THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The trade unions of the Kerala State Electricity Board have warned that they will hold an indefinite protest if the management goes ahead with the Rs 8,200-crore smart meter project. The development comes after KSEB chairman and managing director Rajan N Khobragade convened a hurriedly-called meeting of the trade union officer bearers at Vaidyuthu Bhavan, Pattom, on Thursday to inform them of the Board’s decision to go ahead with the smart meter project lest they lose the central funds.

Prior to the talks with the Board’s chairman and other directors, the employees belonging to the various trade unions held a protest in front of Vaidyuthi Bhavan. 

The Board informed the trade unions about their decision to implement the first phase of the smart meter project as they claimed that they could not afford to lose the central subsidy. They also demanded to know whether there is an alternative proposal for implementing the 35 lakhs smart meters on the TOTEX (total cost of expenditure combining capital expenditure and operational expenditure) model. This irked the trade union leaders as they have been protesting against this smart meter project since last September.

S Harilal, general secretary of the KSEB Workers’ Association (CITU), told TNIE that it has been evident that the Board has so far not submitted the alternative proposal envisaged by the various trade unions so far.   

“Our alternative proposal was that C-DAC, the country’s premier R & D institution, has been keen on awarding the provision of indigenous technology in the procurement of smart energy meters for KSEB. Also, a Special Purpose Vehicle should be constituted if we are going through an open-market purchase. They are against the SPV as then there is no scope for corruption”, said Harilal.

All the trade unions, including the ruling CITU, AITUC and INTUC, informed the Board about their strong disapproval of the TOTEX model as it would only compound the consumers’ woes. 

As per the existing schedule, the trade unions had decided to hold statewide vehicle rallies highlighting the consequences of implementing the smart meter project under the TOTEX model. On July 5, more than 10,000 employees of the KSEB are scheduled to hit the streets in front of Vaidyuthi Bhavan.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:  The state government will initiate steps to impart training to maintain primary health for children at the public schools in the state, Minister for General Education V Sivankutty has said. He was speaking at the inauguration of the “IHNA Australia Health Project” at Thiruvallam VHSS School for Girls on Friday.

IHNA Australia Health Project aims to make the children of higher secondary schools in Kerala into full-fledged first-aid and CPR care experts. It is implemented by the Institute of Health Nursing Australia (IHNA), which has been working in the field of nursing and health in Australia for the past 20 years.

The minister said it is commendable that IHNA Australia has decided to provide training to the children of 100 aided and unaided schools in Kerala in the project’s first phase. In many developed countries, students get CPR training and have a first-aid course right from high school.

IHNA Kerala CEO Dini Domini who presided over said  Kerala could become an example for India by bringing many progressive changes in the field of education. IHNA media advisor Thiruvallam Bhasi, school principal Janu M S, school manager Suresh, councillor D Sivankutty, BNV Trust chairperson M Ishwari Amma, Cordova public school principal Salin Raj, and Pappanamkode Ajayakumar spoke.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Three men, including a soldier, were handed life imprisonment for murdering a 30-year-old woman at Amboori in the rural parts of Thiruvananthapuram district. Amboori natives Akhil Nair, 24; his brother Rahul Nair, 27; and their friend Adarsh Nair, 23, were sentenced for life by Additional Sessions court judge K Vishnu.

The court had earlier found them guilty of murdering Rakhi Mol, a 30-year-old resident of Thirupuram near Neyyattinkara, four years ago.

The convicts have also been ordered to pay a penalty of Rs 4 lakh each. Public prosecutors M P Geetha and M Salahudeen appeared for the prosecution. Salahudeen said the trio were found guilty of murder and destruction of evidence.

The murder occurred on June 21, 2019. According to the prosecution, Akhil, who worked in the Army, killed Rakhi with the help of two others. Akhil was having an affair with Rakhi, who then worked at a private firm in Kalamassery.

Even while he was maintaining a relationship with Rakhi, Akhil befriended another woman from Anthiyoorkonam and got engaged to her. The photos of the engagement function were uploaded on social media, and Rakhi happened to see those. Bitter over the turn of events, Rakhi warned Akhil that she would not allow the marriage to take place. 

Worried that Rakhi might sabotage his marriage, Akhil, with the help of two others, sought to kill her. He called Rakhi to the Neyyattinkara bus stand on the pretext of taking her to his newly built house. He took her in a car and headed towards Amboori via Dhanuvachapuram. During the journey, Akhil and Adarsh throttled Rakhi using the car’s seat belt. Rahul, who was behind the wheels, revved up the engine to prevent Rakhi’s cries from being heard by others.

ALSO READ | Amboori Rakhi murder case: Army man, two others found guilty 

The body was later moved to Akhil’s house and buried in a pit. The body was sprinkled with salt to expedite its decay. Acting on a man-missing complaint, the Poovar police managed to detain Adarsh. The culprits had sent a message from Rakhi’s SIM card to mislead the probe, and that proved to be their undoing. The message was that Rakhi had broken up her relationship with Akhil, and she was going away with another friend. 

