Cost Effective Solution to save Coconut trees during forth coming water scarcity months due to El Niño : Olla Irrigation - Ancient Wisdom for Modern Droughts. 🏺 Echoes of Ancient Clay pot Irrigation Long before the term olla entered agricultural vocabulary, ancient Tamil farmers practiced remarkably similar methods. In Sangam‑era Tamilakam, clay vessels called “ māṇ paṇai ” or “kulam paṇai” were used to store and seep water near tree roots - especially for coconut, banana, and areca palms. These pots were often placed in earthen basins (thottam) lined with coir, husk, and leaf mulch, creating a natural moisture‑retention system. Inscriptions and temple garden records from regions like Pollachi, Thanjavur, and Madurai mention such paṇai neer vaḻi (pot‑water channels) as part of sustainable irrigation networks. This continuity of wisdom - from ancient Tamil pot irrigation to modern olla systems - shows how indigenous knowledge can guide regenerative farming in the...
On December, 2011 in my 100th blog post I wrote: I was born in Tamil Nadu and had good education there until M.Phil (Bharathiar University - Environmental Sciences specializing in Environmental Physiology). Moved to USA to pursue Ph.D in Environmental Sciences. God gave me privilege to complete MS in Computer Science also. During this period I have traveled so many places and had vast experiences. Acquired environmental knowledge from excellent people who were very knowledgeable in these fields and want to do something for Environment. Even after several decades of independence and great rulers with future vision, Tamil Nadu state still have not lived up to its potential. We have best institutions - IIT, Anna University, REC, several other universities and best schools in India. But what has improved in these years of independence. We still have poverty, lots of pollution and environmental problems. For example - we have so many polluted areas where...