Education – Page 47 – Take off with Natarajan

” How One Pair of Chappals Changed the Lives of Two Brothers…”

December 10, 2015December 10, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

Here’s a heartwarming story that will bring home the lesson that the simplest of things in life cannot be taken for granted.

As told by Poonam Tyagi to the better india .com

……………………………………

Ranjeet and Sanjeet are two brothers, enrolled with us for free tuition classes. Sons of a rickshaw puller, they would occasionally substitute for their father in the rickshaw queue at the metro station, waiting for new customers while their father would drink a quick cup of tea. Stopping this practice became our pre condition to teaching them, and they agreed.

Before I proceed further, you need to know, who “we” are and why do these children come to “us.”

I think most of us have an in-built desire to help others. It takes shape in many ways – trying to teach an underprivileged person is one of them.

Ranjeet and Sanjeet

In a place like India, where domestic servants are generally illiterate, in many households you will see the lady of the house trying to teach the basics of language and maths to the help in the house. I also grew up seeing my mother teaching our domestics. Our servants sitting next to her in the winter, peeling peas and reciting tables, was a common sight. Even the sabziwala would take out his notebook after giving her the vegetables and would show her his homework!

After quitting my job as a computer teacher to start my own NGO, I started helping out the children of my maidservant in their studies. My good friend Radha was also doing the same thing, but in a much better way. She had asked the children she taught to bring their friends as well and was taking daily classes for them.

In the winter, both of us decided to sit in the sun and continue with our classes together – where I would teach the children maths and science, while Radha took care of English, general knowledge and moral science.

It gave us a lot of visibility and some other maids, guards, our society plumber, etc., also started enquiring if they could bring their children to us to study. Soon, “free tuitions bymadam log” became popular.

We were also lucky to get some wonderful volunteers. Mrs. Bawa had retired as a principal and took to the job as a fish to water. Sheetala, Shashi and Sangeeta became regular teachers. That forced us to become more organised and we divided the children according to age groups and set up a timetable for the study of different subjects.

Now, Radha and I run these classes in two shifts in our respective homes, based on the government school timings in our building. Since the government school teaches girls in the morning and boys in the afternoon, we have the opposite schedule – we teach boys in the morning and girls in the evening.

Ranjeet and Sanjeet are two of our students. Though real brothers, they are poles apart in their nature and intelligence level. While one has a flair for maths and is blessed with a photographic memory, he is restless and lacks interest in the regular way of learning. The other one makes up for his low IQ with his sincerity and hard work.

The two boys are generally on no talking terms with each other. We soon realised they never come to the classes together. Rather, they would take turns to attend the classes. We thought the reason for this was sibling rivalry and didn’t give the matter a second thought. Until one fine day, when I had only two students, I managed to get the introvert brother in a talking mood.

Besides other things, the shocking truth emerged as to why they don’t attend the classes together. The bone of contention here was the one pair of chappals (slippers) that both the brothers were supposed to share.

I remember watching an award winning foreign film (Afghan I think) on TV once, where a brother and sister were sharing a pair of running shoes. It was a beautiful touching story, very well narrated – convincing to me because it was happening far away in some war affected country. But believe me, in my wildest dreams I wouldn’t have believed that such things happen right under our nose, in the capital of our country no less and not in any remote village!

I discussed the matter with the other volunteers and soon “Project Chappal” was launched. In order to help maintain the dignity of the boys we decided to buy slippers for all the children.

We were keen to get some good quality branded stuff but they vetoed it. All of them had seen and liked something or the other in the local shukkar bazaar (Friday market) and wanted to buy from there.

The kids, at shukkar bazaar (Friday market)

Without mobile phones, assembling at one place in the crowded market was a major task. But they coordinated beautifully and even bargained with the shopkeepers, making sure that all the little ones bought something slightly bigger than their current size that they could grow into.

For most of them it was the first time they were taken to any shop and allowed to choose something on their own. There were no parents around to force decisions on them and, as far as we were concerned, the entire bill was way below our budget. We started looking around to see what we could buy them next – T-shirts or caps for the boys and leggings for the girls!

Once the shopping was over and they were allowed to wear their new purchases back home, their happiness knew no bounds. We found so much joy in looking at their innocent faces beaming with pride.

What a contrast to children from affluent families! You come across so many of them in leading malls these days, purchasing footwear at exorbitant prices – but they hardly look happy because it’s no big deal for them.

The kids show off their brand new chappals

The shopping trip worked as a big incentive for our kids to be regular in attendance and to do so many other things properly too. We learnt a lot from making a small difference in their lives. We never knew that spending a small amount of money would bring so much happiness to them and us.

As far as Sanjeet and Ranjeet are concerned, they are almost regular now. At least they keep smiling at each other. With Sanjeet, talking is not easy in any case. The best part is that they will never know the other children owe them something and should be thankful to them – for all their new chappals!

– Poonam Tyagi

Source…..www.the betterindia.com

Natarajan

This 77-Year-Old Retired Engineer Made Thousands of Bengalureans Think of the Environment This Year…

December 10, 2015December 10, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

Unfortunately, festivities and filth go hand in hand these days. But N.S. Ramakanth is on a mission to ensure that people celebrate festivals more responsibly and do not contaminate their environment in the process. He has been fighting for a cleaner Bengaluru for several years and recently executed a successful cleanliness drive after the Ganesha festival.

N.S. Ramakanth left his job as chief engineer with a German company and came back to Bengaluru in 1989 when his mother fell sick. On returning to his birthplace, he was appalled to see the polluted and filthy environment in the city. He decided not to take up another job but to devote his time to raising awareness about the poor waste management in the metropolis.

Now 77 years old and still going strong, Ramakanth can be seen chasing municipal corporation officials of the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to clean up the filthy lakes in the city.

NS Ramakanth has successful given shape to a cleanup drive after Ganesha festival.

He also hounds bureaucrats to solve garbage problems, encourages citizens to get involved with civic issues, and motivates volunteers when they conduct cleanliness drives.

Quite recently, Ramakanth was seen running a successful campaign to minimise the waste generated during the Ganesha festival at Sankey Tank, a man-made lake in western Bengaluru.

“After the festival, tonnes of garbage can be found around the water bodies. We need to come up with solutions to stop this kind of mess from happening again and again. We also need to carry out effective operations to clean the area after festivals. But the first step is to spread awareness among people to minimise the waste,” he says.

In keeping with this line of thinking, Ramakanth first prepared a small 10-minute skit to engage city residents. Along with a few volunteers, he performed the play in different places to raise awareness about how people generate huge amounts of waste during the festival.

The skit had an interesting script. Lord Ganesha sends Narada to the earth to check on the celebrations of the Ganesha festival. When Narada comes to earth he sees drunk people dancing, noisy crackers being burnt, and broken Ganesha idols lying around after the festivities. Narada reports this to Ganesha who is so hurt by people’s behaviour that he decides not to give any phal to them,” says Ramakanth.

