also collaborated with Karnataka manufacturing unit that was already working on a similar fermentation process.

After a series of mistakes and failures, their experiment finally took shape, and the first sample (one square metre in length) was ready within six months. 

For the next six months, the duo worked incessantly to make their product as sturdy as leather. The durability, wear and tear resistance of the product was tested at the German company, TUV – based in Chennai which specialises in product testings. 

“A TUV certification validates that sample product has been tested for safety and meets the minimum requirements of the German Equipment and Product Safety Act. As per certification, the product is fairly good in comparison to leather. It is stretchy and has the same thickness as leather,” says Zuzana. 

In 2018, they formally launched their bootstrapped company. 

Processing the Product

The company collects coconuts from farmers in Kerala, and then tap the water, sterilise it and leave it undisturbed for bacterial culture to feed on. The end process results in jelly-like cellulose which is mixed with banana fibre or gum to create the raw material in the form of sheets or 3-dimensional shapes. To make the sheets colourful and glossy, the company uses natural dyes such as indigo, madder or cutch.

What’s the best part? There are no aggressive chemicals used in the entire process. 

“The fermentation period takes between 12-14 days, at the end of which a sheet of cellulose ‘jelly’ is produced. The bacterial cellulose has a dense web of nano-fibres of cellulose. It grows in its pure form, and therefore no chemicals need to be used to extract it as in case of plant-based cellulose,” she adds. 

In the final stage, the sheets are air-dried and softened with gentle water-resistant treatment. The sheets are cast in different textures like semi-glossy, glossy or matte through oil or water-based coatings and then crafted into a range of products.

As for the cost, it is a bit higher than the market rates of similar products. Zuzana explains the reason behind it, “Many would say it has a premium price, mostly because the price of its substitute is cheap due to easy access. It is nearly impossible to compete with them. As a small manufacturer, our supply chain is very uncommon. That’s why most of our clients are based out of India. However, we plan to make it more affordable in future.”

Malai’s processing unit on the outskirts of Kochi has a monthly capacity to produce 200 square metres of the material in the form of a sheet or 3-dimensional shapes. 

Plans to Launch the Product in Indian Markets

Recently, the PETA-approved company clinched the winning title at Circular Design Challenge at Lakmé Fashion Week summer/resort 2020. Also, this year the duo had planned to make Malai more accessible in the Indian market by joining hands with a research team from IIT-Hyderabad. However, owing to the current COVID-19 situation and lockdown, their processing unit has halted its production. 

“The production is stopped, but our minds are running to design a product that is superior to leather. We want to enter different domains like furniture, interior designing in future,” Zuzana says. 

Zuzana and Susmith are rare, responsible and conscious designers who are continually coming up with innovative ideas to offer sustainable choices to consumers that could be a game-changer in future.

All images are sourced from Zuzana

Get in touch with Malai Biomaterials here

(Edited by Saiqua Sultan)

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“You know how they say it in French, ‘C’est La Vie’, which means ‘Such is Life’ and that is exactly what I live by. No one has control over how life can turn out but we all have control over how we respond to it. And now’s the time to react, respond and come together as humanity,” says Stephanie Herve, a music therapist hailing from Bordeaux, France, who has been a regular tourist at the ‘Casa Mia Homestay’ in Fort Kochi, Kerala.

Stephanie had been in Kochi when the nation went into lockdown. And despite the French Consulate’s offer to help her return to France, the big-hearted musician chose to stay back to raise funds to provide food kits to underprivileged families.

By going live and singing songs on her Facebook page, Stephanie raised Rs 6 lakh and has provided grocery kits comprising of rice, pulses and other essential items to more than 1,350 families so far.

“We had Stephanie stay with us around two years back. Even back then she had made a huge contribution in helping underprivileged children across India,” says Usha Antony, owner of Casa Mia Homestay, Fort Kochi.

Helping out people is not new to Stephanie (44), who is also the founder of the Association Gabriel, an NGO based in her home country that has been providing food and shelter in Vietnam and India.

The philanthropist comes down to Kochi every year and though she may not have anticipated getting stuck during this visit, she chose to stay in the country and offer a helping hand. “Though all of Stephanie’s friends had returned to France, she was determined to stay back with us,” shares Antony.

With the help of Antony and her family, Stephanie first reached out to the Veli community kitchen in Kochi. This kitchen is being run by the people of Veli in association with Kudumbashree and the panchayat members. Kudumbashree is a women empowerment programme implemented by the State Poverty Eradication Mission, Kerala.

After speaking with the people in charge, she started providing them with the essential food items they had requested for the kitchen. Furthermore, Stephanie decided to reach out to the people back in her home in France through her NGO. And finally, the proactive lady started conducting live sessions on her Facebook page to raise funds aided by Usha’s son, Thomson, 15.

From Carnatic to French, English and even Malayalam, Stephanie’s songs started gaining a lot of popularity and helped her raise funds for the needy in Kochi.

“We’ve been able to help people not just in the neighbourhood but people from all over Kochi including places like Kumbalangi and Challanam. To see the content and relief on people’s faces, that’s what I truly live for,” Stephanie tells The Better India (TBI).

Usha’s son, Thomson Antony, who is fluent in French has been Stephanie’s guide from the very beginning and has been with her in many live sessions. Currently, Stephanie is also helping with the construction of an Anganwadi in Vypin, Kochi.

“She’s not our guest anymore, she’s more like a daughter that I never had and I’m so grateful that we could all be together during the lockdown. Her spirit to work for society is truly infectious. In fact, after seeing her efforts, many organisations from across Kochi started doing the same,” explains Usha. Indeed, humanity does not need citizenship. It is just a desire to be kind and compassionate to people. And Stephanie is the true embodiment of humanity in all its humane forms.

(Edited by Saiqua Sultan)

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As soon as I got on a call with Jayasree, she asked me, “Is this about my trees, in that case, it’s better that I step out into the yard because to be very honest, I keep forgetting what all varieties I have!” Soon, I found myself completely immersed in what she considers the ‘simple’ story of how she created a forest in 56 cents of land in a span of 28 years.

Jayasree’s ‘simple’ forest or as she calls it ‘Project Happiness’, is now home to more than 50 varieties of trees which have helped curb the water scarcity issue in her hometown, Mavelikkara, Kerala!

The forest grew out of Jayasree’s sadness. And the more she planted. The more comfort she gleaned from her green ‘friends’. Loss of husband, heartbreak at her son’s condition propelled her to siphon off as much strength as she could from the sturdy teaks and mahoganies she planted.

Leaving Home and Finding her Way Back

Jayasree M B, 54, was just 18 years old when she got married and moved to her husband’s home.

“I was pursuing a B.Com degree, but my family got me married, and I had to quit college. After getting married, my husband, Vishwambaran, and I moved to Qatar as he got a job at the international airport as an airline mechanic. Around eight years later, we returned to Kerala,” Jayasree explains.

After her life in Qatar, she was glad to come back to Kerala and its greenery. However, she began noticing that the land surrounding their home in Mavelikkara was barren.

“That’s when I went ahead and got a teak sapling from a nearby nursery and planted it,” she adds. But she did not know her choice of plants would bring on a barrage of protests.

