THRIVIKRAMJI LEADS THE CLASS OF 70 ON FIELD TRIP

THRIVIKRAMJI LEADS THE CLASS OF 70 ON FIELD TRIP.

The MSc class of the Dept. of geology was taken on a field show and study trip to parts of western south India. The first stop was Kozhikod, where we stopped to have a closer look at the Cheruppa hillock along the northern side of the road leading beyond the Kozhikod Government Medical College campus. The summit of the hill stands roughly at 250 ft. Magnetite-Quartzite reefs of 2.0-3.0 m wide sit atop the hill. The north facing slopes expose large chunks as well as wide bands of the magnetite quartzite rock.

This occurrence is among the smallest of all magnetite ore deposits in the Malabar region, in that the outcrop in the West Hill along the suburban Kozhikod and to the NW of the town, is located in a pretty busy area and heavily settled part.  But the largest exposure of all in the Nanminda village forms a topographic ridge and is the largest of all.  The ridge has a relative relief of say 100.0 m or more and extends for about 3 to 4 km., spreading through several villages abutting the foothills.

My maiden trip to these areas occurred when I was a naïve and nascent Asst. Geologist with the Geology Dept. of GOK, and while serving in the Kozhikod office of the GD. I and my good friend and fellow geologist, Mr. Iyer, had to accompany a Keralite Geologist, then working for the UN, and on a tour to the Iron ore deposits of Malabar.  Being the guest of KISIDC, the GD was obliged to assist, this scientist in the field.

(As young and energetic we used to lead the pack of people-one field coolie and the other scientist along the trails in the Nanminda Hill along the trails and foot paths. Then, this senior UN specialist told us in English (which still rings in my mind) “ Look youngsters, this coolie should walk first as if at all any reptile it will only chase that fellow and hence we will be quite safe”. We agreed and then let our coolie walk first and lead us).

(To the north of Angadippuram dozens of slag patches are known to exist. The slag is a refuse from the extraction of metal iron using crude or archaic methods. The lore is that the pyroxene-magnetite-quartzite reefs exposed along the ridges or slopes of ridges are excavated and ‘fired’ using locally harvested logs for several days. This process of extraction of metal iron is incomplete, leaving behind piles and patches of slag at these sites).

Now back to the class visit to the Cheruppa deposit.  The student party reached the Cheruppa site from the town around three thirty. I, the leader of the team jumped the schedule to visit the outcrop. Truly, Dr.Reddy (GSI, Kerala Circle) was to lead the party to the outcrop. This jump, according to Dr Reddy, was not in ‘good taste’.

That aside the trip was wonderful. I had also gathered more information and knowledge of the deposit from Dr.Roy Chacko, who did a Ph.D. thesis, on the same theme.

The team went around the hillock crawled on the outcrops and gazed on the current deposited euhedral magnetite grain layers. This cross-bedding did excite me as well as the class. The segment we saw was typical of a meta-sediment. The class members collected samples by knocking off fresh samples, of course with huge difficulty. I am not sure if any one had a camera in possession. Generally when I go for field inspections, Sri KVK Nair used to lend his camera.

Cross walk over the Cheruppa hill, is usually avoided by natives once they get off the bus at that point. Children and women generally followed a track or foot path along the perimeter of the hill to reach the respective villages on the far side of the hill. Yet there is trail leading the steep slope and and then down hill.

Our team took the trail on way up as well as back. The hill had several large and small fallen blocks of laterite buried partly mostly in the lateritic soil. While coming down I was hoping from one block to the other. Indeed at that age I enjoyed this hop over the stones quite excitedly. Occasionally, when there is no stone to jump on I will target the ground to land then hop back again on the next rock block.  Hence, this back-to-road trip was quite faster. Some of members of the team followed my style.

On landing a boulder, I had to arrest my speed to practically nil, as I saw a cobra with open hood facing me and on my way down. Further, I could not have jumped from the stone I was on as the next stone to land was beyond the reach of my spread out leg.  The only way I could proceed down was after a landing on the ground, in spite of the cobra defending itself. With any second thought I jumped over and across the deadly reptile as far away as I can, so that I can run for my life. As I was running as fast as I can to reach the road, I was shouting to warn the rest of the team about the cobra on their way down.

