News

The Hindu : At the Discover Vaishnovi exhibition organised recently by the Chennai-based Vaishnovi Infrstructure Engineering on a two-acre plot on Tumkur Road, the display included a diverse range of infrastructure and mining equipment such as excavators, bulldozers, motor graders, cranes and mobile crushers.The company commands 50 per cent market share in the refurbished equipment space and the products are in demand in the construction industry due to their versatility and cost effectiveness.Vaishnovi is one of the very companies in the organised sector that is providing the market with the choice of acquiring pre-owned equipment.Major Japanese manufacturers such as Komatsu, Kobelco and Hitachisupply the pre-owned equipment.Import“On specific request and firm order, we import and provide any equipment that may be of utility to the construction industry,” said N. Raghav Reddy, Managing Director of Vaishnovi.Its product line includes excavators ranging from six to 70 tonnes and with optional attachments such as rock breaker, clamp shovel, longer attachments, short sticks for tunnel and constrained application and 20 tonne to 150 tonne cranes, as well as motor-grader and compactor that ensure better compaction, profile and camber. “Pre-owned equipment segment is a boon to small and medium players in the industry. Most of the major BOT or BOOT contractors do depend on these players. The main contractors cannot afford to own the required number of equipment for projects and hardly posses about 40 per cent of the machines which are required. The rest is supplemented by the small and medium segment,” Mr. Reddy said.The demand for pre-owned equipment will see a steady growth due to the boom in the construction business, he added.A.B. SUDHINDRA…More

The Hindu : A cave for relaxation!How would you like holidaying in a resort that reminded you of a cave? Or even hold official meetings there? Travel back to the pre-historic times at contemporary Guhantara, says RANJANI GOVINDThe hunter of yore lived in a cave with its wallspainted with plant colour to enliven the surroundings. Taking you back to those days with modern ingenuity is an underground cave resort ‘Guhantara’ near Kanakapura Main Road in the city, just declared open by Opal Leisure as both an official and holiday getaway.The architecture transports you back to an antiquated age of dark stoned earthen-finished roofs and rock-like walls, but the marvel is in its appearance with present-day construction materials oozing contemporary sensibilities, nevertheless welled up with ethnic appeal.Mud-encased tunnelsAt the entrance to Guhantara, you see lush green undulating meadows, trees and plants swaying to the breeze amidst some terracotta and stone sculptures.It’s only when you are whisked away through a series of mud-encased tunnels that you realise the whole structure is underground!“We have brokennew ground by going underground,” quips a director from Opal Leisure, who hopes to create a one-of-its-kind record.The tunnels are lined with sculptures, paintings and frescoes to add to the rustic authenticity, what with every room entrance sporting a typical village door with wooden cross-bars and jute threading.The tunnels open to a central lounge-cum-auditorium ‘Rangamantapa’ with a gigantic spider-like skylight inviting the best of natural light that spreads widely across the restaurant ‘Sambhojana.’The warmly lit tunnels that meet with skylights at defined junctions soon lead you to the accommodation rooms, deftly planned as caved enclosures with several hidden spaces allocated for housing the mod-cons with attached wash rooms, and walls that showcase a pastoral ambience artistically.The abundance of rustic appeal and green concepts is extended to the balcony overlooking an artificial lake fed by rainwater harvesting.The lounge-cum-auditorium,The auditorium doubles up as an amphitheatre which can house 700…More

The Hindu : Bio-energy: A potential sourceof clean powerWith demand for power ever on the increase, it’s time that we caught up with the environment-friendly generation techniques, says MYTHILI G. NIRVANBangalore is the IT capital of India. And power is a key factor to ensure it stays ahead in the race for global supremacy as an investment destination. Power has down the ages been the backbone of industry and continues to play a significant role in industrial development.In the context of Bangalore, power has two dimensions. One is the efficient supply, and an even bigger dimension is clean and sustainable power generation technology.While hydel and thermal power generation techniques have been used here, a renewable source needs to be promoted extensively. Bio-energy is one potential source that needs to be tapped, says Ramakumar Purushotham, Associate Vice President-Energy Upstream, Enzen Global, an energy and environment consulting firm.Easy accessBio-energy is stored energy from the sun that is contained in materials such as plant matter and animal waste, known as biomass. Biomass is considered renewable because it is replenished more quickly when compared to the millions of years required to replenish fossil fuels. The wide variety of biomass fuel sources include agricultural residue, pulp/paper mill residue, urban wood waste, forest residue, energy crops, landfill methane and animal waste.“Energy in the form of electricity, heat, steam, and fuel can be derived from these sources through conversion methods such as direct combustion, anaerobic digestion and gasification. The best near-term economic opportunity for biomass in the Indian context, particularly in heat and power applications, is biomass gasification or methanation process,” says Ramakumar.Waste disposalThis is one of the major environmental challenges being faced by many cities in India.Most of the cities don’t have adequate facilities for waste collection, transportation and disposal. Existing landfills are full beyond capacity.As a result, more than three-fourths of solid waste being generated in the city is not disposed off in…More