Many of Jayasree’s relatives criticised her idea of planting tree saplings and asked her to plant crops like tapioca instead to help bring in an income. Also, it was not common to plant trees in their area. But Jayasree didn’t budge and went on to create a forest by adding more saplings to the 56 cent plot.

“My elder son Vishnu was diagnosed with autism at a very young age, and he had difficulty with speech and communication. Despite taking him for several sessions, he was finding it difficult to speak to us. At this point, I had lost hope, but the forest became my happiness project during those stressful times,” she shares.

Sadly in 2008, Jayasree’s husband passed away at the age of 55 as a result of his long time liver disease. This left Jayasree heartbroken.

“I had no one to turn to then. Both my sons Vishnu and Vishak were young, and I was torn emotionally. This is when I completely invested my time in building the forest. It became a source of positivity and helped me feel alive again,” she explains.

Jayasree’s ‘happiness project’ is now home to tall trees such as teak, mahogany, mango, banyans, and wild jackfruit, among others. Besides trees, she also took the time to plant medicinal plants in her plot.

Conquering Sadness With Happiness Project

Jayasree’s sons are grown up now and help their mother whenever they can. Her elder son is currently preparing for PSC exams, and Vishakh is a Ph.D. scholar.

Also, the protesting friends and neighbours are all praise now.

“Although many of the villagers and relatives weren’t fond of the idea of my forest, it has now benefitted my family and the neighbourhood to a great extent,” she explains. Jayasree’s village Kunnam which had faced water scarcity about 20 years back, has no water shortage today, all thanks to the humanmade forest.

“I still remember back in 2000 when we had to dig a well 16 rings deep to source water. At one point in time, when the scarcity became severe, we had to add more rings to the well. But today, even during the summers, we don’t have to worry about water at all. The neighbours are also receiving enough water because of the water retention capacity of the forest,” she explains. The trees have helped recharge the underground water table in the village.

When asked about the effort that goes into the maintenance of the forest, Jayasree explains how the dry leaves that fall off the trees are reused along with manure and how the forest is now a self-sustaining system.

“I ask my neighbours who have cows for dung to create manure for the trees. Besides this, I don’t have to put in much effort for the forest because all the trees are fully grown,” she explains.

“I found solace in the forest for 28 years, and even today, when people ask me how I managed to do it, I simply tell them that it was purely out happiness,” she concludes.

Before hanging up the call, I ask her for her address in hopes of seeing this fantastic forest on my next visit home. I think we all need a “happiness project” to lift the heavy pall of these days!

(Edited by Saiqua Sultan)

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Sunny Nelson is a 33-year-old former Merchant Navy officer, who decided to retire from work because he wanted to live in Kottiyoor, his hometown in Kerala’s Kannur district, and earn a living by practising farming. But first, he wanted to live in a home that would remain cool through the hot summer months.

“My parental home is unbearably hot during the summers, and we use the air cooler more often, which not only damages the environment but also results in a huge electricity bill,” he begins.

Sunny started looking for ideas online, and came across several videos on YouTube which suggested that mud walls would give an insulating effect, thereby preventing heat from getting in very quickly. They would also be budget friendly.

The idea appealed to him, so he purchased a half-acre plot of land in April 2019, and hired local labour to help him build his dream home.

Today, Sunny, his wife and child live in a 1250 square-feet one-storey mud house with 3 bedrooms. While the cost of construction was Rs 20 lakh, the furnishing was done within a budget of Rs 3 lakh. He claims that he had to take a loan only to purchase the land.

Here’s how it stayed within budget.

For The Exterior of the Home

A resident of Kottiyoor had used laterite bricks to build his home, and Sunny liked the idea and decided to do the same. Made from a mixture of laterite soil-sand-cement, laterite bricks not only help to regulate humidity but are also environment-friendly.

“Through him, I got in touch with some labourers in Kozhikode who were specialists in making laterite bricks. They used these bricks to construct the house, and the pillars on the porch. These bricks were priced at Rs 60/ piece. When I found out that the labourers had earlier helped construct temples, I paid them extra to carve intricate designs on the pillars,” he mentions.

Sunny decided he would not plaster or paint the outside of his house because the orange-hued, uneven-textured laterite bricks gave a rustic look to the house, which he liked. This way, could also save money on plastering and painting.

For the roof, he chose weather-resistant clay tiles that have a longer lifespan compared to other materials such as terracotta, or slate. “The clay tiles which are being made nowadays are not as strong as the ones made during the time of my parents. Instead of purchasing new ones, I approached villagers who had recently demolished their old homes. It is a practice among people here to store clay-roof tiles, as they are considered valuable. After washing them using a high-pressure compressor, and applying paint, they looked brand new. I purchased these tiles for Rs 5 per piece while other clay tiles were priced at Rs 45,” says Sunny.

For The Interior

The walls of Sunny’s home are plastered with mud. To choose the right kind of mud-finish, he approached an architectural firm named ‘Vasthukam Architects’ in Thrissur, that constructs eco-friendly homes.

“Vasthukam’s office is an eco-friendly space, the walls are made of the different varieties of mud-plasters they offer. Here, I could clear all initial doubts — what type of mud to use, which will be durable, which is cost-effective, and more. Finally, I settled for a basic mud plaster with a smooth finish,” says Sunny.

Vasthukam also did the flooring for the house, using red-oxide tiles. These tiles are economical, eco-friendly, easy-to-maintain, and adaptable to different climatic conditions.

In the kitchen, Sunny limited the usage of timber or any other kind of wood for making cupboards and shelves.

“Instead of timber products, I chose ‘ferro-cement’ slab panels. The panels are made by applying a mix of cement, sand, and water over a metal-wire mesh. These were used for making cupboards, wardrobes and shelves,” he mentions, adding that the windows were made from cement, and coated with wood-coloured paint. A final layer of polish was added for a shiny finish.

The construction began in June 2019, and was completed by February 2020. It’s hard to miss Sunny’s sigh of relief when he mentions that he moved into the home with his family, right before the nationwide lockdown was announced.

“The house is equipped with two fans, but we hardly needed to use them during the summer. It remained pleasant, and breezy all through those hot months, and is probably the one reason why the lockdown was somewhat bearable for us,” he concludes.

Pictures courtesy: Sunny Nelson

(Edited by Gayatri Mishra)

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In 2018, when Meenakshi C was made the Conservator of Forests in Kerala’s Central Region, her aim was to eliminate the age-old use of polythene bags to raise seedlings, and increase the awareness among youngsters about the positive effects of greenery in urban areas.

“Every year, the Forestry Department distributes 90 lakh seedlings to schools, colleges, forest clubs, panchayats, and other organisations, on World Environment Day, and through the week of Van Mahotsav. But these seedlings are traditionally raised in polythene bags that are buried under the soil or disposed of after the sapling has been planted. This disturbed me,” mentions Meenakshi.

Consequently, from January 2019 onwards, Meenakshi and her team started testing sustainable materials such as bamboo shoots, coconut shells, and gunny bags to grow the saplings. Sadly, none of these attempts were successful.

“The bamboo shoots would become fragile with continuous exposure to water. Additionally, the medium restricted the growth of roots, and would also end up damaging them during the planting stage, when they would be removed from the container. Coconut shells also hindered the growth of the roots, and besides, sourcing 90 lakh coconut shells is no easy task. Gunny bags were an ideal solution until we realised the bags needed were not mobile. They needed external support to stand upright,” says Meenakshi.

