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

KERALA’S BABY STEPS TOWARD SANITATION: THE VILAPPILSALA PLANT

KERALA’S BABY STEPS TOWARD SANITATION: THE VILAPPILSALA PLANT

Dr.Thrivikramji.K.P.

Senior Advisor, Center for Environment and Development

Thiruvananthapuram, 695 016

thrivikramji@gmail.com

Introduction

Sanitation is a basic human right as well as an individual’s obligation to other members of the society. Among the 8 Millennium Development Goals proposed by the UN, at least 4 are concerned with sanitation, which is one of the keys to human wellness and development and in a broader sense a component of citizen’s right to life. Further, sanitation per se is the combined outcome of a set of practices such as safe disposal of human excreta, liquid and solid municipal waste management, safe handling of drinking water, home sanitation and food hygiene, personal hygiene and community environmental sanitation.

Contrary to the earlier philosophy and practice of recycling, with the steady growth of urban population and changing lifestyles, the profile of solid waste has been constantly evolving and its volume on a fast-track of growth, placing newer and rising demands on the local governments, in respect of handling and management. Now proper disposal of municipal solid waste (MSW) is huge problem for the local governments of metropolises and large and small towns around the world in that they have been upgrading and implementing newer MSW management practices by adopting or implementing new technologies and practices developed by a large number of universities in the west. According to Hill (1998) anything that is useless or unwanted is waste, i.e., anything that is out of place. Once discarded either it is no problem or a nuisance. He also examined the causes, sources and rates of environmental pollution. In the US paper, tops the list wastes at 40.4% (71.6 million tons) while food scraps is only 7.4% (13.2 million tons) - a shade higher than glass 7.0% (US EPA, 2007).

Indian context

India, until independence, did not have any public policy regarding sanitation in the country addressing the needs of the entire population. Scavenging (in towns and cities) and defecation in the open (in rural sectors) has been the accepted lore. Other types of MSW (chiefly originating from homes, institutions or enterprises) or rural domestic or agricultural waste were non-issues as recycling of one form or other was part of the way of life. Industrial and hospital wastes ‘never’ mattered much due to the relatively lower volumes or lack of concern of consequences or both.

In the post independent India, galloping population, rise of industrial economy, steady and growing migration of individuals and families from villages to larger cities and towns for newer opportunities etc., placed a huge demand on the local governments to raise the standard of public services like, sanitation, water supply, housing, transport and MSW management. However, the Indian situation transformed considerably with the declaration of the Millennium Development Goals by the UN. Several programs with time lines and financial assistance, ensuring improved levels of sanitation across the urban and rural sectors of the country, were launched by the government of India.

Kerala and Sanitation

In the days prior to independence, both the rural and urban scenario in the state of Travancore wasn’t alarming, as the practice of scavenging and domestic waste collection and disposal was put in place in larger towns. But in rural sector the ‘concern’ was about conserving domestic and agricultural waste for later use as green manure. But in the decade 60’s, Kerala became a model state in the country by implementing a ban on scavenging. But despite the steady growth of population, fast changing life styles and consequent newer generic content and organic growth of waste, solid waste management in many cities, small towns and villages across the state, was devoid of any new policy guidelines with doses of modern management practices or technology inputs. As a result, accumulated and putrefying piles of garbage in the open and in public land and street-dead-ends remained as a daily unsightly sight.

Tables 1 and 2 are pictures of current status of sanitation in the state, while Table 3 depicts an average profile of waste in Kerala. Interestingly majority component of MSW is of home-origin, and is dominated by bio-degradables. Though sanitation efforts have not reached the entire society, steady progress made in the past decades is certainly commendable. Then again, the Peoples Plan Program launched in Kerala a decade ago and implemented by the LGs, proved itself as an effective fuel of transformation of rural

Table: 1 Progression of household sanitary latrines, Kerala

(after Clean Kerala Mission, 2007).

Category	% @1991	% @1995	% @2001	% @2005
Rural households	44.0	73.4	81.3	94.9
Urban hose holds	73.0	90.0	92.0	98.3.0

Table:2 School sanitation status, Kerala (Clean Kerala Mission, 2007)

Category	No. of LP schools	No. of UP schools	No. of High schools	Total
Govt. schools	2665	960	986	4511
Schools with toilet	1785 (69.59%)	759 (79.06%)	790 (80.12%)	334 (73.90%)

Table:3 Solid waste types, percentages and compositions, Kerala

(Clean Kerala Mission, 2007)

Type	% content	Category	Wt.%
Household	49.0	Biodegradable	71.0-83.0
Hotels/institutions	17.0	Paper etc	3.5-5.0
Shops and markets	16.0	Plastic/rubber	5.0-9.0
Street sweepings	9.0	Hazardous etc	4.9-11.5
Construction	6.0
Slaughter house	3.0

canvas including access to better sanitation. A new impetus for urban sanitation programs in the country dawned with the recent launching of JNNURM (Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission) in Kerala and the mandate for implementation going to LGs like five municipal corporations (MC), fifty three municipalities (M) and nine hundred and ninety nine village panchayats (VP). Interestingly, 226 VPs have won Nirmal Gram Puraskar (NGP) and yet another 543 VPs and 7 DPs (District panchayats) are marching ahead to achieve the NGP. In fact, since November 2007, the Malinya Mukta Keralam program is in place and the sanitation programs are under various stages of implementation in the state.

Social canvass

For Kerala, in the 70’s the fuel of growth, in the sectors of social life and development, was the higher literacy and remittances by a huge chunk of expatriate wage earners working in the west Asia or Gulf states. Currently this growth is turbocharged with the new employment opportunities at home by the steadily growing Indian economy and newer opportunities thrown open globally. With the result, Keralites have been slowly transforming their attitudes quietly by diffusing themselves into a western life styles – a throw away style – generating and adding more bulk and variety to waste than ever, warranting huge attitudinal changes and new technology injections in the areas of sanitation, including MSW management.

The Clean Kerala Mission or Malinya Muktha Keralam inaugurated last year by the President of India envisages a renaissance of sense of public cleanliness in the state. Moreover, MSW management in Kerala warrants special focus because of a), large per capita production b), lack of segregation at source (but for the MCs of Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode, Quilandy municipality and Chunakkara VP), c), decline in backyard composting, d), rising e-waste and plastic, and e), limited potential for storage of waste

Kerala: Physical setting

While designing sanitation programs for Kerala, one need to take into account the unique physical setting of Kerala, viz., topography, climate and natural drainage system. Chief physiographic divisions of Kerala, a crude replica of Indian tri-colour flying on its short edge, are the highland (>75.0 m), midland (7.5-75.0 m) and coastal land (<7 .5=".5" square=" 32.0">

Flow of Solid waste

Until as recently as 2000, the capital region of Thiruvananthapuram corporation (Tc) with a large population (~700,000), was producing a large volume of garbage that was collected on a 24x6 basis and was carted or trucked to a dump site near Vallakkadavu.

In the past, as the waste had a large chunk of degradable component with household and hotel garbage and other organic refuses but only small volumes of waste paper, glass bottles etc., naturally putrefied waste had a captive market in a diligent fraction of the farming community, who systematically purchased the latter as “compost” – applied as soil conditioner in the coconut farms in parts the district.

Generally, waste of domestic, market and commercial origins used to be discretely dumped in the street side to be gathered later by a two-some-team (a sweeper and one cart-man) to load in a truck (or larger cart) headed to dump sites (like in the compounds of Connemera market, Palayam or Manacad market, Manacad or in the southern edge of Chalai market, or Vallakadavu) .In 1985 government ordered closure of the dump

Table 4: Structure of MSW-T, 2001 (after Panicker, 2001)