It was found that the culprits had sent the message impersonating Rakhi, and since her phone was locked using her fingerprint, they had to fetch another phone to insert her SIM card.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:   It was the works of Fyodor Dostoevsky that sparked in Ratheesh C Nair a love for the Russian language. Ratheesh, who is in his 50s, went on to serve as director of the Russian House in Thiruvananthapuram, a post he has held for the past 22 years. 

Recently, he was conferred the Order of Friendship by Russian President Vladimir Putin for his contributions to Indo-Russian relations. Ratheesh, who is also the Honorary Consul of the Russian Federation since 2008, talks about his insights, the Russian population in Kerala and more.

How did you get acquainted with Russian culture?

I loved Russian literature from a young age. I was also an active member of the House of Soviet Cultural Centre, known as the Russian House today, which was established in 1975. The interest in Russia grew when a spectacular Festival of the Soviet Union was organised in India in the late 1980s. In 1989, I received a scholarship to study medicine in Russia. In 1991, due to the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the centre was closed down. I later took the initiative to reopen the centre. Since 2000, I have been its director. Of all the directors of Russian Houses in 75 countries, I am the only non-Russian.

Tell us about receving the Order of Friendship.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree conferring the honour on three diplomatic representatives of the Russian foreign ministry. The award is given in recognition of the contribution to Indo-Russian relations and the implementation of Russia’s foreign policy. 

What are the major roles of an Honorary Consul? 

The Honorary Consulate mainly provides counselling and legal services to Russian citizens under their respective jurisdictions. Their welfare is our responsibility. In many cases, the beneficiaries include Russians visiting Kerala, citizens who settled here by marrying Malayalis, and long-stay Russian tourists.

Has the number of Russian tourists coming to Kerala gone up?

Yes, post-pandemic, a large number of Russian tourists are visiting Kerala. After the beginning of the special military operations, Russians faced difficulty visiting countries like Europe and the US, and started looking for Russian-friendly countries to visit. India, especially Kerala, is popular among them as the state has many things, including a tropical climate, that attract them. We have sought the Department of Tourism’s nod to teach lifeguards in the state Russia. In the first phase, we plan to train lifeguards in Varkala. 

How active is the Russian House?

There are two clubs, Indo-Russian Youth Club and Indo-Russian Children Club, under Russian House which aims to nurture a generation that has a good bonding to ensure a harmonious future. The clubs are facilitated by the student and cultural exchange programmes. Recently, three schoolchildren from Thiruvananthapuram were shortlisted for the Artek camp which resumed this year.

It is a prominent annual vacation student programme held in Artek in Russia, where the children are engaged in academic, cultural, scientific and leisure activities with other children selected from across the globe.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:   The Theatre Academy for Media and Arts (THAMP) is organising a children’s theatre festival on Sunday at Ganesham Auditorium, Thycaud. It will feature three plays — Kuruvi Paranja Katha, Not Only But Also and Arikunjan — that are an outcome of a two-month students’ camp organised by the centre at Peroorkada.  

The children’s theatre productions are being helmed by the founder and director of THAMP Rajesh Chandran, and faculty member of the School of Drama Thrissur, Shyam Reji. The children aged between 11 and 16, who were part of the ‘Kuttikoodaram’ summer camp, will don various roles in the plays. “Most of them are government school students from urban areas,” says Shyam. 

“They have an ardent passion for theatre, which is a waning tradition in the age of modern technology. From the 200-strong batch, we selected 14 actors for the plays. The present batch of students were proactive and have done all the heavy departments of the theatre fest, including props, costumes and music.”  

The plays are based on social issues, including the Arikomban saga. ‘Arikunjan’, for instance, takes a swipe at modern media. “It focuses on how certain media houses sensationalise certain issues like Arikomban’s case to increase their ratings,” says Shyam.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Manaveeyam Veedhi — designated as the first-ever cultural street in the state — is being redeveloped without a performance space much to the dismay of cultural activists and artists.

The Rs 3 crore worth of redevelopment project was undertaken by Smart City Thiruvananthapuram Ltd (SCTL) back in 2019. The plan was to transform the stretch into a cultural corridor with a covered performance space, green rooms, toilets and more. 

With the contractor engaged by SCTL leaving the project halfway, the Manaveeyam Veedhi has been lying in a state of ruin for the past years. Recently, the project was re-launched but sans many of the crucial components of the initial project. 

A performance stage which was one of the crucial components was scrapped from the plan. Now, the corridor will be redeveloped with more food kiosks and shops. Apart from a street library, the current plan is not giving any priority to the cultural aspects. 

A senior official associated with the project said the covered stage was scrapped as it will hinder traffic movement. “Manaveeyam Veedhi will be developed as a street and performances can be showcased on the street. There will be seating areas, street food outlets, merchandise shops, water kiosks and a street library,” said the official. 

The ambitious project which was conceived with the participation of the cultural collective of the capital aimed to transform Manaveeyam into an iconic performance space where people from all walks of life can come and enjoy art and cultural performance. “Giving prominence to shops will kill the whole purpose of the project. Setting up shops means the artist and art lovers have less stake. Manaveeyam is an emotion for art lovers and artists here in Thiruvananthapuram. It’s unfortunate that the space is being redeveloped without a stage,” said actor Krishnan Balakrishnan. 

