Air Pollution and its bad effects

key words: air pollution, types of pollution, causes, remedial measures

The other day there was a  report in the  news paper –

“Air pollution is the largest cause for strokes, says a study.”

There are different types of pollution – Water pollution, air pollution , soil pollution etc. The causes and effects of pollution are many. In good olden days our ancestors led a calm and peaceful life. They breathed fresh and pure air, drank pure water from streams and raised crops from unpolluted soil. Now it is very difficult for us to even imagine such a situation.

What is pollution?

 It is the contamination of the environment due to introduction of different contaminants and causes various ill effects on humans, animals and existing structures. Pollution happens in different forms, types and  intensities. The main causes for the pollution are large scale industries and the ever increasing number of vehicles on the road. Burning of fossil fuels like coal and petrol emits sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere.

The effects of air pollution are different types of lung problems like asthma, cough and, burning of eyes. But as per the above mentioned  paper report air pollution is a major contributor. for stroke leading to death and different disabilities. The other factors contributing to heart problems are smoking, poor diet and lack of physical exercise.

The control methods of air pollution are: Use of public mode of transport, reduce the use of electricity and follow the 3R principles of Reduce Reuse and Recyle.

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life style management

ഇന്നത്തെ ലോകത്തിൽ എല്ലാ പ്രായത്തിലുമുള്ള ആളുകൾ - ഒരു വിദ്യാർത്ഥി മുതൽ മുതിർന്ന വ്യക്തി വരെ വിവിധ പരീക്ഷണങ്ങൾക്കും ക്ലേശങ്ങൾക്കും വിധേയരാകുന്നു.

ഈ പ്രശ്നങ്ങൾക്കുള്ള പ്രധാന കാരണങ്ങൾ എന്തൊക്കെയാണ്?

പലതും!

ഒരു വിദ്യാർത്ഥിയുടെ കാര്യം എടുക്കണോ? ഒരു നല്ല എഞ്ചിനീയറിംഗ് കോളേജിലേക്കോ മെഡിക്കൽ കോളേജിലേക്കോ പ്രവേശനം നേടണമെങ്കിൽ, അവൻ പ്രവേശന പരീക്ഷയിൽ വിജയിക്കണം. അത് ശരിക്കും ബുദ്ധിമുട്ടുള്ള ഒരു പ്രശ്നമാണ്. പിന്നെ ബിരുദാനന്തരം 

Water Conservation -Its importance

 

Water conservation – the steps to be adopted

Water conservation refers to the preservation, control and development of water resources, both surface and groundwater, and prevention of pollution.

Water is very essential for humans as well as other living beings for their sustenance.  It is also required for irrigation and for different industries. Water is a precious natural  resource and it should be used cautiously. We have to depend on rain for the water. The wastage of water should be minimum  and at the same time the possibility of using recycled water should be explored.

Water saving Tips

·         Check all faucets, pipes and toilets for leaks.

·         Install water saving shower heads and ultra-low-flush toilets.

·         Take shorter showers.

·         Turn off the water while brushing your teeth or shaving.

·         Defrost frozen food in the refrigerator.

·         Rinse vegetables in a full sink or pan of water.

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Welcome 2022

Time and tide wait for no man, thus goes the old adage.

 Year 2022 has just ushered in.

Wish you all a very happy and prosperous new year

with full of hope and health.

Doctors advise that all persons (children and grownups) should have an annual check up of their body to find out any disorder and take corrective steps. But seldom one has a mental check to identify their drawbacks and take corrective steps. In the present day world, majority of persons are undergoing mental tension and  worry resulting in agony.

No doubt every body would like to lead a healthy and happy life. But unfortunately for various reasons people are not able to remain happy. It follows the old dictum:

                        “ Water water every where                           

                            But not a drop to drink”

So what to do?

Fill your mind with pleasant thoughts. 

Be positive.

Have balanced food, regular physical exercise.

Do your duty and forget about the result.

Once again:

Wish you all a very happy year 2022!

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Vaastu – The science of a vibrant house

Everybody in this world want to lead a happy, peaceful and comfortable life. Normally a person may spend about ten to twelve hours outside in connection with his office work, business or other activities. The remaining time, he will be inside the house with his family members. He may like to have a healthy and  peaceful environment in his house.

A house should not be a dead structure with four walls and a roof over it. It must be a place emanating healthy vibrations. For this, according to vasstu, the layout and orientation of the house has a major role to play.