Type	Chala, gm; %	Manakad, gm; %	Palayam; gm; %	Average: gm; %
Paper	76.0 ; 0.70	400.0; 10.8	300.0; 5.00	258.6; 5.5
Dry leaves	116.0;1.1	2100.0; 56.8	3700.0; 61.4	1972.0;39.76
Green leaves	445.0; 4.3	Nil	Nil	148.3; 1.4
Rotten vegetable	9700.0;92.8	Nil	87.0; 1.4	3262.3; 31.4
Cotton+clothes	27.0; 0.3	32.0; 0.9	17.0; 0.3	25.3; 0.5
Coir stuff	33.0; 0.3	Nil	Nil	11.0; 0.1
Husk, shell	n.d	560.0; 15.2	1300.0; 21.6	620.0; 12.26
Wood	30.0; 0.3	Nil	Nil	10.0; 0.1
Meatstall waste	Nil	200.0; 5.4	350.0; 5.8	183.33; 3.73
Total	10427.0; 99.8	3292.0; 89.1	5754.0; 95.5	6490.89; 94.78

site at Vallakkadavu, following a request by the AAI for in order to avoid flight delays, damages and losses warranted by the rising bird hits on aircraft engines while flying low during landing or takeoff. However, with the introduction and proliferation of plastic (chiefly as packaging fabric and carry bags), to a certain extent rubber (in the form of footwear) etc. the profile of the city waste transformed quickly to the dislike of the farmers –the one time captive clientele.

With the change of profile of the city waste, consequent rejection by farming community and jump in the volumes and quantities of waste, the need for newer interventions like a centralized and scientific waste processing program, became acutely inescapable and compelling. As a result, an aerobic composting technology or ‘Excel Technology’ based waste processing plant was commissioned in July, 2000 in the Chovallur ward of Vilappilasala Grama Panchayath.

Prasad (2007) used the GIS tool kit to isolate suitable landfill sites adjacent to the VPP, using several criteria. Ambat (2002) examined the societal attitude towards solid waste management especially in respect of Thiruvananthapuram. Maya et al, (2000) reported on the quanta and structure of MSW in the districts of Kottayam, Alappuzha and Ernakulam. The MSW of Thiruvananthapuram corporation area was inquired into by Sreebha et al. (2005) while Krishnakumar et al (2005) attempted a portrayal of MSW of the state.

Vilappilsala Processing Plant (VPP)

The VPP built on a BOT basis at Chovallur ward of Vilappil VP, is one of the early initiatives in Kerala in area of MSW management by aerobic composting process. As originally conceived, the citizen takes un-segregated household waste to a street side dump site to be trucked away to one of the transfer stations (viz., Palayam, Chala or Manacad, en route to the VPP) without a real time transport to the processing plant due to reasons like truck repairs or breakdowns, want of a full load of waste or special holidays and Sundays, resulting in a degree of putrefaction of waste. When such waste reaches the windrows of VPP for composting, it releases a leachate (especially in the wet seasons due to an over dose of rain water spray) that escapes into a tributary of Karaman Ar. and foul smelling gases, resulted in stiff objections and resistance by local residents in the neighborhood of the VPP and occasionally en route to the plant.

Setting

The VPP erected in the Chovallur ward (ref. SOI topo-sheet 58H/11),of Vilappil Grama Panchayath (VGP) and in a left-bank sub-basin of Karamana Ar. in the Trivandrum Dist., is approximatrely 15.0 km to the NE of Trivandrum city and has the distinction of being the home of first domestic solid waste treatment plant in the state. This tract has typical midland (7.5-75.0 m amsl.) configuration of Kerala, viz., set of NW-SE trending narrow-valley-wide-ridge mosaic and lower relative relief. Narrow valley floor has a relatively thick fill of alluvium, drained by a lower order stream (say 4^th of order or lower), while the ridges have steeper northerly slopes than south facing ones and are of short to medium length and tend to have a thick cover of laterite with occasional outcrops of the crystalline basement rocks on the ridge-tops or on slopes. This tract enjoys a tropical to sub-tropical climate with temperatures in the range of 22 – 30 deg.C., and an average annual rain fall of 250 cm.- a combined contribution by the SW and NE monsoons. Land-use-wise coconut trees are planted commonly along the toe of the slopes and/or floor of the valleys, while rubber plantations sprawl across the slopes as well as the ridge tops.