Stumbling Upon A Solution — Coir

In September 2019, while Meenakshi was still looking for sustainable solutions to raise seedlings, she got in touch with her former colleague, Sheik Hussain, who was the Conservator of Kozhikode.

“When I explained to him what I was looking for, he suggested that I consider coir containers which were gaining popularity as a eco-friendly potting medium. He was unsure if I could find them in smaller sizes for raising saplings but asked me to contact an agent in Pollachi, Tamil Nadu who was a manufacturer and dealer of coir products like doormats. They were also manufacturing coir pots but only in bigger sizes. Once I got in touch with them, they were more than happy to make coir cups according to our requirements,” says Meenakshi.

After some back and forth, the shape and size of the containers was finalised (2.5 mm thickness, 50 mm diameter, and 100 mm length), and 500 sample containers were purchased. More than 30 species of trees were planted to test the root growth of the plant, and durability of the medium.

“It was a success. Even teakwood trees which have a dominant root system grew well. The coir containers are shaped like cones and are weightless. They also have perfect water retention capacity, and the material is just right — neither too dense nor too thin — thus allowing the roots to grow unhindered. Coir is also high in ‘lignin,’ a cellulose-like material responsible for its durability. Apart from this, the containers can be planted along with the sapling, making it a completely zero-waste product and process,” says Meenakshi.

Seedling Distribution

In February 2020, a bulk order was placed to the same agent in Pollachi. Once it was delivered, the Social Forestry Department began planting seeds to prepare for World Environment Day.

Anaz MA, the Divisional Forest Officer of Ernakulam district, who was also involved in the project says, “Being the nodal bodies that supply seedlings across the state, eliminating plastic was our number one priority for this year. Coir containers fit all the parameters we had set in place in terms of weight, size, durability, and mobility. Even after it was distributed to different schools in the city, the cups had remained in shape, none of them were damaged.”

The initial plan was to distribute more than 10 lakh seedlings on World Environment Day, but due to the pandemic that was gripping Kerala, deliveries were delayed, and the department was prepared with only 5 lakh seedlings. This was distributed across 14 districts.

The first distribution drive using coir containers, was a success. Meenakshi claims there were no damages to the containers during transit, nor were there any damages to the roots while planting them. Apart from that, the department had also received a positive response from those who had planted the seedlings.

“In the following months, the other seedlings were raised, and we continued receiving more containers in order to prepare for Van Mahotsav week. We safely managed to distribute 40 lakh saplings, raised in coir containers, through the week of Van Mahotsav. We have distributed 50 lakh seedlings till now,” she says.

Today, Meenakshi and her team are working on the second trial for the coir containers.

“The first test was done during the months of summer when the weather was dry. Now, we are testing the container’s durability against heavy rains. If the test is a success, in the future all saplings will be distributed in coir containers thereby eliminating any use of plastic,” says Meenakshi.

Pictures courtesy: Meenakshi C.

(Edited by Gayatri Mishra)

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A wild elephant from the jungle and astronauts from outer space come alive alongside teachers in an online class as the kindergarten students of a modest school in Kerala’s Malappuram jump in thrill and excitement. They don’t miss a single online session, otherwise considered mundane and tiresome for such young children, thanks to the insight of the school’s innovative social sciences teacher.

Shyam Vengalloor, the social science teacher at AEM AUP School at Moorkanad near Valanchery in Malappuram, has become a celebrity in the state for introducing augmented reality (AR) to online classes, the first-ever in any school in Kerala.

Increasingly considered among the most modern technologies to impart school education but least prevalent in institutions across the country, AR superimposes a computer-generated image on a user’s view of the real world, thus providing a composite view.

The video of online classes with teachers using images of an elephant, a tiger, an astronaut and the solar system appearing beside them as they explain these concepts to the children went viral on social media a few days ago.

While schools in the country still shut, Vengalloor thought about ways to make online classes more engaging.

“I thought if augmented reality could be introduced to online classes, children would get to see and feel what they were being taught. I was told that it could be expensive and would need extensive resources, but I could do it just with my laptop and mobile phone with augmented reality apps and Gif (graphics interchange format) images. It took me one month to put everything together. I also convinced other teachers regarding its ease of use,” says 25-year-old Vengalloor.

He’s an aircraft maintenance engineer from Thiruvananthapuram who worked with Air India in Mumbai. After completing a Diploma in Education (D.Ed), he joined the AEM AUP School.

“I took the decision to return from Mumbai as I was always interested in teaching. Also, Mumbai is an expensive city to live in,” says Vengalloor.

He integrated AR in online classes by superimposing graphics, audio, and sensory elements. “I usually see that students don’t find online classes interesting after the initial sessions. We needed to experiment with innovative methods to retain the attention of children, particularly the younger ones, who have shorter attention spans,” says the young teacher, who also enjoys travelling.

Now, almost 40 schools from across Kerala, and even those from Singapore and Sharjah are seeking his help in making their online classes innovative and exciting. He will be addressing a webinar for teachers on July 29. Kerala’s education minister C Raveendranath met Vengalloor recently and lauded his efforts.

Shreya, a class 7 student at the school, was thrilled to share her experience. “Our teachers stand right under the solar system with the planets revolving around the sun just under the roof of our classroom. They show and explain to us different planets by touching them. It is so much fun to see an elephant or a tiger next to our teacher,” she says.

Happy with the response of her students, Preetha, who teaches Hindi to students of classes 6 and 7 at AEM AUP School, says that she has never seen children so excited before. The classes are accessed by around 1,000 students through the school’s YouTube channel and the PTA WhatsApp group. Several schools have also subscribed to the channel.

Before the pandemic, the school had introduced a robot-shaped mannequin in the classroom with Amazon’s Alexa voice-based AI (Artificial Intelligence).

They also have intriguing plans. “We are planning virtual tours from Kanyakumari to Kashmir for our students so that they get to know and see these places in real-time. A green screen will be used to show them videos and images of different cities. Once ready, the videos of the tours will be uploaded on the school’s YouTube channel and will be accessible to all,” concludes Vengalloor.

(Written by Rahul Nandan and Edited by Shruti Singhal)

In a horrific tragedy, an Air India Express flight from Dubai crashed and broke apart into two pieces at the Kozhikode International Airport, Kerala. The trip was part of the ‘Vande Bharat’ mission, which has been bringing back Indians trapped abroad due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Images: jetflightpro/Shiv Aroor via Twitter

The plane had just landed when it overshot the tabletop runway, dropped 30 feet and crashed into a wall. Officials say they believe the crash was due to heavy rains, which made visibility very low and caused the aircraft to overshoot. The plane itself was a 13-year-old Boeing 737-8.

According to latest reports as of Friday, August 7, 14 persons are confirmed as killed, and over 120 are listed as injured.

Sadly, the toll includes both pilots as well. The pilot of flight IX 1344 was Captain Deepak Vasant Sathe, and the co-pilot was First Officer Akhilesh Kumar.

Sathe was formerly in the Indian Air Force, where he served for 22 years from 1981. A test pilot for Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and a decorated officer, he bagged the ‘Sword of Honour in the Air Force Academy and had retired from the Air Force as a Squadron Leader.

He was considered skilled in flying the Boeing 737 and had been operating as a commercial pilot just after he left the Air Force, according to a brief bio online. He began in Air India, before shifting to Air India Express.

