Morning mist, Mysore

Ramdass takes a power-walk

A much talked about politician in Mysore nowadays is Mr S A Ramdass,MLA.He is young, energetic,and proactive,notably, after he got nominated parliamentary secretarty to CM. Mr Ramdass doesn't wait for people to come to him with grievances; he reaches out to meet them in their own neighbourhoods, by taking a power-walk.

The BJP MLA sets out daily, on a morning walk that takes him to a diffferent locality each day. The walk keeps Mr Ramdass fit, physically;and helps him stay visible , politically.It is a two-in-one idea that ought to make every other politician wonder,'why didn't I think of this'.

Mr Ramdass has a bunch of people walking with him, even at 5.30 a m. His pre-dawn walks attract media attention. Neighbourhood residents await him with petitions and grievances. Municipal officials pay attention because they believe MrRamdass has CM's ears. This is not padayatra; it's power-walk, by a man who knows how to
use his position.

Friends of Roadside Trees believe Mr Ramdass can help push the green agenda during his morning walks.

1)Mr Ramdass can plant a sapling in every neighbourhood he visits; and appeal to residents to plant saplings on roadsides and other vacant public space in their
neighbourhood.
A tree-less patch on D Subbaiah Road, Devaraja Mohalla. The lone roadside tree was planted by a school boy living across the street. A pat in the back and word of praise for the boy by Mr Ramdass during his visit to this street (behind Rotary School) would motivate others.

2)The CM's aide, who admits to being religious minded, could promote the idea of devotees offering saplings in puja at their neighbourhood temples. The saplings blessed by the deity could either be planted on the temple premises or at one's own backyard.

Related item - Celebrate life; sponsor a sapling

Landscaping sidewalks

In refreshing contrast to its sister institution,the Maharani's college on JLB Road has a well-laid out sidewalk. Maharaja's college, next building down the road presents a picture of neglect,with an outgrowth of partheneum. Two government educatonal institutions, located side by side, present contrasting pictures.

Memo to college principals

The department of collegiate education is reported to have sent out a circular asking principals to organise tree-planting on college campuses in Karnataka. Hopefully, we would get to see some action on this patch of green in front of the Maharaja's on JLB Road. The company that undertook to maintain this patch appears to have lost interest. The department circular is said to have asked college principals to co-ordinate their action with the horticulture and forest departments.

Coastal erosion: A green wall for protection and for profit?

Let us forget the communal strife in Orissa for a moment and look at a natural calamity the state faces repeatedly. Frequent tidal waves and the soil erosion caused by them endanger the lives and properties of lakhs of people along the 480km shoreline of Orissa.

IIT Chennai and some other agencies are studying this issue and have reportedly submitted some preliminary recommendations. In the meantime, the Orissa Government has approached the Central Government for financial support for a Rs.7000 crore project to save the coastal villages from the ravages of the sea. The main focus appears to be on building protective walls along the shore.

There could be a far cheaper, more effective, eco-friendly and profitable project to prevent soil erosion. My suggestion is to try planting Morinda citrifolia (Noni) along the coast. This plant, which is endemic to India, is unfortunately on the endangered list now.

How do plants prevent soil erosion? When rain water runs off to lower levels or waves recede to the sea, they take away loosened soil with them. The stem of trees and the roots mitigate the erosive force of flowing water, thereby preventing soil being carried off. The native plants are best suited for this.

I took these photos in the coastal belt of Kerala.
Copyright reserved. Click on photos to enlarge.

Significantly, Morinda citrifolia (Noni) is also known as Indian mulberry and Beach mulberry. It tolerates saline and secondary soils, can withstand drought conditions and grow well on sandy beaches. It can attain a height of up to 20 feet and serve the dual purpose of preventing soil erosion and acting as a windbreaker. Normally stem cutting is used for propagation. The planting distance is about 15 feet apart. Once introduced, it will start growing wild.

The benefits of planting Morinda citrifolia are not confined to protection from coastal erosion. It is actually considered to be a wonder plant with immense medicinal values. India has known that for thousands of years. But the Western countries started taking note of this gift of nature only in the 1990s.

And, in less than two decades, the Noni (Morinda citrifolia) products, particularly the juice made from the fruit, have turned into a business that is worth billions of US dollars! By planting Noni (Morinda citrifolia) along the coastline the country can, apart from preventing soil erosion, capture a major chunk of the fast-growing Noni market.

Additionally, greening such a large area would help in reducing the carbon levels. And, it does not take long to feel the impact. Noni starts yielding in 18 months and has a productive life span of around 40 years!

The only negative point is that during flowering time the plant emits a foul smell.

Why not give it a try, at least in small stretches?

Read more about the plant at:

Medicinal Plants: Noni (Morinda citrifolia) planting for profit?

(Song of the waves - Parayil A. Tharakan Blog)

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Urban Heat Islands

Have you herd of the term “Urban heat islands”? Next time your old uncle complains of rising temperatures in Mysore, you may want to listen more closely. UHIs are urban areas that are significantly warmer than their surrounding rural landscapes. The main causes of UHIs are typical “urbanization” strategies…tarred roads, RCC buildings, loss of garden spaces/ farms etc.  UHIs modify rainfall and warming patterns of not just the city, but its surrounding rural/forest areas too. See this wiki note on UHIs for more information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_heat_island. You could also check out http://www.urbanheatislands.com/.

Urban tree plantations are important UHI mitigation strategies.  So, what FORT Mysore is trying to promote is a very important activity which will ensure Mysore remains cooler, Mysoreans use less energy to keep their homes/offices cool, and that Mysore does not alter rainfall or temperature patterns of its surrounding rural landscapes too drastically.  

There has also been a lot of talk about “Green highways” in the developed world. For example, see http://www.astm.org/SNEWS/SO_2008/bryce_so08.html.  In the Bangalore-Mysore region, we seem to be taking a few steps backwards…by replacing our tree-lined highway with a cemented four-lane “hot”way.

These informative research articles might interest some of you:  

http://www.fs.fed.us/psw/programs/cufr/products/1/psw_cufr746_energyconspotential.pdf

http://www.neduet.edu.pk/Arch_2Jne/Arch11/JRAP-2001/JRAP%201/Heat%20Island-New.pdf

Writings on the board

The notice board says it all - about the maintenance of a green patch in front of the Maharaja's high school on JLB Road in Mysore. The writings on the board refer to corporate social (ir-)responsibility. The state of the notice board (which mercifully wipes out the name of the company that undertook maintain this space) smacks of inaction by the municipal authorities.

And,above all,it speaks of community's indifference to such violation of public space. The green patch in front of the Maharaja's high school, a heritage building on the tree-lined JLB Road,had once seen better days. The company that undertook to landscape this patch has evidently lost interest.
The municipal authorities (or is it MUDA) that take care of parks and public spaces that could do with landscaping appear to be unaware of the state of neglect or uninterested in doing anything to give a face-lift to the frontage of a heritage building.

This picture, of a sidewalk in San Jose, California, gives an idea of what is possible by way of landscaping even a narrow strip.