GRASSROOT INNOVATORS

Collapsible M. S. Sleeve for Joints

Mr.Anand V Gogte City: PuneState: Maharashtra

Mr. Anand Gogte is a technical consultant to the Pune Construction and Engineering Research Foundation and has also authored books on RCC pipes.Called Collapsible MS sleeve for joining RCC pipes, it has a mild steel plate. It is useful in saving optical fiber cables being damaged by rats. (The innovator has also a Jack for two or three-wheelers, which is helpful in replacing the rear wheel without putting the vehicle into a horizontal position. He has also developed an Auto-stop water tap, which can be put at public places where ordinary taps are stolen and water is wasted. The new tap supplies water only till it is fitted in the parent unit. If it's removed from the unit, the water flow stops preventing the wastage.)

Pulley with stopper

Mr.Amrut Bhai Agrawat City: JunagadhState: Gujarat

Mr. Amrutbhai Agrawat has learnt to solve problem faced by farmers, women and labourers essentially through his own life experience. Hardship in early life, created in him a desire to do something about the problems faced by common people. He pursued priesthood in the temple and also innovated as many as seven different useful farm implements such as tilting bullock cart, groundnut digger, multipurpose toolbar, wheat sowing box etc. His son, Bharat is now continuing the tradition of innovations by innovating new devices. Incidentally, Amrutbhai did not put any restriction on the dessemination of this technology. He is a member of SRISTI board. He has got Gujarat Government’s Sardar Krishi Puruskar for his innovation.

Called Pulley with a stopper, it is used for drawing water. The first model, Ganga is ratchet type and the second named Yamuna is roller type. In the first, safety of the person is ensured as the rope is stopped from rolling back into the well. In the second, the person drawing water from the well can even relax midway by using the stopper.

In the villages, water is drawn from the wells, primarily for domestic purpose by the women folk. The originally designed rudimentary pulley system, which is also very physically demanding, is still in use for this purpose. Highly erratic rainfall, installation of submersible pumps and borings in arid areas, has lowered the water table further. This has compounded to the problems of drawing water from wells by means of a pulley. The problem despite being very real and dangerous was never taken up due to the apathy of the officials towards the affected group namely women and children.

Realizing the importance of pulley in the daily routine of average rural women, Society for Research and Initiatives in Sustainable Technologies and Institutions (SRISTI) organized a workshop of artisans with proven capabilities to think scientifically and entrusted them with the responsibility to redesign the pulley to suit the women folk. The session threw up some interesting ideas, but it was Amrut Bhai Agrawat, who successfully envisaged not one but two workable models.

Both the designs were presented in the subsequent sessions organized by the SRISTI at Gopaldham in Saurastra on June 1, 1996. The farmers at the workshop critically analyzed the two models and based on their feedback, Amrutbhai finalized the designs

of the two models with minor modifications. They were named Ganga (Ratchet pulley) & Yamuna (Roller shaped pulley) respectively.

Innovative Features of the pulley

Ganga (Ratchet type):

1. The presence of the ratchet on the pulley stops the rope from rolling back into the well. This is a safety device, which will help save the lives of women and children who routinely pull water from the wells. Also it saves injuries such as rope burns and minimizes the loss of both, the bucket and the rope.

2. The wear and tear free bush bearing ensures smooth movement of the pulley thereby reducing the stress on the back of the person drawing water.

Yamuna (Roller type) pulley:

It consists of a hollow iron pipe of length 1.5 feet with diameter of 3 inches fixed on a bar 16-mm thick. A stopper is provided on the left side of the pipe and on the right a handle is attached to it. The handle is rotated to pull the bucket up from the well and the rope winds up on the roller pulley. The drawer, if needed, can rest midway, by using the stopper. However this system requires further improvisations in its design for it to be entirely efficient.

Amrutbhai recently, developed a new model named "Saraswati".It is more flexible, free hanging and cost effective. It can be detached after use and taken home. If users want, they can install it permanently also by the chain lock mechanism.

Current Status:

The Ganga and Yamuna pulleys have been installed in several villages of Gujarat on an experimental basis and have received overwhelming response from individuals and NGO's. The demand for the pulleys is on the rise and GIAN has received many queries regarding them.

The innovator wants this innovation to spread all over India and is willing to share the design with any entrepreneur, NGO or organization which would be willing to help in such an endeavor.

Responses and Suggestions by the Villagers:

Waliben , an old woman, said that the pulley helped her to rest while drawing the water from the well and that it was more easy to pull when compared to the traditional one.

During power failures, women preferred to stand in long queues to pull water by this pulley instead of pulling by traditional system installed near by. This observation was made by one of the men folk in the village.

