Great Green Ideas are emerging from India that can be replicated across the country. Sustainable development is no more a buzz word among policy makers and activists; it is the underlying theme of every new jugaad innovated in the rural parts of the country.  Here are some additions  to the growing list of simple yet innovative ideas that are not only eco-friendly, but also are economical. This is in continuation of our Eco-friendly Ideas from India  series published earlier:

Idea – Canal-top solar power

Canal top solar power plant in Gujarat

Problem – Solar power is abundantly available across India, but tapping this energy for power is a difficult task. Apart from the high cost of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, availability of land is another issue. While many people suggest that vast stretches of barren land can be utilised, connecting the harnessed power to the electric grid is difficult. Meanwhile there is another problem of water evaporation in ponds and canals during summer.

Solution – Building a solar PV power plant on top of a water body not only would prevent evaporation, but also would utilise the land in the best possible manner. The Gujarat State Government took the lead in creating such a novel project on the Sanand branch canal near Chandrasan village of Mehsana district. US-based Sun Edison built the 1 MW solar power plant at a cost of Rs.17.5 crore for the Gujarat State Electricity Corporation Ltd. Set up over a 750 meter-long stretch of the canal, the plant generates 16 lakh units of electricity and prevents evaporation of 90 lakh litres of water from the canal per annum.

Details –
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com

Idea – Biological control of weeds

Mexican beetle – Zygogramma bicolorata

Problem – Controlling weed plant growth is an onerous task for farmers, but some invasive species such as Parthenium, Eupatorium, Lantana and others have become unmanageable. Particularly, Parthenium hysterophorus has prolifically spread across the country after its accidental entry into India through food aid sent during late 1950s. Manually plucking out these weeds is not feasible since they drop thousands of seeds which germinate soon. Chemical spraying is a not considered due to high costs and toxicity.

Solution – Biological control of weeds has emerged as a sustainable idea that eliminates weeds without harming other plants. Since Parthenium came from Central America, a type of Mexican beetle known as Zygogramma bicolorata was introduced in India. These Mexican beetles wither the plant by steadily devouring its leaves. However, the initial release of was not successful in controlling Parthenium due to its perennial growth throughout the year. Several augmentative releases were required to build up the insect population in sufficient numbers. Eventually, along with the propagation of another plant Cassia sericea, the Parthenium menace has been drastically reduced.

Details –
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0261219411000482

 Idea – Fuel efficient wood stove

Low Smoke Chulha by Philips

Problem – For millions of low-income people in rural India, firewood is still the primary fuel for cooking. Their stove (chulha) is a pile of stones heated by burning wood or cow-dung in their kitchens. However, this inefficient stove consumes a lot of fuel and emits thick smoke and soot. The smoke may cause acute respiratory diseases and eye infections. While these stoves are built under a chimney to ensure that the smoke rises naturally, much heat is lost due to inefficient design.

Solution – The Philanthropy by Design, a unit of multinational company, Philips joined hands with the Appropriate Rural Technology Institute to create a stove that does not pollute. Developed by combining creative skills with local insights, the Low Smoke Chulha drastically reduces smoke and increases fuel efficiency. The Chulha is a simple, modular concrete-block cooking stove covered in brown clay. It features two potholes: one for circulating hot air for steamed foods, and the other for heating flat pans. The Chulha’s chimney fitted with a special filtering device made of slotted clay tablets to trap toxic soot particles. This innovation is an upgrade on the ASTRA fuel efficient wood stoves developed by Indian Institute of Science way back in 1980s.

Details –
http://www.design.philips.com

Idea – Natural green canopy pandal

‘Green Pandal Khan’ of Mysore

Problem – During the blazing heat of summer, we realise the value of tree shade. Tree cover in urban areas is so minimal that we experience heat pockets in congested locations with a drastic rise in temperature. A tree-lined avenue not only brings down the temperature, but also provides shelter for birds. However, the shade given by trees is not uniform, which forces us to erect a canopy for proper shade.