For a great relief, I escaped the direct encounter with the reptile as well as the members of my team.  That was a memorable event in one of the field programs I had led.

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SIR CV RAMAN – THE DEC. 1952 MEETING OF INDIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE, TRIVANDRUM & VISIT TO THE MUSEUM OF MS&RD, TRAVANCORE UNIVERSITY.

SIR CV RAMAN –

THE DEC. 1952 MEETING OF INDIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE, TRIVANDRUM & VISIT TO THE MUSEUM OF MS&RD, TRAVANCORE UNIVERSITY.

In 1952, the Indian Academy of Sciences, on the invitation of the Vice-Chancellor of Travancore University (TU), decided to hold the annual meeting in Trivandrum. Dr.C.S.Venkateswaran, was the local organizer. The Pro-Vice Chancellor, Sri Parameswara Panicker was the Chairman of the reception committee.

The Annual Meeting was held from 26th to 29th Dec., 1952, and the scientific sessions met at the V.J. Town Hall and the Physics Lecture Hall of the University College, Trivandrum.  His Highness the Rajapramukh of Travancore-Cochin state inaugurated the meeting.

There was a Symposium on the 27th entitled "Methods and results of Infra-red Spectroscopy".

Besides the Presidential Address by C.V. Raman on "Iridescent Crystals", there were Public Lectures by CV Raman on the "Nature of X-Rays" and another by Homi J Bhabha on "Elementary Particles and Cosmic Rays".

During this meeting, Dr C S Venkateswaran, (a former student of Sir CV Raman, Principal, University College, Trivandrum, and Director in Charge, of Central Research Institute of TU), invited Sir CVR to go on a tour of the museum of the Mineral Survey &Research Division (MS&RD), Central Research Institute (CRI) of TU, where slabs of zircon mega crystal bearing pegmatite facies of the zircon syenite rock of Puttetti were on display. Dr C S Venkateswaran knew quite well that Sir CVR will be very much amazed especially by the unique mega-crystals of zircon and the zircon syenite rock.

Zircon syenite slabs and mega crystals of zircon in the museum were the topic of research of Sri KVK Nair, who is a now leading a peaceful life with the family on retirement from the Dept. of Geology, Kariavattom Campus. According to Sri K.V.K. Nair, Sir CVR was awed at the sight of mega crystals of zircon and zircon Syenite of Puttetti, now in the Kanyakumari Dist of TN State.

Sir CVR went around the museum of MS&RD where minerals, rocks and other geologic materials were on display. Sir CVR on viewing the slabs of zircon mega crystals commented that if some slabs of the rock were on display in his IISc laboratory, the international scientific community will have the rare opportunity to closely see and examine these unique zircon crystals and zircon syenite.

Then, Dr CSV readily agreed to forward a parcel of the rock samples. But on the contrary, Sir CVR wanted the rock slabs with crystals be packed right away under his own eyes, so that they will safely travel along with him to Bangalore. In fact, Sri KVK Nair still vividly recalls Sir CVR choosing the samples from the museum of the MS&RD for packing

A word or two about the MS&RD of the TU. In 1947, it was created as a division of the CRI of TU.  And Dr.K.L. Moudgil was the founder Director of the CRI. The other divisions of the CRI are the Applied Chemistry, Pharmacognosy, Statistics etc. The MS&RD was mandated to make an inventory of the industrial/commercial mineral deposits of the state and to impart professional training to the young scientific staff. The TU offered Mr. T.R.M. Lawrie, British educated geologist, the position of Chief Geologist in the MS&RD, who readily agreed by accepting the offer.     

However after independence, the National Mineral Policy of the Indian Republic identified

the Geological Survey of  India as the sole agency to be in charge of exploration and inventory of the non-living natural resources  (minerals, ores etc). This shift in mineral policy divested the MS&RD of its responsibility in Mineral exploration.

Consequently, in 1953, the TU (by making use of the infrastructure of MS&RD) with the professional and laboratory facilities began to offer a B.Sc., degree course in Geology in the University College, Trivandrum. Using the major chunk of the infrastructure of MS&RD of TU,  in 1963 June, the Department of Geology, University of Kerala (now in the Kariavattom Campus) was inaugurated in the University of Kerala.