Apart from the skit, Ramakanth also organised eco-friendly Ganesha idol making workshops for the public. He also brought local artisans from the outskirts of the city to different localities within Bengaluru.

Thanks to his efforts, a larger number of people opted for clay Ganesha idols this year.

“People were saying that local artisans work too far away and it is not feasible to go there to get mud idols. So I brought the artisans close to their residential areas to get them to avoid using plaster of Paris (PoP) and plastic idols,” he says.

Many people also said they wanted bigger idols and mud idols were not available in large sizes. Ramakanth had a solution to this as well. He helped the citizens get customised mud idols, which were five to six feet tall. “I thought it important to provide them with solutions. This is how they will welcome change,” he says.

He also talked to them about the harmful effects of PoP idols and how animals and water creatures die due to the immersion of such idols in water bodies. Ramakanth’s regular interventions and awareness sessions were a huge success and many people in his locality opted for eco-friendly Ganesha idols.

He also advised people to immerse the Ganesha idols in small drums in their own homes and then feed the water to plants rather than going to public water bodies for immersion.

“I don’t understand why people travel so far to dispose the idols. It creates so much noise and pollution. They should celebrate the festival in a neat and healthy way,” says Ramakanth.

After spreading awareness about celebrating the festival more responsibly, it was now time to take up a cleanliness drive.

Kalyani, a small step-well near Sankey Tank, is the site of idol immersions every year and collects a large quantity of filth. Ramakanth had the well cleaned within a week and collected truckloads of the dumped idols to put on display for the citizens to see.

He then pumped out the highly polluted, thick, black remains in the Kalyani to a nearby drain. About 12-15 BBMP workers manually bucketed out the sludge. “All the sewage is supposed to be routed to an STP. But even then, it won’t treat mercury and lead. And that’s something we have no solution for right now,” says Ramakanth.

He sent all the flowers and leaf rejects for composting to eliminate the stink from the well.

“We made sure that segregation of all the biodegradable waste took place at the spot and sent it for composting immediately,” he adds.

As the senior most member of the Solid Waste Management Round Table, he worked for hours instructing civic officials to keep the work going to minimise pollution in the tank water.

Ramakanth tracked the number of idols immersed over the period of 11 days. A total of 1,28,620 idols went into the Kalyani this year. Of these, 61,620 were made of clay and the rest (67,000) were PoP idols.

“I just wanted to see if the awareness campaigns had made any impact on the people. I was impressed. The progress was not bad at all. Almost 50 percent of them were clay idols this year and this was a big achievement,” says Ramakanth.

Ramakanth’s journey does not end here. He is persuading BBMP to completely ban PoP idols from hereon. He has also asked the Pollution Control Board to put up the names of potters who make larger clay Ganesha idols on its website so that people can make use of them.

While changing mindsets and habits may seem like an overwhelming task, Ramakanth is not to be deterred. He has high hopes of making his beloved city pollution and filth free in the future.

All pics: savitahiremath.com

Source………Shreya Pareek in http://www.thee better india.com

Natarajan

Rice could be the answer to China’s pollution problem…..

December 9, 2015December 9, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

China has long had an issue with pollution. It is claimed to contain the greatest amount of pollution, with that over 1 million deaths in 2010 as a result.

Beijing is widely reported to be one of the most polluted cities in the world. With China’s industrial economy, this is perhaps not so surprising.

However, a large amount of pollution comes from an area which one might not expect: agriculture. The use of nitrogen-based fertilizers has had dramatic effects on air, water, and soil quality in China.

“With only 7% of the world’s farmland, China uses 35% of all the world’s nitrogen fertilisers. This is beginning to have severe environmental consequences.”

Rice: Nitrogen Related Pollution

Excess nitrogen can have a number of negative effects on the environment. It can kill fish and other marine life, reduce crop productivity, and poison the water supply.

A major consequence of nitrogen fertilisers has been air pollution. When nitrogen oxides react in the air, they interact with industrial pollution to form a dense fog known as smog. Not only can smog cause health problems such as asthma, its presence in the air promotes global warming.

Rice is a staple of the Chinese diet. It needs nitrogen-based fertilisers in order to grow effectively. However, this may soon be about to change.

Traditionally, a great deal of Chinese rice is grown in the northern provinces. The genetic make-up of the rice grown in northern China means that it cannot easily absorb nitrogen-based substances from the soil. Because of this, Nitrogen-based fertilisers are used to provide these vital nutrients.

However, with genetic modification, this could no longer be the case. Scientists have proposed cloning a gene from indica rice, and placing it into the native species. The gene is known as a ‘nitric booster’, and it improves the ability for plants to absorb nitrogen-based nutrients from the soil. As a result, much lower levels of fertilizer need to be used.

“Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences found that when genetically modified, the rice species could achieve the same yield with only half as much fertiliser. Thus, reducing related pollution by half.”

This scientific breakthrough could have a significant effect on pollution. By reducing fertiliser usage, nitrogen pollution will decrease. This will contribute towards a reduction in smog, reducing the incidence of pollution-related health complications.

Also, China’s contribution to global pollution will decrease, and marine life will be less at risk. Although this is only the beginning, developments like this may help promote a shift towards a greater desire to tackle pollution in China.

Though it has yet to be implemented, it shows steps in the right direction. With a rapidly aging population, even small pollution prevention suggestions are better than nothing.

Read the original article on BRIC+. For more news, views and insights into culture and commerce from the emerging world, BRIC+. BRIC+ is also available on Facebook. Copyright 2015. Follow BRIC+ on Twitter.

Source……www. businessinsider.com

Natarajan

Black Pepper Benefits: More than Just a Spice….

December 9, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

The next time you relegate black pepper to the back of your shelf, think twice. The humble spice holds more benefits than you’d imagine. It belongs to the Piperaceae family, and is processed in different ways to yield different kinds of peppers. For instance, the cooked and dried unripe fruit is black pepper, the green pepper is from the dried and unripe fruit, and white pepper are the seeds from the ripened fruit of the plant.

While pepper originally belongs to South India, it’s grown in other tropical countries as well. It’s played a vital role in history, and has been considered as an important spice from time immemorial. In ancient Greece, it was also used as currency. In later years, it became pivotal in the spice trade across the world.

Incidentally Vietnam is considered to be the largest grower and exporter of pepper. India, Brazil, and Indonesia follow suit. Black pepper, while used in cooking and garnishing in cuisines the world over, comes with lots of health benefits.

Here’s are six reasons to sprinkle some more –

1. To prevent cancer: The piperine in black pepper can be credited with the prevention of cancer, and becomes twice as potent when combined with turmeric. The spice also hasVitamin C, Vitamin A, flavonoids, carotenes and other anti-oxidants that help remove harmful free radicals and protect the body from cancers and diseases. The best way to eat pepper to harness maximum benefits is to eat freshly ground pepper, and not cook it along with food.