Solution – Hyder Ali Khan, alias ‘Green Pandal Khan’ of Mysore has innovated a tree weaving technique, which creates a pandal (canopy) of leaves to provide uniform shade across a large open space. He plants saplings at regular intervals and grows them straight to around 8-10 feet, while trimming the unwanted branches. Once they attain a certain height, he bends and intertwines the branches of one tree to another to create a vineyard kind of canopy. He first implemented his idea at the Idgah Maidan in Mysore, where he planted around 300 Honge (Pongamia) saplings and nurtured them for 12 years to create a lush green canopy of 1,000-feet length and 350-feet breadth. Hyder Ali Khan has now implemented his green canopy idea across various temples and schools using Honge and Singapore Cherry trees.

Read more – Caleidoscope Eco Ideas Part 1 & Caleidoscope Eco Ideas Part 2

Author – Subodh Jain

Great green ideas are emerging from India that can be replicated across the country. Sustainable development is no more a buzz word among policy makers and activists; it is the underlying theme of every new Jugaad Innovation in the rural parts of the country.  Here are some additions  to the growing list of simple yet innovative ideas that are not only eco-friendly, but also are economical. This is in continuation of our Eco-friendly Ideas compilation published earlier.

Idea – Manual Milking Machine

Problem – In dairy farming, milking is the most crucial task. Manually milking a cow or buffalo, which yields 15-20 litres of milk, is a tiresome job. Farmers who milk continuously throughout a day may suffer stiff shoulder and weakness in fingers. In addition, finding skilled labour for milking a small herd of cows is a problem faced by many farmers. However, motorised milking machines costing around Rs.80,000 are unaffordable.

Solution – A Karnataka-based small farmer Raghava Gowda decided to tackle this issue by designing a milking machine on his own. He innovated a handy, low cost manual milking machine that can milk 1.5-2 litres of milk every minute. The machine can remove all the milk from the cow’s udder, yet the cow would not experience any pain. The suction assembly has two sub-assemblies with a set of nipples and a stainless steel plate on one side, and transparent conduit pipes and a regulator valve on the other. The machine can be easily operated with a hand pump or foot pedal, as well as with a battery, in which case, no human intervention is required.

Details –
More Details on jugaadu.com
More Details on intoday.in

Idea – Microfinancing Rural Off-grid Solar Power

Problem – The feasibility of solar power as a viable source of electricity is now well established. Since the launch of the National Solar Mission, the cost per kilowatt has come down drastically. However, the cost of a solar photovoltaic panel is still out of the reach of the lower middle class and the lower classes, who actually need it. Off-grid solar power is ideal for rural households that suffer from severe power cuts and load shedding. “Rs. 300 a month is expensive, but Rs. 10 a day is fine,” this typical comment of a street vendor highlights the fact that India needs not only an affordable low cost technology, but a proper financing mechanism as well.

Solution – Understanding this need, Dr. Harish Hande established SELCO India in 1995. It is a social enterprise that provides microfinancing to rural households and urban street vendors to buy solar powered lights and pay for them in instalments. SELCO India has installed solar PV light systems in 125,000 houses by 2012 and also sells solar thermal water heater, and efficient low smoke cook-stoves. The distinguishing feature of SELCO is its capability to offer complete package of products, service and financing to its customers through microfinance institutions.

Details –
More Details on wharton.upenn.edu
More Details on selco-india.com

Idea – Roads Laid With Waste Plastic

Problem – Waste polythene covers and plastic bags have become a huge menace today. Every year, thousands of tons of non-biodegradable plastic waste are generated, which are strewn across landfills and lakes across all major Indian cities. This leads to environmental problems such as drainage clogging, mosquito breeding, flooding during heavy rains, choking of grazing animals, etc. While good quality plastic material above 30-40 micron thickness gets recycled, the thinner sheets and bags are difficult to collect and recycle.

Solution – Bangalore-based K K Plastic Waste Management made a breakthrough by utilizing non-degradable waste plastic in road construction. This idea solves the problem by replacing high cost asphalt need for road metalling as well as effectively uses plastic waste. Waste plastic material is collected from rag-pickers and municipal waste collectors, which is then cleaned, shredded and mixed with bitumen. The first road was laid in Bangalore in 2002 and since then K K Plastic has laid out 1,400 kilometres of roads using about 5,000 tonnes of plastic.

