Kerala: Three cheers for school's plan on interlocking bricks

KOZHIKODE: Government HSS Kokkallur has got the rare recognition of representing Kerala at the National Children’s Science Congress (NCSE) for the third continuous consecutive time. Among the 16 schools participating from Kerala, Kokkallur School and Chalappuram Government Girls HSS represents the district. The work of five students titled ‘The negative impacts of paving bricks on sustainable development’ was selected to the category of project under the subject ‘Natural resource management.’ 

The students have made a comprehensive study on the impact of paving brick on environment with Kokkallur as the area of study. “The major impacts include soil loss, heat emission, water scarcity and shrinking of garden variety plants,” said Botany teacher Sindhu E.S, the teacher-cum-guide for the project. 
“The extensive use of concrete bricks to pave courtyards and premises of buildings aggravates the sustainability of our environment. The interlocking bricks totally insulate earth from rain and sunlight. The situation further pushes away the young generation from having an organic link with nature which helps them improve physical fitness and immunity,” says Anuvind P.R., the project leader.

The study found that after the laying of interlocks, the temperature soared, up to 34 degrees causing some households to keep a fan inside the room. “The claim of the interlock manufacturers that water will percolate down through the gaps has been proved false. The air-tight gaps would get clogged within a short span of time. Off late, there is a tendency to concrete first and lay interlock above that providing no space for water to ooze down,” explained Mrs Sindhu. The students say that 1,600 square feet paving feet area in 2007 has shoot up to 69,000 square feet within seven years in Balusserry area. The other students who were part of the project are Abhimanya Mohan, Arjun. S, Athena Krishnan and Shyamrin Krishna. NCSE will kick start at Ahmedabad on December 25.