2. Stimulates digestion: Again, the piperine in black pepper eases digestion and stimulates the stomach, which then secretes more hydrochloric acid that helps to digest proteins in food. So a bit of pepper in food will actually help you to digest it faster.

3. Relieves cold and cough: Black pepper is antibacterial in nature, and therefore helps tocure cold and cough. A teaspoon of honey with freshly crushed pepper does the trick. It also helps to alleviate chest congestion, often caused due to pollution, flu, or a viral infection. You can add it to hot water and eucalyptus oil and take steam. And given that black pepper is rich in Vitamin C, it also works as a good antibiotic.

4. Enables weight loss: You might not want to believe this, but black pepper is brilliant when it comes to extracting nutrients from food. And it’s outermost layer contains phytonutrients, which helps to break down fat cells, and also increases metabolism. If you eat fresh pepper, and begin to perspire, that’s the pepper helping your body to get rid of excess water and toxins. But you need to control consumption – a pinch with your food (one meal) is enough.

5. Improves skin: Did you know that crushed pepper is one of the best exfoliators nature has provided us? Don’t use it directly though; add a bit of honey, curd, or fresh cream to it. It also enables blood circulation, and provides the skin with more oxygen. Adding it to your food also takes care of unwarranted skin wrinkles. Black pepper is known to help in the cure of Vitiligo, a condition where the skin loses pigmentation, and creates white patches.

6. Addresses depression: It’s said that the piperine in black pepper helps to deal with depression. It stimulates the brain, and helps it to function properly by making it more active.

Store it well

To take maximum advantage of the benefits of black pepper, it’s important that you store in the best way possible. It’s recommended that you buy whole peppercorn and crush it at home. This not only makes sure that the spice retains its flavour, but also that it lasts longer. Store it in an airtight glass container, and always in a cool, dry, and dark place.

How to use

The use of black pepper in food is limitless. Pongal, a breakfast food in South India, contains whole black peppercorns, which adds a delicious fieriness to the dish. Rasam with whole peppers is not only tasty, but is also cure cold and blocked nasal passages. Something as simple as fried rice can be spiked with pepper for additional flavour. Freshly crushed pepper can be added in almost anything — from salads, sunny side-ups, and soups, to pastas, and even buttermilk. You can use it to spice up sauces for steaks or curries, or use it to coat meats such as duck or chicken before grilling it. But most experts will recommend that you cook pepper as less as possible; it’s the freshly ground ones that are most beneficial. Therefore, invest in a good pepper mill, and keep it on the table — you never know when you might need it.

Source……..Priyadarshini Nandy, in http://www.ndtv.com

Natarajan

சென்னை வெள்ளத்துக்கு காரணம் என்ன?….

December 9, 2015December 9, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

சென்னையில் ஏற்பட்டுள்ள பெரும் வெள்ளப் பெருக்கு, திட்டமிடப்படாத வகையில் நடந்துள்ள நகரமயமாக்கலின் விளைவே என்று இந்தியாவின் அறிவியல் மற்றும் சுற்றுச்சுழலுக்கான மையம் கூறியுள்ளது.

விளை நிலங்களில் வீடுகளை கட்டியதால் பலர் வெள்ளத்தில் சிக்கினர்

கடந்த நூறாண்டுகளில் இல்லாத அளவுக்கு பெய்துள்ள மழை நகரை முழுமையாகப் நிலைகுலையச் செய்துள்ளது என செண்டர் ஃபார் சயன்ஸ் அண்ட் என்விரோன்மெண்ட் அமைப்பின் தலைமை இயக்குநர் சுனிதா நரெயின் வெளியிட்டுள்ள அறிக்கையில் தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.

இயற்கையான நீர்நிலைகளை பராமரிப்பது தொடர்பில் உரிய கவனம் செலுத்தப்படாதது, தற்போது சென்னையில் ஏற்பட்டுள்ள நெருக்கடிக்கு முக்கியமான காரணம் என்று அவர் தனது அறிக்கையில் தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.

சிறிய சாலைகள் கூட வெள்ள நீரில் மூழ்கியுள்ளன

சென்னை மட்டுமல்லாமல் டில்லி,கொல்கத்தா, மும்பை, ஸ்ரீநகர் ஆகிய நகரங்களும் இத்தகைய நெருக்கடியை எதிர்கொள்ளும் அபாயம் உள்ளதாகவும் அவர் கூறுகிறார்.

இயற்கை நீர்நிலைகளும், வடிகால்களும் முறையாக பராமரிக்கப்பட்டிந்ருதால், சென்னை இப்படியான வரலாறு காணாத நெருக்கடியைத் தவிர்த்திருக்கலாம் என அந்த மையத்தின் அறிக்கை சுட்டிக்காட்டுகிறது.

வெள்ள நீர் எந்த அளவுக்கு தேங்கியிருந்தது என்பதற்கு இந்தப் படம் ஒரு உதாரணம்

சென்னை,மும்பை போன்ற பெரு நகரங்களில் போதுமான வகையில் அடிப்படை கட்டமைப்பு வசதிகள் மேம்படுத்தப்படாமல், திட்டமிடாத வகையில் நகரம் வளர்ந்து கட்டிடங்கள் கட்டப்படுவதால், வெள்ளம் ஏற்பட்டதும் தாக்குப்பிடிக்க முடியாமல் திணறுகிறது என சுனிதா நரெயன் கூறுகிறார்.

இப்படியான அதிவேக நகரமயமாக்கல்கள், இயற்கை வடிகால்களை அழித்துள்ளன என்றும், சென்னை போன்ற நகரங்கள் இதன் தாக்கத்தை இப்போது உணர்ந்துள்ளன எனவும் அந்த அமைப்பு தெரிவித்துள்ளது.

.Image copyrightbbctamil

Image caption…வடிகால்கள் சரியாக பராமரிக்கப்படாததால் அடையாறில் வெள்ளம் ஏற்பட்டது

சென்னை தனது இயற்கை வடிகால் வசதிகளை பராமரிக்கத் தவறியுள்ளது எனவும் சி எஸ் இ அமைப்பின் அறிக்கை கூறுகிறது.

கடந்த 1980களில் சென்னையில் 600 நீர் நிலைகள் இருந்தன, ஆனால் இப்போது அதில் மிகச் சொற்பமானவையே எஞ்சியுள்ளன என்றும் சுனிதா நரெயின் தனது அறிக்கையில் கூறியுள்ளார்.

முன்னர் ஏரிகள் இருந்த இடங்களில் வீடுகளை கட்டியவர்களின் நிலை இதுதான்

நீர்நிலைகள் மற்றும் வடிகால் அமைப்புகளை பேணிப் பராமரிக்காத நிலையில் பருவநிலை மாற்றத்தால் அசாதாரணமான அளவுக்கு மழை பெய்யும்போது, நிலைமை கட்டுக்கடங்காமல் போகிறது எனவும் அந்த அறிக்கை கோடிட்டுக் காட்டுகிறது.