Hence, it is more than a pleasant coincidence that a bust of Sir CVR, a great scientist son of India, was unveiled a little earlier in the campus, wherein the museum of the Dept. of Geology (which might still reminisce Sir CVR’s tour), also stands tall with slabs of zircon syenite and samples of mega-crystals of zircon - all from Puttetti. .

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Note by Dr.Thrivikramji,K.P. in consultation with Shri KVK. Nair; part of the information is due to G. Madhavan through Dr. Kusala Rajendran and CP. Rajendran, IISc, Bangalore.

MES PONNANI COLLEGE GREEN-2012 SEMINAR

PONNANI MES COLLEGE (DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGY) HONOURS

DR GOPALAKRISHNA, PROFFESSOR OF GEOLGY, ON HIS RETIREMENT, MARCH, 2012.

Dr Goplakrishana, founder HOD of the Geology department and the present Post Graduate research Department of Geology, retires from active academic work, by the end of academic year, i.e., March, 2012. The alumni and students of the Department of Geology resolved to accord a fitting send off for their visionary, inspiring and beloved teacher.  “GEM”, the alumni association of the Department of Geology of the college took up the task.

I was invited to participate in the two day Seminar - “GREEN-2012”- organized by the GEM, in the college campus for which I readily agreed and as directed by the organizers I e-forwarded an abstract on the role of ponds in OC sequestration, a topic in the center stage of global climate change, and especially when the national and international efforts are aimed at reducing the member nations Carbon foot print.

From, Trivandrum there was a bold presence in the Seminar. Prof. M Ramasarma, Dr. Kamalakshan Kokkal, Dr. KK Ramachandran, Dr. Jaikiran, KP and Dr Pradeepkumar, AP and a few more others participated actively in the seminar.

On the second day of seminar, Mr. Dinesh, Mr. Jayaprakash and Mr. Mohmad Shariff (all from GIS-Marine wing, Mangalore and alumni of college) and Dr. Unnikrishnan Watrier (CWRDM) participated in the seminar.

The valedictory meeting at 4:30 pm on March 17, 12 marked the conclusion of the seminar. Prof. Ramasarma, Dr Thrivikramji, Dr Ayisha of the same college spoke and Dr. Gopalakrishna recounted the long path travelled by him (as the founder professor of the department) along with his colleagues in the department in his efforts to build one of the finest Geology departments in the country tuned for research as well as for imparting  both under-graduate and post-graduate education.

A tour of the department will vouch for the silent, earnest and consistent efforts of the faculty in attracting research funds. The far and wide spread of the alumni across the country and the hemisphere is yet another indicator of the commitment of faculty in the in imparting professionalism and upkeep of high academic standards. It is all because of the leadership of Dr Gopalakrishna, himself a specialist and his own team - unlike other undergraduate departments of the state. I am indeed certain that it will be nearly impossible for the teachers-team of the department not to uphold, nourish and maintain the standards, tradition and commitment set by Dr Gopalakrishna

    

The two-day seminar was a huge success. It offered a grand opportunity for the students enrolled in the courses offered by the Geology department to meet and listen to the presentations by specialists. (note by Thrivikramji)

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Dr Gopi, R- A friend & Russian Language Expert

DR. GOPI R (1943-2012)

Dr. Gopi, passed away on the Feb.13, 12 at Muthuvila, his village and in his own house “Anandavalliswaram” Gopi was one of my good friends, and Technical Assistant in Dept. of Geology, University of Kerala, University Park, Kariavattom, 695 581, India. But later on Gopi  earned a Post-Graduate degree in Russian language and joined upon selection, as Lecturer in Rsusian, then completed a PhD with (Late) Dr AP Andrewskutty of Linguistics Department of the U of Kerala. This new degree gave a great opportunity to Gopi to get higher teaching positions like Reader in Russian, Professor of Russian and then finally retired as HOD of Russian in 2002. 

In my undergraduate years (1960-63) in the University College, Trivandrum, I never met Gopi, as to remember this man’s face. He studied Geology with Mr. NRS Babu- my one time college mate (in Pre-University class, 1959-60) in the Intermediate College, Trivandrum,. Mr. Babu, proved to be a great enterprising chap; after graduation he founded the Universal Academy (Attingal)- a coaching centre for school as well as college going students. This academy made an indelible mark in private-paid-coaching meant for those ill-confident adolescent boys and girls. 

