Logistics, Linear Programming Problem and my Wind Mill

Everywhere the impact is seen. Business Process are split into bits and pieces like a Jigsaw puzzle, scattered everywhere and outsourced to different entities.  Net result is that the big picture never re-appears.  All blind men are touching the elephant in all directions, getting different conclusions.   The big picture belongs to customer or the owner. Both suffer.

I thought this is only typical of modern Software Industry. Different fancy documents like Business Request, Functional Request, etc are generated by equally fanciful human resources and finally somewhere the customer request which was captured in one sentence gets expanded into a thick book of techno commercial interface guide, generating profit to all the partners until the last bit of his budget is squeeze and utilised.  The main work of meeting customer requirement gets replaced with satisfying some "framework" experts have created after a long time by which time the customer would have forgotten what he had asked.

What started on 22nd at Mumbai,  my consignment of  One Tonne of steel parts for Wind Mill from ABS factory has travelled to atleast four "Logistics Hubs" through TCI-XPS,  taken rest and finally arrived some 50 Kms near the farm.  Whew !.  While the physical consignment, unloading, reloading, lorry etc were happening in one slice of time,  in parallel the Information technology that is supposed to track the barcode of consignment, and display on the screen of the customer was lagging way behind.  Ideally what should result as customer online experience, becomes a night mare and frustration for the customer. Because you see on your screen your consignment not moving an inch and stay struck in each hub location cooling itself.  You can do nothing about it through your browser. You hunt for the phone number from web, call that guy at the hub with no response.  For him it is a daily routine.

You wonder why a 1 tonne should zig zag between 4 Ports and consume 10 days to reach in-land location ? Which according to your commonsense is an overnight journey.   That is Linear Programming Problem solved by logistics experts for you !

When the parcel reached Madurai outscrits on 27th, itself I took charge of following it very closely. Numerous calls and followups, resulted in delivery to Tirunelveli Hub today.  What is supposed to be door delivery consignment will start tomorrow through another vehicle and perhaps reach the farm, provided papers are in place.  Where are the papers? They are missing as per Tirunelveli Hub. In the different stoppages it has been lost by drivers.  Now ABS is mailing them again.

There is this task ahead.  We donot have hydraulic cranes.  We will employ 10 people to unload the three boxes, the heaviest is 700 Kg. (considering one man can lift 60 Kg and all of them can employ Archimedes principle) .  We also need to somewhere intercept the vehicle and escort to the village/farm which has no address. Subbu is waiting for this .....

Tailpiece Added on 31st May.

The call from lorry driver was received at 6.30 AM by me.  I alerted Subbu on a concall.  The vehicle was guided on its own upto Emankulam and was escorted from  there to the farm. By that time within 30 minutes, Subbu had arranged for 10 man power. I am not aware of their cost, but must be between 50 to 100 rupees each for 1 hour work.  The material was unloaded. Subbu called after anxious 45 minutes to say that they are unable to move the bigger box (weighing 700 kg). This was expected.

Had it been say an urban folk, he would have called for a suspension of activity, paid the driver extra for waiting, get into argument with their HO and called for a crane from near by town.  We did not do all of these, did none of these. Subbu promptly opened the trunk box with an axe,  moved the content of the box little by little inside out (They were mostly tower assembly parts)  and after few minutes the box which is lightweight was unloaded off the truck again put back to shape on the floor.   Period.

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Why I will prefer Bullock Cart ?

Subbu mentioned that coconut waste is available in Nanguneri (about 15 Kms away).  This is the coconut fiber waste available after using the fiber for making coir rope. I guess it will be semi fiber and powder.  They charge Rs. 100/- for a tractor load.  Looks cheaper. But the tractor rent would cost around Rs. 1000 for to and fro. Plus add Rs. 200 for loading and unloading for 2 persons.  That is lot of money totalling around 1300/- for one tractor load of waste.

Contrast that with a bullock cart (If I own one).  The bullock cart ride is free. Carbon free. Bullocks and the driver are the liability. But bullocks can be used for all purposes. The man can be paid a salary of 4000/-.  With this setup we can make a number of sorties in a month.  Time is not a constraint. The cart can take many hours to commute and return back. How does it matter ?  If I calculate what are the applications for which the bullock cart can be employed and how much money can be saved or some useful work can be done, the savings are mind boggling.

