All I knew about Ranipet

Origination of Ranipet:

Ranipet town was built around the year 1771 by Sadullakhan in honor of the youthful widow of Desingh Raja of Gingee (now its chengi) - who committed Sati upon her husband's death. Out of respect for Desingh Raja's valor and his wife's devotion, the Nawab formed a new village opposite to Arcot on the Northern bank of Palar river and named it as "Ranipettai".

The town gained importance since the establishment of European cantonment. About a mile west of Ranipet is a remarkable thope extending along the Palar river, for a distance of 4.8 Km which is known as 'Navlakh Bagh'. It is supposed to contain 9 lakhs of trees and hence the name "Navlakh Bagh".

The local legend states that when the Moghuls first occupied Arcot, the lands around were covered with woods, which the Nawab cut down. The birds that were deprived of their nesting places flocked to the palace and tormented the Nawab with their plaintive cries until he appeased them by planting this extensive thope.

Hospital

Dr.Ida Scudder first started a hospital here, which is a initiative for building Christian Medical College (CMC) in Vellore. The famous Christian Medical College and Hospital in Vellore started its function first by the name Scudder Memorial Hospital (SMH) in Ranipet.

Rail line

The second railway line of the Indian subcontinent started from Royapuram in North Madras to Ranipettai. The line was opened for traffic in July 1856.

According to information available with the Southern Railway, "Two trains each with coaches made by Simpson & Co, the leading coachbuilders of the day, inaugurated the service. One carried the Governor and 300 Europeans and the other with Indian invitees followed. The Illustrated London News gave a graphic description of the inaugural train passing across the arid plain of the Carnatic, frightening herdsmen and cattle."

"The complexity of the Indian Railway operations and the range of facilities required for the hierarchic and heterogeneous nature of the passenger traffic forced colonial railway authorities to build railway stations that reflect their Imperial power."

Industries

There are a number of large and medium scale leather industries making both finished leather and leather articles such as shoes and garments for export. There are other small scale industries in Ranipet mostly engaged in chemical, leather and tool making. These industries are the major lifeline for the town.

One of the oldest companies in Ranipet that was formed in early 19th century is East India Distilleries (EID). Messrs Parry and Company has an establishment here for the manufacture of chemicals and ceramic warestion. Parry named after Thomas Parry who sailed to India and started a merchant business in India. The branch of EID Parry located in Ranipet, is one of the largest ceramic plants in South India. In addition to Ceramics, this company also produces fertilizers in this location sold to farmers around the country. EID Parry also produces confectioneries in other locations.

After the acquisition of the company Johnson & Pedder, EID Parry also acquired the pride of producing Ballerina ceramic designs in India. Most residents, several decades ago, worked for EID Parry before the expansion of Sipcot Industrial complex and arrival of Central government aided engineering unit such as BHEL.

The town is home to the Boiler Auxiliaries Plant of Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), a major Central Government owned enterprise. Ranipet also has about 250 small scale engineering units catering mainly to BHEL. Ranipet, is probably the second largest fabrication cluster in India. Arcelor-Mittal's Dhamm processing Ltd has invested more than 100 crores . Metco Roof has acquired land for their new unit.

Malladi drugs and pharmaceuticals Ltd is located in Ranipet. They have 4 manufacturing units in Ranipet. Ranipet holds the credit of being the second largest leather industrial estate in India.

More than 60% of Asia’s leather production comes from Ranipet and it is the second largest foreign exchange earner in Tamil Nadu.

Some of the know industries are:

• State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu Limited (SIPCOT) Industrial Complex on the Chennai- Bangalore Highway.
• Thirumalai Chemicals Limited (TCL), started production of Phthalic Anhydride in 1976 in Ranipet, in South India.
• Boiler Auxiliaries Plant of Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL).
•  EID (East India Distilleries) Parry.
•  Malladi drugs and pharmaceuticals Ltd.

Ranipet is also noted for manufacturing beedi. The weekly cattle shandy here attracts numerous people from neighbouring areas.

Schools

Schools like Government higher secondary school, Vilva Ratna Villa (VRV) girls higher secondary school, and Little Flower Convent (LFC) , in the Ranipet, gave many scholars for decades. These schools still holds the fame and name for the educational services. Vetrimaaran, a Tamil film director, studied in Ranipet upto his tenth grade.

Facts

The historical Delhi Gate, situated on the banks of river Palar, is a major attraction.

Ranipet is 110 km from Chennai, by road. Walajah Road Junction Railway Station is the nearest railhead. The nearest airport is Chennai International Airport.

Ranipet in Tamil Nadu, known for its tanneries and chemical treatment units, is the lone Indian city to make it to the top 10 dirtiest and polluted industrial cities in the world.

Located about 100 miles upstream from Chennai, Ranipet is the fourth largest urban area in India with a 3.5 million population.