The crash has been a strong shock to all those who knew him, with several taking to Twitter to share their memories.

He was the topper of our course. Stood first and won the prestigious Sword of Honour on 11 Jun 1981. My his soul rest in peace 🙏😞

— Gp Capt Christopher (Retd) (@bcchristopher) August 7, 2020

In a horrific tragedy, an Air India Express flight from Dubai, carrying 180 passengers, crashed and broke apart into two pieces at the Kozhikode International Airport, Kerala. Captain (Wing Commander) Dipak Vasant Sathe and First Officer Akhilesh Kumar lost their lives along with 18 passengers.

A former Indian Air Force Wing Commander, Wg Cdr Sathe graduated from the Air Force Academy at Dundigal near Hyderabad in June 1981, and served for 22 years.

In a Facebook post, his cousin, Nilesh Sathe, recalled how the deceased pilot survived an air crash in the early nineties when he was in the IAF. “He was hospitalised for 6 months for multiple skull injuries and nobody thought that he would fly again. But his strong will power and love for flying made him clear the test again. It was a miracle.”

Last Conversation with Wg Cdr Dipak Sathe

A week before the accident, Nilesh and Wg Cdr Dipak Sathe had had a conversation about the ‘Vande Bharat’ Mission.

“He was proud of bringing back our countrymen from Arab countries. I asked him, do you carry empty aircraft since those countries are not allowing entry of passengers? He had replied, Oh, No. We carry fruits, vegetables, medicines, etc to these countries, and never the aircraft flies to these countries empty.”

Wg Cdr Dipak Sathe is survived by his wife and two sons. His brother, Capt Vikas, was an Armyman who laid down his life while serving in the Jammu region.

Here’s the full post –

It’s hard to believe that Dipak Sathe, my friend more than my cousin, is no more. He was a pilot of Air India Express carrying passengers from Dubai in ‘Vande Bharat Mission’, which skidded off the runway at Kozhikode International Airport yesterday night.
What is learnt is as follows:
Landing gears didn’t work.
Ex IAF pilot made three rounds of airport to empty the fuel which saved plane from catching fire. That’s why there was no smoke seen coming from the crashed aircraft.
He turned off the engine right before the crash.
He belly-landed after the 3rd iteration.
The right wing was ruptured.
The Pilot martyred but saved the lives of 180 co-passengers.
Dipak was an experienced aerial operator with 36 years of flying experience. A passout of NDA, topper in the 58th course and an awardee of ‘Sword of Honour’, Dipak served Indian Air Force for 21 years before joining as a Commercial Pilot with Air India in 2005.
He called me just a week before and was jovial, as always. When I asked him about the ‘Vande Bharat’ Mission, he was proud of bringing back our countrymen from Arab countries. I asked him,”Dipak, do you carry empty Aircraft since those countries are not allowing entry of passengers?” He had replied,” Oh, No. We carry fruits, vegetables,medicines etc to these countries and never the aircraft flies to these countries empty.” That was my last conversation with him.
He survived in air crash in early nineties when he was in Airforce. He was hospitalised for 6 months for multiple skull injuries and nobody thought that he will fly again. But his strong will power and love for flying made him clear the test again. It was a miracle.
He leaves behind his wife and two sons, both pass outs of IIT Mumbai. He is a son of Colonel Vasant Sathe who stays in Nagpur along with his wife. His brother, Capt Vikas, was also an Armyman who laid his life while serving in Jammu region.
A soldier lays his life to save the lives of his countrymen.
It reminds me of a poem by a soldier :
If I die in a war zone,
Box me up & send me home
Put my medals on my chest,
Tell my Mom I did the best
Tell my Dad not to bow,
He won’t get tension from me now,
Tell my brother to study perfectly,
Keys of my bike will be his permanently
Tell my Sis not to be upset,
Her Bro will not rise after this sunset
And tell my love not to cry,
“Because I am a soldier Born to Die….”
… Nilesh Sathe

(Edited by Gayatri Mishra)

Last evening, at 7.40 pm, an Air India Express flight carrying 190 people from Dubai attempted to make a landing on the runway at Kerala’s Kozhikode airport. In an unfortunate turn of events owing majorly to the incessant rains, the plane skidded off the runway and fell into a 35-feet valley, ultimately splitting into two.

This horrific incident shocked people in the state and across the country, who could only hope and pray for the safety of the passengers. The Malappuram District Collector informed that the death toll is 18 currently. Captain Deepak Sathe and First Officer Akhilesh Kumar were among those who lost their lives in the tragic crash.

Scores of people from the neighbouring areas braved the rains and the fear of COVID-19 to reach the site. These locals helped in the evacuation of the passengers in less than two hours.

The residents mainly were from neighbouring areas like Karipur and Kondotty in the Malappuram district. Manan* (name changed on request), a resident of Kondotty recalls the loud sound that he heard around 7.40 pm last evening.

“Initially when we heard the loud sound, we thought that perhaps it could have been a major landslide,” says the 22-year-old student. His assumption is justified considering it had been pouring heavily for the past two days. Many areas in the state have been flooded and dozens have been feared dead in resultant landslides.

“The Kozhikode airport is basically on a tabletop hill and where we live is just the hill next to it. At around 8 pm, it was confirmed that a crash had taken place. Immediately my friends and I took out our vehicles and rushed to the site,” says Manan.

Malappuram collector has informed that rescue operations at site have been completed. All have been transferred to hospitals in Malappuram & Kozhikode:Kerala CM

Directorate General of Civil Aviation says death toll in the flight crash landing incident is at 16.(Pic source:NDRF) pic.twitter.com/CFmTDhyXxP

— ANI (@ANI) August 7, 2020

He shares that by the time they reached the crash site, he was aware that the pilots had been declared dead. Police, fire and rescue personnel reached the site in about half an hour, informs Manan.

“But you should have been there to see how people helped out. Those who arrived took their own vehicles and helped the injured passengers reach private hospitals as well as the Government Medical College in Manjeri,” he informs.

The CM of Kerala and several people on Twitter also took to applauding the local’s spirit who came for the rescue mission despite the heavy rains.

Yesterday, the fast response of local people and officials made all the difference. They braved bad weather and COVID fears to rescue their fellow beings. The long queues of people who wanted to donate blood was just one example.

— Pinarayi Vijayan (@vijayanpinarayi) August 8, 2020

Flights that were scheduled to land at Karippur Airport will now land at Kannur Airport which is 128kms away. Volunteers of @dyfikerala_ is making arrangements for food at the airport.#KozhikodeAirCrash pic.twitter.com/ByH7VXiYL0

— Elina 🌹 (@LawyerInBaking) August 7, 2020

Several news reports and tweets with pictures also confirmed that after the hospitals, local blood banks and the district collector spread the word for the requirement of blood, people began queuing up to donate. This has been helpful in treating especially those patients with rare blood types.

A heartening image to end this sad day with. People queuing up outside a blood bank in Kozhikode, Kerala, way past midnight, to donate blood to those injured in the aircraft crash. No amount of hatred can kill the humanity in our hearts ❤️ @vijayanpinarayi @dhanyarajendran pic.twitter.com/lUJ1vC3CDW

— Rifai Kodippady (@RifaiKodippady) August 7, 2020

Manan informs that now he would be in a 14-day home quarantine mandated by the authorities for those who visited the site of the crash. He says that this doesn’t bother him one bit because the quick response of people on the site helped ensure safety for many.