So I need a bullock cart.

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Farm update 22 May, 2014

1.    Workers issue is not that bad.  The two new workers seems to have realized their moral responsibility. I understand they are coming at 7.45 AM itself. After all villagers are still holding the tradition of giving a word and abiding by it irrespective of their circumstances. They feel proud about their commitment.  That is what keeps the pulse alive and our job interesting.

2.  Manure to enrich the soil has been ordered. A Kg of vermi compost costs around 10/- and a truck of cow dung around 2300/-. Perhaps it may be further competitive outside, but the source from where I am buying would use the money to run a cow shelter aka Goshala. We need to find a transport to bring them to farm.

Table that will go on borewell top

One of the boxes with
Assorted spares of tower

One of the spare part of rotor assembly

3.  The Wind Mill is finally on its way through a cargo mover. It has left Mumbai today and should travel around 1600 Kms before reaching the destination - Our Farm.

The parts are given a liberal coat of red oxide followed by few layers of paint spray. They are carefully packed in special containers for rough handling. Everything has come out green in color as I have envisaged.

Guys at ABS are very friendly especially Chaitanya. Some of the delays were beyond their control. Delays in past two weeks were due to packing person on vacation and non-availability of carrier with less hops to transport.

4. Subbu has been sent to nearby town to fetch coconut waste fibers. This will be used for mulching and adding fibre content to the soil.

*****

Labor Problem in the Farm and farm updates

Farm Labor

1. The two new workers continue to come late despite several briefings to them. There was an SOS call from the farm yesterday. Otherwise soft natured, Kandan had taken courage to complain through Subbu that his companion workers are of no use. They continue to come after10 AM and  donot pour water, rest in shade and go home before sunset. Today around 30 plants had not been watered.  Due to summer heat they are dropping. Because of ommission by the new workers, yesterday Subbu called to discuss if they need to water in the night to save them. Kandan later postponed to today morning as he knows better about the plants. It has been decided to settle the accounts of the new workers at month end and look for someone else.
2. Today my friend from Chennai called me to enquire on farm labours for his organic farm .  He was willing to pay much higher amount, provide housing including cable TV in his farm. All he wants is a couple who can stay in the farm and work sincerely. But alas! he has not been successful in getting proper workers. His farm is in a bit advanced stage. Though not much documented, they are growing organic millets, paddy, vegetables etc.

It appears that there are employment opportunities like this everywhere, but there is scarcity of labour. Mainly due to NREGA scheme of the Government, the farming people have quit farming and has become lazy. This is a lesson.

My strategy now would be to invite people below poverty line, provide them and train them.

Wind Pump

The wind pump is still not visible from ABS.  It is waiting for special containers to be made by a specific supplier. ABS is specific to pack even the tower (top portion) into a box. I wonder. But they are adament. Perhaps packing is required as it is to be sent through XPS logistics via several passes.  If all goes well, today they would have dispatched, if not on Monday.

Farm Update

Farming should be a parallel activity. Not waiting for wind pump which is getting delayed, we thought of doing rest of the work. The following could be some activities that will happen.

1. Ploughing:.  It was decided to plough, because of the incessant rain that poured 10 days back for a week, the soil is soft. Therefore one single run using tracktor will turn the soil and aerate the same. It will also control the weeds. Simultaneously i wanted to spray mixed seeds for manure growth, but the simmering heat has again started. The seeds will not sprout. Therefore for the time being only ploughing.

2. Compost Shed: We would need continuous supply of compost. Therefore wanted to make a small beginning. Need to construct a low cost shed and build a vermi compost tank with rough unfinished bricks. I am yet to send the design after which the work will start.  Cowdung for this will come from neighbouring cattle shed for the time being.

3. Bullock Cart: I am nostalgic about buying a bullock cart. Perhaps I will be the only farmer to buy bullock cart in 21st century. But neverthless, I need one or two. Option A is to order and make one. There is an artisan in nearby village, I heared. But I am not sure how much it would cost. Option B would be to buy one discarded. So far Subbu has got only a very bad dilapidated cart and has discarded the proposal. Need to focus on the same. Bullock cart will be used to cart cow dung, grass etc between farms.