The Treatment Plant

The treatment-plant, housed in a large polygonal shed with a roof of very gentle slope (like an open-upright- umbrella) and attached factory sheds at lower elevations to the south, built on the landscaped south facing slope of a 4^th order sub-basin, went on stream in August, 2000. Total floor area is ~1.25 lakh ft2, with a waste processing capacity of 300 t.p.d. The main shed shelters the machinery and waste windrows enabling aerobic composting. But the relatively large freeboard, about 8.0 m between the concrete floor and guttered roof, allows free draft of “essential” air and rain-water-spray over the windrows causing a spurt in yield of leachate which overflows gutters and collection sumps to the open air, apparently to join the waters of the adjacent stream channel.

Process of Treatment

MSW reaching the plant (in ‘Expel’-fly-proofed covered trucks and retrofitted leachate sumps), only after nightfall (as a courtesy to the citizenry) is arranged in windrows and treated with a inoculum -a bacterial mix- at the rate of 1.0 kg/ton to hasten the aerobic decomposition of degradable waste. Water, at times, is sprayed over the windrows to keep optimal moisture level. Leachate coming off the windrows drains into collection sumps. Waste is turned over by a bulldozer once a week to accelerate the process of aerobic bacterial action. In about 5 weeks, the degradable components entirely break down. By a two stage screening in 35 mm and 16 mm trommels and handpicking of non-degradable in the +35 mm and +16 mm rejects and an air classification, MSW is transformed into a composted manure in two grades, viz., a pure finer grade -1 and coarser grade -II with inorganic, non- degradable and gritty matter and is transferred to the packing section for delivery. The rejects are diverted to landfills.

Chemical profile

In order to determine the exact nature of MSW, universally, the chemical attributes of MSW are determined by a two step procedure - a proximate analysis (to determine the content of moistutre, volatile matter, fixed carbon and non-combustible matter) and an ultimate analysis (to estimate C, H, O, N, S and ash). In this report, chemical profile of raw waste and the marketed-manure are reported.

Open-air-ashed samples of 300 gm. each of the degradable waste (Wd) were created at the sampling sites (i.e.,storage-transfer-centers), and sub-samples of 5.0 gm each of ash, were delivered to the Laboratories of the Geological Survey of India, Trivandrum for estimating the abundance of elements, like Fe, Cu, Pb, Zn, Mn, Cd and Cr (Table 4 ).

Table 5. Chemical element content of Trivandrum city waste, in ppm

Site	Ash,gm,,%	Fe	Cu	Pb	Zn	Mn	Cr	Cd
Chalai	29 (0.096)	4450	47	28	76	118	21	1.4
Manakad	72 (0.24)	7870	202	53	471	225	53	1.6
Palayam	57 (0.19)	6105	31	19	109	558	36	1.2
Leachate	n.d	558	427	126	542	625	28	3.83
Manure	100 (0.33)	8060	257	123	352	502	85	1.56

Among the trace elements listed in Table 4 above, Fe, dominates all samples of the mother waste, followed by Mn (largely similar to Fe chemically). Cu, Pb, Zn and Cd, though present are of very low concentrations. As there are no known natural sources of heavy elelments like Cu, Pb, Zn and Cd in the rocks and hence soils of Thiruvananthapuram Dist., these entered the waste stream from anthropogenic sources. Stout (1961) reports an average content of 100 ppm of Fe in plants. Pb, Zn, Cr and Cd are relatively very low where as Mn largely similar to Fe is second abundant element. Large Fe content is not unusual as MSW-T is dominated by degradable constituents.

Elemental data reveals that with the exception Fe in leachate, due to MSW processing, chemical elements in the manure and leachate are amplified. Though the response of crops and soil to such levels of metal element content against long term use of the manure needs careful assessment, the casting of fertilizer over wide areas is a potential damper. Nonetheless, no data is available as to the annual yield of leachate from the VPP. Logically, to avoid build up of these elements in the soil or surface water systems (and in the aquifer) in areas adjacent to the VPP, pre-treatment of leachate, prior to release is recommended.

Using a simple linearity algorithm, along with the elemental abundance data in table 4, an estimate of the annual turn over of chemical elements (say about 9.0 metric tons) through the MSW-T has been arrived at (Table 6).

