Tag: Rural

A Study on Rising Atmospheric Pollution in Rural India

Researchers from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur have found increasing atmospheric pollution in rural India using Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) measurements from satellites. Prof. Jayanarayanan Kuttippurath and Research Scholar Mansi Pathak of Centre for Ocean, River, Atmosphere and Land Sciences (CORAL) of IIT Kharagpur analysed the significant impact of urban pollution on the air quality of rural India by differentiating the pollution in two zones – rural and urban – and assessing the extent of air pollution in rural India. The researchers found that air pollution is not typically an urban phenomenon but can also affects the environment in rural perimeter. They conducted an analysis of the rural air quality to assess the extent of air pollution by measurements of NO2 through satellite imaging. The analysis carefully delineates the rural and urban regions of India, to examine the unheeded rural air pollution. Most air pollution assessments till date, discussed only the urban air quality issues. This analysis exposes increasing trends (0.05–0.44×1015molec./cm2/yr) of NO2 in the rural regions of India.

The study titled “Air Quality Trends in Rural India: Analysis of NO2 Pollution using Satellite Measurements,” highlights that rural sources account for 41 per cent of the overall NO2 pollution in India of which 45 per cent and 40 per cent are from transportation and power sectors, respectively. As the sources of NO2 are well coupled to the industrial and economic upliftment of a nation, the analyses for the rural regions show distinct seasonal changes with the highest value (2.0 1015 molecules per cm2) in winter and the lowest in monsoon (1.5 1015 molecules per cm2) seasons.

Prof. Jayanarayanan Kuttippurath
CORAL
IIT Kharagpur

“What we observe is that there is a decline in air quality in rural India in terms of our NO2 analysis, which is not beyond the threshold levels now, except in regions such as Delhi and suburbs and eastern India. However, given the positive trend in NO2 concentration, the high rate of urbanization and relocation of industries to suburbs, growing population and development activities, other regions of India would also cross the pollution threshold to impact the health of its people, and thus, our massive rural population. This is the real concern and it is the right time to take appropriate actions to control the atmospheric pollution in rural India,” explained Prof. Jayanarayanan Kuttippurath of CORAL, IIT Kharagpur. 

Air pollution is one of the biggest problems in India’s major cities. Comparison of pollutant-wise highest health risk values show that NO2 is about 19 times more harmful than Particulate Matter (PM) and about 25 times more risky than that of Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) . The population residing in the regions of high NO2 such as in the proximity of power plants, industries, cities, and in the areas above the permissible limit, are prone to be at high risk of adverse health effects such as asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia and cardiovascular diseases.

 Ms. Mansi Pathak
Research Scholar
IIT Kharagpur

Research Scholar, IIT Kharagpur and lead author of the paper, Ms. Mansi Pathak, stated, “We usually think the atmospheric pollution exists only in cities or it is just an urban threat. The air quality standards in rural regions are often neglected. However, our analysis suggests that it is high time to shift our focus to rural regions and examine the pollution levels and health issues of rural India. This is of paramount importance for a country like India, as rural areas have about 67 per cent of the country’s population (947 million) as of 2020 and public health today stands out to be the utmost priority globally.”

The indirect impact of NO2 on global climate change is not less with a net cooling effect attributed to the oxidation-fueled aerosol production.

Figure: The average concentration and long-term trends in atmospheric NO2 in India for the period 1997-2019.

High Nitrogen Oxide (NO) – which includes Nitric Oxide and Nitrogen Dioxide – levels in the troposphere can alter ozone formation, contribute to nitrate aerosol formation and acid deposition and affect regional climate.

Prof. Kuttippurath said though, other Indian rural regions are under permissible limits of CPCB, the increasing trends in NO2 would surpass the standards in future if no controlling measures are implemented, which is a serious concern.

This study suggests the need for taking action towards improving rural air quality to reduce the impact of air pollution on the large rural population of India. Although NO2 is a non-abundant gas, its indirect impact on global climate change is likely to be greater, with a net cooling effect attributed to the oxidation-fueled aerosol production. NOx levels in the troposphere can alter ozone formation, contribute to nitrate aerosol formation, and acid deposition and affect regional climate. The regions covered in this study are Indo-Gangetic plain, Central India, North-West India, Peninsular India, Hilly Region and North-East India where the authors analysed atmospheric NO2 concentration in different regions of India for the period 1997-2019.

Figure: Rural and urban atmospheric NO2 concentration in different regions of India for the period 1997–2019.

“Regulations similar to the Bharat Stage norms (for limiting vehicular emissions) need to be implemented in thermal power plants and industries located in both rural and urban regions, to restrict the overall NO2 pollution in rural India. Introducing new natural gas-fed power plants or using selective catalytic reduction (SCR) in older power plants can also reduce emissions, and thus, the NO2 pollution in rural India,” pointed out the researchers.