A woman said that the new pulley has more advantages when compared with the old one, as it is not fixed at one place on the bar.

One girl said " In this new pulley, I am able to see how deep is the bucket in the well by keeping the rope and peeping in the well."

A man in the village believed that this pulley was a god's gift for aged woman.

One teacher said that he would have purchased this pulley had he not had a tube well dug in his well. He felt that the pulley should be available to facilitate each well of his village. He also suggested trying to reduce the cost of pulley.

Kokilaben has been drawing water from the well since the last 30 years using the traditional pulley system. She now uses this new pulley. She suggested that the size of pulley be increased since knots were getting formed in the rope while pulling. This suggestion has been incorporated in the latest version of the pulleys.

One woman who lost couple of her ropes using the old pulley now uses this pulley and has become more confident while drawing water, as she has no fear of losing any more ropes.

Bhavnaben says, " I can pull the water very fast and still conserve energy."

Ramilaben who is engaged in household work sends her children to draw water, as she feels safe with the new pulley. Even the children find the task easier.

Jaydevsingh Parmar was of the opinion that the new pulley was a major breakthrough and had definite advantages. But the rubber stopper attached to it was likely to be damaged quickly. Thus a new kind of stopper should be introduced. A new stopper has been introduced after receiving the feedback.

Innovation Title: Metal Protected acid – scale remover radiator cleaner

Mr. Bharat ThumarCity: RajkotState: Gujarat

Mr. Thumar is a self employed small scale entrepreneur. He has developed this cleaner through his own research and development. When he was approached by NIF to assist in patenting, he expressed fears about leakage of his formulations.The innovator has developed Solex cleaner in such a way that even when 20 per cent sulphuric acid (wt/vrl) is added, it does not damage the cooling system metal. It’s complete cleaner which can remove any hard scale. Scale is a salt of Ca and Mg and contains Co3, Cl, S, etc. This cleaner does not affect water pump sealing kit, gaskets etc. So there is no need for any specific pump like PP or FRP. A simple home water pump can be used for descaling. After dilution its PH comes to 0.0. This cleaner can save billions of rupees, as other cleaners are 82 times more damaging with HCL acid. This cleaner also increases the life of cooling system 10-20 times. It it is pollution-free, strong and does not damage the metal.

Innovation Title: Tooth made out of bamboo, Bamboo bicycle,Bamboo made handpump

Mr. Dodhi PathakCity: NalbariState: Assam

Mr. Dodhi Pathak is an unique innovator of articles made out of bamboo. He was discovered in a mela (rural fair). He is around 48 years of age. He firmly believes in the adage “ necessity is the mother of invention”. Having suffered a poverty stricken childhood, he faced many difficulties in life which reinforced his faith in his ability to innovate. The seeds of the innovations were laid when Mr. Pathak had to buy a second hand cycle for himself. He was not able to buy one as it was very costly. So he thought of constructing a cycle with a locally available raw material i.e., bamboo. With this idea in his mind Mr. Pathak was able to make his dream come true. He is a very good singer of folk tunes.Teeth made from bamboo:He has designed artificial teeth from bamboo. The innovator has made it for own use. His two incisors on the upper jaw are the proof of the utility and feasibility of this innovation. He can chew anything and eat all types of food including mutton and fish with the bamboo teethBicycle made from bamboo:Designed and made a complete bicycle by using bamboo for all parts except the tyre and tube. Initially when he rode it through the lanes in his village, many people stared at this new bamboo bicycle.Hand pump made from bamboo:He has developed a working model of a hand pump, which is suitable to lift both underground water and pond water. This pump is totally made out of bamboo, even the piston, valve, barrel, handle and all the other parts.

Innovation Title: Energy efficient Oil expeller Machine

Mr. Kalpesh GajjarCity: MehsanaState: Gujarat

He is Managing Director of Swastik Enterprise, though only SSC passed, has learned by experimentation and development on his own. He has received Sarabhai award from Gujarat Government. GIAN has mobilised a grant from TePP programme to improvise his technology.The Swastik Oil Expeller machine is three times faster, consumes just 2/3 of the power and is half of the size of the conventional oil expeller. It runs on 30 hp flange-mounted electric motor and crushes 18 mt to 28 mt oil seeds per day. Instead of the conventional six labourers, only three are required to operate the machine.

It provides oil millers the highest efficiency in a compact shape. The motor transmits power to the crusher using planetary gear system, which provides high torque and average speed thus increasing the efficiency and reducing the transmission losses by 200%.