After a years-long impasse, the SCTL has launched the redevelopment work of Manaveeyam Veedhi on a war footing basis. The potholed stretch has been posing a danger to pedestrians and motorists alike.
 “Our aim is to complete the work within three months. The road work will be undertaken by Kerala Road Fund Board (KRFB),” said the official. 

Thespian and cultural activist D Reghoothaman said it’s unfortunate that the cultural community and artists are keeping mum about this. “We fought so much for this project and it was our dream to transform this as a space for performance for the generations to come,” he said.

New plan 
 Corridor to be redeveloped with more food kiosks and shops
 To include a street library
 Seating areas to be arranged

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:  Following complaints galore of irregularities and corruption, the internal vigilance wing of the local self-government department (LSGD) has launched surprise inspections at local bodies across the state. On June 6, officers conducted raids at 46 local bodies and found serious lapses, ranging from delays in service delivery to illegal issuance of building numbers and occupancy certificates. 

LSGD Minister M B Rajesh on Thursday said five officials, including an assistant executive engineer, have been suspended, pending investigation.  He said strict action will be taken against corrupt officials and the inspections will continue in the coming days. Officers conducted checks at 46 local bodies including three corporations, 25 grama panchayats and 16 municipalities. 

They unearthed severe irregularities at the Nemom zonal office, under the Thiruvananthapuram corporation, where building numbers and occupancy certificates were found to have been issued in violation of Kerala Municipal Building Rules and based on fake reports.  

At Palakkad municipality, it came to light that as many as 2,881 licence applications were pending. “We detected serious irregularities during the inspections, which will continue in the coming days. We will not tolerate corruption,” the minister said. Regular adalats are also being held at local bodies. 

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:  Soon you can get organic compost prepared mainly using dry leaves from an outlet at the Kerala University’s Kariavattom campus at Rs 25 per kg. The project to use dry leaves for preparing organic compost is the brainchild of the university’s Department of Environmental Sciences, with funding from the Kerala State Council For Science Technology and Environment.

Dry and fallen leaves are usually burnt, creating environmental pollution and contributing to global warming through the release of gases such as carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide. The use of dry leaves for preparing organic compost is not only environment-friendly, but it may also increase the yield of crops.

According to Environmental Sciences professor Salom Gnana Thanga V, dry and fallen leaves can be key ingredients for the preparation of organic compost. “However, preference is given to dry leaves of fruit-bearing trees so that bio-degradation takes place fast,” she said.

Furthermore, the sludge created during the manufacture of rubber products can be used to prepare organic manure. Currently, the sludge is being treated through the landfill method which adversely affects groundwater, and the soil structure and its quality. The use of sludge in the preparation of compost can also solve the problem to a great extent. 

“It has been scientifically proven in our lab that the use of sludge in preparation of organic manure does not interfere with the biological processes or the quality of the product,” Salom said. With funding from KSCSTE, the compost named ‘Farm Pick’ was commercially developed by Bhoovalam Organic Solutions, a startup under the Kerala University Business Innovation and Incubation Centre. 

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Three men, including a soldier, were found guilty of murdering a 30-year-old woman at Amboori in the rural parts of Thiruvananthapuram district four years ago.  

Akhil Nair, 24, his brother Rahul Nair, 27, and their friend Adarsh Nair, 23, were found guilty of murdering Rakhi Mol, a 30-year-old resident of Thirupuram near Neyyattinkara. Additional sessions court judge K Vishnu found them guilty under sections pertaining to murder and destruction of evidence. The quantum of punishment will be pronounced on Friday.  

The murder occurred on June 21, 2019. According to the prosecution, Akhil, who worked as a driver in the Army, killed Rakhi with the help of two others. Akhil was having an affair with Rakhi, who then worked in a private firm in Kalamassery. 

Akhil had befriended Rakhi accidentally and later they became very close. Whenever she came home on vacation, Akhil used to take her to various tourist places and gave her a marriage promise. Even while he was maintaining a relationship with Rakhi, Akhil befriended another woman from Anthiyoorkonam and got engaged to her.

The photos of the engagement function were uploaded on social media and Rakhi happened to see those. Bitter over the turn of events, Rakhi warned Akhil that she will not allow the marriage to take place. Worried that Rakhi might sabotage his marriage, Akhil with the help of two others bumped her off.  

ALSO READ | Amboori Rakhi murder case: Akhil taken to crime spot; people throw stones at him

On the fateful day, Akhil called Rakhi to the Neyyattinkara bus stand on the pretext of taking her to his newly built house. He took her in a car and headed towards Amboori via Dhanuvachapuram. During the journey, Akhil throttled Rakhi using the car’s seat belt. The body was later moved to Akhil’s house and buried in a pit. 

ALSO READ | Amboori Rakhi murder case: Main accused Akhil, brother arrested

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In the wake of increasing parking woes in the capital, Smart City Thiruvananthapuram Ltd (SCTL), the implementing agency of the Smart City Mission project, has proposed two new multi-level car parking (MLCP) facilities at Statue near Press Club and on Attakulangara-Killipalam Road. Both MLCPs are proposed on the land of the city corporation.