Publication Links: https://doi.org/10.1039/D2EM00293K

Media Coverage:

PTI UNI Indian Express
Economic Times Dainik Jagran Business Standard
The Print IBC 24 Neo Science Hub

Contact Person: Prof. Jayanarayanan Kuttippurath of CORAL, IIT Kharagpur
Email: jayan@coral.iitkgp.ac.in

Edited By : Poulami Mondal, Digital & Creative Media Executive (Creative Writer)
Email: poulami.mondal@iitkgp.ac.in, media@iitkgp.ac.in, Ph. No.: +91-3222-282007

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Transforming Rural Economies

COVID-19 has given a clarion call for a technology-enabled world, more so in the context of the Indian rural sector which has always stayed several steps behind the urban way of living. The slow progress could be attributed to not just lack of financial resources but also towards weak communication of functional knowledge, for a large population lacking literacy (M: 80.9%, F: 64.6%), and reliance on western technologies failing to cater to the requirements of the rural population of India. Researchers at IIT Kharagpur have come forward to bridge this gap by rolling out farming technologies as well as non-farming technologies for rural employment. 

Talking about this initiative, Director, IIT Kharagpur, Prof. Virendra Tewari said,

“The Government of India offers huge subsidies for mechanization of the rural sector, but the farm machinery sector has not invested significantly in creating a market for indigenous technologies  addressing the burning need of the Indian rural sector.  Experts at IIT Kharagpur are answering this challenge by designing technologies well suited for the livelihood of the rural class of our country.”

The Institute, through its Precision Farming Development Centre, Farm Implements and Machinery and Rural Technology Action Group projects, has developed and deployed farm machinery including ranging from micro-irrigation, combined harvester, crop and vegetable planters, solar energy operated transplanters, groundnut diggers, ultrasonic sprayers. Further non-farming livelihood technologies for rural small-scale and cottage industries have been mechanized. To name a few, Dhenki, Potter Wheel, Jute Rope making, Door Mat making, Amber Charkha, Rice Flaking. The initiative also includes social impact technologies such as Smokeless Chullahs, Rural Drinking Water Facility. 

Prof Kamlesh Tiwari, one of the lead researchers in this program confirmed the training of around 2500 farmers from nearby villages of West Bengal and Odisha in micro-irrigation and protected cultivation structures. Several farmers who adopted these farm machinery and farm equipment reported a decrease in labor cost, reduction in the cost of cultivation, timeliness operations, improvement in pulverization, increase in soil fertility and production. Mr. Karthik Maity, from Hurnal village of Purba Medinipur and Subratha Mahesh from the Gurgram village of Paschim Medinipur, expressed their delight over their enhanced yield due to the technologies they adopted and the increased profits. 

Further, outreach programs were organized by the Department of Agricultural and Food Engineering and the Rural Development Centre to communicate, train rural people and help their transition to mechanized farming and livelihoods. IIT Kharagpur has extensively mobilized the funding available under national mission projects like ‘National Initiative for Design Innovation’ and ‘Unnat Bharat Abhiyan’ towards achieving this goal. 

“We are ensuring the technologies are being implemented either in their farms or being adopted to generate employment through startups, setting up self-help groups. The livelihood technology adoption program witnessed significant acceptance in three North Eastern states including Assam, Manipur, Tripura as well as in several districts of West Bengal and Tamil Nadu,”  Prof. Kamlesh Tiwari said.

Earlier this year, the India Brand Equity Foundation, an initiative of the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India, had estimated the gross value to be added by the rural sector, including agriculture, forestry and fishing, at ₹20 trillion approximately with a dominant employment share of 58%. Also, in May, the Finance Ministry had announced an economic stimulus of ₹1.5 trillion to boost agricultural infrastructure and logistics and ₹400 billion was allocated for the rural employment guarantee scheme. Referring to this Director, Prof. Virendra Tewari further emphasized on the strategic importance of such technology development.

He remarked, “While India is moving at an accelerated pace towards digitization, there is a crucial need to complement it with automation in the rural livelihood and farming sector and warrant a uniform progress. Such transition in rural livelihood will not only increase productivity and earnings manifold but will also lead to capacity building for rural and cottage industries, improved product quality, increased employment, and entrepreneurship opportunities in rural areas.” 

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Contacts:

Project Information: Prof. Kamlesh N Tiwari, kamlesh@agfe.iitkgp.ac.in;

Institute Related: Prof. B N Singh, registrar@hijli.iitkgp.ac.in; 

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Reaching Out to Rural Community

IIT Kharagpur Reaches out to Village Youth at the Agri Food Expo 2020 for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship in Rural Technologies

with contributions from Guru Sanjeev Kumar

The Dept. of Agriculture & Food Engineering organized the Agri Food Expo 2020 during February 14-16, 2020, under the Unnat Bharat Abhiyan programme of the Government of India. A Workshop on Technologies for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship was conducted wherein 300 participants from West Bengal and neighbouring states were trained. The workshop was primarily targeted towards unemployed rural youth who at least have a college degree and a zeal to undertake livelihood projects. The participants included representatives from 34 colleges, and district officers from West Bengal, Jharkhand and Odisha.

