Lake mud to fine sand: Varkala native turns novel idea into big market success

KOCHI: An entrepreneur's novel project of extracting sand from the mud residues of Kochi Lake is gaining headlines. The port trust is removing the mud from the lake. With the cooperation of the trust, Varkala native Ratheesh Venugopal started the company 'Master Mind' in 2023. With the experiment a huge success, many of the large construction companies in Kochi started relying on them for sand.

The soil and mud removed by large dredgers to deepen the shipping channel will be dumped into the opposite end of the sea, far away from the coast. The soil and mud removed by small dredgers for the berth will be auctioned off. It will be transported to the plant by lorry and washed in three stages. The shells, soil and mud will be transferred through a special conveyor belt. Then, the sand will be separated. The water required for the plant will be treated and reused. Sand is mostly exported to the Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Kannur and Kasaragod districts. A system to produce clay from dredged mud will also be operational soon.

The plant has been set up on a lease from the Port Trust's land at Vallarpadam. This is the second such plant in South India. The first is Rajdhani Minerals, a joint venture between the state government and a private company in Ponnanni.

120 tons of sand are currently being extracted per hour. The remaining shells are not thrown away.

• 3 mm, 2.33 mm-----More granular----For plastering walls

• 0.5 mm----Very less granular----For making interlocking blocks

• Shells----For agriculture and industrial purposes

The plant was started with an investment of Rs 14 crores. The current machine is a British-made one worth 5 crores. A new machine from an American company worth 13 crores will arrive soon. Ratheesh was a gypsum importer. His wife is Anila, a researcher in Singapore at Aqua Marine Engineering. His son is Niranjan, a class 10 student and wildlife photographer.