The SCTL will soon entrust an agency to design the proposed MLCPs. The SCTL and the city corporation decided to propose new MLCPs as vehicle parking at  Statue and East Fort remains a major issue. 

At present, the MLCPs are operational at the city corporation office compound and at Thampanoor, opposite the Central Railway Station. The proposed MLCP at Putharikandam Ground has also taken a step closer, as the tender for the automated car parking facility will be floated within two weeks. The MLCP proposed at Medical College Junction will soon be a reality as the design is in the final stages. 

Similarly, the work on the automated MLCP at Palayam near Saphalyam Complex began last month, and the piling works have been completed.

A top official of SCTL told TNIE that it has proposed more MLCPs as the city faces acute parking problems, especially in congested areas like East Fort, Statue, Palayam, and Medical College. The official pointed out that the proposal will help reduce the parking of vehicles on either side of the road. 

“At present, we have two MLCPs that are operational. That is not enough to resolve the parking issues. Parking issues are worse on MG Road at East Fort and Statue. So we proposed two new MLCPs on the land of the corporation at Statue and on the corporation’s land near Erumakkuzhy, beside the Killipalam-Attakulangara Road.

In addition, the automated MLCP at Putharikandam will also resolve the parking issues at East Fort. This facility can accommodate 300 cars and will also have a facility to accommodate two-wheelers. The tender will be finalised within two weeks. Similarly, the design of the Medical College MLCP will be finalised soon,” the official said.

Meanwhile, the construction of the automated MLCP at Palayam is going on in full swing. The construction started last month after the contract was awarded to a company called RRTL. The expected completion of Palayam MLCP is in October this year. This MLCP will be similar to the facility at the corporation’s office premises. As many as 300 cars can park at a time. Though the SCTL has given six months' time for the contractor, the SCTL officials said that the work could be completed in October itself. 

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The term ‘Vasudha, the Nisarga’ resounds that the earth is nature.

Sometimes there is a need for reiterating this fact. That is why a few like-minded people decided to gather with the collective intention of creating awareness through their artworks in connection with World Environment Day.

 And they vividly described through hues and lines what Earth had gone through to date. The exhibition titled ‘Vasudha, the Nisarga’, filled with works of many eminent artists from all over Kerala concluded on Wednesday at the Russian House.

An installation ‘End of an Era’ by George Fernandez gives a detailed picture of deforestation. The artist owns the Flora Institute of Arts and Crafts in Thiruvananthapuram.

‘On an Artificially Intelligent Human World’ is one among a series of photographs presented by Veena M. “It questions human intelligence. The way we destroy nature, in this artificially intelligent world,” she says. She travelled all over Kerala to find the issues confronted by nature and depicted them through the eyes of her camera.

Sunu Kovalam, with more than forty years of experience, exhibited his painting which provides a deep insight into the current violence upon nature. 

“As artists are always considered optimistic souls, I made sure to leave a small vein-like root extended from the burning tree to the blue water, hoping for a drop to remain for the birth of greenery,” Sunu explains.  

“The world seems to be highly competitive these days, and people are even destroying our planet for their needs,” says Sunu, who completely avoids plastic to protect nature. Around 30 artists displayed their works at the exhibition inaugurated by artist B D Dethan.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the High Court coming down heavily on local bodies for ineffective and unscientific waste management, the city corporation has put in motion a slew of initiatives to tackle environmental pollution, illegal dumping of waste, scientific management of sanitary waste, swap shops to exchange pre-owned goods and so on. 

In an effort to bring in behavioural change among residents, the civic body has intensified enforcement activities in all 100 wards. As many as 118 vulnerable points were identified by the authorities where dumping of waste was rampant. To facilitate enforcement activities, the civic body has procured first-of-its-kind ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) cameras to prevent public littering and take swift action against violators.

ANPR cameras 

A senior official of the corporation told TNIE that this is the first time ANPR cameras will be used to prevent public littering. As many as 31 cameras, including six ANPR cameras, will be installed at vulnerable spots identified by the civic body in the next one or two weeks. 

“The cameras are enabled with motion censors and they will detect public littering or violators throwing or dumping waste in public places and give us real-time alerts. The health officials in the respective circles will receive messages on their mobile phones,” the official said. 

In a special drive in the past three months, the civic body has slapped notices and fined 70 people for dumping waste in water bodies. Fine to the tune of Rs 55,010 was collected from 14 of them. In addition to this, the civic body has identified 107 people for polluting water bodies by releasing wastewater through outlets. Fine to the tune of Rs 50,000 each was collected from seven of them. 

Between March 15 and May 10, the squads under the civic body booked 93 people for littering and dumping waste in public places and collected Rs 2.09 lakh as spot fine. The civic body has around 128 squads and they carried out inspections at 1,625 establishments and seized 877 kg of banned plastic material. 

“We have initiated legal action against violators, and in the coming days, too, squad work will continue. The cameras will be a great help for enforcement. At present, we check the camera visuals and identify violations. Getting real-time alerts will be a game changer as our squads will be able to take swift action. The cameras are portable and we will be able to relocate them based on demand,” said the official. 

