Student volunteers remove 1.2 tonnes of non-biodegradable waste from forests
More than 200 students from Yuvabharathi Public School and VLB Janakiammal College of Arts and Science took part in the drive, which was held in association with the Forest Department, 'Bottles for Change' corporate social responsibility initiative of Bisleri, Trust for Environment and Ecosystem, and Athulya Senior Care.
The organisers said the volunteers removed non-biodegradable waste from Vellingiri foothills, the stretch between Forest Department check-post and parking area at Kovai Courtallam, railway line 'A' passing through Madukkarai forest range and Maruthamalai.
Waste materials collected during the drive were handed over to Coimbatore-based Recompose Recycling Private Limited for recycling, they said.
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Time of India
27 minutes ago
- Time of India
A spaceship in the mangroves: A cyclone-defying guest house lands hope in the heart of the Sundarbans
1 2 In the cyclone-lashed wetlands of the Sundarbans, where homes are often no match for the tides, something extraordinary has landed — quite literally. It looks like it dropped from the sky. A smooth, bamboo dome perched elegantly on stilts, its curved belly lifted above the floodline, its spiral staircase wrapped like a vine around fluted columns. Locals call it the "spaceship" — not in jest, but in awe. Designed by Kolkata-based architect duo Udit Mittal and Kirti Jalan, this isn't just a guest house. It's a radical rethinking of what rural, disaster-resilient architecture can be: bold, beautiful, and deeply rooted in local knowledge. Commissioned by NGO Mukti for visiting donors, the Aaronyak Guest House is now a symbol — of safety, imagination, and quiet rebellion against climate catastrophe. Four cyclones, zero cracks Since it was completed in early 2023, the structure has faced the wrath of four cyclones — Sitrang, Mocha, Remal, and Dana — with winds up to 120 km/hr. It hasn't flinched. Not a wobble, not a leak. During Cyclone Remal, when rain lashed the Sundarbans for over four days, villagers stood watching, waiting for the thatched roof to give way. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like This Could Be the Best Time to Trade Gold in 5 Years IC Markets Learn More Undo It didn't. Not a single drop entered. 'People didn't believe that a thatch roof could survive a cyclone,' says Udit. 'Now they want the same roof on their own homes.' Why it looks like it flew in from space 'It wasn't supposed to look like a spaceship,' Udit laughs. 'But maybe it makes sense — something alien, but kind.' The design draws from the do-chala roof — the twin-pitched vernacular form found across Bengal. But it also borrows from boats. Udit worked with local boatmakers to shape the curves, their muscle memory guiding the bamboo into aerodynamic dramatic spiral staircase? Improvised on site. 'It wasn't on paper,' Udit says. 'But like a creeper curling around a tree trunk, it made sense. It makes you slow down before entering.' What's so special about this house? Plenty. It looks familiar — sloping roof, mud walls, bamboo bones. But this isn't just a makeover of the bangla ghar . It's a storm-smart home that whispers tradition and mutters rebellion. · A plinth with a purpose : The house doesn't sit on the ground. It hovers two feet up on a concrete plinth, high enough to dodge floods but low enough to feel rooted. · Bamboo gets a smoke bath : The structure uses bamboo cured in a smoke chamber — not just to toughen it against pests, but to echo a forgotten rural technique. · Breathable from all sides : Slits near the floor and roofline let air in and pressure out — small vents that can make a big difference in a storm. · Lime, not cement : The walls are lime-plastered, which keeps the house cool and lets it breathe, unlike cement which traps moisture and cracks. · Double verandahs, double life : A social verandah in the front for chats and chai, and a quieter one at the back to overlook the fields — a nod to Sundarbans rhythms of living. · Roof tiles, reassembled : Those sloping tiles aren't random. They're laid out with just the right gradient to take the wind but not fly off with it. Inside, it's still sparse with just one family living there, testing its strength through storms and heat. But what they're living in is not just a house. It's a prototype for the future of rural resilience — priced at ₹2–3 lakhs, built with local hands, and backed by a quiet architectural revolution. Architecture that breathes and floats The spaceship is not just romantic — it's rigorously engineered: ·Withstands winds up to 180 km/hr ·Raised above flood level on RCC pyramids ·Walls made of staggered bamboo with acoustic cavities ·Thatch panels woven on the ground, then lifted into place ·A GI tendon runs through its spine — giving it flex and fight ·An extended ledge visually expands the space by 50% ·Underneath? An open-air community stage, shaded and cool It doesn't hide its structure — it celebrates it. From the exposed pyramid plinths (meant to evoke mangrove roots) to the ambient lighting that glows through rice-straw thatch, every detail is both functional and poetic. From theatre to thatch: Meet the duo behind the dome Udit Mittal isn't your average architect. He's a trained theatre director, an artist, a cyclist — someone who treats buildings like stories, not products. He lived in Purba Sridharpur during the post-Amphan recovery, bathing in the river, playing football with local kids, and joining Durga Puja processions. His partner in work and life, Kirti Jalan , is a lighting and interiors specialist who ensures the inside of each project feels as intentional as the outside. Together, they founded Architecture firm in 2019 — with a focus on contextual, low-tech, high-impact design. Next: A dinosaur made of bamboo The duo is now dreaming bigger: a four-room structure built entirely of bamboo — roof, walls, even floor — set around a water channel. One worker, Sandeep, described the in-progress frame best: 'Bhalo kore dekh, mone hochhe na ekta bishal dinosaur-er konkaal?' (Look carefully — doesn't it feel like the skeleton of a giant dinosaur?) 'Since the guest house opened, over 50 homes in nearby villages have begun using elements of the design: bamboo bones, mud walls, tile roofs, and most importantly, raised plinths. Mukti is now setting up skills training centres and material banks, so villagers can build their own cyclone-resilient homes without relying on expensive imports.'- Kirti Jalan 'In the Sundarbans, resilience doesn't mean building stronger—it means building smarter, lighter, and with care. This house is not a shelter from the storm; it's a conversation with it.' — Udit Israni
Indian Express
2 hours ago
- Indian Express
Drive over, saws fall silent as logs now pile up in Chaithla
Half a dozen teams of Forest and Revenue Departments have completed the eviction drive to clear approximately 300 bighas of encroached forest land in Chaithla village, under the Kotkhai Forest Division, by removing all fruit-laden trees. Although the week-long drive, which began on July 12, was scheduled to conclude by July 18, the teams took two additional days to complete all formalities before finally calling off the exercise in Chaithla, which falls under the Pandli gram panchayat in Shimla district. A local orchardist said, 'The logs now have no market value. It is also not feasible to transport the logs from such a high-altitude to lower areas. Labourers and farmers can now use the wood only for burning firewood or for making makeshift boundaries around orchards. Even during earlier eviction drives, including one in 2017, hundreds of fruit-laden trees were cut by the forest department were left on site. The authorities must devise a proper way to deal with such axed trees.' Sources said that over 4,200 trees, mostly apple, were cut to clear encroachment on forest land. With the eviction drive now complete, Section 164 of BNSS, 2023, which was earlier imposed in the village, has also been withdrawn. Although a division bench of the Himachal Pradesh High Court had instructed the Forest Department to recover the costs incurred in clearing the encroachments from violators, that part of the process is yet to be completed. A senior IFS officer, currently posted as the Divisional Forest Officer in Shimla, said, 'There are certain ways to utilise the logs. The HC has instructed our department to take full control of the encroached forest land and start fencing work. The ideal use of the logs is for makeshift fencing, which can later be reinforced. We had decided to adopt the strategy in our jurisdiction once the eviction drive began.' More than a dozen residents of Chaithla, all involved in apple farming, had reportedly encroached upon hundreds of bighas of forest land to cultivate apple orchards. In the past, the Revenue Department had identified the encroached areas and submitted a report to the High Court. Meanwhile, the police also removed barricades installed at two locations along the route from the Shimla-Kotkhai bypass to village Chaithla. The drive was initiated following a complaint filed in 2014 by Krishan Chand Sarta of Jhadag village, under Jubbal Tehsil, alleging large-scale encroachment of forest land by villagers cultivating apples, potatoes, and peas, and constructing permanent structures. The complaint also highlighted the inaction of Forest Department officials. Acting on the complaint, the then Chief Justice of the High Court ordered the registration of the matter as CWPIL No. 17 of 2014. In a separate communication dated May 15, 2015, further allegations were raised regarding encroachments in Nagpuri Chaithla, Sewag Chaithla, and Kadevag Chaithla villages. The complaint noted that the Horticulture Department had extended financial aid amounting to Rs 30 lakh to encroachers for building grading and packing houses, while the IPH Department and the Electricity Board had provided water and electricity connections.