The Hindu : How to protect propertyN.C.S. RAGHAVANARVIND RAGHAVANVarious types of injunctions can be obtained by a person to protect his/her property. They are:Permanent/perpetual injunctionThis is granted to prevent a breach of an obligation. The term ‘obligation’ is defined in Section 2 (a) of the Specific Relief Act. It includes every duty enforceable by law. In obtaining such an injunction, the plaintiff has to prove a legal right and its violation. The injunction continues forever and is granted only by means of a decree. Perpetual injunctions are governed by Section 38 of the Specific Relief Act under Chapter VIII. The court while granting perpetual injunction would have to consider two aspects: lawful possession and lawful ownership.Temporary InjunctionDuring the pendency of a suit for perpetual injunction a plaintiff would be entitled to seek temporary injunction under Order 39 Rule 1 and 2 of the Code of Civil Procedure. Such an injunction is essentially guided by four factors: Existence of a prima facie case; the balance of convenience of the parties; the conduct of the party approaching the court is not blameworthy; an irreparable loss is caused to the party approaching the court.The temporary injunction can be either in respect of restraining the defendant from interfering with the plaintiff’s possession or it could be an order restraining the defendant from carrying out certain acts on the land. Further, an injunction essentially is a judicial process by which one who has invaded or is threatening to invade the rights, legal or equitable, of another is restrained from continuing or commencing such wrongful acts. It is an order of a court preventing a party from doing that which he/she is under a legal obligation not to do or directing the performance of a particular act or thing.Mandatory injunctionThis injunction may be prohibitory or mandatory. Mandatory injunction is governed by Section 39 of the Specific Relief Act. A prohibitory injunction forbids a person…More

The Hindu : For that stylish touchStunning wall finishes, efficient kitchen products, chic pottery…the choice is endless at The Hindu-MetroPlus Lifestyle Show, says RANJANI GOVIND— Photos: Bhagya Prakash K.Sheer variety: Paintings on aluminium foil, figurines from Kenya and colourful lampshades at the exhibition.The Hindu-MetroPlus Lifestyle shows in every city have been a heady mix of foreign and Indian sell, a purposeful blend of lifestyle and home accessories with an envious range of furniture and home decor. Step into the Bangalore edition and get floored by thrilling offers.Flag it off with some colour. Asian Paints offers their new Wood Pallette, a scratch-proof, coloured interior wood finish which can be used on MDF and particle boards, plywood and veneers. Wall finishes in Asian Paints’ Royale Play offers metallic hues and satin variants for walls too. “You should know that our melamine palette is an acid-cured system offering resistance to stains along with its non-yellowing properties,” officials say. To create an interplay of transparent and opaque finishes, the 20 clear shades also could be used to highlight the natural grains in your furniture.After colouring your wall, enhancing it with paintings! Get into the Mumbai stall, Sai Arts and Frames, and take a look at art on aluminium foil. “We get this Indian work done from the U.K. and we also have eurograph mat finishes which is in demand,” says the dealer. The hot stamping machine work (used in Hallmark and Archies greeting cards) art piecessell in a range of Rs. 2,000-Rs. 12,500.For snob valueBally Ceramics, with sanitaryware, kitchenware and tiles, has Italian products with bath tubs in acrylic that double up as Jacuzzi spaces. Six kinds of water outlet pressures with handi-flexi shower and tap controls make up the rectangular and nearly-hexagonal shaped tub which also has head rests for snob value! Even the flushing systems have gold decorations and their toughened glass bowls that replace the staid ceramic sinks speak…More

The Hindu : At the North India Top Company (NITC) stall of the MetroPlus Lifestyle Show, what grabs one’s attention is the circular Clothes Dryer (Rs. 4,400) suited for winter and rainy seasons. The airbag, when mounted on the tripod, looks like a small parachute which can be dismantled into a box in three minutes.The mechanism is simple with a blower and heater that generates hot air which is deftly locked up in the airbag that holds clothes hung with clothes hanger inside. The airbag is zipped tight and has vents to take out the moisture and air that gets collected. Eighteen clothes can be used for drying that works with an automatic timer which can be set from 15 minutes to three hours.So, no mess in your balcony anymore says the New Delhi company’s catchline, as the dryer is a complete indoor machinery.Rajiv Mehra, Managing Director, says, the equipment can help you dry a few clothes in minutes even if you switch it on half-an-hour before you leave for your meeting! If you are looking for more features, it can even double up as a room heater if you have the tripod and blower on.NITC also has nature-friendly mosquito repellent patches and Talking Pedometres which record your walking diastance and calories imported from China, Taiwan and Korea.RG…More