“I am just glad that we could evacuate so many people quickly because there was a possibility of an explosion. The timely intervention really helped manage the situation,” he says.

(Edited by Saiqua Sultan)

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Kerala battled with the fury of floods for two consecutive years. The coastal state has been preparing for the worst in 2020 amidst the pandemic. With lessons from the past and understanding the weather patterns in their regions, the people in Kerala and the administration have made a headstart this year which has helped in curbing a lot of damage.

August 2018 was a devastating month for Kerala with high monsoon rainfall leading to the worst flood in Kerala after 1924. More than 483 people died, and almost a million people had to be evacuated from their homes mainly from low lying areas in Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha districts. The northern districts experienced severe landslides.

With such experience in hand, the administration and the people have been adopting various means to tackle the floods this year. From conducting frequent live sessions on social media pages to arranging volunteers and special forces for rescue operations, here’s all that the state has been doing.

Kerala — On Alert

Kerala received 2346.6 mm of rainfall from 1 June to 19 August 2018, 42 per cent above the normal. Although the rainfall received this year from 1 June to 10 August 2020 was 1538.1mm, lesser as compared to the previous years, the continuous rains, the increasing water levels in the dams and the landslides have made people more vigilant.

P.B. Nooh, the proactive District Collector of Pathanamthitta, has continuously been on the move for the past two weeks despite the pandemic in force. He has been keeping the people informed through frequent live sessions.

Pathanamthitta, which recorded a massive number of evacuations and damage in 2018, has been on alert the past weekend, especially with the opening of the Pamba dam.

The district collector, in his Facebook live session on Sunday, 9 August this year informed that the administration had decided to open the dam during the day to avoid a flood situation at midnight.

“We have also arranged for 25 boats from the Kollam district along with 30 fishermen volunteers and have distributed them at flood-prone regions. Besides this, we have arranged for 22 members from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and have alerted the fire force to be prepared in case of an emergency,” P.B. Nooh explained in his live session.

The district has also arranged a total of 51 camps with one in each taluk and has already evacuated 1,250 people in flood-prone regions.

“The camps have been organised, keeping the pandemic in mind. The state government has ordered to categorise the camps for those above 60, a section for those who are currently under home quarantine and others who have completed their home quarantine,” Nooh adds.

In total, the state has also set up 6,300 relief camps and has also arranged four teams from the NDRF in northern and central Kerala anticipating more landslides.

Consequently, the people of Kerala are also well aware of the situation and have been able to make the necessary arrangements.

Raju Mathews, a resident of Kozhencherry, Pathanamthitta, whose house was severely damaged in the 2018 floods, explains how the alerts have benefited him.

“After the 2018 floods, everyone has a better idea of the rivers around them and what to look out for. The constant updates from the collector have also been very useful. Nooh sir has touched upon every minute detail in his live sessions including saving documents by keeping them in plastic files and moving valuables to elevated regions of the house. As a result of the prior warning, most families in my area have been able to move their things and have also been able to move our vehicles to less flood-prone areas,” Raju explained.

Emergency response meetings were also convened in each local body to assess the level of preparedness. Besides this, several informal volunteer groups have also come forward and are coordinating themselves through WhatsApp and other social media platforms.

“The 2018 floods came at short notice and was rather unexpected. We didn’t have an idea about the nature or the proportion of the disaster, but we did everything we can given the circumstances then. But this year considering the co-ordination would be difficult due to the pandemic; we decided to make maximum use of Facebook and WhatsApp to reach out to volunteers from different parts of Kerala. Our Facebook page currently has over 4,000 followers, and we constantly update it with helpline numbers and information of people in need,” says Sai Krishan, one of the admins of the KeralaFloodRelief group on Facebook.

“We were able to move my 93-year-old grandmother to my relative’s house because of the timely updates that we received. Last year when the floods hit, she had to be lifted in a chair and moved. Several other senior citizens in my area had to face a similar situation in 2018 as well. But this year we were able to prepare well in advance before the roads became nonfunctioning,” explains Greta Sam from Changanaserry, Kottayam.

(Edited by Saiqua Sultan)

In 2018, the Kerala floods had destroyed the Santhipalam bridge over the Periyar river in the Mlamala-Chappath road that connected more than 100 families living in Mlamala village with the Vandiperiyar town, Idukki district, Kerala.

However, instead of waiting for the government to begin rescue efforts, the locals collected Rs 1 lakh and repaired the concrete embankment and the approach road.

But a year later in 2019, the roaring waves of the Periyar river struck again, damaging half of the bridge, and the heavy rains this year, only worsened the situation. As a result, the villagers of Mlamala were completely cut off from the main town, where they would have to regularly travel to source essentials.

But, history repeated itself, when once again the locals came together to seek help from a youth charity organisation, Friends of Kattappana, to help rebuild the bridge.

“Most of the people living in Mlamala are plantation workers and their lives depended on this bridge. The adults would still manage to make their way through pocket roads through tea estates or swim but it was exceptionally difficult for the children. The situation worsens during emergencies as the smaller roads through the tea estates are quite unsafe. The rains this year made it even worse and Mlamala had become like a river island completely cut off. All of these things motivated us to take a step,” says Joshy Manimala, president, Friends of Kattappana.

He added that last year, students of Fathima High School in Mlamala had reached out to the Kerala High Court twice seeking help to restore the bridge, and about three weeks back, the court directed the state government to repair it. However, despite these measures, and receiving over 1,000 letters from the students, the government was yet to take a step.

“We did not want to wait further and did all we could do to help,” adds Joshy, who along with his team of volunteers risked their lives and rebuilt the bridge in a single day, on August 9.

The group had no prior experience in construction, or any special skills, just an iron will and a heart full of compassion that wanted to put an end to the woes of the people of Mlamala. From manually removing the destroyed debris, rocks and huge timbers that obstructed the water flow, to laying them down and filling the gaps with soil and rocks, they rebuilt the bridge and even made it motorable.

“Tying a rope around their body, the volunteers plunged into the dangerous water and began to clear out all the debris and wood near the bridge. It was risky but necessary. After that we laid down the collected rocks to create a frame on the sides and filled the pathway with soil and more rocks using an earthmover,” he explains.

What started with just 25 members of the Friends of Kattappana soon expanded to a group of 150 within just a few hours.

“When we started at 11 am on last Sunday with just 25 volunteers, we weren’t sure if we would be able to finish it, but still had to try. One of our members was simultaneously broadcasting it live on Facebook and soon more help started to come. Many people from organisations like Orthodox Christian Youth Movement (OCYM) and Kattappana off-road club extended a helping hand to rebuild the bridge and by 1 pm our manpower increased to 150 people,” he adds.

After 5 hours of hard labour, at 4 pm they were finally triumphant.

Sindhu Mathew, a school teacher from the village says that the efforts like these are teaching moments of humanity not just for her students but the entire community- “We are extremely grateful to these individuals who volunteered to make our lives less difficult. Their selfless efforts have inspired all of us and taught us that humanity is above all.”

“After completing the construction we drove a few vehicles over the bridge. The most moving moment then was to witness the reaction of the villagers on the other side. Their eyes welled up in joy and that was the biggest achievement of the day for us!” smiles Joshy.