In fact, Gopi too was associated in the coaching program.Babu later sailed through smoothly in journalism in the Kerala Kaumudi group roughly for more than three decades. Presently, Babu, runs a School of Journalism in Kochi and its Chief. My 1^st year of college in the Intermediate College, reminds me of a plump, relatively dark skinned “boy” in his white shorts and medium blue shirt. He was initially silent, stuck to his seat in the class most of the time. But soon suddenly blossomed into a “talking machine”.

Now let me revert to Gopi. After my M.Sc, when I joined as Instructor in the Geology Department of the University of Kerala (1966), Gopi was not a staffer in the Geology Department. But when I came back to the Geology Department (after a brief stint in the Mining & Geology Dept., GoK),  on the offer of a Lecturer’s job (in March of 1968), there was Gopi- the Technical Assistant. He is in charge of arranging the Lab classes with the help of concerned teacher. Otherwise, Gopi maintained the equipment stock register and stock. We made close friends with each other rather quickly. 

On Saturdays, when most other teacher’s were not around for one reason or other, Gopi used to sit in my guest chair and chatted off about the day to day politics – and especially tying to convince me that only way out for the ills of the country was to take the revolutionary –communist- path like the Soviets or the Chinese. My stand was always a path of peace and no revolution to attain equality among the masses in the newly independent India. Our friendship remained firm but we took sharply contradictory views on the way the country was administered by the Congress party.

The Kallar winded down through the village of Gopi’s parental home. In fact Vaidooriyam attracted news paper columns with stories on illicit or unlawful practices by the citizens who did not fine any gainful job in summer season. The river has cut a channel in Gopi’s village, across the regional strike of foliation, creating a cascade over this knick point, which with water flow over it created a fairly loud hissing sound which locals christened as erappu. Both upstream and down stream of this channel has only a very gentle gradient or down ward slope. The sand reservoir that sat in the channel was the source of Vaidooriyam – variety of Chrysoberyl in shades of yellow yellowish green and green. Cabochon cut –i.e., only a polish on the surface of the stone without faces- used to fetch sizable price in the semi-precious stone market. In the erly seventies, Gopi and I had walked the river shore keenly looking and checking fistfuls of river sand for picking up a grain or two of chrysoberyl. Sand always had some show of chrysoberyl - but not in the grade of granules or pebbles. 

Couple of years after my marriage, in the Fall of 1972 I went off to the Syracuse University on a Fulbright fellowship. In 1973, “National Emergency” was declared by the Indira Gandhi administration. Several activists of communist party were picked up by Police for alleged anti-national planning or spreading antinational thoughts or even spreading such thoughts in print or by word of mouth. In fact one of the teacher’s in the Politics Department in the University Park, had a tough time to fend off of an arrest by police under the emergency rules. Once Prof. (late) KK Menon casually referred to Gopi’s problem with police and how he saved Gopi from a session of interrogation by Police. 

When I returned, Gopi was a Technical Assistant but then had earned a 3^rd class MSc degree in Geology, by enrolling for the course on leave of absence for study purposes. Gopi had a strong belief that the 3^rd class was intentionally stamped on him, to block further career advancement. Since then, Gopi was unbelievably furious, behaved rudely and sharply critical of some of the teachers. In the mean time, Dr. Rajendran Nair (of Geology Department) who shared a part-time faculty position in the Department of Russian talked Gopi into enrolling for the Russian language course for an MA degree under the part-time program.

 

To a large extent this new educational achievements wrought a remarkable change in Gopi, who completed the PG degree in Russian Language, which paved the way for successfully earning a lecturer’s job in Russian in the University of Kerala. Gopi became a new man altogether. After completing the PhD degree Gopi successful reached the level of professor and Head of the Department, before his retirement in 2002.

The Gopi family is rather small with his wife (retiree from KSEB) and two girl children –one working for the GoK in Trivandrum and the second kid in the software area and both are married to hardworking and caring husbands and are well settled in life. Mrs. Gopi is a pensioner and lives with one of the daughter’s in Trivandrum. The only disgust to me of Gopi’s demise is the suddenness of the end. My salutes to the departed soul.