News18
3 hours ago
- News18
Mumbai Trust Donates Elephant To Guruvayur Temple Amid Strict Ban
A Mumbai-based religious trust revived Kerala's age-old tradition by dedicating a 40-year-old elephant to the Guruvayur temple in memory of Kanchi Seer on Guru Purnima. A religious trust based in Mumbai grabbed attention after dedicating a giant elephant to the Sree Krishna temple in Guruvayur, Kerala. The donation made in memory of Guru Late Sri Jayendra Saraswati Swamigal, who was the 69th Sankaracharya of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam, marked the festival of Guru Purnima on July 10. Even as the famous temple had stopped accepting elephants in donations, this trust paid Rs 10 lakhs to adopt a 40-year-old elephant named 'Junior Vishnu' and dedicated the animal to the Lord. Interestingly, Junior Vishnu had been living at the temple's elephant sanctuary already when the Mumbai-based trust acquired its ownership. This elephant was chosen among the 36 elephants present at the temple's sanctuary, located in the compound of a former palace called Punnathur Kotta, which is about three kilometres from the town of Guruvayur. The trust is called Kalavai Sri Mahadevendra Saraswati Shankaracharya Trust and made the eye-catching donation because of Swamigal's close connection with the temple. Managing trustee B Sridhar revealed Kanchi Seer had donated a gold crown, padagolakam or the gold covering for the Lord's feet, a gold flute, and other special ornaments to Lord Krishna and all the other deities of the temple in the past. 'The temple trust announced a scheme whereby any devotee wanting to donate an elephant can purchase one from the Guruvayur temple itself and re-dedicate it for Rs 10 Lakhs," said a manager of Punathur Kotta, as quoted by The Free Press Journal. According to this manager, elephant donations were banned by the temple authorities since the dedication of an elephant named Ayyappan in 2011. Temple Had Asked Swamigal For Elephant Donation Back in time, Sridhar revealed, the management at the temple had asked Swamigal if he could offer an elephant to the Lord's feet. The trust has now fulfilled that request on his behalf. 'The Sankaracharya could not offer an elephant at that time due to the prevailing inter-state court ban on the sale or purchase of elephants. Hence, he offered a gold-covered sandalwood elephant. Now that there is a new scheme, we decided to dedicate an elephant in Swamigal's memory," Sridhar said. Ornaments such as the ceremonial frontlets for the elephant's forehead (anna pattam) and the decorative fly-whisks used in ceremonies (chamans) were also purchased by the trust. These were worn by the elephant when it was dedicated to Lord Krishna, also called Lord Guruvayurappan, in a traditional ritual. One day before, a 1008 Kozhakattai homam was performed for Lord Mahaganapathy for the smoothest possible conduct of the donation rituals. Elephants are common occurrences during temple ceremonies in Kerala. Devotees donate them in a custom known as 'Nadakkiruthal.' view comments Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