The word  'Vaastu' in Sanskrit means 'dwelling'.  Vaastu Shastra is originated in India. It deals with  architecture and governs town planning and designing of man-made structures.  It aims in providing guidelines for proper construction so that the inhabitants can lead a comfortable life  in consonance with the cosmic energies. It is considered that this science was developed during the period of 6000 BC and 3000 BC. According to Vasstu Shastras five elements  -  Earth, Fire, Water, Air  and Sky influence our houses. It also emphasizes  that the house should be so constructed that positive forces override the negative forces. Some people of the modern day are of the opinion that in the present context of living in  muti storey buildings with air conditioners and septic tanks in the compound itself, is it possible to construct a building completely as per the vasasthu guide lines? No doubt one has to adapt it as per the present situations without deviating much from the original philosophy..

General Principles of Vaastu

 

1.	Shape of the plot should be either rectangular or square.
2.	Ratio of length to width should be less than 2.
3.	Doors facing south are not  advisable.
4.	House next to temple or grave-yard should be avoided.
5.	All doors and windows facing east and north should be kept open in daytime whereas those facing south and west should be kept closed when not in use.
	.
6.	No one should sleep or sit under an iron beam.
7.	The master bed room should be on southwest corner of the building.
8.	While sleeping head should be kept in south or west direction.
9	One should use light colors for bedroom walls, bed-sheets, and nightdress.
10.	The seating arrangement in drawing room should be such that persons should face either north or east direction.
11.	Important cupboards should be kept in such a way that the person opening it should face south direction.
12.	Puja room should be kept in northeast side. One should sit facing east when praying.
13.	Kitchen should be kept in southeast or in northwest only. Person should face east or north when cooking.
14.	Everybody should face east or north while eating.

 

 Vaasthu and Modern day Construction

The science of vaasthu was developed about 5000 years ago. It is not possible to follow completely the principles as suggested at that time. Due to urbanization, people are compelled to move to flats in multistory buildings. But still the principles can be followed to the extent possible. They are:

1. Open space must be left all around the building.

2. The site should be a good square or a rectangle if possible..

3.  An open well or a bore well should essentially be there in the North East..

4. Kitchens are preferred in the South East or North West.

5. It is not advisable to have balconies in the South and West.

6. Stair cases should be avoided in the North East.

7. Main entrance into the building should be from East, North, North East, West or North West.

8. There should not be any big tree in north or east of the plot.

9. Rainwater should flow from south to north and west to east.

10 Walls should not be painted in black, sky blue or red colours.

11. It is advisable to keep the door of bathroom closed at all times.

12. When the television is switched off, the screen may be covered with a clean cloth.

13.No mirror should be fixed in the bed room facing bed.

Vaasthu Tips for a healthy and happy Family Life

Tips for Peace:

Main Entrance

 -Have  auspicious symbols engraved on your main door.
- Avoid blue and black colour  as far as possible for walls..

 Sleeping Directions

·         Sleep with head towards South or East to absorb  the positive energy that encircles your bed

Tips for Health

. *Face East or West during eating to enhance digestion system of your body.

 *Have a Basil or Tulsi plant at home. Avoid rubber plant, cactus and bonsai

*Staircase must not be at the centre of the house. Avoid kitchen and toilet on the Northeast side.

 
*Wooden cots without any storage space are desirable.

Tips for Wealth and Prosperity 

·         Do not block  the  main entrance door by wires and other unwanted materials.

·         Keep brooms and mops out of  sight.

·         Always keep the desks and tables clean. This will ensure smooth flow of money and wealth into your living space.

·         The locker of your house can be in the Southwest corner

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SLOPE STABILITY

           Key words  slope stability , causes, shearing strength

Introduction

Land  slides are the downward and outward  movements of  materials on the slope. The reason for this is the lack of required shear strength. The slope materials may be composed of natural rock and soil, artificial fills. Slides can occur in natural slopes as well as man- made structures and embankments.

Great care should be taken in the selection of good construction material and also suitable construction methods to avoid sliding of slopes.

Causes of slope failures

The causes of slope failures may be external or internal.

External: Steepening of the slopes, depositing of material along the edge of the slopes and earthquakes.

Internal: Decrease in shearing resistance due to excess pore water pressure, leaching of salts, softening and breakage of cementation bonds.

The other activities which may provoke land slides are: Rapid draw down, seepage of water, erosion, heavy rainfall, excavation at the toe of the slope, excavation at the head of the slope, blocking of the drainage.

Basic concepts of stability analysis

All sloping surfaces are subjected to shearing stresses .The shear available  should overcome the developed stresses. If the shearing stresses are more, then a surface of rupture will be formed at the verge of failure.

1. Finding the most severely stressed internal surface and the connected shearing stress along the surface   Finding the shearing strength along the surface

Instead of resorting to rigorous mathematical analysis, a reasonable shape of failure is assumed and then the stability of the soil above the assumed surface is analysed.

Rate of land movement

The movements associated with land slides can be grouped under four heads.

-  Creep, pre-failure movements, movements during slides, post failure movements.

