Energy , Efficiency... Rediscovered &Recreated

Topline to Bottomline, what is the distance? Where is the gap, when we have all the best resources and technology in hand which is probably meant for just 5% of the Urban Indians!!!

Celebrating World Environment Day on 5^th of June...A set of students set out on a task given by Srishti Unicef for their Summer School Inclusive Innovation project, came out with unique solutions for problems which are existing in remote and rural pockets in Gujarat, especially Little Rann and Greater Rann of Kutchh… before elaborating on solutions, it was rather alarming to discover following paradoxes..or a Bipolar System!!

1. Gujarat, a state which has ISRO and all the possible sensors to gauge rainfall and underground water, here our farmers haven’t been given knowledge about the same devices or access to underground brine detectors. The plight is; they at times dig over twenty wells to discover brine water…. If your question is where? It’s just few hundred kilometers away from Ahmedabad in Rann of Kutchh… A place where tourism is thriving in full swing and a tent city has been constructed in no time after the “Khushboo….” Campaign kicked off, and multiple crores have been spent!

Solution : The students have designed sensors to save labour and time of farmers

Innovators : Ananya Gupta, Nakum Dhaval Natvarbhai, Prabhudatta Mishra, Agrata Patel

2. We have so much of hydrogen sulphide H2S trapped in brine wells.. in a chemical belt having all the knowledge and expertise and in a country where the gas hunt is also on in ocean,  here farmers in Kutchh die due to lack of knowledge and attention been given to them, as they inhale these toxic gases which leak from wells which just have cloth gauge to block the openings , thus succumb to death.

Solution: Valves designed to fully block the opening with a baking soda container fitted beneath which neutralizes the toxic gases.

Innovators : Karan Birpali, Vedprakash Mishra & Aman Garg

3. Age old traditional “chulhas” have never been replaced by energy efficient modified versions cause we have never tried to train and empower those rural pockets and ‘dhabas’ or eateries in nearby areas use tandoor’s and angeethis for cooking.

Solution: A combination of traditional angeethi, chulha and a fireplace which is highly energy efficient model saving upto 50% time and fuel.  

Innovators : Rahul Kumar, Mahak Chhajed, Rittick Maity, Shiyani Kuldip Govindajibhai, Gautam Jitendrabhai Katar, Pulkit Goyal

4. Wavelengths have taken another bandwidth.. reaching out to 4G and wifi, and here the buzzing swarms couldn’t have been controlled by their own technique of sound.. until these geniuses develop some great antennas!!!

Solution: A device has been designed that generates frequencies of sonic waves causing irritation in various insects & flies, the waves are transmitted in nearby the area which turn insects of certain species which are responsible for damaging the crop.. the research on specific species is still on.

Innovators: Ranjit V S, Chaudhari Monark Manubhai, Jha Anjali Nilendu, Lakshya Agrawal

5. Distillation Unit has been designed by students to overcome Salination of water to some extent in a place where we boast about shipping industry!! Shipping and water distillation units go hand in hand!!

These units will help in supplying water in arid region where the locals are dependent on water supplied by tankers, which is erratic!!

Solution: The unit comprises of an evaporation tray/ container kept at an angle of greater than 30 degrees supplied with water at regular inter

vals by an inlet. The inclination provides greater surface area for evaporation and eases the movement of condensed water droplets on top of the plastic sheet into the cooling pipe. The cooling pipe is insulated from sunlight, helping condensation of water droplets inside. The condensation tank is buried in the ground, so that its temperature of stored water remains cooler. An outlet can be taken from condensation tank making condensed water accessible to salt farmers.

Innovators: Shashank Adhikari, Amanat Mishra &  Aashka Shah

53 students from colleges across India, including IIT’s , Nirma Innstitute, Tata Institute of Memorial Sciences, National Institute of Technology etc. took part in Srishti Unicef, Grassroot Innovation Summer School 2018 to create their prototypes under the guidance of Shri. Anil Gupta. The team formed a list of problems which Agariyas of Kutchh have been facing in the region from over 50 to 500 years of time span, the solution for which hasn't been provided till date. Then they prioritized the problems on the basis of importance and urgency. The students stayed here for three weeks to work on the project. 

They have come up with 13 various innovations, which were showcased at Grambharti Institute at Amrapur, near Gandhinagar which are being further reviewed for testing and modifications by National Innovation Foundation.