A SQUARE PARACHUTE
Foreword The job of a military pilot has no equivalent in civilian life. The combat aeroplane is no more than forty feet long, and has a single pilot in its cockpit. The average sortie is less than an hour long, and every single take-off has a task. It is not a joyride. Once airborne, the aviator has six degrees of …
SPANISH FLU (1918-20) AND CORONA PANDEMIC (2019-?)
A Forgotten Episode of Human History Public memory is proverbially short. Almost none of my friends know much about the Spanish Flu, which ravaged mankind a hundred years ago. The few, who had heard about it, thought that it was confined to Europe. I first learnt about it when I was studying the demographics of India for some other subject. …
RAIN WATER HARVESTING IN DAKSHANA VALLEY
Introduction to Rain Water Harvesting in Dakshana Valley India’s groundwater use was just about 7 cubic kilometers in 1940; it is around 270 cubic kilometer today. Since 1950, the total share of groundwater in irrigation has nearly doubled. The groundwater extraction rose sharply during the late 70s and 80s. People connect it with the Green Revolution during which two things …
Rain Water Harvesting at Jal Vayu Towers Bangalore by Joseph Thomas
Foreword 1997. I retired from the Army, and took up an assignment with Ashok Leyland. I was located at Hosur (TN), which is in effect a suburb of Bangalore. For those who may not know, Hosur was a village with a population of just over 10,000 in 1962. The Tamil Nadu government decided to develop it as an industrial town. …
SOME ‘COOL’ SUGGESTIONS TO BEAT THE HEAT
An escape from the scorching Sun… The rich and resourceful people maintain two establishments: one in the mountains and the other in the plains. Come summer and they pack their bags and go off to their resorts. For those who are left behind, we offer a few less expensive ‘solutions’. This post contains a few suggestions, which have been …
FAQ ON SOLAR POWER GENERATION ANSWERED By Col (Dr) TS SURENDRA
Introduction to Col (Dr) TS Surendra THIRUVAZANDUR SRINIVASA SURENDRA, or TS Surendra joined the NDA in July 1962. His given name was a bit tough for his buddies, so he permitted them to call him ‘Tejinder’. Academics were his forte. The Army spotted his strength when he won the Gold Medal on the Degree course. He was deputed to go …
TAME THE SUN ON YOUR ROOFTOP
In praise of the Sun The sun gives us light and energy. There would be no life on the earth if the Sun did not rise, day after day, without a single day’s rest. People of many civilizations have worshiped the Sun as God since times immemorial. But during the tropical summer, it emerges with brutal fierceness and saps life. Productivity …