(Edited by Gayatri Mishra)

Land handed down from one generation to the next brings out different things in different people. Some accept the inheritance gratefully, recognising the piece of heritage they now call theirs. Many others give in to their greed and fight for more. Yet others receive that benefaction and enhance it.

Mathew Mathan, a 40-year-old resident of Muhamma (a bustling town in Alappuzha district in Kerala) belongs to the last category.

A strong sentimental attachment with what was bequeathed to him by his parents, and a genuine interest in architectural design prompted Mathew to design his new home around two large, old trees — one bearing fruits of mango, and the other jamuns.

His house, built over an area of 3700 sq ft., has dedicated space for the two trees — 600 sq ft for the mango and 200 sq ft for the jamun. Their home is located in a sprawling two-acre property where his parents and siblings have built their homes too.

Mathew says, “Owing to work, we (wife and two children) had settled in Cochin, but four years ago, my parents gave me a plot from the two-acre property they owned, to build my home. When I was planning the design for the house, two trees were standing in the way, and the only logical route was to cut them. But these trees have been there since my childhood. I remember climbing up and down the same, along with my five brothers. So I did not want to get rid of them, and instead decided to do something different.”

Design Decisions

When one enters Mathew’s home, they are welcomed by a bright living space that is filled with sunlight and fresh air – thanks to a small courtyard he created for the jamun tree that is over 25 years old.

“I cleared out 200 sq ft from my living room and dedicated it to that tree. It has a 15 sq ft opening at the roof where it starts to branch out. At the bottom, there is a two-meter opening, around the bark, which has no flooring and directly opens to the soil,” says Mathew, adding that it is crucial to provide adequate space for water and air to reach the soil.

To ensure that the tree’s deep roots do not damage the foundation of the house before construction Mathew tried to understand where they were headed. “I did not approach any specialist for this; I reached out to caretakers of the property who understand the trees and flora as much as any environmentalist would. Since the roots were not growing towards the house, I was sure it would not cause any harm to it.”

The living room around the tree has a low ceiling that protects the rustic furniture that Mathew had customised. Farther ahead is a long corridor leading to the dining room that opens up to a bigger courtyard hosting the giant mango tree.

For this tree, Mathew dedicated 600 sq ft and covered his roof entirely with toughened glass to allow light to enter.

“Since there is sunlight entering the house at all times, I ensured that the glass was heat resistant. This prevents the room from heating up. I also planted several varieties of ferns around the courtyard to ensure the air remains cool, and the aesthetics are just right,” he says.

The mango tree also has a 15 sq ft opening on top which allows the branches to spread out, and rain to enter the roots. His two children even play in the rain while Mathew and his wife enjoy tea time.

“Initially, my wife was skeptical about having trees inside the house. She was worried it would attract lizards and other insects. But after hearing my plan of saving the trees, she gave me her 100 percent support. Though there are some lizards and insects, she loves the home, and we have found ways to work around that,” says Mathew.

The house has three bedrooms, a kitchen, and a terrace. It took more than one year for the construction to be completed, all the raw materials were sourced locally, and the entire project cost him over Rs.1.2 crore.

Inspiration

Mathew was earlier working as an independent photographer and ad filmmaker. As part of his profession, he would shoot videos for resorts and hotels in Kerala. It was during these shoots that he realised he had a passion for designing.

“I would have to design the room for shoots, and, sometimes, I would think about how it could have been built better. Five years ago, I offered to design a few rooms for a resort in Kerala called Hills and Hues. I drew designs for the room, and with help from friends who studied architecture, I got the structural designs done. The resort owner loved it, and I finished the project for him. Soon he requested me to do a few more rooms, a sit-out, and a swimming pool.

“In 2015 I started an organisation named In My Place, which is focussed on designing boutique resorts and homes.

Beejoy Koshy, the owner of a resort named Veena -by the beach says it is Mathew’s vision as a designer that brings out the best elements which no one can imagine. The resort is a 200-year-old mansion on the Marai beach which has a unique reception area on top of a tree.

He says, “The best thing about Mathew is that he brings out the beauty of a place without disturbing nature. On the property there were some trees which he has converted into an upper deck sit-out, and converted one tree into the reception area. While there were only a few trees on the property, Mathew introduced more plants which has now become a lush garden that leads to the beach. His utilisation of space is something that took us by surprise.”

Sanju George, who runs a resort named Hills and Hues located in Kumily says that those who visit the resort always leave rejuvenated after staying in the cosy rooms designed by Mathew.

He says, “I have known Mathew for many years, his work might be photography but he’s also a visionary. He converted this tiny piece of land into a heavenly abode. The rooms are very simple yet have a sophisticated charm.”

To date, he has completed eight projects and is currently working on something of his own along with his cousin sister. Though he didn’t reveal to us details or the location, Mathew says this will be a place where people can go to escape the hustle and bustle of life.

If you wish to know more details, you can follow his work here or email Mathew at inmyplaceprojects@gmail.com

Image courtesy: Mathew Mathen

(Edited by Sandhya Menon)

Nestled amid the lush green hills of Kottayam in Kerala, this Mangalore-tiled roof bungalow is an absolute marvel. Called EcoHouse, the 4-bedroom bungalow prevents the harsh sun’s rays from heating the structure and intensifies the flow of wind from below the hills. 

Inspired by Travancore’s traditional architecture with free-flowing spaces and grand windows, it is a perfect amalgamation of modern design techniques and vernacular concepts of natural light ventilation. 

The climate responsive house, which creates its own microclimate in the rooms, was built by Amrutha Kishor, Principal and founder of Elemental, an architectural firm that focuses on constructing sustainable spaces by promoting local architectural identity. 

The underground rainwater harvesting system (with a capacity to store 7,500 litres of water) and a composting cylinder are other eco-friendly practices adopted by the owners. 

For Amrutha, an alumnus of National Institute of Technology, Calicut (2016) and University of Nottingham (2018), the house is very special to her. Not just because it is her first independent project but also because it is for her parents.

“My parents grew up in Kerala and moved to Dubai for their respective jobs. While they are satisfied with their lives in Dubai, they always miss home. Growing their own food and having a big courtyard was something they always dreamt of. This is their retirement house and a tribute to their fond childhood memories,” Amrutha, who was nominated for Royal Institute of British Architects President’s Award in 2019,  tells The Better India. 

The brief from the client was simple – a minimalistic house that reminded them of grandeur palaces of Travancore. So, huge spaces and minimal decor sans any false ceilings define the house. The construction of the house began in 2018 and the owners moved in earlier this year.

“Our main requirement was good lighting and natural ventilation just like the traditional houses in Kerala that are naturally weather proofed without AC,” says K.M. Pattassery, Amrutha’s father.  

The ‘Atmanirbhar’ House

From natural ventilation, limiting solar heat gain, local materials that create thermal comfort indoors, on-site rainwater harvesting to a dedicated space for a fruit orchard, this home is self-sustainable.

Amrutha has used an earthy material palette by relying on locally sourced construction materials like Mangalore tiles and burnt clay bricks. Besides being cost-effective, these materials also reduced carbon footprints by cutting down on transportation. 

On such material is Mangalore tiles, made from a type of red clay which is hard and fire-resistant. 