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Tribute to a Geologist - PC George (1943-2011), Director, Mining & Geology, Kerala

A tribute to Mr PC George

Mr. PC George (1943-2011)

Mr George, a good friend and one time Director of Mining and Geology Department, Government of Kerala died, after short duration of breathing difficulty, in the early hours of May 15, 2011, in his apartment at Trivandrum. His wife Ms. Valsa George alone was near him as the couple was settled in Trivandrum and their only son works in Canada. The final rites and burial will take place only on Wednesday (18^th May). As a fellow geologist and friend, and class mate and his teacher for a brief while, I wish to record a narrative of our knowing and the friendship we nourished and cherished.

I met this fat, rounded (must have been around 55-60 kg,), rather short young man with dark skin and thick head of hair oiled and combed backward, that day in 1960, when we (the prospective students of Geology class of 1963) in front of Principal’s office in the University College. George always wore neatly pressed dhothy and full sleeve shirt but the sleeves rolled up halfway. I recall that he was accompanied by a man in his second decade (Mr. Tharyan, elder brother and now no more). But I had my dad to escort. Though it was all new things for dad, Mr. Velappan Nair (typist in the college and a cousin-in-law) acted between my dad and office to make things less cumbersome for my dad. The admission process was very brief. The aspiring student escorted by parent walked into Principal’s office, where the HOD of Geology Department Prof. K.K.Menon was also seated. The Principal (Prof. VR Pillai, Professor of Economics) asked for some biographic details, and advised each student to perform well in the studies so that it will be rewarding to the college as well as parents. This followed the verification of certificates. After this session, it was fee remittance for which Mr. Velappan Nair helped by jumping the que from inside of the counter. All the boys went through it and finally we parted, with the fond hope of going to the degree course.

On the day of reopening, i.e., July 1^st or the first working day of July ( it was 1^st July, 1960) we all gathered sufficiently early in the college campus and started the initial ritual like knowing each other and striking friendships and of course gazing at the good looking girls. It was a mixed college and that was part of the thrill. Our geology teachers systematically dissuaded girls from joining the course. This was the policy of the teachers in Geology. Our class was 14 strong all boy’s troop. All of us were very good in their own chosen ways. Some worked hard studied the lessons and completed the assignments on time and earned good grades and final grade at the final examination.

Ramachandran, Krishnamoorthy, Bhaskaran Nair and I went ahead for the MSc degree. George took time out to enjoy life and only later completed the M.Sc degree. Finally joined the Dept. of Mining And Geology as assistant geologist, where he held a senior place compared to me, where he continued and finally retired in May, 1999. May his soul rest in peace for ever.

thrivikramji@gmail.com

ARE WELL CAVING DEATHS AVOIDABLE?

ARE WELL CAVING DEATHS AVOIDABLE?

thrivikramji@gmail.com

By about noon today –this year’s Vishu day, April 15, 11- the sad disappearance of a well digger into a well due to wall collapse happened in the Moonnam Puthen Theruvu, Fort, Thrivandrum. The TV channels brought this incident to our living rooms along with the rescue efforts to save a human life caught under the debris. Unhesitatingly I will say that this and similar accidents are a shame on us, especially in this modern world and our society that undergoes modernizing on a fast track.

The modern science and technology have endowed us with tools and knowledge that will become handy in avoiding and preventing such and other ghastly incidents costing innocent lives.

In fact what we need is a D –shallow or say 30 m.-resistivity tomogram of the land area of the highland and midland on a cadastral scale using the CARTOSAT-II data base. This program can be easily completed over a period of say 5 years. Moreover, the lihtologs of currently serving wells (both borewells and shaft wells) in the state have to go into a data base accessible to the well digger as well as the well owner, in every nook and corner of the state and either at the LSG offices/akshaya centers etc. This project can also be implemented over a period of say 5 years. The scientific ministries of GOI or the planning commission will be prepared to finance these projects.

Once the shallow subsurface lithological data base is implemented and becomes functional in the public domain through a variety of channels the data will be come tangible for the public. When almost all the blocks or villages of the state have at least a school each, I would imagine that majority of such schools have some sort of connectivity to internet. If these schools and colleges in the state as well as the village/Krishi office with internet connectivity will be equipped to offer this new knowledge on the shallow geological make up to the needy like well digger or potential owner of a new well.

This will be a much needed service especially to the day worker community and their families in the state. Such an empowerment will save dozens of lives every year and perhaps avoid life long penury of the unfortunate families.

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Water Insecurity, Kerala, India