Latest news with #Thiruvananthapuram-based
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Thiruvananthapuram corporation rolls out high-tech drain cleaner
Thiruvananthapuram: In a major push to modernize urban sanitation, the city corporation has added two state-of-the-art jetting-suction machines to its cleaning fleet. The G-Mammoth Four-in-One machines are aimed at improving the cleaning of open drains, septic tanks, sewage pits, and manholes with enhanced efficiency and safety. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The civic body purchased the machines developed by Thiruvananthapuram-based startup Genrobotics Innovations Pvt Ltd. Funded under the Union govt's Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation scheme, the machines have already been deployed to provide quick and effective results, while a third unit is currently in development. Vimal Govind MK, co-founder of Genrobotics Innovations, said it took one and a half years to develop this equipment customized for the city. "The technology is based on our flagship product Bandicoot, which is used for cleaning manholes without depending on manual labour. This upgraded version integrates four key functions to make the cleaning process faster and safer," he said. A senior corporation official said the machines would be especially useful during the monsoon to clear clogged canals and drains. "This is a milestone in our mission for a cleaner, healthier Thiruvananthapuram. The machines are proving to be highly effective in removing clogged waste quickly," the official added. Each G-Mammoth unit is equipped with a high-pressure jetting system that uses powerful water streams to dislodge blockages in drainage systems. The automatic grabber simplifies the removal of solid waste from narrow or congested areas, reducing the need for manual intervention in hazardous environments. The machines also feature a robust suction system to extract sludge and transfer it into a 6,000-litre storage tank, ensuring safe disposal. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now An integrated inspection unit with a camera enables real-time internal monitoring, especially within manholes, improving operational oversight and worker safety. Similar machines were tested successfully in Kochi, known for severe waterlogging and proved effective in tackling the issue. Each unit costs between Rs 70 lakh and Rs 80 lakh and is operated by two trained personnel from Genrobotics. Cleaning operations typically take between 15 to 45 minutes, depending on the site.
New Indian Express
28-05-2025
- Climate
- New Indian Express
More containers likely to wash ashore, coast on vigil
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Coastal districts in southern Kerala have heightened vigil as more containers are expected to wash ashore from the sunken ship, MSC Elsa 3. Sources involved in the salvage operation indicate that the containers could potentially reach as far as Kanyakumari. These free-floating containers pose a significant danger to boats and vessels in the area, making it crucial to clear them from the sea. Around 253 containers are estimated to have fallen off the ship. The ongoing salvage operation has been challenging due to rough weather conditions and the rocky seabed. As of now, 34 containers have washed ashore, with plans afoot to transport them to customs-designated areas at the Kollam port via sea. The movement of containers at Shaktikulangara in Kollam has proven difficult as the area is inaccessible by trailer or crane. 'We have deployed a 10-member team of local divers who are familiar with the sea. They worked alongside the salvage team from Kochi,' a source told TNIE. MSC, the shipping company, has appointed Waterline Shipping and Logistics Pvt Ltd, a Thiruvananthapuram-based agency, to assist in the salvage operation from Alappuzha to Thiruvananthapuram. Containers that have washed ashore in Thiruvananthapuram are likely to be moved to the Vizhinjam port, managed by the Kerala Maritime Board, according to Vinulal S, purser-in-charge of the port. These containers will be transferred to customs-designated areas by road. The movement is expected to begin on Wednesday. Earlier, the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) projected an 80% likelihood that more containers will continue to wash up along the coastlines of Alappuzha, Kollam, and Thiruvananthapuram districts over the next four days.
The Hindu
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
The Strangers We Know art exhibition explores disconnect among kith and kin
The Strangers We Know art exhibition, currently on at Neighbour Gallery in Kesavadasapuram, Thiruvananthapuram, is divided into two by a monochrome partition filled with photographs from the exhibit titled Surge by Chennai-based photographer Priyadarshini Ravichandran. The black and white portraits are displayed in a grid, bordering the entrance to another room where the rest of photos from the series are showcased. On the opposite wall are art installations by Thiruvananthapuram-based artist Sanath Sugathan, faintly boasting shades of green, blue, brown and more. Unevenly spaced and unique in form, the works range from acrylic paintings to sketches by the artist wrapped around the gallery's pillar. However, despite the evident contrast, the artists and their art are tethered by their disconnect with the familiar and the familial, 'attempting to cope with the fragility of blood ties while also celebrating the connections they experienced with strangers.' Surge solely consists of pigment-printed photographs captured by Priyadarshini during a workshop in Cambodia. The rest of the exhibit includes an accordion photobook with pictures glued to it in a checkerboard pattern and two larger photos on each side, showcased on a wall. The photos stemmed from Priyadarshini's need to capture a 'loss of connection' with her sibling back home. Portraits of 'strangers, animals, trees, rocks and cityscapes became placeholders for articulating the complexity of my relationship,' she says. 'I made Surge from an insuppressible need to free myself from the guilt I felt due to an estrangement. My process and pace of taking photographs was rigorous, as if to express myself even when communication had ceased,' says Priyadarshini, a winner of the Parasol prize by V&A Museum, a prestigious international award for women photographers. Another exhibit by Priyadarshini is Paattu Class, a 15-minute documentary made with footage compiled over the last 10 years. It deals with the relationship between the photographer's mother and the mother's aunt. Priyadarshini studies music from the two, and these lessons form the crux of the documentary. Over the years, the aunt became a mother to Priyadarshini's mother. 