பாரிஸில் பருவநிலை மாற்றம் குறித்த உச்சிமாநாடு நடைபெற்று வரும் வேளையில், இப்படியான விஷயங்கள் உடனடியாக கவனிக்கப்பட வேண்டியது மிகவும் அவசியமாகிறது என அந்த அறிக்கையில் தெரிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

சென்னையிலுள்ள பல சுரங்கப் பாதைகளில் நீரின் அளவு குறையவில்லை

நீர்நிலைகள் எப்படி சீரழிந்து போயுள்ளன என்பதற்கு போரூர் ஏரி ஒரு உதாரணம் எனக் கூறும் அந்த அறிக்கை, அப்படியான நீர்நிலைகள், நிலத்தடி நீர் மீண்டும் ஊறுவதற்கும், வெள்ளம் ஏற்படும் போது அதை சமாளிப்பதற்கும் பெரும் உதவியாக இருந்திருக்கும் எனவும் மேலும் தெரிவித்துள்ளது.

ஈரநிலப்பகுயில் எப்படி கட்டுமானங்களுக்கு அனுமதி அளிக்கப்படுகின்றன எனும் கேள்விக்கு ஒருநாளும் பதில் கிடைத்தது இல்லை எனக் கூறும் அந்த அறிக்கை, அப்படியான நிலங்கள் நகர நிலச் சட்டங்களின் கீழ் மிகவும் அரிதாகவே பதியப்படுகின்றன எனவும், அதன் காரணமாக பலருக்கு அது தெரியவருவதில்லை எனவும் சுனிதா நரெயின் தமது அறிக்கையில் கூறியுள்ளார்.

நீர்நிலைகளின் கரையோரங்களில் இருந்தவர்களின் நிலை மிகவும் மோசமானது.

அனுமதி கோரி மனுக்கள் வரும்போது மேலோட்டமாக நிலங்களை மட்டுமே அதிகாரிகள் பார்க்கிறார்கள், அதிலுள்ள நீராதாரங்களைப் பார்ப்பதில்லை, எனவே பேராசை பிடித்த கட்டுமான நிறுவனங்கள் அதை தமக்கு சாதகமாக்கிக் கொள்கின்றன எனவும் சி எஸ் இயின் அறிக்கை தெரிவிக்கிறது.

தமிழக அரசின் ஆவணங்களின்படி கடந்த 1980களில் 19 பெரிய ஏரிகளின் பரப்பளவு 1,130ஹெக்டேர்களாக இருந்தது, 2000ஆம் ஆண்டுகளின் முற்பகுதியில் 645 ஹெக்டேர்களாக சுருங்கியுள்ளன, அதன் காரணமாக அந்த ஏரிகளின் கொள்ளளவு குறைந்து போயின என்பதையும் சுட்டிக்காட்டியுள்ளது.

பல வீடுகளின் கீழ் தளங்கள் முழுவதும் நீர் புகுந்து பயன்படுத்த முடியாத சூழல் ஏற்பட்டது.

சென்னையின் பல இடங்களில் மழைநீர் கால்வாய்களில் குப்பைக் கூளங்களால் அடைப்புகள் ஏற்பட்டுள்ளன, அவை உடனடியாக தூர்வாரி சரிசெய்யப்பட வேண்டும் எனவும் அந்த அமைப்பு கோரியுள்ளது.

சென்னை மாநகரில் 2,847 கிமீ நீளத்துக்கு சாலைகள் உள்ள நிலையில், மழைநீர் கால்வாய்கள் 855கிமீ மட்டுமே உள்ளன என்றும், இதுவே பெருமழையின் போது, சாலைகளில் நீர் ஓடுவதற்கும் தேங்கி நிற்பதற்கும் காரணமாகின்றன எனவும் அந்த அறிக்கை கூறியுள்ளது.

சாலைகளில் ஓடும் நீர் முற்றாக வடிய பல நாட்களாகலாம் எனக் கருதப்படுகிறது

மனிதர்களால் உருவாக்கப்படும் வடிகால் அமைப்புகள், ஒருநாளும் இயற்கை வடிகால் அமைப்புகளுக்கு மாற்றாக இருக்க முடியாது எனவும் அந்த அறிக்கை வலியுறுத்தியுள்ளது.

சென்னையில் கூவம், அடையாறு போன்ற நதிகளை இணைக்கும் இயற்கை கால்வாய்களும், வடிகால்களும் இருப்பதை தமது ஆய்வுகள் காட்டுகின்றன என்றும் அந்த அறிக்கை கூறுகிறது.

ஏரிகள் முன்னறிவிப்பின்றி திறந்துவிடப்பட்டதால் பல முக்கியச் சாலைகள் நீரில் மூழ்கின.

உதாரணமாக, நகரின் 75 குளங்களில் நீரின் அளவு உயர்ந்து கொள்ளளவைக் கடக்கும்போது, அந்த நீர் கூவத்தில் கலக்கவும், அதேபோல் 450 குளங்களில் உள்ள உபரி நீரும், செம்பரம்பாக்கம் ஏரியின் அளவு உயரும்போது அதிலுள்ள உபரி நீரும் அடையாற்றில் கலப்பதற்கு வசதிகள் இருந்தன என்று அந்த அறிக்கையில் விளக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

புறநகர் பகுதிகளில் வீடுகளைக் கட்டும்போது நில ஆவணங்கள் கவனமாகப் பார்க்கப்படுவதில்லை எனக் குற்றச்சாட்டுகளும் எழுந்துள்ளன

கடந்த நூறாண்டுகளில் இல்லாத வகையில் சென்னையில் இந்த ஆண்டு நவம்பர் மாதம் மட்டும் 1,218 மிமீ மழை பெய்துள்ளது.

இது சராசரியாக ஆண்டொன்றுக்கு கிடைக்கும் மழையின் அளவைவிட மூன்று மடங்கானது.

Source….www.bbc.com.tamil Photos Credit …bbc tamil

Natarajan

Top 31 Amazing Innovations from Young Indians….

December 9, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

The National Innovation Foundation India (NIF), Ahmedabad shared the ideas that shined at the IGNITE 2015.

Every year, the National Innovation Foundation India (NIF), Ahmedabad invites students from across schools in the country to share their innovative ideas on how to build a better world.

The competition is organised by NIF in association with Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Society for Research and Initiatives in Sustainable Technologies and Institutions (SRISTI), various State Education Boards and other partners.

Students in (up to class 12) or out of the school (up to the age of 17 years) can participate in the IGNITE competition by sending their original technological ideas to solve any problem in day to day life or real life technological innovations demonstrating innovative ways of solving problems/ reducing drudgery/generating efficiency/ conserving resources etc.

More than 28,000 entries were received this year of which 31 best ideas made the cut.

This year the ‘Dr APJ Abdul Kalam IGNITE Awards 2015’ were given by the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad in the presence of state chief minister Anandiben Patel.

President Pranab Mukherjee interacts with a young innovator at Dr APJ Abdul Kalam IGNITE Awards 2015

1. Innovation: Water filter/purifier at source

Names: Soring Lepcha, Class 4, and Subash Prodhan, Class 5, Lingzya Junior High School

Place: North Sikkim, Sikkim

Inspiration behind the idea: Most people today prefer to use a water filter/purifier at their home.

Both the children have given idea to have filter/purifier at the source of water so that everyone has access to clean water without having to make an investment in purchasing a filter/purifier.

Soring’s idea is to have a centralised purification system at the point of distribution like water tank while Subash’s idea is to have such purifiers attached to public taps.

2. Hand rest for fractured hand

Name: Adi Kumar, Class 5, Deens Academy

Location: Bengaluru, Karnataka

Inspiration behind the idea: Generally shoulder arm slings are used to provide support to a fractured hand.

Using this for a long time sometimes give discomfort to the neck/ shoulder region.

Adi’s idea is to have a waist worn appendage, which can provide support to a fractured hand instead of the sling. The fractured arm would be rested comfortably on the appendage and kept in position by straps.

3. Umbrella for more than five persons

Name: Tarna Joy Tripura, class 6, Kabi Guro Rabindra Nath Smiti

Location: Dhalai, Tripura

Inspiration behind the idea: Many times, it becomes difficult for more than one person to share an umbrella during rains. Young Tunnab has given an idea of an umbrella, which could be held by two children from two sides under which other children can stand and thus go to school together without getting wet.

4. Alerting system for bus drivers

Names: Pradyumna Kumar Pal, class 7, Saraswati Sishu Vidya Mandir, Unit-3, Khordha, Orissa; and Rahul Kumar, class 9, Rajkiya Balak Uchh Vidyalaya, Patna, Bihar

Sometimes accidents occur when a passenger puts his body part outside the bus window. Pradyumna and Rahul have independently conceived an idea of an alerting system for the bus driver, which enables them to know which passenger has put his hand or head outside the bus window.

5. Reversible benches at public places

Name: Simran Chadha, Class 8, BCM Arya Public School

Location: Ludhiana, Punjab

Simran’s idea is to have reversible benches at public places so that if they become wet (due to rains) or dirty, they can be rotated using a handle so that the other side, which comes up can be used.

6. Solar seeder

Name: Subash Chandra Bose, Class 8, St Sebasthiyar Matriculation School

Location: Pudukkottai, Tamil Nadu

Subash has developed a solar powered seed drill, which can undertake plantation for different size of seeds at variable depth and space between two seeds.

7. Looms for physically challenged

Name: R Elakkiya, Class 6 and R Pavithra, Class 9, SRC Memorial Matriculation

Location: Erode, Tamil Nadu

The two sisters have come up with loom for lower limbed physically challenged. In their loom they have replaced the pedal operated system with a motor and a gearbox attached to a pulley mechanism.

8. A device to collect Mahua flowers from ground

Name: Lipsa Pradhan, Class 9, Government High School, Kamagaon

Location: Bargarh, Orissa

Mahua flowers have many medicinal properties and are also used to make pickles, jams, and now ice creams as well. Lipsa has suggested a manual device like a lawn mover, which can collect Mahua flowers, which are otherwise picked up by hands, which is a time consuming and tiring process.

9. Pebble indicating system for cooking vessel

Name: Mohd. Tawseef Thoker, Class 9, Government Higher Secondary School, Nihama

Location: Kulgam, Jammu and Kashmir

It happens many a times that while cleaning food grains for cooking, some impurities remain, which get cooked with the food. Tawseef suggests having a vessel with sensors, which can indicate the presence of pebbles or other similar impurities in rice or other food grains being cooked.

10. Gas lighter with gas leak alarm

Name: Nilesh Ras, Class 9, DAV Inter High School

Location: Patna, Bihar

A lot of mishaps occur when cooking gas regulator has been left on accidentally or due to a gas leak. Nilesh’s idea is to have a gas lighter, which can sense and indicate gas leakage before it is lighted thereby preventing accidents.

11. Innovative dustbin

Name: Prem Ranjan Singh, Shivani Singh, Ankush Pal, Class 9, Divya Jyoti English High School

Location: Daman, Daman & Diu

Concerned with the sight of overflowing garbage bins, the three friends have come with an idea of a dustbin with separate slots for bio-degradable and non bio-degradable waste with a message sending facility to the municipality once dustbin is filled up to a preset level.

12. Lac extraction machine

Name: Saurabh Dey, Class 10, Govt. High School, Barajamda

Location: West Singhbhum, Jharkhand

For lac extraction generally the lac coated branches of host trees are cut, crushed and sieved to remove impurities.

Saurabh has made a machine, which can remove lac from the branches without breaking them. As a result, the amount of impurities is lesser in lac and it takes lesser effort to clean it.

13. Pay as you weigh!

Name: Rishab Mallick, Class 10, Kendriya Vidyalaya, Fort William

Location: Howrah, West Bengal

An idea of an automatic ticketing system where fare is calculated as per the weight of the passenger and his luggage

14. Passcode based locking system in gas stove

Name: Nim Lepcha, Class 10, Gor Secondary School

Location: North Sikkim, Sikkim

An idea to have a manual or digital pass code system for gas stoves to avoid accidents involving children.

15. Spectacle microscope

Name: Hadasha Ruangmi, Class 10, Lorna’s School

Dimapur, Nagaland

An idea to have wearable microscope like a spectacle so that it becomes easy to store, carry and use.

16. Seed container that indicates growth of germs

Name: Deepti Manjari Dakua, Class 10, Bahadjhole Girls High School

Location: Nayagrah, Orissa

An idea to have a seed container, which can detect the growth of organism by detecting increase in temperature of the container and alert

17. Colour coded thermometer

Names: Jaspreet Kaur, Class 10, Police DAV Public School, Jalandhar, Punjab; and Janmejay Rathore, Class 12, CMR PU College, Bangalore, Karnataka

An idea to have a colour coding scheme in thermometers to indicate fever level.

It shows red for emergency, orange for intermediate temperature and green for normal.

It also gives out precautionary measures and even dials an ambulance in case of an emergency!

18. Machine to pluck Tendu leaves

Name: Bharat, Class 11, Shashkiya Uchhtar Madhyamik Vidyalaya, Bacheli

Location: Dakshin Bastar, Chhattisgarh

Collecting Tendu leaves is one of the important sources of income in the tribal regions.