“They have immense insulation capacity, thus keeping energy consumption in check. They can absorb high degrees of heat and cold alike. We have not coated the tiles so that moss can naturally thrive on them, thus adding to the aesthetics,” explains Amrutha. 

Meanwhile, concrete walls are replaced with burnt clay bricks. Apart from adding rustic charm, these bricks are resistant to moisture, insects and erosion, thus making them low maintenance, “These durable bricks will stand the test of time.” 

Coming to interiors of the house, heightened ceilings and innovative designs are the real heroes. 

From the kitchen windows opening to a courtyard to having wall-sized windows and a wind tower, Amrutha has mindfully designed the interiors.

“A wind tower is constructed on a physics principle called ‘stack effect’ alongside the staircase. The concept uses temperature differences to move air. Hot air rises because of its low-pressure characteristics. The tower with four openings captures this hot air and releases outdoors. This is a lesser-used but a simple passive cooling method,” she says. 

The exhaust fans are placed between the toilet and the room so that it can suck away the hot air along with the smell.

With so much of natural ventilation and windows, it is fair to assume ample sunlight coming inside the house. My immediate question was, ‘Won’t the sunlight heat up the interiors?’

Amrutha lets out a hearty laugh and patiently explains the concept of indirect sunlight, thanks to the pitched roof structure. 

“The roofs extend up to 1.5 metres to each side of the structure unlike the usual shading of 0.6 metres. The protruding roofs give enough shade to the house thus preventing direct penetration of sunlight.” 

In short, all these passive cooling techniques have a direct impact on their electricity consumption and operational costs. The power bills are reduced by almost 20 per cent. 

But what about the usage of Air Conditioners during soaring temperatures? 

Well, there are no ACs in the house! 

All these passive cooling techniques have certainly impacted the lifestyle of the owners.

“Being surrounded by greenery, sufficient vitamin sunshine and a constant breeze of cool air, we are feeling more healthy and energetic,” adds Pattassery.

Get in touch with Elemental here

Edited by Vinayak Hegde

Jackfruit is now clinically proven to reduce blood sugar levels and help reverse diabetes. According to a study published by the American Diabetes Association, it brings down glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting blood glucose (FBG), and postprandial glucose (PPG).

The conclusion of the study is based on a randomized, double-blind design where 20 of the 40 participants with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) were given 30 grams of green flour made from jackfruit for three months. The rest used regular wheat or rice flour to make rotis or idlis.

At the end of the study, that was approved by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), it was found that people who mixed flour in their idli batter or wheat dough showed improvement in their plasma glucose levels.

Vinu Nair, a 51-year-old diabetic patient has been adding green flour to his diet since September 2018. Not only has his sugar levels been in control but it has also helped in reducing carbs and cholesterol levels. He runs for about 60-70 kms every month and exercises 2 to 3 times a week.

“I started consuming the flour along with my medication but soon realised that two tablets and flour were lowering my readings. Three months into the diet, both my HbA1c and tablet consumption reduced. It has been four months now since I stopped the medication and I am only sticking to flour,” Chennai-based Vinu tells The Better India.

James Joseph, the founder of Jackfruit 365, a company that sells the fruit in a freeze-dried form, is the brain behind this new study. His 8-year-old company sells frozen jackfruit, which has a better shelf life and goes back to its original form if soaked in lukewarm water.

Read More: Why he left a cushy job in Microsoft to promote his native fruit as a superfood.

The 49-year-old recently received a National Startup India award, for ‘Food’ in the category ‘Food Processing’ for his new product – a green jackfruit flour.

An Accidental Discovery

Kochi-based James was always aware that the fibre-rich fruit is a potent carbohydrate substitute for people with diabetes as the glycemic load (glucose level) in unripe jackfruit is almost half that of rice or wheat.

An accidental discovery in 2014 triggered the idea of green flour.

“In a casual interaction with a diabetic priest, he mentioned how he had substituted traditional rice with unripened jackfruit, and after a few days, his insulin intake lowered. The fibre helps food digest faster and reduces blood sugar levels. This gave birth to the idea of making jackfruit an integral part of people’s diet,” James tells The Better India.

This was during the same time when James’ published his book, ‘God Own Office’. Impressed by the book, former President of India, APJ Abdul Kalam invited him for a meeting in the Raj Bhavan. He grabbed the opportunity, and excitedly shared his discovery.

James recalls the short yet fruitful interaction with Dr Kalam, “He remained silent for three minutes and then told me to find a way to include jackfruit in people’s meal without changing their eating habits. He promised me to help market it after I came up with a solution. Unfortunately, he had passed away. But his words stayed with me, and after nearly five years of experiments and testing, green flour was ready.”

Phulka to Idli: It Goes With All

James, being a staunch promoter of jackfruit, was keen to introduce this to diabetic patients beyond his home state. But he faced the daunting task of including the fruit in varied cuisines and staple diets of India without affecting the taste, shape or colour.

He wanted people in the north of India to be able to mix it with phulka dough, and a south Indian to be able to add it to idli batter.

James rejected several ideas, including a powdered form.

“When the powder is added to a dough, it won’t give conventional phulkas. Finally, I hit on the ‘flour’ option – which was another herculean task. I had to find a binding factor. If it was high, then the dosa stuck to the pan, and if it were low, then the roti would break. It took us weeks to arrive at a perfect balance,” he explains.

“The flour is solely made from jackfruit,” he says. He has tied up with farmers from Kerala and Tamil Nadu to procure the best breeds of jackfruit.

Though he had tried to keep the green colour as faint as possible, it does slightly change the idli’s colour. But the fact that he managed to cater to two very different diets is praiseworthy.

The flour costs Rs 10 per day as against expensive insulin. It is available on e-commerce platforms like Big Basket and Amazon across India and in 5000 shops in Kerala.

He recommends 30 grams of green flour for daily consumption, especially during the pandemic considering that 75 per cent of diabetic patients in India face a higher COVID-19 mortality risk.

(Edited by Vinayak Hegde)

After ‘Baba Ka Dhaba’ in Delhi’s Malviya Nagar received immense support from Netizens, many are sharing videos of local businesses around them. Here is one such video of an old lady named Parvathyamma who runs a local eatery in Karimba near Mannarkkad in Kerala.

She says that she serves unlimited meals for Rs 50, and uses the money she earns to feed her family. In the video, Parvathyamma explains the dishes she will serve and requests people to visit the premises to try it out themselves.

The video was shared with the caption: ‘Kerala Story: This old lady runs a Dhaba in order to feed her family. She doesn’t have customers and struggles to earn. It is the delicious Parvathyamma’s eatery at Karimba, near Mannarkkad. After Baba ka Dhaba, Keralites turn to help this elderly woman. #BabaKaDhaba.’

(Please note: The Better India cannot verify if the lady is facing any struggles and neither has she requested any donations. ) 

Kerala Story : This old lady runs a Dhaba in order to feed her family. She doesn't have customers & struggles to earn. It’s resilient and delicious Parvathyamma’s eatery at Karimba, near Mannarkkad.
After Baba ka Dhaba, Keralites turn to help this elderly woman. #BabaKaDhaba pic.twitter.com/DL3n4VddA8

— Aarif Shah (@aarifshaah) October 10, 2020

After watching the video, netizens started to tag those living near that area requesting them to eat at her restaurant.

Another user commented saying that he visited the premises in Kerala for an Onam Sadhya and said that Parvathyamma is a lovely person and treated them like she was their mother. The user even tagged a video along with his comment to share his experience.

I had been her..she is like a mother to all and very lovely person. And the food is so cheap I was so shocked. I had my onam Sandhya from here for like 50 bucks.. I had shared my experience in this videohttps://t.co/BrxJCbXBqW

— oru aana katha (@AanaOru) October 12, 2020

The Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) at Valiamala Thiruvananthapuram is accepting applications for engineers for different positions.

The online applications for the positions of scientists/engineers need to be submitted on or before November 9, 2020. The age limit for the applications is 35 years with exceptions to ex-Servicemen, departmental candidates and Persons With Benchmark Disabilities (PWBDs) termed eligible per the norms of the per Government of India.

If selected, the candidates would be eligible for a salary up to Rs 1,77,500 lakh.

Things to Know About The Vacancies

– There are a total of seven vacancies to be filled by ISRO.

– Of the total vacancies, two are to be filled for the post of Scientist/Engineer Propulsion requiring a qualification of B.E/B.Tech or equivalent in Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering + M.E/M.Tech or equivalent in Propulsion Engineering/ Mechanical Engineering with Specialisation in Propulsion/ Aerospace Engineering with Specialisation in Propulsion.

– There is one vacancy for the position of Reliability/Quality management for candidates who have a degree in B.E/B.Tech or equivalent in Mechanical Engineering + M.E/M.Tech or equivalent in Reliability Engineering / Quality Management.

– Besides, there are three other positions in VLSI for candidates holding an academic background in B.E/B.Tech or equivalent in Electronics & Communication Engineering + M.E/M.Tech or equivalent in VLSI & Embedded Systems.

– While, the remaining position is open for a candidate qualified in B.E/B.Tech or equivalent in Mechanical Engineering + M.E/M.Tech or equivalent in Machine Design for the post of Machine Design.

– A non-refundable fee of Rs 250 will be charged by ISRO for each application.

– The LPSC will not accept applications post 2.00 pm on November 9, 2020.

– The deadline to make payments for the applications closes at 2.00 pm, November 10, 2020.

How to apply to ISRO?

Interested candidates can access the application form by clicking here. Please make sure all the details, including the educational qualification, work experience and other relevant information are filled properly.

All the field marked with (*) are mandatory for proceeding with the application. Applications from each candidate will be accepted, only once. Only online applications are accepted.

After successful registration, the applicants will be issued with an online registration number by ISRO. It is advised to note the reference number carefully, for future correspondence.

More details on the instructions on how to apply, the advertisement can be found here.

(Edited by Vinayak Hegde)

In 2013, Biju Balan, an architect by profession, decided to move out of his rented home in Kollam, Kerala and purchase a 1700-sq-ft plot in Malaparamba town of Kozhikode. He had one goal – to build an eco-friendly home using no concrete.

“After completing my architecture course from TKM College in Kollam, I learned that concrete is something that does not decompose or have any value once discarded. Old homes built in Kerala were made from eco-friendly or recyclable material such as mud, terracotta, and laterite. So, when I decided to build my own home, I wanted to use materials that could either be reused or become one with nature,” says 44-year-old Biju.

While designing the home that he named ‘Chaman’, meaning garden, he had three important aspects to focus on – using eco-friendly materials, recycling elements from demolished buildings, and designing a home with natural sunlight and air.

Today, Biju, his wife and two children live in a beautiful home that is well-lit, ventilated and one that has creepers like passion flowers and cat’s claws growing all over it.

About Chaman

The 1500-sq-ft-house is situated on a rectangular plot and in the middle is an open-roof, 500 sq ft wide courtyard that has fruit-bearing trees such as mango, custard apple, and Chamba fruit tree, also known as the rose apple. A small pond with fishes swimming among aquarium plants that were planted by Biju also features in the yard.

The house has two entrances. The first one leads to the living room, a portion of the courtyard and an open kitchen-cum-dining area. Alongside the dining room is the master bedroom and a staircase, made of wooden planks that are used to access the first floor of the house. This floor has one common area and two bedrooms.

Biju says “There is also a second entrance into the house which directly takes us into the courtyard. But this is kept closed using a push grill gate. We park the car in front of it, and sometimes when there are guests we open it to accommodate one more car by occupying a little space in the courtyard. Also, the sidewalls of the courtyard were raised high to maintain safety.”

The living room is both well-ventilated and well-lit due to the courtyard and tall windows. The lower half of the windows can be opened separately for more ventilation.

The entire house is built using cement boards and laterite bricks. These were plastered with mud, sand, and resin from cashew nut trees. The flooring is of Kota stone and terracotta tiles. Some of them were purchased, and some were upcycled from demolished homes.

“All of the materials are eco-friendly, and laterite bricks are reusable. Laterite bricks oxidise when it comes in contact with water, which makes it stronger. Most people are not aware of this fact and tend to plaster their homes with concrete. This causes water to seep into the walls and cause mould or water damage. The resin from cashew nut trees is very sticky. Hence, it binds well with mud and makes the structure stronger,” says Biju, adding that he did not use artificial paints for the exterior and instead applied a coating of traditional lime paste.

The courtyard

The central courtyard ensures there is air circulation throughout the house. The flooring is laid with Kadappa, Kota and laterite stones, which helps reduce water seepage in case of heavy rains.

Biju says, “The trees are placed within small rectangular frames made of wood. We have also added some organic fertilisers to ensure they grow well.”

Post the construction of the house, Biju noticed there were some PVC pipes left unused after the plumbing lines were installed. He used these pipes by drilling a few holes and creating a vertical garden on the walls. Now, there are flowering plants, and creepers growing on it.

Every evening, Biju, his wife and two children spend time on the courtyard, sipping their tea, coffee and eating snacks. They also have some unannounced visitors like birds who step in to feed on the fruits growing on their trees in the courtyard.

“During the day, we don’t require fans or lights in the living or dining room because of the open courtyard. If we do not want too much light, we pull down the bamboo curtains installed between the two,” says Biju.

Behind the courtyard, there is also a 40ft well which is left partially open to collect rainwater. A net covers the top to ensure no leaves fall inside it.

Upcycling furniture

Another unique feature of Chaman is the dining area that is situated in front of the open kitchen. Biju says that the dining table and the chairs were custom-made. The table is a broken sewing machine’s base that has a thick glass attached to it. The chairs are made from wooden blocks discarded by matchstick making industries.

Biju says, “One chair is a light-weight wooden log, with wheels attached to the bottom. The wheels are made from discarded gears of a bike. This chair can accommodate two people and can be moved from the dining table to the coffee table located in the courtyard.”

Some of the doors to the house were upcycled from old homes, and the cupboard was made from plywood with no chemical coating or paint.

The construction of this house was also budget-friendly and cost Biju Rs 27 lakhs. But, he says if the same were to be constructed now, it would range between Rs 30-35 Lakh.

With his eco-friendly home, Biju has reduced the burden on Mother Earth, and for the same reason in 2015, he won an award that was presented by The Indian Institute of Architects (IIA).

The architect also has a company named Laurel Designs which has constructed eco-friendly buildings for his clients in Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.

(Edited by Yoshita Rao)