The civic body is planning to buy 25 more cameras this year. “ANPR cameras are very effective and we have decided to buy more in the coming days. The entire camera system will be linked with the Integrated Command and Control Centre, which is being set up at the corporation office in the future,” the official added. 

Waste dumps at 56 out of 118 vulnerable points have been cleared. “The identification of the spots is being done by the LSGD and we are unable to book violators as we don’t have the contact or the address of the parties. The majority of the spots are vacant land belonging to private parties. We took up the issue with the district collector recently and a directive was given to village officers to provide addresses of properties where dumping is an issue. The address provided by village officers is non-existent and notices issued are getting returned. This is one of the biggest crises being faced by us right now,” said a senior official of the health wing under the city corporation. 

Tackling sanitary waste 

To ensure scientific handling, the civic body is gearing up to introduce an app-based collection of sanitary waste. It has recently entered into an agreement with React Disaster Management Solutions Private Limited to launch the project. 

“Sanitary waste is a major headache for us and we don’t have a system to dispose it of. Kerala Enviro Infrastructure Limited (KEIL) is the only agency in the state that has the facility to manage such waste. We have been trying to enter into an agreement with them. Now we have found an agency that has a tie-up with KEIL for collecting sanitary waste,” said Health standing committee chairperson Jameela Sreedharan. 

The civic body has no idea about the quantity of sanitary waste generated in the capital. “The mobile application will be launched in the coming weeks and residents can register on by paying Rs 100. They will be provided with a bag for collecting sanitary waste,” said a senior corporation official. The agency will collect the waste once in two weeks. “The use of adult diapers is rampant due to the high density of elderly people. All these end up in water bodies and drains. The agency is charging Rs 50 per kg and anybody can avail of their services,” the official added.

SWAP SHOPS IN ALL WARDS

Swap shops — where citizens can exchange used goods — is turning out to be a huge success. The innovative concept was introduced by the corporation way back in 2017. Following an overwhelming response, the corporation has set up a permanent swap shop centre at Manacaud and plans to start similar ones at four other locations this year. As part of a special drive, the civic body has opened temporary swap shops in all 100 wards and as many as 638 people participated in the drive and handed overused items to the shops. “We were surprised at the huge turnout. During the drive, around 342 people bought pre-owned goods,” said an official of the corporation.

So far...

• 70 people fined for dumping waste in water bodies
•  L55,010 was collected from 14 of them
• 107 people were identified for polluting water bodies by releasing wastewater 
•  L50,000 each was collected from seven of them
• 93 people for littering and dumping waste in public places between March 15 and May 10

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government has directed Smart City Thiruvananthapuram Ltd (SCTL), the implementing agency of the smart road project, to expedite all the road work in the stipulated time frame. The instruction was given during a high-level meeting to assess the progress of construction work related to the smart road project led by General Education Minister V Sivankutty and Transport Minister Antony Raju on Tuesday. 

As per the update given by the SCTL, renovation works on eight roads out of thirteen under the corporation limits have been completed. The construction of drains and underground seepage to avoid waterlogging and the installation of water supply pipes and electric cables have been completed. The roads in the Fort area will be motorable within a week. The tiling works are in the final stage. 

The construction of Tamil School and Taluk office roads will be completed by the end of June. Work on Sree Moolam and Mathrubhumi roads will be finished by July as construction works of the Kerala Water Authority are progressing, while those related to laying sewer lines on the Kothalam-Sreevaraham road are expected to be completed by August.

According to SCTL, the 13 roads are being renovated with the help of the Public Works Department and the Kerala Road Fund Board (KRFB). Of these, Manaveeyam and Kalabhavan Mani Road will be completed by the end of June.

The patchwork of the remaining eleven roads is in progress under the supervision of KRFB and will be completed by the end of June, the officials informed the government. Earlier, the state government had given an ultimatum to SCTL that all the work in connection with the plan should be completed before May 31. The ultimatum was given in view of the reopening of schools and the onset of monsoon season. However, SCTL couldn’t meet the deadline.  

The SCTL officials said they are trying their best to complete the work as soon as possible. A high-level meeting chaired by Local Self-Government Minister M B Rajesh convened in April had asked SCTL to complete the work at the earliest. 

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) has announced holiday packages for retired persons and families during the monsoon season.

These packages are offered at the premium destination resorts in Thiruvananthapuram, Munnar, Thekkady, Kumarakom, and Kochi and the budget destination properties at Malampuzha, Wayanad, Ponmudi, Nilambur and Mannarkkad.

The premium destination resorts that offer monsoon packages are Mascot Hotel, Thiruvananthapuram, Aranya Nivas, Thekkady, Bolgatty Palace, Kochi, Waterscapes, Kumarakom, and Tea County, Munnar. The packages are inclusive of room rent, breakfast and tax for two nights and three days for parents with children below 12 years. The packages are available from June to September.

Mascot Hotel, Aranya Nivas and Bolgatty Palace and Island Resort in Kochi offer monsoon packages at Rs 9,999 and Waterscapes at Kumarakom, Tea County, Munnar, offer packages at Rs 11,999. The budget destination resorts that offer monsoon packages for Rs 4,999 are Periyar House, Thekkady, Golden Peak, Ponmudi, Suvasam Kumarakom Gateway, Thanneermukkom, Pepper Grove, Wayanad, and Garden House, Malampuzha. 