The leaves are plucked manually, which is a tedious process. Bharat’s idea is to have a machine to pluck Tendu leaves from the tree.

It would have blades for cutting the leaves, a container to store leaves and a sensor based sorter to segregate leaves according to their size.

19. Watch with medicine delivery system

Names: Navjot Kaur, Class 11, Senior Secondary Model School, Chandigarh; and Vaishnavi Patra, Class 9, Odisha Demonstrated Multipurpose Public School, Khorda, Orissa

An idea of a watch, which can store and timely deliver appropriate dose of medicine to the person.

20. Printed paper reclaiming machine

Name: Arvind Gopalkrishnan, Class 11, Smt. Narbada Devi J. Agarwal Vivekananda Vidyalaya Jr College

Location: Chennai, Tamil Nadu

An idea of printer like device, which can erase all data on a printed page fed to it making it plain and hence reusable.

21. Smart Walking Stick

Name: Siddhant Khanna, Class 11, Sanskriti School

Location: New Delhi

A walking stick for the elderly and the visually challenged with many features like counting of steps, medicine reminder, locator, emergency alarm, fall detector and automatic torch, etc.

22. Drawbridge door for trains

Names: Ram Akash, Class 11, Excel Central School, Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu; and Nimisha Katyayan, Class 12, DAV Kapil Dev Public School, Ranchi, Jharkhand

An idea to have a drawbridge door for trains, which when opened at the railway platforms, acts like a ramp, making it easy for people to carry their luggage inside the train bogie.

23. Solar pulse thresher

Name: Dipankar Das, Class 12, Govt. Senior Secondary School, Diglipur

Location: North Andaman, Andaman & Nicobar Islands

A device for efficient threshing of matured pulses (grains, green gram, black gram, arhar, horse gram) without using electricity or fossil fuels, thereby reducing the harvesting cost.

24. Differentiating artificially and naturally ripened fruits

Name: Neha, Class 12, Govt. Model Sr. Secondary School, PAP campus

Location: Jalandhar, Punjab

Neha suggests having paper like litmus paper, which can change its colour depending upon the level of naturally occurring sugar in a fruit thereby helping distinguish between artificially and naturally ripened fruits.

25. Stress monitoring mechanism in animals

Name: Diva Sharma, Class 12, GD Goenka Public School

Location: New Delhi

An app, which records the respiratory rate, temperature, pulse rate, heart beat rate of animals, through sensors attached to their bodies.

The program also performs an analysis of the co-dependency of these parameters to each other and prompts for a stressful condition, if parameters vary beyond a range.

26. Foot operated door opening mechanism

Name: Jayprakash B Rathwa, Class 12, Shree Gram Shala Grambharti, Gandhinagar, Gujarat; and Tanmay Takale, Class 12, Shri Mhalsakant Vidyalya

Location: Pune, Maharashtra

An idea to have a system using which a door can be opened by activating a sensor using a leg.

This may be useful for the physically disabled or someone carrying load in both hands. It can also be used in public toilets.

27. Punching machine with hole reinforcement feature

Name: Tanmay Takale, Class 12, Shri Mhalsakant Vidyalya

Location: Pune, Maharashtra

An idea to have a punching machine with a hole reinforcement mechanism so that the punched holes last longer and do not tear off from inside.

28. Body suit

Name: Ayush Gupta and Arnov Sharma, Class 12, Delhi Public School

Location: Haridwar, Uttrakhand

An mechanical exoskeleton or suit, which can support a physically disabled person, and aid orthopedic patients.

29. Low cost grass and leaf cutting machine

Name: Sapir Debbarma and Klishan Debbarma, Class 12, Bharat Sardar H. S. School

Location: Khowai, Tripura

A hand held cutting machine for cutting grass and leaves.

30. Portable latch for restrooms

Name: PS Senthur Balaji, Class 12, Maharishi International Residential School, Kanchipuram

Location: Erode, Tamil Nadu

An idea of a latch useful for people travelling frequently or in rural areas, which can be used for locking a door temporarily. This can be used in public restrooms or other places that lack latches.

31. Soundproof hammer

Name: Prithwish Dutta, Class 12, Don Bosco High & Technical School

Location: Howrah, West Bengal

An idea of a soundproof hammer, which would not make any sound when struck against any object. The impact energy would be absorbed in the hammer itself, which will be covered with a foam like substance.

So, which of these innovations did you like the most? Tell us! Share your views in the messageboard below!

All Photographs: Courtesy National Innovation Foundation India

Source…..www.rediff.com

Natarajan

” Occupation: Mother! ….”……

December 8, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

The officer at the driving license counter asked the lady: “What is your occupation?“

The woman, seeking a renewal of her license seemed to be puzzled.

so the officer said “Ma’am, are you employed, have your own business or…”

“Oh yes!‘ The woman replied, “I do have a full-time occupation. I am a mother!“

The officer rolled his eyes: “We don’t have ‘mother’ as an option for occupation. I’ll write it down as ‘housewife’. That takes care of all questions.”

This had happened long ago, and was forgotten. Years later, when I (the woman in the story, if you hadn’t guessed) went to get my license, the public relations officer was a somewhat pompous woman.

“Your occupation?” she asked in a rather authoritative tone.

I just had a moment pf inspiration and replied “I am a researcher in the field of child development, nutrition and inter-personal relationships.”

The lady officer stared at me in amazement.

I calmly repeated my statement and she wrote it down verbatim. Then, unable to conceal her curiosity, she politely asked “What exactly do you do in your profession, ma’am?”

I was feeling good about having described my occupation so calmly and confidently. so I replied “My research projects have been going on for a number of years (mothers NEVER retire).

My research is conducted in the laboratory as well as in the field.

I have two bosses (one is god and the other is my entire family).

I have received two honors in this field. (a son and a daughter)

My topic is considered to be the most difficult part of sociology.

(all moms will agree).

I have to work more than 14 hours every day. Sometimes even 24 hours are not enough and the challenges are tougher than many other professions. My compensation is in terms of mental satisfaction rather than money.”

I could see that the officer was thoroughly impressed. After completing the

licensing formalities, she came to the door to see me off.

This new viewpoint about my occupation made me feel much better on my way back home.

I was welcomed by my 5-year-old research assistant at the door. My new project (my 6-month old baby) was energetically practicing her ‘music’.

I had earned a small victory over the governmental red tape today. I was no longer merely ‘a mother ‘. Instead, I was now a highly placed functionary in a service vital to mankind – motherhood!

‘Mother ‘ – isn’t it a great title? Fit to be added to the nameplate on the door?

By this standard, grandmothers deserve to be called senior research officers, and great- grandmothers qualify as ‘research directors ‘. Aunts and other ladies of that age group can be called ‘research facilitators’!

Please share this with all mothers, grandmothers, great grandmothers, all ladies currently holding posts like this – they deserve it!

