The Hindu : Kerala News : `Mining of clay posing eco problems'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jun 02, 2006

Kerala

Kerala

`Mining of clay posing eco problems'

Staff Reporter

Call to develop alternative materials

KOCHI: Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation Managing Director P.H. Kurian has underlined the need for research on making fly ash-based products which could substitute clay in construction industry. Mining of clay has been posing environmental problems and alternative products need to be developed, he said. The focus could be on utilising waste materials produced in paper industry and industrial units such as FACT.

Mr. Kurian was inaugurating a seminar on alternative raw materials for brick and tile industry, at Angamally, near here on Tuesday. The programme was organised by Regional Research Laboratory (RRL), Thiruvananthapuram, under the fly ash utilisation programme of TIFAC, New Delhi, in association with All Kerala Tile Manufacturers Federation and Indian Ceramic Society, Kerala Chapter.

T.K. Chandrasekharan, Director of the RRL Thiruvananthapuram, said various steps were being adopted for quality control in tile industry. Appropriate training was being imparted to the workers in the industry.

Vimal Kumar, Director of TIFAC, and Ganesh Babu of the Central Building Research Institute, spoke. Demonstration of new technology was done at St. Joseph's Clay Works, Angamally. Joseph Kanichai, managing partner of the clay works unit, and Abdul Jaleel, managing partner of KAP Tiles, Thrissur, were present.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail