Kuppai Kirukals!

Holier-than-thou. Author: Viji Ganesh 3 minutes read Picture Credit: Shakti Move over. I hear the Flowers whispering to the Colors with their mild scent wafting through the air, symbolizing a rather straitlaced demeanor - Holier than thou.  After all our festivals are replete with symbolism and rituals. Holi the festival of colors is no exception, as it signifies greyish winter coming to an end, heralding vividly colorful spring with a burst of blooms of different hues. Typically Holi, as we know, is celebrated with dry or wet synthetic colors aided by water balloons and Pichkaris. Did you know traditionally the colors were made from flowers? ''Palash" or Flame of the forest was used to collect colored dust or "Abir'' or "Gulaal" to play Holi. Somewhere down the line, we lost it to the Chemical laden synthetic colors.  Did you know that at Bankey Bihari temple at Mathura Holi is celebrated with a shower of flowers o

2 minute read Author - Viji Ganesh When caught between the devil and the deep blue sea, the deep blue sea may look more benevolent. Plastic carry bags and Non-woven polypropylene bags put most of the gullible, uninformed consumers in a similar spot. What are Non-woven polypropylene bags (NWPP)? They are nonwoven polypropylene PLASTIC fibers bonded together mechanically, thermally or chemically. Popularly known as the PP bag, as it is made out of PolyPropylene, this new entrant is a fierce competitor for  the single-use  plastic bag that is banned in several states in  India, with  an impending ban in Tamilnadu from January 1, 2019. Non-woven polypropylene   Are they biodegradable? Some of them may be, but the price of such bags will be twice that of regular plastic bags. To date, there aren't any 100% biodegradable plastic bags. Most of the so-called bio-degradable NWPP bags are only partially biodegradable, with the bonding component capable of biod

3 minute read This is one of the most frequently asked frequently asked question (!) when we talk about home composting solutions. In an ideal world, you will be endowed with space and time for gardening, green thumb, and making Compost at home to grow what you eat and eat what you grow. Assume, you neither have garden space or time for it. Nor are you endowed with a green thumb. But you generate wet waste none the less and are pushed into composting your wet waste out of a government mandate, peer pressure, pressure from your kids who have been educated by environmentalists /activists at school or through school. In such cases, Composting is not an option but a social responsibility. That's when "Aiyoh, What will I do with so much compost ?" echoes loudly. Let me assure you, it is a good problem to have. Here is how. 1. Get to know your gardener buddies  Ask around. Whatsapp groups. There will be so many gardeners you didn't know existed in your commu