Photos courtesy of: Ambro, David Castillo Dominici / freedigitalphotos.net

Source……….. Alejandra B.…in http://www.ba-bamail.com

Natarajan

Message for the Day…”Keep your eyes pure. Fill your ears with stories of Divine; don’t allow them to listen to calumny. Use your tongue for uttering good, kind, and true words”

December 8, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

People have taught the eye, ear, and tongue the luxury of constant novelty. Now do the opposite. Turn your mind towards the good and examine every minute’s activities. Each deed is a chisel stroke shaping the rock of human personality. A wrong stroke may disfigure the rock. Therefore even the tiniest of acts must be done with great care and devotion. For a drowning person, even a reed is some support. So too to a person struggling in the sea of inborn desires (samskara), a few kind words might be of great help. No good deed is a waste; every bad deed has its consequence. So strive to avoid the slightest trace of evil activity. Keep your eyes pure. Fill your ears with stories of Divine; don’t allow them to listen to calumny. Use your tongue for uttering good, kind, and true words. Let it always remind you of God. Such constant effort will grant you victory.

This Engineer from a Village in Karnataka Won the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Award in London

December 8, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

Have a hobby that you love? Pursue it with passion and hard work. That is exactly what Raviprakash, an engineer from a small village in Karnataka, did. And his efforts were recognized in London, where he won a very prestigious award for wildlife photography. Here is what he has to say to other aspiring photographers.

“It is a dream come true,” says Raviprakash SS — last year’s winner of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year award in the ‘Amphibians and Reptiles’ category. “I won the category award for the picture titled Divine Snake – a shot of a green vine snake clicked from behind it, focussing only on the eye. That is the most memorable picture I have taken till now. It has always been one of my favourites,” he adds.

Born in Hosahalli village, located in the Malnad region of Karnataka, Raviprakash grew up amidst the beauty of the Western Ghats.\

Raviprakash SS

He was surrounded by rich biodiversity and a picturesque environment. It was there that he first developed his love for exploring nature and wildlife.

Raviprakash is interested in Macro Photography

“I was very interested in photography since childhood. During my high school days my father bought me a point and shoot camera, with which I used to capture all family functions or outings.”

Building upon this hobby later in life, Raviprakash began exploring macro photography techniques.

Divine Snake

“The macro mode interested me. I started by capturing flowers, butterflies, dew drops, etc. My interest went on developing. Based on the suggestions of my friends and mentors, I bought a DSLR camera about seven years ago,” he recounts. Macro photography is extreme close up photography of small objects; it captures them in such a way that the size of the subjects appears larger than the life size in the photograph.

On October 21, 2014, at the Natural History Museum in London, 37-year-old Raviprakash’s talent was recognized and he received the Wildlife Photographer of the Year award.

The prestigious award

Considered to be one of the most prestigious honours for wildlife photography, this award ceremony, which dates back to 1965, is organized every year by the Natural History Museum. The photographs are showcased at an exhibition in the Museum and appear on their website. They are also published in BBC Wildlife Magazine and other leading publications. Last year was the 50th year of the award, and the exhibition attracted nearly 1.5 lakh visitors.

A popular choice award was also introduced and Raviprakash won the second prize, based on worldwide voting.

The Museum calls for entries every year and participants can enter up to 24 photos. Last year, the competition received about 43,000 entries from 96 countries. The panel of judges includes people from different fields related to photography and the environment. There are 14 categories, with four finalists in each. Winners receive a cash prize of £ 1,250, and the trip to London is also sponsored.

Raviprakash is a software engineer by profession. Photography for him was always a weekend hobby.

Macro photography is very beautiful and colourful but very few people are exploring it well.

“The support given by my family and friends encouraged me to take it up more passionately. I did some reading and watched online videos. I had many mentors too, some of whom are guiding me even now. Once in a while, I used to visit my hometown, just to spend my days shooting. And after the award I started taking it a lot more seriously.”

Initially, after taking many pictures for about three years, Raviprakash felt that he was only documenting things — like seeing a butterfly and capturing its image. This became somewhat boring for the artist in him. Then, one of his mentors, Ganesh H. Shankar, formed a website called Creative Nature Photography.

The aim was to capture things in a unique and artistic manner, rather than just documenting them.]

“It has become a very interesting journey from then on. I am not really interested in capturing all the details of the subject. I am more interested in capturing in an artistic way,” says an enthusiastic Raviprakash. Currently posted in Bangalore, he plans to take up wildlife photography full time in the future.

Speaking about the equipment he uses, Raviprakash says, “I feel a lot of photographers these days think that only a high end camera can result in good pictures. But my award winning pictures are from an old Nikon D5000 camera.”

He also has some useful tips for amateur photographers who want to take up wildlife photography as a career.

1. Understand your equipment well because you don’t need expensive cameras. I am not against someone buying an advanced camera that will definitely help in taking better pictures. But ultimately it’s the person behind the camera who matters the most.

2. Some people think that wildlife photography is all about big cats and elephants. But you don’t need to visit wildlife sanctuaries to become a good photographer. Macro photography is very beautiful and colourful but very few people are exploring it well.

3. Understand your location and subject(s). Pay attention to factors like light, angles and moods.

4. Learn to click, click to learn — click as many pictures as possible for practical knowledge.

5. Background is as important as subject. Choose it carefully.

6. Share your pictures on various forums that are frequented by good photographers and be open to criticism.

7. Shoot in aperture/shutter priority/manual modes. Control your output rather than leaving everything to the camera to decide.

8. Don’t get bogged down by technical terms and details.

9. A two-hour field trip along with good photographers helps you gain more knowledge than two days of indoor workshops or online learning.

“Hard work always gives the right dividends. I hail from a small village. That’s where my journey started. I want to highlight that the result may not be visible overnight but if someone is interested in something they should pursue it passionately and should be open to criticism and learning,” concludes Raviprakash.

Source….Tanaya Singh in http://www.the betterindia .com\

Natarajan

ஒரு வானொலி இருந்திருந்தால்…

December 8, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

வெள்ள நாட்களில் சென்னையில் யாரும் யாருடனும் செல்பேசி/தொலைபேசி ஊடாகத் தொடர்புகொள்ள முடியவில்லை. நிமிடத்துக்கு ஒரு முறை செல்பேசி மூலம் ‘அப்டேட்’ கொடுப்பவர்கள் அன்றைக்கு யார் பாதுகாப்பாக இருக்கிறார்கள் என்றுகூட அறிந்துகொள்ள முடியாத சூழலில், பித்துப்பிடித்தவர்கள்போல் ஆயினர்.

