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 →

It is two months since the pointReturn land was bought and it is time to take stock of what is happening and what is not; what are the immediate plans and what are they dependent on.

Whether or not one likes it, capitalism has prevailed. In the 230 years since Adam Smith, capitalism has created sturdy institutions, converted many infidels, gone global and bound the world in a seemingly irreversible way. It’s a hard to beat the capitalist brotherhood. But the ‘capital’ in capitalism is money; it’s about investments, returns and … Continue reading Nature as a capitalist →

Without casting doubts on the technical viability of biofuels for use in internal combustion engines or their ability to counter global warming, a number of environmentalists have pointed out some possible adverse side-effects. What is pointReturn’s response?

The quickest way to fall in love with vetiver [ vetiveria zizanioides ] is to count the many ecologically gentle ways in which this simple, hardy, Cinderella grass can serve and better our lives.

One of the reasons a sloping land gets abandoned is soil erosion. To arrest this, contours of the land should be determined and rain water run-off impeded across the contour. A simple way to mark a contour line is by means of a home made A-Frame.

I hear many -often, young people- say, “I will buy a small piece of land and take to growing trees or growing crops or whatever”. The wish to get back to land is compelling and frequent. I succumbed to that once, 26 years ago and having seen a patch go green, have begun again with … Continue reading The arcana of buying land →

What form of prayer and worship will be admissible at pointReturn? These are such important aspects of a person’s life that their importance cannot be ignored. Here are some thoughts on the subject.

It’s not Microsoft knockoffs I am talking about. This is a speculation on how one might translate the Open Source concept to physical objects – in this case office space – OSO. As this is one of the activity ideas for pointReturn to explore, it will be laid out here with reference to implementing it … Continue reading Open Source Offices →