The Tamarind Easy Hotels in Mannarkkad and Nilambur also offer monsoon packages at Rs 3,499. The packages will not be offered on holidays and weekends and also during the Onam holidays (August 25 to September 2). Similarly, there are packages specifically tailor-made for retired persons and expatriates.

The details of the packages are available at www. ktdc.com/packages or over phones:  0471- 2316736, 9400008585 at the Central reservation centres or at the respective properties.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The cabinet on Tuesday decided to consider the August 2022 landslide at Kanichar village in Kannur as a special case. The victims will be awarded compensation along the lines of the assistance provided in the wake of the 2018-19 floods in the state.

The next of kin of those killed in the landslide will be provided with a maximum of Rs 5 lakh as assistance. This includes Rs 4 lakh from the state disaster response fund and additional assistance of Rs 1 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund. While owners of fully-damaged houses will receive Rs 4 lakh, assistance will be provided for partially damaged houses after assessing the extent of it.

Compensation would also be given to those who sheltered in relief camps owing to the disaster. An advance of Rs 20 lakh will be granted to the Kannur district collector for allotting emergency aid and job loss relief assistance to the victims.

The cabinet also decided to enhance the freedom fighters’ pension in the state from Rs 11,000 to Rs 14,080, with a retrospective effect from April 2023. The tenure of 56 special fast-track courts and the posts of the temporarily created special public prosecutors there would be extended to March 31, 2023.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The rehabilitation of 389 traders of the century-old Connemara market at Palayam as part of its revamping under the Smart City Mission project will likely occur within two months. The construction of the first two temporary prefabricated buildings to relocate them is nearing completion.

According to the officials of Smart City Thiruvananthapuram Ltd (SCTL), the first building will be ready by July, and the second building will be ready by August. There is one more building, which could be ready by later this year. The three temporary rehabilitation blocks to relocate the vendors are under construction on TRIDA-owned land near the market.

The prefabricated buildings will have cubicles for each vendor, and there will be a special vending zone for the fish market. The structures are mostly made of high-quality steel and can be easily dismantled if the need arises in the future.

A top official of SCTL told TNIE that the construction of the prefabricated building is in full swing and that these two buildings would be ready to accommodate the relocated traders within two months.

“Once the first two buildings are ready, the vendors can be relocated to the buildings. At present, we are relocating 389 traders from the market. Once they are relocated, we will demolish the existing structure of the shops in the main market and start the construction of a three-storey concrete building, including a basement vehicle parking area. The new building can accommodate 460 traders with dedicated vending zones for fish and meat markets. However, the main gate of the market will be retained as such, as it is a symbol of the heritage of the erstwhile Travancore,” the official said.

He also added that the prefabricated structures would be retained even after the main concrete buildings are ready so that more vendors can be accommodated in the market in the future. Though the initial work on the rehabilitation of traders started way back in 2020, the work was halted midway due to the pandemic.

The revamping of the Palayam market has been pending for more than a decade now. Later, the work began in 2021. But a section of the traders opposed it, as they feared it would affect their livelihood. However, the issues were settled, and the traders were convinced after the intervention of Palayam ward councillor Palayam Rajan. He said that the dispute with the traders was settled, and they were ready to move to the new facilities.

“I had a meeting with traders twice. They are pleased and satisfied with the new arrangement. However, one more meeting will be called with the traders so that they can get designated spaces in the new facilities based on their trade. There are traders who come to the market daily, and they don’t have any designated space. So we need to organise such issues in the meeting. However, the renovation work will begin soon after the traders are relocated,” Rajan said.

The total cost of the project is Rs 113 crore. SCTL had spent around `94 lakh on biomining, which involves the process of using strong inoculums to extract non-biodegradable waste from heaps of accumulated waste to clear the site where the rehabilitation blocks are coming up.

The rehabilitation project is expected to cost around Rs 12.68 crore. The expected completion of the project is one and a half years. The whole project is expected to give a fresh lease of life to the iconic market. As part of the project, a hi-tech fish and meat market would be constructed on the ground floor, and the traders would be given designated stalls in the market. The first and second floors of the market would be used for commercial purposes.

Facilities

Hitech fish and meat market
Deep refrigerator for safe storage of fish
Dedicated stalls with a mobile charging dock and water tap for each vendor
Effluent treatment facility
Area to park around 250 cars in the building
Protection of the heritage wall in front of the market
Rehabilitation of 460 traders
Permanent prefabricated structure to rehabilitate traders temporarily

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: While talking to international media ahead of the theatrical release of ‘Spider-man: Across the Spider-Verse a few weeks ago, the film’s three directors — Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers and Justin K Thompson — had assured fans of the franchise would offer a visual treat, with new worlds and the introduction of exciting characters. They kept their promise.

The film has incorporated various animation styles to highlight each world, including paint on glass, realistic cartoons, Japanese manga, and even the texture of ‘70s comic books published in India to depict the character of Pavitr Prabhakar, aka the desi Spiderman. This feat was made possible by a band of animators, who hail from God’s Own Country.

