will be updated soon

AWARDS & HONOURS

• Karma Verar Kamarajar Award for 2003-2004 for ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, 2004

• Outstanding Social Scientist/ Scientist: Science and Society award to Dr.T.M. Vatsala, 2002

• Bio-Hydrogen -Best Research Paper Award; World Renewable Energy Congress-VII Cologne, Germany, 2002

• WIPO-World Intellectual Property Organisation Awad for Invention, 1995.

• Dr. Sheel Memorial Lecture Award, Indian Academy of Sciences, Allahabad, 1992.

• NRDC - President of India Award, 1991.

• Indira Priyadarshini Vrikshamitra Award for Environment, 1990,

• B D Tilak Award of Indian National Science Academy,1986.

• Kasturi Ranga Memorial Award, 1983.

• Jamnalal Balaji Awards for S&T for Rural Development, 1981.

• WIPO-World Intellectual Property Organisation Awards for Invention, 1981.

• NRDC President of India Awards, 1979.

The Recognition

• Spin Offs - Aiding growth through synergy

• The Waves - Specialists in fish aggregating devices.

• The Murugappa Shelter Trust - Alternative housing solution providers.

• Shaktha Society for Women - Women related issues.

• Chennai-Dendro-Tech Pvt. Ltd.,- Turnkey land developers.

• Dr. C. V. Seshadri Resource Centre for Rural Development - Research & Development of new technologies for generating income for the rural population.

• Dr. C. V. Seshadri Smruti charitable Trust - Agency that produces and markets Spirulina.

Well, ours is unending journey that has crossed several milestones in these 30 years.

Looking back, we are satisfied of our role in converting technologies into tangible benefits for people. And looking ahead, We feel confident of taking on further challenges.

We shall march forward into the future breaking new ground in every venture we enter into.

NGOs Directory

MCRC has compiled a directory on voluntary organisations working in Tamil Nadu on behalf of CAPART, Hyderabad, and Development Alternatives (DA), New Delhi. CAPART requires this information to disseminate its activities through networking while DA plans to list them into the Internet.

Community Development Works

Workshops and Training Programmes

Under the aid of government agencies many workshops and training programmes are being conducted in MCRC on several technologies developed by the Centre. The target groups who are benefited from such training programmes are NGOs, Industries, individuals and farmers.

Many of the MCRC's proven technologies are being transferred to rural areas for income generation. Apart from these programmes, many camps on environmental awareness and health care are also being conducted at the Centre.

Energy Surveys/Studies

MCRC has carried out pioneering studies in several rural areas, in particular, in the isolated regions of the Lakshadweep Islands, The Nilgiri Hills, The Kumaon Hills in the Himalayas, etc. Expertise has been established at MCRC for the optimal use of the renewable resources in these areas.

Plantation crops for energy; especially the cultivation of Casuarina equisetifolia to develop wastelands is an important area of activity. MCRC has also been involved in developing simple adaptable techniques in the energy sector that could be dovetailed to any simple need.

Screen Printing

Screen printing The screen printing technique developed at MCRC was not only conceived of as a programme for income generation for women but also to provide more avenues for the trade by screen printing on cloth. Cloth as a medium of communication can also decrease environmental pollution. The training programme at villages near Avadi, Chennai led to setting up of two such functional units. Many more training programmes on screen printing are envisaged.

Sustainable fresh water supply to Chennai city

A mammoth fresh water crisis waits future generation in India. The crisis will not be due to the lack of fresh water as such, but the availability of adequate quality water at the right places and required time to meet basic needs. The emerging global fresh water crisis is already visible in India, involving enormous social, political and environmental costs, which are affecting the economy and quality of life.

The fresh water crisis is not just the result of natural factors such as drought, but has been caused by humans, by increased pollution of both surface and ground water, improper water resource management, and the shortcomings in the design, and implementation of legislation and regulations which address these problems.

The objective of the study was to provide insights for policies and programmes on fresh water management in India through an analysis of the trends in water availability and its use at the local level.

MCRC undertook such a study for the Chennai water basin. The intention was to examine the water situation and approaches being used by people at the urban areas, in order to achieve an assured supply of household water and utilise it for productive activities with related impacts on the ecosystem.

The insights were used in a synthesis report to suggest a set of policy and programme recommendations aimed primarily at the state and national level. This was carried out with support provided by the UNICEF and WWF in India

TORBED survey

A short term project entitled “TORBED Food Processing” sponsored by Research ORTECH Inc., Canada was carried out. The study is focused on assessing the current practices in the food processing industry. A baseline survey was conducted to gather information on employment, gender, environment and energy etc with the food processing units in Tamil Nadu and also to study the influence on introducing Turbo machine in food processing units mainly for reduced consumption of oils. The project was successfully completed in collaboration with Dr. C.V. Seshadri Resource centre which carried out survey on Pappads.