Details –
More Details on ibnlive.in.com
More Details on yourstory.in

Idea – Sustainable Global Eco-commune

Problem – Typically, we see various innovative green products being utilised independently. However, we never see all types of eco-friendly products such as natural dyes, organic cotton clothes, handmade soap, reusable handbags, biodegradable pesticides, solar lighting, eco-friendly building material, recycled paper, all together at one place. Unless that happens, the general public can never visualise the transforming power of environmentally sustainable lifestyle.

Solution – There is a place in India that has experimented with every type of eco-friendly product ever conceived. Since the early 1970s, entrepreneurs from across 40 countries have made Auroville their home, where they have created innovative products that are not only functional, but are also eco-friendly. Handmade recycled paper with flower petals, cotton threads and banana fibre lampshades are synonymous with Auroville. In their efforts to become a self-sustained global community, Aurovilians have created a cooperative system where money is not used for trading. Instead, they use a system named ‘Pour Tous’ account, through which almost all transactions within Auroville are processed. Another shining example of this self-sustained community is the oldest solar powered kitchen in India where nearly 1,000 people eat everyday!

Details –
Sustainable Living Auroville

Read more –  Caleidoscope Eco Ideas compilation 

As the globe warms further this summer, we begin to feel the scorching heat. Summer calls for sandals that allow the sun to gracefully shine on your pretty legs and toes. Thankfully, the footwear industry has prepared for the release of its greenest sandals and shoes collection yet!

Right from known eco-friendly footwear manufacturers like ECCO to market leaders such as PUMA, everybody has jumped into the eco-shoes bandwagon. Come summer, India will witness a series of sustainable shoes hitting the stores. Here is an idea of what’s coming!

Eco Shoes – Sustainable Solace

Just because these eco-friendly footwear are environmentally sustainable, that doesn’t mean that you would relate them to substandard quality or outdated style. In fact, they come with the best blend of style, substance and comfort. Style-oriented women claim that some of these flats are worth dying for, while others say that the comfort of an eco-shoe is unmatched. One is bound to feel closer to nature when they flaunt these beautiful pieces of footwear during summer. Short skirts and half jeans are amplified by the natural charm in this footwear.

Well, what’s better is that these eco-friendly sustainable shoes and sandals work wonderfully well with your skin as well. There will be no more instances of shoe-biting and sandal hurting, since these are the most natural of shoes man has ever made.

Stylish Eco-friendly Sandals by Mohop | Source: Saturday Persimmon

Eco Sandals – Comfort and Care

Gorgeous sandals have cropped from a plethora of amazing nature-friendly creations and here is a look at the best of sustainable shoes hitting the stores both in India and abroad:

Mohop offers a unique eco sandal which comes in as a single wood-like base on which various eco-friendly ties and laces can be bind to generate a new pattern every day! Flat rope sandals from Cri de Coeur and Strap sandals from the sandal company – Swedish Hasbeens are among the best international models. Geramig international and Roshmilla leather from India have specialty eco-sandals for both men and women.

Brooks green silence, Nike Pegasus and Newton are among the best running shoes that you can buy to jog your summer around. The best part is that all of these top class shoes are eco-friendly and sustainable. Biodegradable shoes are the new fad and the biggest players including Woodlands are entering the market.

Bata Eco Fit | Source: id.all.biz

India Catching Up

Big names from India aren’t left behind. Bata, the leading Indian footwear brand has made a commitment to manufacturing eco-friendly products. Among wholesale Indian manufacturers, names such as Shree, KP Tech, and Sajid International offer a range of biodegradable shoes.

The Indian brands find inspiration from American bigwigs going green. Some big brands such as Rei, Gaiam, Patagonia, Nau, Lush, Timberland, The Green Depot have been recognized as the world’s leading eco-friendly companies. The Indian top brands and many local brands have now begun living up to these standards set by the American counterparts.

We started by talking about how the world will be warmer this summer. If there is anything that’s going to be hotter, it is you in your chic pair of sandals and shoes. Be it a summer breakfast or a beach run, be it a party or a jog, we expect you to be there in the best of your eco-wear flaunting away these gorgeous new nature-friendly creations!

Text – Debjani Goswami