Although Ranipet is a medium-sized town, its problems pose a potential risk to the population of the nearby Vellore city.

A factory in Ranipet manufactures sodium chromate, chromium salts and basic chromium sulfate tanning powder used in the leather industry.

According to a study by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, nearly 15 lakh tonne of solid wastes accumulated over two decades of plant operation are stacked in an open yard on the premises contaminating the groundwater. The contamination has affected the health, resources and livelihood of thousands, the BI report said.

There is widespread fear that if the pollution level is left unchecked, the Palar basin, the main drinking water source in the region, could also be contaminated.

The very first statue for the father of India, Mahatma Gandhiji, is installed in ranipet after his death. Recently, the statue is renewed and placed in Ranipet government higher secondary school.

During British rule, Kamaraj was wanted by British. That time Kamaraj got sheltered in Ranipet. ()

There is also another fact that Ranipet is a gift given by arcot nawah to his wife as token of love.

Most of these facts and other information are gathered from websites and local folks. Please feel free to share more facts on Ranipet and let the future generation to knew and learn more about Ranipet.

The Sacred Ganga

The Sacred Ganga

River Ganga/Ganges, most sacred river by Hindus, starts at the snout of the Gangotri Glacier and the source of the Bhagirathi river. A river Ganga is 2525 kilometers long and it has been the lifeline of the entire stretch of the Ganga-Yamuna plains, with over 300 million dependents today, why is Ganga considered so sacred? What is the secret behind its water? The waters of Ganga by nature cleanses itself and even a single dip in the waters of the holy river cleanses away the sins of a person.


In India, the last rites of most of the Hindus are performed along the shores of Ganga, and thousands of human bodies are consigned to the holy Ganga river. During festival days millions of Hindus take bath in the river day. But stil there is no sign of contagious diseases spreading from person to person due to contact through the river water. 

Antibacterial Nature

A British physician tested the water of Ganga that bacterium Vibrio Cholerae which causes the deadly Cholera disease dies within three hours when placed in the waters of Ganga. 

Anti-putrefication

Another British physician noticed that the waters of Ganga when taken even from the dirtiest mouths remained fresh throughout the long journey.

Purifying dead

A French microbiologist was amazed of seeing that a few feet below the bodies of persons floating in the Ganga who had died of dysentery and cholera, where one would expect millions of germs, there were no germs at all!


Hindus had for thousands of years rightly believed that Ganga purifies the dead bodies, which is why probably the bodies of even those who died of infectious diseases were offered to this river for purification!

Recent Research

An Indian environmental engineer/professor of hydrology has spent a life time studying the amazing properties of Ganges. 


Finally he found that the remarkable self cleansing ability of Ganges is that Ganges water can able to reduce its biochemical oxygen demand levels much faster than other rivers! He says that the self-purifying quality of this river leads to oxygen levels that are 25 times higher than any other river in the world. The Ganges cleanses up suspended wastes 15 to 20 times faster when compared to other rivers!


It is observed that the water from the upper reaches of Ganga did not host mosquito breeding, and also prevented mosquito breeding in any water it was added to!


The major factors which give Ganges its unique ability are:

• An unknown factor called the Mystery Factor that gives the river ganga an unusual ability to retain dissolved oxygen from the atmosphere! and bacteriophage. 
• The high levels of oxygen in the waters of Ganga gives it the unique ability to remain fresh over a prolonged period of time. 

In other words, the water of river Ganga can be an alternative for using antibiotics to treat bacterial diseases! Ancient Indians who used the water of rivers like Ganga never required any antibiotics, for the very water they used was anti-bacterial in nature! This type of Bacteriophage Therapy has been suggested by many researchers, but rarely tried/tested or practised in the health industry.


Related links:


Pollution Sensitive Dress

Pollution Sensitive EPA Dress

Pollution Sensitive EPA Dress by 2nd Skin

EPA Dress

It is one thing to be concerned about a ‘bad hair day’, but imagine wearing smart fashion that alerts you to the threat of a stinky ‘bad air day’. Stephanie Sandstrom’s EPA Dress, currently on view in the San Francisco Exploratorium’s 2nd Skin Exhibition responds to bad air – and that’s not all, it cleverly creates the wrinkles to prove it! Looking crumpled and tired may no longer be an indicator of a late night out, but rather an intelligent way of interpreting your surroundings as well as detecting lurking health hazards. And if that’s not enough to get you totally charged up, consider the Piezing motion-powered dress that redefines future-forward fashion with femme-bot sex appeal.

Designer Sandstrom has embedded her EPA dress with sensors that are able to intelligently read the surrounding atmosphere and in turn create telling kinks in the fabric’s surface. On days when the air quality is particularly poor, the EPA dress looks as if it has been pulled out of the laundry bin or from the back of one’s closet. It’s a scary prospect to think that our clothes might take on a texture of their own, but if this is a viable way for us to see our true selves or rather the state of our environment, well then, we are all for it!.