Creep may range from 1 to  few millimeters per year. Heavily over consolidated clays experience post failure movements, the speed of movements ranging from 0 to 6 m per year.

Importance of the Factor of Safety on slope stability analysis.

It is a measure of limiting the stress or strain so as to ensure the safety of the structure. As such, the working stress in any earth structure is much less than the shear strength of the soil.

The Factor of Safety may be defined as the ratio of shearing resistance available (τf ) along a slip surface to the total mobilized or developed shearing stress.( τ ).

F= τf / τ

Both cohesion and friction contribute to the shearing strength

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Kuttan Nair forgot his keys ( a micro storey)

 

       Kuttan Nair 

                

Kuttan Nair was returning from his daughter’s house. The village road was almost empty.  The sun was  approaching the western horizon. A group of cranes flew  over the green fields. In the nearby play ground children were playing football.  Suddenly he remembered that he had forgotten  to take his house keys. When he came yesterday to his   daughter’s house, he had kept it over the table in the sitting room. He turned back and started walking towards his daughter’s house.

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Kuttan (Ku) Nair was  staying in a remote village in Kerala. The house  was constructed by his ancestors   years back.  It   was  made out of mud.   Even in summer, the inside of the house was quite cool   His  wife Sulochana (Su)  and daughter Parvati  (Pa) were with him.  There were a large number of coconut, arecanut, jack fruit, teakwood trees in the house  compound.  Also he  was nurturing a quite big  vegetable garden. The surplus vegetables were  sold in the nearby market. In his house compound there was a small  pond. Water was drawn from the pond. In front of the house there was a small stream. Beyond the stream was paddy fields.  Altogether it gave  really a panoramic view.

Ku’ spent most of his time in the field and garden.  He was able to raise sufficient money from the sale of the agricultural products. There was a Krishna temple near  his house. Pa’ and Su’ used to go to the temple regularly in the evening. Once in a year in the month of October there used to be a  pooram  festival in the temple. The celebration  lasted for three days.  Various cultural programs like Ottan thullal , Dance, Chakyar kooth   etc  were being enacted during this period.

Su’  spent her spare time in reading books. There was a small library  near to her house. She used to get books from  there. She  was interested in painting also. She taught  few student painting.

Pa’ was studying in a nearby college. She took part in various cultural activities and won many  prizes. She also acted  as the Editor of the college magazine.

After graduation, she joined as a teacher in the nearby school. At the same time she continued with  her  cultural activities.   By the time her parents started searching a suitable boy for her marriage. They gave advertisement in a local news paper. Pa’  told her parents that she was not interested in marrying a boy working in  the  middle  east. She wanted the boy to be near to her place. After lot of searches, they could identify a boy from the neighboring town. He was working in the state government revenue department.

The marriage was solemnized in the traditional style. Only close relatives were invited for the marriage  After marriage,  Pa’ shifted to her husband’s house. She was happy with her in laws. Father- in- law was a retired government servant. The school was very near to her house. She could come to the house for lunch also.

It was a Sunday evening. Pa’ was seeing a cinema in the TV. Mother in law  was  in  the kitchen preparing evening tea.  At that time she got a whatsup message. After reading the message, she started crying  loudly. Mother in law came running from the kitchen enquiring about the reason of the cry. Pa’ was not in a state to talk. Mother- in- law  sprinkle some water on her face. Then she murmered that her mother was no more.

Pa’ along with her husband immediately rushed   to her house. Almost all the neighbors were there. Her immediate neighbor  started consoling her. She paid respect to her departed mother and sat near the dead body. She could not imagine that her mother would meet such an untimely death. She was told that mother was watering the kitchen garden. Suddenly she felt some uneasiness and  fell down.  She was immediately taken to the near by hospital  but was  declared as brought dead. After the death - ceremonies  she returned to her husband’s  house. She requested her father to come and stay with her. But he did not agree. He told hat he has to look after his paddy fields and vegetable garden. But  he agreed to come to her house in the week end.

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Ku'  walked a bit fast. It was getting dark. Children in the nearby houses started chanting  prayers slightly in a louder voice. He opened the gate of her daughter’s house. Walked towards  the portico of the house. He was about to knock on the door. At that time, he heard a conversation   in a very  low tone between Pa’ and her husband.

“I don’t think the old man will die in the near future.”

“He  is  keeping good health now also.”

‘When he dies, I  want   to sell  the property and purchase

a new flat in the town.”

“That will be nice. I am completely fed up with this  village  life.”

Ku’   could  not  believe his  ears. He was till now thinking that his daughter was  not so greedy and   was loving her father very much.

Ku’   collected   the  keys. He could not tell  any  thing  to Pa’. He came out of the house and started walking  to his  house. Old memories cropped up in his mind. He could not control his sorrow. Tears rolled down from his eyes. 

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