They are senior animators Nideep Varghese from Ranni in Pathanamthitta, Harinarayan Rajeev from Poojappura in Thiruvananthapuram and Sinu Raghavan from Urulikunnam in Kottayam, senior software engineer Kurian Onnunny Samuel from Pattazhy in Kottarakkara, and senior software pipeline technical directors Binku Mathews, who is settled in Hyderabad, and Joseph Tom Neriamparampil from Changanassery in Kottayam. Currently based in Canada, the six-member team worked on the movie whilst at Sony Pictures Imageworks (SPI), Vancouver.

Nideep, who had worked on ‘Spider-man: Into the Spider-verse’, the first instalment of the trilogy, expressed delight at the chance to work on the franchise again. “The film centres around Miles Morales and Gwen Stacey’s valiant efforts to save their fellow Spider-people from a formidable villain who goes by the name Spot,” he says.

“We were enrolled in the project three years ago and had been working on it until April 2023. For me, who grew up reading comic books and making fan animations of Spiderman since childhood, it was a dream come true. Though we were given rough storyboards, I didn’t read them. I only watched the whole movie when it was released in theatres. I wanted to enjoy it like any other Spiderman fan.”

Nideep’s primary contributions were to establishing Spot, one of the film’s most fascinating characters, in terms of animation style. In the comics, Spot was always portrayed as a living painting, his body very much in a liquid state.

For Harinarayan, a senior animator who was in charge of the character development of Spot, the task was an exploration of all the animation skills in his arsenal. “I had to participate in the character development of Spot from the initial stages of production,” he explains.“Spot, voiced by Jason Schwartzman, is a really stylised and innovative character whose movements are inspired mostly by pantomime as he does not have a face. I got opportunities to conduct a lot of animation experiments to fine-tune Spot. It is definitely one of the biggest highlights of my career.”

According to Nideep, who is now employed in Dreamworks Animation, an animator not only has to draw and structure the character but also has to evolve and act in the role to conceive it in the right form. “I had to construct the emotions and actions of Spot. So, I had to act, record it, and send it to the team’s head to get approval to create the same,” he says.“Animators who worked in the movie required intense knowledge of acting, body mechanics, technical expertise, and a good sense of artistic appeal.”

Harinarayan, who is also the animation supervisor in the upcoming ‘Transformers: Rise of the Beasts’, adds that each character in the film was animated at a different frame rate. “It was a challenge for us to animate each character in its distinct art style, exactly like how it is in the comic strips. Each pose required a lot of attention,” he says.

Kurian, a senior software engineer, primarily assisted in the creation of various tools for the animation studio and data management, critical tools development and related software solutions. “The first challenge before us was implementing variable frame rates,” he says. “Normally, films use 24 frames per second, but we moved away from the norm and employed different frame rates in several action sequences.”

Binku and Joseph, who served as senior software pipeline technical directors in the team, ensured the project’s smooth operation by identifying and rectifying the issues of each department. Notably, Kurian, Harinarayan, and Nideep began their career with Toonz Academy in Thiruvananthapuram. However, the team laments the lack of technical know-how to create big-budget animation movies in India.

“The industry here (India) runs in a hierarchical manner. Ideas and views are not cherished here,” says Nideep. “However, in Canada, during the making of Pavitr Prabhakar, we Indian animators felt that the dubbing for the character did not have an Indian essence. When we alerted our team head, they considered our opinions and even made changes.”

Nideep also rues the fact that despite the large amounts of money thrown into projects in India, the animation employed lacks quality. “There isn’t a professional animation culture yet,” he adds.
He, however, is delighted at the Spiderman film’s success in Kerala. “I got emotional watching people throng the theatres. Our viewing culture has changed. Animations are no longer just children’s stuff,” says Nideep.

Ace in the pack

Harinarayan Rajeev, who is the animation supervisor of ‘Transformers: Rise of the Beasts’, which will have its theatrical release in India on June 9, spills the beans on the film, too. “As the animation supervisor of the movie, I led a team of 40 animators in Canada and India,” he says.

“The film aims to cater to all generations of Transformers fans by introducing the G1 designs and a new group of Transformers called the Maximals, who can transform into animal forms. Voiced by Ron Perlman, Primal can transform into a giant gorilla, while Air Razor, voiced by Michelle Yeoh, transforms into an eagle. Cheetor and Rhinox are also set to make their appearance in the film.”

Notably, Harinarayan has also worked as an animator in films such as ‘Venom 2’, ‘Maleficent 2’, ‘Kung Fu Panda’, ‘Trolls’, and ‘Avengers Infinity War’. 

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Students, wielding sticks and stones, waging a pitched battle with the police amid the firing of tear gas shells. The violence spilled onto the streets, bringing the heart of the city to a standstill.

Until a decade ago, such scenes used to be common at University College, then known as the hotbed of campus violence. Cut to present times and the institution is in the headlines, this time for being the top-ranked college in the state in the NIRF rankings yet again. This is the sixth consecutive year that the college has retained the top spot.

As per the rankings released by the Union Education Ministry, the 157-year-old University College is placed in the 26th position nationally, slipping from the 24th spot in 2022. It was ranked 25th nationally in 2021. The near-consistent ranking over the years is an indicator of the mismatch between public perception of an institution and its NIRF score based purely on academic parameters.