Related Links:


Sacred Ganga

MOBILE TOWER RADIATION HAZARDS - FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

 MOBILE TOWER RADIATION HAZARDS - FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1.       What are the Health Hazards faced with Mobile Towers Radiations?

    Sleep Disturbance, Headaches, Memory Loss, Lack of Concentration, Fatigue, Joint Pains,   Vision Distortion, Miscarriage, Heart Problems, Brain Tumour, Leukaemia, Cancer, etc.
    Also, it affects birds, animals, fruit yield of the trees, and environment.
    Because of Mobile Tower Radiation Sparrows became endangerous species

2.      Do we have any Medical Reports to prove these?

    Overuse of cell phones leads to hearing loss and ear tumour, and this has been reported by several doctors in India. On May 31, 2011, WHO reported, “The electromagnetic fields produced by mobile phones are classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as possibly carcinogenic to humans.”
 

    There are several epidemiological studies done in various countries, such as, Germany, Austria, Brazil, Israel, etc. where they have reported increase in cancer cases in 5 to 10 years, where radiation level was more than 1  mW/m2. Cancer is the last stage and before that people living close to mobile phone towers have reported sleep disturbance, headaches, memory loss, lack of concentration, fatigue, joint pains, vision distortion, miscarriage, heart problems, etc. There are cluster of cancer cases in India also, which occurred after a few years of installation of mobile towers, and where radiation levels were around 10 mW/m2.
    

One of the links with peer reviewed publications on EMF effect on human and environment with epidemiological and experimental studies. http://www.cellphonetaskforce.org/

3.      What are the Indian Standards of EMF radiation levels permitted?

    India follows ICNIRP Guidelines of safe radiation density of 4500 milliwatt/m2 for GSM900 and 9200 milliwatt/m2 for GSM1800. However, ICNIRP guidelines clearly state that these are for short term exposure, averaged over 6 minutes and not for long term exposure. Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) Report recommended adopting 1/10th of ICNIRP guidelines in Jan. 2011.

4.      What is the highest reading of EMF radiation level recorded so far?

    Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) has reported highest measured reading of power density as 450 mW/m2 and most of their readings are within 1 to 100 mW / m2. That’s why they always claim that they are     within the safe limits. However, from health point of view, safe limit for 24 hours exposure should be less than 0.1 mW / m2.

5.      How far from Mobile Towers / Base Station is safe so that there is no health hazard faced by humans?

    Radiation level at a place depends upon power transmitted, radiation pattern of the antenna, and distance from the transmitting towers. From health point of view, for 24 hours exposure and assuming human life span of 70 years, safe radiation density is less than 0.1 mW/m2, which includes apartments, schools, hospitals, offices and playgrounds. Safe radiation density can be 10mW/m2, where people spend few minutes a day. Currently in     India, base stations transmit 20W/carrier, so in the main beam, a distance of less than 300m is not safe. If the power transmitted is reduced by 100 times, then safe distance will reduce by 10 times.

6.      Why should mobile phone towers not be close to Hospitals, Schools and Residences where pregnant ladies and Senior Residents reside? At what distance they should be?

    Children and pregnant ladies are more sensitive to radiation, and hence they should not be exposed to high radiation for longer time. Senior residents and patients with weak immune system are more susceptible to high radiation.

7.      Are there any International standards for Mobile Towers?

    Height at which the Towers should be installed – 30 m
    Distance at which the Towers should be installed from Residences, Hospitals, Schools – 50 m
    Power Transmission by the Towers – 1 to 2W in the dense urban area

8.      The Cell Phone Service providers are very financially strong and have strong political contacts. They conduct Seminars in 5 Star Hotels, invite foreign delegates, and distribute printed leaflets manipulated at times. The Civil Society does not have all this. How to put our point forward? We need technical studies literature to support.

    There are plenty of technical literatures reporting health hazards to human, birds, animals, plants, and trees, etc. We need to raise funds, which can be utilized for creating awareness and fund epidemiological studies.

9.      Unless we are able to create public awareness, nothing is going to happen as telcos lobby is very strong. How do we go about it to create mass awareness through TV and media? How do we engage NGOs and Political parties especially opposition parties to raise relevant questions in the Parliament and also create public awareness.

    We have to create public awareness through digital media, i.e., facebook, twitter, blog, email, SMS, etc. We can also request cricketers and bollywood people to join the campaign, as reporters like to cover them. Also, involve school and college children; let us not underestimate youth of our country.

10.   Can we get copies of rules and regulations for the radiation norms in the countries like Switzerland, Russia, Australia and Italy which countries seem to have adopted norms which are safe enough for all living beings?

    We can get copies of rules and regulations of the radiation norms adopted in the other countries through internet.