The areas of training involved Operation, Maintenance and Repair of Farm Machinery & Farm Implements, Green House and Drip Irrigation Technology, Soil Testing, Vermi-composting Technology & Organic Farming, Rice milling & Rice puffing Technology, Food Processing and Preservation Technology, Effective Storage techniques for Fruits and Vegetables, Solar Technology, Extrusion Technology, Bio-fertilizers and Bio-pesticide Production Technology from Organic Wastes, Water Quality Measurement, Bee Keeping (Apiculture), Mushroom Farming, Betel Leaf Technology and various other Rural Technologies.

The participants visited the research laboratories at the Institute and Experimental Farms, Rural Energy Park and Science & Technology Entrepreneurship Park for demonstrations machineries, processes and food processing technologies developed by IIT Kharagpur and various industries. Lectures and discussions were also held in these areas.

A key concern of the participants regarding challenges by the rural community in adapting to new technologies was a point of discussion.

Prof. P B S Bhadoria, coordinator of Unnat Bharat Abhiyan at IIT Kharagpur said, “in recent years introduction of technologies has led to economic empowerment and improved livelihood of rural community. This has been achieved by means of outreach initiatives through various colleges.” 

The inaugural ceremony was attended by prof. V K Tewari, Director, IIT Kharagpur, Prof. B N Singh, Registrar, IIT Kharagpur, Prof. Vivek Kumar from IIT Delhi, Prof. Aditya Bandyopadhyay from IIT Kharagpur and many others.

Lend a helping hand

Times of India

The main objective of the Rural Technology Hackathon held at IIT Kharagpur between December 19-22, 2018 was to develop, upgrade and transfer technology to the rural masses in the surrounding areas and eastern and north eastern part of India. The competition, which was organized under the umbrella of the Design Innovation Centre (DIC) of IIT Kharagpur with the support of the Ministry of Human Resource Development, drew 17 teams from IIEST Shibpur, IIIT Ranchi, BHU, NIT Jamshedpur and other institutions in eastern India. The contest was inaugurated on December 19 by the Director of IIT Kharagpur, Prof. Partha Pratim Chakrabarti.

IIEST Shipur, NIT Jamshedpur and NIT Patna are the three spoke centres associated with IIT Kharagpur’s DIC. The DIC of IIT Kharagpur was set up under the government of India’s “National Initiative for Design Innovation” that aims to provide much-needed Science and Technology (S&T) backup to promote potential technologies for rural entrepreneurs and users.

Prof. P.B.S Bhadoria, who is the coordinator of IIT Kharagpur’s DIC said, “The technology gap among the rural masses is identified with the help of NGOs and self-help groups working with us. There are about 60 of them working with us. IIT Kharagpur is the hub working in cooperation with the three spoke centres. The Institute’s DIC is in the process of executing a Rs 10 crore project. One-third of the funds will go to spoke centres. This is the third year of the project. So far we have developed around 30 or more technologies which are being patented and transferred to the rural masses.”

At the Rural Hackathon, contestants designed prototypes of products that can be of use to farmers and rural artisans. Professor Bhadoria said, “The teams are mostly working on hardware. The idea is to develop small machines that are cheap and affordable for poor farmers.” Prof. Aditya Bandyopadhyay of the Mechanical Engineering and Prof. Ashok Mishra of the Agricultural and Food Engineering Department are among the IIT Kharagpur faculty who helped coordinate the contest.

The themes for the contest were Agricultural Technology, Water Management, and Rural Energy System, Rural Crafts & Development, Technologies on Rural Food Processing and Storage and Transport, Women Empowerment and Social Transformation, Rural Industrialization and Solid Waste management.

At the end of the three days of contest, the contestants were judged by industry experts from both government and non-governmental sectors. Around 8 teams from IIT Kharagpur participated in the contest. During the inauguration of the Hackathon, Director of IIT Kharagpur, Prof. Partha Pratim Chakrabarti, said, “I was delighted to see that half the participating students had actually grown up in villages. I look forward to the long term success of this initiative.” IIT Kharagpur has encouraged contestants to work with the Institute even after the conclusion of the contest. The winning teams got a total award of Rs. 1.80 lakh.

The DIC of IIT Kharagpur has been successfully running the Innovation initiated by the government for the past two years. Several patents have been filed and several technologies have also been transferred to neighbouring states, particularly to the north eastern region. LPG based puffed rice machine is hugely popular not only in West Bengal but also in distant North eastern region.  The other innovations of DIC are Power Pottery Wheel for Larger Pots, Motorized Jute and grass rope Making Machines, Dehusker for Borwn rice, rice flaking (Chiwda) , Electrical operated Sal leaf plate making machine and Automated Tamarind de-seeder.

Design-centred innovation is a force multiplier that can help the country move up the value chain, making Indian industry globally competitive. Infusion of technology is intended to enhance the productivity and increase the margin of saving by craftsmen. The idea is also to strengthen rural industries to strengthen the villages and in turn it to strengthen the country.

At IIT Kharagpur, several Schools and Centers have been roped in towards institutionalizing the programme with the academic framework. The Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering and Rajendra Mishra School of Engineering Entrepreneurship are running related. While the Department will cater to the ergonomic design / improvement of products, processes, courses on product development, safety and quality engineering, the School will do Product Analytics & Modelling, Reverse Engineering, Innovative Product Development, Business Analytics Energy and promote Entrepreneurship and Innovation to students.

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