On April 08, I began the day at 5.30am, picked up Venu and his three assistants and a car load of materials and equipment. Messrs Palani and Sridhar of Aureka [-the windmill suppliers] arrived from Auroville at 9am, Raju [-the pointReturn staff] at 10.30 from Chennai and Babu [-the reliable Reddiar] with Senthil [-the laughing … Continue reading We made a picnic of it, though →

The long running saga on fencing is somewhat nearing conclusion. The intent to fence was formed in February. Since then delays have plagued the project.

Though it is hard to take, it is not inappropriate that on the road to realising an environment project, your patience and commitment are tested. Oh, one is ready to face the facts that soil will take its own time to heal or that trees will take their years to grow. But several jobs that … Continue reading Status report: March,2007 →

We struck water at 20′ and went on to drill down to 200′. There’s a 6.5″ bore well at pointReturn now. So, the hiatus has been broken and there’s some action at last. One line of decisions can be taken: the windmill is now on order.

Wish I could say much has happened since the last entry, made almost to the day. Answer is ‘no’, if you are looking for visible changes on the ground at pointReturn and ‘yes’ if I were to relate the learning and preparatory aspects.

The pointReturn site of 17 acres, bought on July 31, 06, has been without a secure all-weather road access to it. This was required for realising the whole dream. On December 21, I signed a deal that put in the missing piece to complete the jig-saw picture. It is an appropriate occasion to reflect on … Continue reading A way west →

I have chosen that buildings at the pointReturn site should adopt best practices from tradition and bring in modern aids only where they make environmental sense. Village homes used to be built of dug out soil and roofed by curved tiles made by the local potter. Country wood from fast growing trees were used for … Continue reading Consulting a traditional builder →

Once you are seduced by vetiver’s ability to restore sloping lands, there is little relief until you get hold of a stock and plant it. But there are several important aspects to consider along the way: where to find it, how to transport it, how to care for it and when and how to plant … Continue reading Vetiver – how to plant it →

Discovery of a groundwater aquifer makes the process of developing wastelands faster than with stored rain water. And since the cost of a dug well is high, a small fortune rides on getting the aquifer location right. In rural India, the task of identifying an adequate source of ground water to feed a well has … Continue reading Divining for water →

The two pit latrine has been proven to be an ideal system for mass sanitation and is widely being promoted in India. But sitting in urban India, try getting some information on how to go about putting one togther and you will hit a wall. Where can you buy the special pans that are central … Continue reading Two-pit composting latrines are best for tropics →