More Sunny, Less Money

Diksha Grover

DEHRADUN, October 11, 2008

Saving the environment is not just about saving the flora and fauna; it is also about saving money and electricity. Ravi Mathur is one man who has not just designed and planned his house himself, but has also blended the benefits of environment into his lifestyle.

Living right opposite to a lush green hillock on the Rajpur Road, he not only has the advantage to listen to countless birds chirping in his luxuriously green balcony, but he also takes advantage from nature to save his living costs.

The decorated Brigadier from the 1962’s war with China, R.K. Mathur and his wife, a founder teacher of the Welham Girls’ School and a founder principal of Hopetwon Girls’ School, Madhuri Mathur, use water as a resource most effectively. The kitchen and bathroom water is flown into septic tanks which disinfect water, then is carried by perforated pipes buried in their garden, to save time in watering lemon tress, grape fruit, sweet limes and various other species of flowers and fruits. Using rainwater harvesting as an effective tool for their kitchen garden, they have been able to grow rare herbs, turmeric, ginger, lettuce, radish, Colocacia, Cilantro, mint etc.

There is no need for the Mathurs to buy manure, for they can produce it at home. The waste disposal system is very natural, systematic and definitely very useful. They have dug two pits for waste decomposition- one for disposing waste, and the other which is waiting to be re-used once the manure is prepared.

They use LPG geysers to save electricity, which also makes them least dependent on electricity. The Mathurs also have eight hens and cocks in their backyard----enough to be-come eggitarians and save the bother of going to the market.

There is a cost-effective heating and cooling system in the house. Solar panels are connected with pipes that are networked all through the house. These pipes contain heavy electric transmission oil. In winters during daytime, these pipes blow hot air and by the night, the oil that is heated during the day warms the air that the pipes blow. For summers, tin roofs that have been used in the balcony are kept cool by the shade, and on the inside, cement and high ceiling keep the mansion ventilated and cool.

One would wonder how much it would cost a Doonite to build a house similar to that of the Mathurs. At a time when price of steel, cement, other construction material and labour charges are shooting through the roof---Rs 20-25 lakh would suffice to own an eco-friendly ‘retreat’.

Mathur says that saving space is also a very important element in an eco-friendly house. He believes by having a joint bathroom and by adding connectors to rooms, the usage of many products decreases. Talking about saving, though the initial cost about any eco-friendly device may only be meager, it was surprising to find out that there really is no maintenance cost at all!

Pointing out how Vastu is absolutely eco-friendly, he said, “Vastu says that the entrance and the water source should face North-East. Now, when the sun rises, it naturally kills all the bacteria present in the water. Also, kitchen is supposed to face South-East because the sunrays kill all the harmful germs all day long in this direction. If one believes in Vastu environment comes all by itself.”

For Ravi Mathur, the USP of the location was the thick and dense forest, and to ruin it, all kinds of polluting machines were available. But for him, “As far as the idea of eco-friendly goes, there is more a need to come closer to nature than go closer to anything man-made. That way, there is no environmental pressure nor any pressure on the pocket!”

Published in Hindustan Times, Dehradun