A detailed look at the college’s performance reveals it obtained a full score in faculty-student ratio with emphasis on permanent faculty; women diversity and facilities for the physically challenged. Faculty with PhD and experience also proved advantageous. However, in terms of peer perception — of both academic peers and employers — the college could score only 10.52 out of 100.

“The NIRF ranking is a shot in the arm for the college that is preparing for NAAC accreditation later this year. Achievements of students, quality of faculty and research excellence proved advantageous for the college,” said college principal T Subhash.

According to Mano Mohan Antony, convener of the Internal Quality Assurance Cell, University College has been the top choice of applicants in the single-window application process of Kerala University for UG and PG courses. The college also bags around 45 university ranks every year. It has 18 undergraduate and research departments and 21 PG departments.

Not the full picture?

However, there has been criticism from academic circles that NIRF rankings are only a partial reflection of the institution’s overall academic standards.“Placement of students is an important parameter, which the NIRF ignores. Also, it gives weightage only to macro statistics. For a big institution such as University College, having a large number of PG and research departments, the numbers always stack up to its advantage,” said a senior academic.

There are also complaints that NIRF rankings do not offer a comprehensive picture like NAAC accreditation that takes into account varied parameters backed by field visits. Interestingly, University College has  ‘A’ grade accreditation from NAAC was ranked 26th, while state runner-up Rajagiri College of Social Sciences with ‘A++’ NAAC grade was at 30.

College over the years

Former Isro chairman Madhavan Nair, an alumnus of University college who passed out in the 1960s, recollects the tranquil atmosphere of the campus and how the institution was regarded in high esteem in academic circles. “We had an excellent faculty. The alumni from the time went on to adorn top positions in their fields. However, the college slipped into the vortex of campus politics a few decades later,” he said.

Actor-screenwriter Renji Panicker, alumnus of Kerala University Kariavattom campus, was a frequent visitor to University College as the then general secretary of the varsity department union. “Surprisingly, the campus violence that we witnessed never cast a shadow on the academic excellence of the institution. The college attracted the best minds and boasted of the best faculty of that time,” he said.

At a glance

Estd:1886
NIRF rank in 2023 among colleges: 26
NAAC grade: A
Depts: Research -
18, PG - 21, UG - 18
Teaching faculty: 223
Total Students: 3850
 PG Students: 750

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Thiruvananthapuram airport registered a record increase in the number of passengers last month. As many as 3.68 lakh people travelled through Thiruvananthapuram airport in May. This is the highest figure since the pandemic. This is a 26% increase compared to May 2022.

The average number of daily passengers increased to 11,879. A total of 12,939 people travelled on May 25. This is also the highest figure in recent times. The number of daily services averaged around 80. A total of 2,337 air traffic movements took place in May. 1.93 lakh domestic tourists and 1.75 lakh foreign tourists travelled through Thiruvananthapuram. 

The number of weekly services to foreign countries increased to 117 and to other cities in India went up to 151. With the increase in services to Delhi and Mumbai, fares have come down and connectivity to foreign countries and other cities in India is easier.

Various projects are in progress at the airport to improve infrastructure and safety in line with the increase in passenger traffic. BR code scanners have been installed at the entry gates of the terminals for passengers to complete security procedures without hassles. Thiruvananthapuram is the first airport in Kerala to have an e-gate system.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A major fire broke out at a chemical godown in Aryasala near Chalai market on the evening of Monday, triggering widespread panic. The godown belonged to Sivakumar  Chemicals, and the fire started around 5 pm. Fortunately, no casualties have been reported so far. The exact cause of the fire is yet to be determined by the Fire and  Rescue Services. While the total extent of the damage is still being assessed, initial estimates suggest that the losses could exceed `10 lakh.

The fire is believed to have originated in a storage area where various chemicals, including bleaching powder, were kept. It is suspected that the fire was caused by the bleaching powder.  Firefighters took around five hours to extinguish the fire, as it had spread to a two-storey building. 

All the chemicals inside the facility were destroyed by the fire.  The flames also spread to nearby shops, including Srikanteshwara Powertools, Srikrishna Electricals, Thai Traders, and a power tools repair shop. Additionally, some motorcycles parked in front of the building were also affected.

As the fire rapidly spread through the narrow passage, shopkeepers and employees quickly evacuated the area. Three motorcycles were reported to have been destroyed. Around 10 firefighting units from Chengalchoola, Chackai, and other fire stations in the city were engaged in fighting the blaze. The rainfall in the area posed a challenge for the firefighters, and the heavy smoke generated by the burning chemicals caused further concerns.

Initially, the loading workers and traders attempted to extinguish the fire, but due to the presence of chemicals and synthetic materials, their efforts were unsuccessful. 

“The preliminary conclusion is that the fire started from the bleaching powder stored by the company for sale. Last week, a load of bleaching powder had arrived at the establishment. It was the chemical warehouse operating in the building that had caught fire. We have removed the remaining bleaching powder stored in the facility. It’s suspected that the bleaching powder was of poor quality,” a Fire and Rescue Services officer said.