Monthly Archives: January 2019
Engineering a change in toilet technology
Though advancements have been made in the field of technology, maintenance has always been a plaguing issue and the least addressed.
B P Deepu
Thiruvananthapuram :
Though advancements have been made in the field of technology, maintenance has always been a plaguing issue and the least addressed. This is where the US-based Caltech and Thiruvananthapuram-based Eram Scientifc Solutions, come in. The companies have collaborated with each other to bring out Seva, e-toilets which are able to self-clean and are self-reparable. The aim is to address the issue of water scarcity which is prevalent in many cities.
Clement Cid, the Senior Research Engineer in Environmental Science and Engineering at Caltech won the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Reinvent the Toilet Challenge in 2012. He was in the city as part of the project. According to him, the biggest challenge was to create a cheap, safe and clean toilet for over 2 billion people across the globe.
He brought out a technology that uses electrochemical mechanisms to treat disinfected water. But his collaboration with Eram in 2013 paved the way for a revolution. “We met with Eram in a sanitation conference and with the support of Gates Foundation, we were able to make a prototype and were able to run it for a year. The result was positive,” he said.
Clement believes the new e-toilet system will help in bringing a change in the Indian sanitation system.
“Maintaining toilets is a big issue in cities where sewerage systems are haywire. The self-sufficient toilets will help municipalities and cities which are facing these issues,” he said.
‘Toilet of the future’
The ‘Toilet of the future’ concept was introduced by Gates Foundation and the Caltech group led by Michael Hoffmann. Clement was among the team members. Using sophisticated solar-powered treatment units, the team thought of working on a sensor system that would help in minimising the use of skilled repairs.
The same concept is used in Seva e-toilets. “The toilets will be equipped with sensors which can monitor leaks. Once the issue is detected, an operator is alerted who can easily come and fix it,” he said. Clement also added the idea is to install the toilets in public places. Later this technology can be introduced in household units and e-toilets. Caltech has started trials of its system in different places in Kerala. The trial run of the Seva prototype will be tested in Coimbatore. “Once the trial is completed, it will be installed in several cities where there are no proper sewer lines,” Clement said.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Thiruvananthapuram / by Steni Simon / Express News Service / January 12th, 2019
History to chug into Kochi at full steam
The locomotive EIR-21 used to transport troops during the Great Indian Mutiny of 1857.
Country’s oldest working locomotive to ferry tourists via country’s second-largest overbridge
The country’s oldest working steam locomotive, one which was used to transport troops during the Great Indian Mutiny of 1857, is all set to chug into Kochi, to ferry heritage enthusiasts and tourists to Vallarpadam island.
EIR-21, the steam locomotive, dates back to 1855 and in Kochi it will, in all likelihood, traverse the country’s second-longest railway overbridge.
“A movement plan will be finalised within a week. The vintage loco is most likely to operate in the Edappally-Vallarpadam route, providing passengers a scenic view of the Vembanad backwaters. The view will especially be spectacular when the train passes through the 4.62-km bridge,” said Harikrishnan, Ernakulam station director and area manager of Southern Railway.
The bridge and the entire 9-km rail route to Vallarpadam are grossly underutilised and only two container-laden trains use the corridor every month.
The steam loco rake is currently operating in the Madurai Railway Division.
In 10 days
The rake will arrive in Kochi in about 10 days. A proposal to enter into tie-ups with operators of cruise ships that call at Kochi to enable high-end globetrotters to travel on the train is yet to materialise.
Railway sources said that a skilled loco pilot would accompany the locomotive and be based here till the rake left for another railway division in a few months.
The fare for the train is yet to be finalised.
“An alternative route for the heritage train is between the Cochin Harbour terminus, a heritage railway station on Wellington Island, and Ernakulam Junction, through the newly built Venduruthy railway overbridge, which too overlooks the backwaters. Though it will not halt at any station in either route, passengers can relish every moment of the journey,” Mr. Harikrishnan said.
Built by Kitson Thompson and Hewitson Leeds in London, the EIR 21 loco was shipped to India in 1855 for use by the erstwhile East Indian Railway.
EIR 21, along with her sister train Fairy Queen (EIR 22), was used for troop movement in 1857.
Back from museum
After over five decades in service, it was withdrawn from regular service and displayed at railway museums. It was later overhauled and retrofitted with modern gadgets at Perambur Loco Works in Chennai.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Kerala / by John L. Paul / Kochi – January 07th, 2019