The return of 'Ragi Chembu' (copper pot)

Health conscious people are returning to the traditional practicing of drinking water from copper vessels – rather than plastic or steels- for their purificatory and curative value.

The elderly to this day drink water stored in the Ragi Chembu in villages, now those in urban areas are following the suit.

Padala Srinivas, who runs an electric shop in Adilabad town, said many people who were prone to health problems due to a stressful lifestyle were drinking water stored in a copper bottle.

The older generation has always set store by copper’s therapeutic value and how water drunk from a copper vessel could remedy problems, such as falling hair, joint pains and kidney stone.

Mr Srinivas pointed out that water tasted different when stored in a copper vessel. It should not be refrigerated as it cooled naturally in a copper utensil.

   

Prices of copper items ranging from Rs 450 to Rs 1,500 and people are making brisk purchases off e- commerce sites Amazon, Flipkart and eBay . copper water bottles are a major drwa ,with sales online having risen in the recent past.    

   

Elderly persons even today drink water stored in copper pot lota (Ragi Chembbu), ‘Ragi Mara Chembu’ and ‘Ragi Binde’ jug just after wakeup early in the morning in rural areas.

Full day school in summer

Full day school during peak summer is likely to affect students this year unlike in the past. The director of school education has issued a new academic calendar, with full day school scheduled between March21 to April 23.

The previous academic year will be ended on March 15, with holidays till March 19.

The four- day holiday is when teachers correct the exam papers and prepare progress card report, issued to the students when schools reopen on March 20.

The new academic year will begin from March 21 and school will continue till April 23. Term holidays will be given till June 12. Schools will be reopened on June13.

A.Venkat, a government teacher of Adilabad, said that students would be cope with the heat if sufficient drinking water was provided and if there is uninterrupted power supply to the schools.

He felt that running full day school was preferable, in a way, because students from rural areas could not go home in the afternoon heat when half day school ends. It is better that they are indoors till evening.

School timings were earlier from 8 am to 12.30 pm. With the changed timings, primary schools will function from 9 am and 4 pm and high schools from 9.30 an to 5 pm. This is the first time that the state government has changed half day school during the summer to full day schedule.

The state government has for the first time cancelled half day school during summer instead introduced full day school as per chanced school academic calendar in the state.