4. Seeds: I need seeds of all varities, now to be stored for 2 months and used. Seed collection will happen by word of mouth through contacts. I may have to sponsor travel. Acquire by Post or visit myself.  Presently a seed bank need to be built. Simple one should be one room, with shelf and mud vessels/pots to hold the seeds. Seeds can also be struck on cowdung cakes and dried in the sun.

5. Farm Pond:  The lowest point in the farm where water has got collected naturally and retained by Subbu's effort should be a natural pond. I suggested digging further and cementing the floor with clay obtained from another pond along with Gypsum. Subbu did not understand what is gypsum.

I need to write a letter on all above points to subbu, otherwise they will forget.

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Karpuravalli Banana would go First based on pre-monsoon assumptions

There is heavy rain in South Tamil Nadu and in my farm.  Subbu was unable to speak to me as he is fearing lightning strike on his cell phone in open field.  We spoke after the rains. It is 4 days hence rain is there.  The Met has predicted a low pressure area in Bay of Bengal and a cyclone off Kanyakumari. So more rains, if not thunder showers are expected. That is good news.

For the first time I feel how a Farmer would feel about the rains.   When the ground is parched for many months and crop is dying, the rain will definitely bring happiness to everyone. I also realize the importance of water for farming.  Without water, nothing can be done. NOTHING.

Today the female workers came late and got mouthful of shouting. Even he gave the phone to me and I did my bit over the phone.  They promised they will come in time from tomorrow. Subbu is planning for an attendance register. So HR is born.

They have re-planted some stocks of casuarina saplings on the eastern fence side.  He asked me what should he do for the branches that are growing and spreading just above ground level. Coniferous trees have a habit of growing with huge bottom. I told him not to do anything. Once the tree grows to a height, automatically the bottom most branches will become less dense. Then we can take a call.

So our ground is soaked.  Subbu did a brilliant thing after hearing me many times. "We should not allow single drop of water to run off the farm. It should soak underground."   He has arrested the water by creating mud bunds so that the rainwater is arrested from run away. He was confident, even if it doesnot rain for few days also, the stored water can be used. That is great.  He also said that the soil is very slushy and asked me to go slow on inviting ABS. Vehicle will have problem. But I feel that is part of the game.

We are eagerly awaiting when the Wind Pump will be delivered.  I understand from ABS that it will be packed starting today. Only when it is installed and working, that we will come to know if we have solved the water problem.

Assuming water problem will be solved.... we are planning for next steps.  May, June and July are important months for agricultural activity. We cannot waste our time now. We need to prepare for monsoon.  Presently due to pre-monsoon rains (or Summer rain / Spring rain ?) I am restless on what all the possibilities that is opening up. Only when I want to refer my notes now that I realize that is grossly inadequate.

We need to start the crops.

We decided we will start with little bit of Banana trees. It is a 10 month crop. Best suitable for our climate and soil.  We have selected Karpooravalli variety. The reason Subbu gave is this variety is best suited for Organic cultivation according to him.

Karpuravalli (ABB): It is a popular variety grown for table purpose in medium rich soils. Its commercial cultivation is spread over in Central and Southern districts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. In Bihar, cultivation is in patches under the name 'Kanthali'. Karpuravalli is a tall, robust plant well suited to marginal lands and soils, produced under low input conditions. It is also the sweetest among Indian bananas. Karpuravalli is occasionally seeded depending on the seasonal variability. Its ash coated golden yellow and sweet fruits have good keeping quality. Karpuravalli is highly susceptible to wilt disease, tolerant to leaf spot disease and well suited for drought, salt affected areas and for low input conditions.

The following is the process we may follow;

1. Tower assembly for windmill require some ground space. Once that is installed in another 10 days, the ground will be ploughed with hired tractor.
2. We will purchase mixture of millets, oil seeds, pulses, beans and other seeds each 5 Kg, mix them, soak them in cow urine, cowdung and water for a day.
3. Spread them over the field and allow it to grow for a month, plough them again into the soil.
4. Spread some more organic manure  and oil cakes and spread them. I may try some coconut coir waste and charcoal also.
5. Create raised bunds in the mud with tractor and start planting the saplings. They must be available in nearby town called Kalakkadu.