'I never intended to make a film. I began to film our classes mostly to memorise the verses, and over time these recordings began to unravel the unspoken nature of their relationship to me,' she says. 'I began to edit the film after a friend based in Kathmandu nudged me to do it upon hearing that my grandmother had passed away last year,' says Priyadarshini, who shot the film on handycams, DSLRs and phones. Shades and glimmers On one corner of Sanath's side of the exhibits, a cactus plant is set up. On a closer look, there are scribbles on the tender stem of the desert plant that reads 'grandmother', 'mother', 'son', 'grandfather' ... one on each branch. A few feet away from the larger plant, a small plant is also placed on the soil. The Family Tree exhibit can be traced back to Sanath's childhood memories of his ancestral home in Paripally, Kollam. 'There was a cactus plant in one corner of the house; it was not very large but had a lot of branches. I remember finding my cousins' names being etched on its branches. I also did the same,' says Sanath. 'I felt the plant represented our family metaphorically. The cactus has a protective exterior due to the thorns, but the plant by itself is very soft,' says Sanath. Does It Still Hurt to Step on Broken Glass in The Sand?, is an acrylic painting of glass shards on sand with one end of a cassette tape attached to the portrait, while another one flutters in the air. The cassette is displayed too. This artwork is closely related to an idea called spacious togetherness, referring to the significance of space between individuals in different relationships. 'During a conversation, one of the initiators of the Neighbour gallery, Valentina Abenavoli, told me about how two porcupines cannot stand too close to each other or hug each other. They must find a comfortable space to stand without hurting each other,' says Sanath, pointing out that traversing through relationships requires a sense of tenderness, much like walking on sand with broken glass, inspired by a sight near his residence in Varkala. The shards of glass represent glimmer, a short-lived ray of light, explains Sanath, recalling his constant 'pursuit of possible tenderness or healing' through glimmers as a child. The tape from the audio cassettes fluttering represents a core memory for the artist who used to throw cassettes high up on tree branches and see the brown tapes hang there. This happened when cassettes were becoming obsolete with the arrival of the CD, Sanath recalls. Three Scenes of a Landscape consists of two relief sculptures (sculptures attached to the background) made from plaster of Paris and a five-minute video of a family getaway captured by Sanath. Also read |Sharp and succinct 'It was a difficult time for my family. We travelled to a place thinking it might help us heal, and I started recording,' says Sanath. As a child, Sanath's sister had developed a fear of water when she almost drowned in the sea. However, the video has her stepping into a stream with currents. In the backdrop, Sanath's mother, out of fear, asks her daughter to return. 'She is trying to control her child with her fear. That's when we see my sister break her hereditary patterns by stepping into the water.' His other works at the exhibition include drawings and excerpts of his writings, an archival book and Gouache (opaque watercolour) on Chinese paper. The Strangers We Know exhibition is on till May 31 at Neighbour Gallery in Kesavadasapuram, Thiruvananthapuram. Entry free.
New Indian Express
13-05-2025
- Automotive
- New Indian Express
UAE-bound vessel MV Sirrah resumes voyage following emergency repairs
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A UAE-bound cargo vessel stranded off the coast of Vizhinjam managed to set sail just hours before the Coast Guard's deadline on Monday. The bulk carrier MV Sirrah, registered under the flag of St. Kitts & Nevis, departed for Khorfakkan Port in the UAE at 2.30 am on Monday. Its departure was made possible after a critical 900-kg engine compressor was sourced from Mumbai and delivered with the support of Waterline Shipping & Logistics Pvt. Ltd., a Thiruvananthapuram-based shipping agency, in coordination with the Kerala Maritime Board. The vessel, which had originally set off from Chennai, encountered technical issues and was forced to anchor about seven nautical miles from Vizhinjam port. 'The ship's owners acted swiftly to procure the required spare parts, but due to the prevailing war-like situation, the transport vehicle carrying the equipment was delayed at multiple checkpoints for security inspections,' said Manoj Nair, managing director and CEO of Waterline Shipping & Logistics Pvt. Ltd. Once cleared by Customs, the spare parts were ferried to the vessel using Dhwani, a tug operated by the Kerala Maritime Board.
The Hindu
11-05-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Spares transferred to bulk carrier stranded off Vizhinjam
Spare parts were finally transferred on Sunday morning to a bulk carrier that has been stranded off Vizhinjam since May 7 due to engine trouble. A Kerala Maritime Board tug successfully transferred the spares to MV Sirrah, which was awaiting them at the outer anchorage at Vizhinjam. The entire operation was coordinated by Thiruvananthapuram-based shipping agency, Waterline Shipping and Logistics Pvt. Ltd., appointed by the vessel's owners. Captain Anwar Gammal, Master of MV Sirrah, had stated that the vessel would depart the anchorage within four to six hours of rectifying the defect, Manoj Nair, chief executive officer, Waterline Shipping and Logistics Pvt. Ltd., said in a statement. MV Sirrah, which has several Indian crew on board, had encountered engine trouble on its way from Chennai to the United Arab Emirates. It contacted the Vizhinjam port authorities on the matter on May 7. To restore operational capability, essential engine spares were urgently required. The owners of the vessel had arranged for the spares to be transported to Vizhinjam, but the vehicle was delayed at check points. In the meantime, the Coast Guard had boarded the vessel and carried out an inspection given the tensions prevailing along the Indo-Pak border. It confirmed that there were no suspicious elements or cargo on board. The spares finally reached Vizhinjam around midnight on Saturday. Capt. Gammal has extended his appreciation to the port authorities, Customs department, Immigration department, and the Indian Coast Guard for their seamless coordination and timely support, Mr. Manoj Nair said.