Table 6 Annual turn over or chemical elements, Thiruvananthapuram MSW (in Tons)

Site	Fe	Cu	Pb	Zn	Mn	Cr	Cd	Total
Chalai	1.0981	0.0116	0.0036	0.0188	0.0291	0.0051	0.0003	1.1666
Manakad	4.2973	0.1103	0.0289	0.2572	0.1229	0.0289	0.0008	4.8493
Palayam	2.8299	0.0143	0.0088	0.0505	0.2586	0.0166	0.0005	3.1812
Leachate	0.5841	0.4469	0.1318	0.5673	0.6542	0.0293	0.0040	0.0040
Manure	8.4373	0.2692	0.1287	0.3684	0.5255	0.0889	0.0016	0.0016
Grand Total								9.1961

Summary

1. The state of Kerala under the Clean Kerala Mission is forging ahead to achieve full sanitation in both urban and rural sectors. The VPP commissioned in august 2000, though had to face a large degree of initial resistance from the citizenry in the neighbourhood of VPP, sensitizing and awareness had helped in the acceptance and need for several such processing plants in the state.

2. As a result of setting up of the ‘Excel Technology’ based waste processing plant at Vilappilsala, the issue of wise handling of waste of Tc area culminated into an earth friendly process.

3. In spite of the treatment plant, several questions like collection, sorting, transport, plant-site processing of waste, land-filling, leachate containment (especially during the wet seasons) handling etc. continue to remain moot.

4. Geochemical determinations of abundances of heavy metals, like Fe, Mn, Cu, Pb, Zn and Cd in the waste, leachate and salable manure, brought to light the fact that relatively higher loading of these in the leachate and manure call for implementation of measures to lower the levels in leachate before it is released to the environment.

5. The amplification of heavy metals in the salable manure may not pose an immediate risk as the manure is broadcast over a wide area and hence potential of loading in the soil and consequently in water are bound to be lower.

6. Among the metals Fe and Mn are supplied by the soil and water, where as Cu, Pb, Zn and Cd are possibly of anthropogenic introduction into the natural system.

7. Based on the analysis of samples and determined loadings, estimate on the annual flux of such elements stands at nearly 9.0 metric tons against an annual input of 17555 tons of MSW-T.

Acknowledgements

Indeed it is a pleasure for me (TKP) to accept an invitation to actively participate in the 5^th Kerala Environment Congress at Thrissur. Mrs. Panicker wishes to place on record the financial assistance by the GoK without which this MSW research project would have remained an elusive dream.

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References

Ambat, B, Study of the attitude and perception of community towards SWM – a case study of Thiruvananthapuram city – Phase II, Submitted to Kerala Research Program on Local Level Development.

Anonymous (2001) Clean Kerala Mission, GoK, Thiruvananthapuram.

Hill, MK, 1998, Understanding environmental pollution, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 278p.

Krishnakumar, A, Sobha, V, and Padmalal, D, 2005, Urban solid waste generation and management with special reference to environmental degradation: 1-21, in Sreekumar, K (ed.) Solid waste management: Challenges and Prospects: CUU, Kochi

Maya, K, Padmalal, D and Ramachandran, KK, 2000, Quantification, characterization and management of municipal solid waste of central Kerala: 583-87, in Das, MR, (ed.), Proceedings of 12^th Kerala Science Congress, Kumily.

Panicker, AV, 2001, Geo-environmental impact of solid waste treatment plant at Vilappilsala,Thiruvananthapuram Dist., Kerala, 74p (Unpublished M.Phil thesis submitted to University of Kerala).

Prasad, G, 2007, Site suitability analysis of Vilappilsala for landfilling using GIS: Project report submitted for partial fulfillment of requirements of Diploma in Geoinformatics, CED, Thiruvananthapuram, 57p.

Sreebha, S, Sobha, V, and Maya, K, 2005, Municipal solid waste: composition, its physico-chemical analysis and management options for Thiruvananthapuram corporation area: 196-198, in Muthunayagam, AE, (ed.), Proceedings of 17^th Kerala Science Congress, Peechi.

Stout, PR, 1961, Elements in most higher plants: Proc. 9^th Annual California Fertilizer Conference, 21-23.

US EPA, 2007, What is in your trash? Consumer’s handbook for reducing solid waste: http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/reduce

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