Then let us see how it goes...

The calculation is 8 Cents will hold 80 trees.  The proposed half acre or 50 cents will then hold 480 trees. So it is 500 trees in total.

Recalling back what I planned for the farm in theory, and what I am able to achieve until now, there is a big difference. But I am delighted that we are there....perhaps with a time difference.

What I planned 2 Years back

What I am doing now

Note that the compound itself has undergone change. Some portion has been eaten away and it looks like "Digger". That portion of land doesnot belong to me, but to someone else under a government scheme. I was cheated at that time. So that portion was circumvented. I may however take the owners help and plant cow grass in it with another temporary fence.

*****

Huge Shower in the farm

There is heavy rain in the farm. Subbu called me to say this while he is at the farm. That is a great news for everyone. I asked him to document by photographs where the water is stagnating.  Sir, I will tell you right away.  The water gets accumulated right in front of the shade we have constructed. It gets collected from all directions.

That is good. I told Subbu that this point is near the center of the plot. Therefore we cannot allow all water to get collected in the center. That point will be raised when we start cultivation. Therefore now is the time to plan for Swale on the outer edges from where the water comes into the farm.

Not a single drop of water should escape. It should soak down. Let us work towards it.  I said and Subbu acknowledged.

Meanwhile back home ABS friend has felt sorry for the delay in delivery.  The painter was absent and they are managing with a second guy. Spray Painting to be done.  Hopefully the windmill should leave the garage next week.

Farm Update 01.05.2014 - Coffee, Tea at the Farm and planning ahead

• A number of small items were purchased for the farm. The main theme was to setup a small kitchen for the 4 workers to have coffee/tea as and when they want. I told Subbu to  buy a brass pump stove.
  
  When I was a bachelor, I had used kerosene pump stove very effectively. Even today all over the country the road side restaurants are using them.
• Matching utensils, cloth, rope, drum for preparing additional panjakavya, hoe, farm tools were brought for a total of around Rs. 10,000/-.
• The new female workers are getting their first salary. Interviewed them over the phone.  Both were shy, but talked fluently. One is married and having 5 year old child going to UKG. The other is having two sons of age 8 and 9.  The husbands are not working properly. Assured them of stable career and growth if they put matching hard work in improving the farm. I hope we have made right choice of candidates.
• Supervising workers is going to be additional work. Initially I thought they will follow the system and process. But I heard they come late, donot turn-up at appointed hour etc. We need them by 9 AM and they can leave any time before evening. But they come at 10 when Sun is hot and there is nothing much that can be done. Presently I am just observing. I will prepare a work schedule and implement the same with some governance.
• Next 2 months are going to be very hot. Much hotter than it is now. Water has become major hurdle to expand the farm.
• We also need to prepare ourselves for July monsoon from now ON.  The farm B which is square plot, some 300 meters from the current farm  is without any fence and no activity. There was a theft of mud from there which was prevented by Subbu through night inspection.  During the course, need to have a cheap fence and plant live trees as fence as soon as we get showers.
• I need to plan for Lamp posts for the farm as it becomes dark immediately after 6 PM.  I need to find some suppliers who can provide Solar panel, battery, street light and lamp post with reasonable rate and having artistic design.

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Wind Speed at Nachankulam 114 days

Today happened to be a cloudy day. Subbu is eagerly waiting for the shower. I am told, rain is coming everywhere except this place.  If it rains at least for a day, we can give some rest to the workers. Wind mill is also not coming anytime in this week.

Below is the measurement of wind speed upto a week back. The remaining readings are in another notebook which Subbu could not have access when he read this out today.  the graph is showing steady decline in the speed and is consistently low. This is a worry.  There is however small blips above 3 Meters/second. Unless the new wind mill is calibrated properly to work in low speeds.... let us wait and see..  It is going to be a challenge that after installation if the wind mill doesnot turn enough, then we are left with no other alternative. The handpump is being removed. The only possibility could be to rush for 2nd boring and install the handpump.

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