எனக்கு வானொலிகளின் காலம் ஞாபகத்துக்கு வந்தது. எனக்குத் தெரிந்து இன்றைக்கு எந்த அலுவலகத்திலும் வானொலிப் பெட்டிகள் இல்லை. இப்போது செல்பேசிகள் டார்ச், வானொலி என்று எல்லா வசதிகளையும் உள்ளடக்கியவையாக மாறிவிட்டன. ஆனால், வீட்டுக்கு ஒரு சின்ன வானொலி இருந்திருந்தாலும் மழை பாதித்த நேரத்தில் பேட்டரியில் இயங்கவைத்து வெளியில் என்ன நிலவரம் என்பதை அறிந்துகொண்டிருக்கலாம். ‘இப்போது மட்டும் வானொலி இருந்திருந்தால்’ என்ற ஏக்கத்தில் இருந்தவர்களை அந்த நேரத்தில் பார்க்க முடிந்தது.

வானொலி நண்பன்

கடந்த ஒரு வார காலமாக சென்னை மக்கள் வெள்ளத்தால் பெரிதும் அவதிப்பட்டு வருவதை நாம் அறிவோம். நகர் முழுவதும் வெள்ளக்காடாக இருக்கிறது. கான்கிரீட் காடுகள் வெள்ளத்தில் மிதக்கின்றன. வெளியே எங்கும் செல்ல முடியவில்லை. மின்சாரம் இல்லை. அத்தியாவசியப் பொருட்களும் கிடைப்பதில் பெரும் தட்டுப்பாடு. தொலைத்தொடர்பு சாதனங்கள் அனைத்தும் செயலிழந்துவிட்டன.

இப்படியான சூழலுக்கு வானொலி மிகச் சிறந்த நண்பன். காரணம், அதற்கு குறைந்த சக்தி மின்சாரம் இருந்தால் போதும். இன்றைய தொழில்நுட்ப உலகத்தில் டைனமோ வானொலிப் பெட்டிகள் எல்லாம் சந்தையில் கிடைக்கின்றன. பத்து முறை சுற்றினால் பேட்டரி சார்ஜ் ஆகி இரண்டு மணி நேரம் பாடும். ஆனால், நாம் அதை மறந்துவிட்டோமே!

எனக்கு 75 வயது மதிக்கத்தக்க ஒரு வானொலி நண்பர் இருக்கிறார். செல்பேசி சேவை கிடைத்த பிறகு, நேற்று பேசினேன். பதற்றத்தோடு, எப்படி இருக்கிறீர்கள் என்று கேட்டேன். அகில இந்திய வானொலியில் வானிலை அறிக்கையைத் தொடர்ந்து கேட்டதன் பயனாக தனக்கு ஒரு வாரத்துக்குத் தேவையான பொருட்களை எல்லாம் வாங்கி வைத்துக்கொண்டதைச் சொன்னார். பாதுகாப்பான இடம் நோக்கி நகர்ந்துவிட்டதையும் சொன்னார்.

ஹாம் ரேடியோ தெரியுமா?

வானொலிப் பெட்டியைப் பற்றிப் பேசும்போது இன்னும் ஒன்று எனக்கு நினைவுக்கு வருகிறது. நம்மில் எத்தனை பேருக்கு ஹாம் அல்லது அமெச்சூர் வானொலிகளைப் பற்றித் தெரியும்? போலீஸாரின் கைகளில் உள்ள வயர்லெஸ் வாக்கி டாக்கிகளைப் பார்த்திருப்பீர்கள். அதனை ‘வாக்கி டாக்கி’ என்று கூறுவதே தவறு. ‘வாக்கி டாக்கி’ என்பது நகரின் பெரிய மால்களிலும் தியேட்டர்களிலும் உள்ள பணியாளர்கள் பயன்படுத்துவார்களே, அதைத்தான் வாக்கி டாக்கி என்பர். போலீஸ் வைத்திருப்பது வயர்லெஸ் வானொலிகள்.

வாக்கி டாக்கி என்பவை 500 மீட்டர் முதல் ஒரு கி.மீ. சுற்றளவு மட்டுமே தனது சக்தியைப் பொருத்து எடுக்கும் திறன் கொண்டது. ஆனால், போலீஸார் வைத்திருப்பது 10 கி.மீ. சுற்றளவு வரை எடுக்கக் கூடியது. ‘ரிப்பீட்டர்கள்’ கிடைத்தால் மேலும் 50 முதல் 100 கி.மீ வரை கூடத் தொடர்புகொள்ளலாம்.

ஜப்பானியர்களின் பயன்பாடு

எதற்காக இதைச் சொல்கிறேன் என்றால், காவலர்கள் வைத்திருக்கும் இதே போன்ற கருவியை நீங்களும் வைத்துக்கொள்ள அரசு அனுமதி அளிக்கிறது. நான் வைத்திருக்கிறேன், உரிமத்துடன். யாருடன் பேச? உலகம் முழுவதும் நம்மைப் போல் உரிமம் வாங்கி வைத்துள்ள அனைவருடனும். இப்படி உரிமம் வாங்கிப் பயன்படுத்துபவர்களைத்தான் நாம் ஹாம் வானொலி உபயோகிப்பாளர்கள் என்கிறோம். இதுபோன்ற ஆபத்துக் காலங்களில் இந்த ஹாம் வானொலிதான் தகவல் தொடர்புக்கு உலகெங்கும் கை கொடுத்தது, கொடுத்தும்வருகிறது.

உலகிலேயே அதிகம் ஹாம் ரேடியோக்களைப் பயன்படுத்துபவர்கள் ஜப்பானியர்கள். அவர்கள் அதிக பேரிடர்களை எதிர்கொள்வதே இதற்குக் காரணம்.

ஹாம் வானொலியைப் பயன்படுத்த எந்த ஒரு செல்பேசி கோபுரமும் தேவையில்லை. மின்சாரமும் குறைந்த அளவே தேவை. எங்கே இருக்கிறோமோ அந்த நொடியில் அங்கு இருந்து உலகம் முழுவதும் தொடர்புகொள்ள முடியும். மாதம் ஆனதும் சர்வதேச அழைப்புகளுக்குப் பில் தொகை எகிருமே என்ற கவலையும் வேண்டாம். தனிநபர்களால் வாங்க முடியாத சூழலில் ஒவ்வொரு பகுதியிலும் தொடர்புகள் தெரிவிக்கும் வகையில் அமைப்புகளேனும் வாங்கிப் பயன்படுத்தலாம்.

எனக்குத் தெரிந்து சென்னையில் உள்ள எந்த ஊடகமும் ஹாம் வானொலிப் பிரிவைத் தன்னகத்தே கொண்டதாகத் தெரியவில்லை. இனியேனும் யோசிப்போமா?

– தங்க. ஜெய்சக்திவேல், உதவிப் பேராசிரியர், இதழியல் மற்றும் தொடர்பியல் துறை, சென்னைப் பல்கலைக்கழகம்.

தொடர்புக்கு: ardicdxclub@yahoo.co.in

Source….தங்க.ஜெய்சக்திவேல் in http://www.tamil.thehindu.com

Natarajan