The Hindu : The BDA’s plans for formation of five new layouts are in limbo, lamented a media report a few days ago. When real estate activity is not politics but mere infrastructure development, why should the acquisition of land, fixing of compensation and allotment of guidelines wait for political decisions? Though these are mere administrative actions, fresh approaches to these issues are the prerogative of the elected representatives, as such activities are always for the benefit of people as a whole. “This is why the new layout plans are in hibernation” explains a senior bureaucrat.There are many examples of delays and even abandonment of programmes designed to promote growth in the real estate sector in and around Bangalore. For example, it was first the change in leadership from one Chief Minister to another after the last Assembly elections in the year 2004 which affected the city’s plans for progress.The policies of the Bangalore Agenda Task Force (BATF), which was the vehicle for coordinating Bangalore’s infrastructural build-up, were abandoned under the guise of election reverses in rural areas because of the city-oriented development policies of the previous government!Later, it was the change in government under a coalition between the JD(S) and the BJP which opened up controversies in certain projects such as the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor. And then, the short-lived BJP-JD(S) remarriage, which did not really start functioning!Administrative machineryMany of us believe that the administration of the State is in the hands of the executives. If it is so, why should a change in government affect the implementation of ongoing projects? One can understand that new legislation and policy changes require parliamentary or legislative stamp, meaning that execution of rules and regulations only falls within the domain of the administrator.Real estate growth in Bangalore received a shot in the arm after the city got the ‘Silicon Valley’ tag. Demand for residential accommodation increased mainly from the IT sector…More

The Hindu : Excess fluoride in our waterS. VISWANATHTake a look at what the situation is in many parts of the countryGood drinking water should contain minerals necessary for our body. Fluoride, for example, is one such mineral which in small proportions is excellent especially for our teeth. The same mineral in excess starts causing harm to the body.If fluoride is in excess of 1.50 mg/litre of water consuming such water can cause dental fluorosis and if it is too much in excess the body faces the problem of skeletal fluorosis.Dental fluorosis is the first visible sign of excess fluoride consumption and is shown as white or brown mottled teeth. Pitting of teeth may also occur.Since most rural habitations and many urban habitations depend on deep ground water, some method is necessary to check the presence of fluoride. The 11th Plan document recently finalised by the Planning Commission puts the issue in perspective.It says that “there are about 2.17 lakh quality-affected habitations in the country with more than half of the habitations containing excess iron (1, 18,088). This is followed by fluoride (31,306), salinity (23,495), nitrate (13,958) and arsenic (5,029) in that order. There are about 25,000 habitations affected with multiple problems.” In Karnataka alone, more than 5,838 habitations report fluoride in excess of 1.50 mg/litre.The removal processVarious methods of de-fluoridation of water are available. These include household-level de-fluoridation using activated alumina to community-level de-fluoridation plants. While these work well under careful supervision and ownership, many have failed to survive the test of time simply due to apathy or difficulties in maintenance.However, a recent programme funded by the Government of Karnataka in 60 villages in four taluks has shown promising results.NGO roleThe programme being implemented by BIRD-K, a NGO, seeks to provide rooftop rainwater harvesting in 5,000 and 6,000 litre sump tanks in individual households.Further, treated catchments collect water and store them in underground tanks. Efforts are also…More

The Hindu : Aloha Learning Centre, HampankattaFive students of Aloha Learning Centre, Hampankatta, who excelled in the state level abacus and mental arithmetic competition held at Bangalore will represent Karnataka in the national competition to be held at Chennai on December 29.INPUT BY JAIDEEP SHENOY…More

The Hindu : Is the generation next cut out for the task of shouldering the onerous responsibility of keeping alive our culture and tradition? Do they have the necessary inclination to promote, preserve and further the various art forms handed down to us by the previous generation?The first Kalavikasa Sahitya Sammelan organized by the Dakshina Kannada district unit of Kannada Sahitya Parishat here sought to find answers to some of these questions.The brain child of Pradeep Kumar Kalkura, president of the Parishat, the Sammelan was a mix of scholarly discussion on various facets of literature on the one hand and promotion of various art forms such as acting, doll making, folk dance and singing, preparation of handicrafts and group singing on the other hand.The latter half of the activities at the Sammelan is the one which we wanted to promote and target, he says.Traditional approachEarlier knowledge systems were based on individual experience and our elders reading of the natural surroundings around them. They could tell the exact time by merely seeing the position of the Sun in the sky or predict a rainfall by hearing the frogs croak or predict a mango crop based on the cry of a Nightingale. But even the suggestion that such a knowledge system existed may baffle our present generation, he adds.But at the Sammelan, students were given a free hand to explore some of these basic art forms and kindle their creative side.It is not that the students do not have the potential, but it is a matter of guiding them in this direction, he adds. Besides, the Sammelan was organised in such a manner that it catered to the students we had in mind and all the activities were planned accordingly, Mr. Kalkura notes.The students on the other hand did not mind the fact that they were at the centre stage of an activity aimed at kindling their creative instincts. They…More