This oil expeller is designed to be able to crush all kind of oil seeds, including even cottonseeds, which are acknowledged as one of the most difficult type of seeds to crush. The energy efficiency of this machine is at least three times that of any other oil expeller existing in Indian and international markets. Moreover, this machine occupies just one-third the space occupied by any other oil expeller. The maintenance expenditure required on this machine is also much less that that required for other oil expellers.

It has three integrated crushers with a total crushing capacity of 18 Mt/day of cottonseeds and 28MT/day of groundnut and other seeds. The 30 HP motor that powers the machine is an integral part of the main body of the machine. The motor is linked with the three crushers using a three-stage planetary gear system. The presence of planetary gear systems increases the efficiency of utilization of the power generated by the machine. It receives the feed through the conventional hopper. The seeds received through the hopper are steamed in chambers. The machine has three parallel chambers for steaming the seeds. Each chamber leads to a separate crusher. The chambers have been designed in such a way that seeds get steam from all the angles. Pressing machines follow the steam chambers - one pressing machine connected to each steaming chamber. The pressing machines push into the crusher ensuring that the

seeds are not pushed back. The pressing also ensures maximum supply to the crusher by compacting the seeds. The seeds ate then crushed in a screw press. The design by compacting the seeds. The seeds are then crushed in a screw press. The design of the screw press crushing is such that it allows maximum space for the oil to come out. The length of the machine is 3055 mm, width is 1045mm and height is 2145mm. Alloy steel has been used for manufacturing the machine to increase its life span.

Innovation Title: Highly Efficient Low Wattage Electrical Water Heater

Mr. A. R. ShivkumarCity: BangaloreState: Karnataka

Born on July 1, 1959. Degree in Mechanical Engineering and PG Diploma in Business Management. He is a Programme Executive at the International Energy Initiative lives in Vijaynagar in Bangalore.

Innovation Title: Multiutility fuel-efficient stove

Mr. S. J. JoeCity: CalicutState: Kerala

Mr. S.J Joe has 32 years of experience as an Industrial electrician as well as in the fields of air conditioning and refrigeration and solar equipment. Aged 56, he pursues experiments to develop difficult devices using his experience in heat exchange theory and practice.

Called Multi-utility stove, it is also smoke-free. The stove has a burner, boiler and water regulator etc. In its operation, the loss of energy is minimal and cooking can be done for 14 hours in one litre kerosene.

This domestic product has great social economic significance. It meets the requirements of the times by means of Fuel Efficiency & Economy.

Maximum utilization of kerosene is possible. It is fuel efficient as soft blue flame floating above burner burns off kerosene completely. It is smoke free and vapour free. Heat lost on the sides is absorbed by a built in boiler from which hot water or steam can betapped simultaneously during cooking. Steam generated can be used for cooking Idlies, steam cakes etc. Thus this burner cum boiler makes maximum possible use of heat energy & there by kerosene.

The stove possesses an inbuilt water jacket for steam Generation. This jacket Has been subjected to 2 times atmospheric pressure & has been found safe for operation, thus stove facilitates 14 hrs. of cooking per liter of kerosene. This stove can be made available in single, double & multi burner units depending on requirements.

amarind cultivation under dry land conditions etc.Mr. A. I. Nadakattan City: DharwadState: Karnataka

Mr Nadakattin is a mechanic by hobby, a social worker and an environmentalist as a practitioner. Right from the childhood he was very innovative minded and had a observant nature. He has many small innovations to his credit. His emphasis always has been to promote cost-effective, eco-friendly and socially acceptable methods in agriculture. Even today, at the age of 46, Nadakattin has still not given up his innovative spirit. Some of his popular innovations are: machine to saparate tamarind seeds, tamarind slicer for preparing pickle, harvesting tamarind, bullock drawn tiller etc. Though all his innovations have been appreciated by politicians, researchers and scientists to a large extent but his economic condition has remained more or less the same. He has even sat on a hunger strike accompanied by his wife and two daughters but all in vain.

(i)Farm ponds measuring 100x100 feet are dug up. Rainwater coming into the bore wells is pumped into the farm ponds and later used for irrigation. (ii) A square pit is created in the centre of four tamarind trees. Along with water, dried leaves and twigs are collected in the pit. In addition, poultry and fish manure mixed with salt and a six-inch layer of sand is kept in the pit. Rainwater is collected in the pit. The pit holds water for a long time due to sand and salt mixture. The water, thus collected, is used for irrigation (iii) Water from the ponds is circulated in the entire farm with a single five-hp motor saving high power consumption.

Lack of adequate water forced the farmer A I Nadakattan to grow tamarind trees after his experiment with mango and sapota failed. He now has 1700 tamarind trees and developed equipment useful for harvesting, separating tamarind and slicing the tamarind for pickles.

For harvesting, he has dug farm ponds, water pits and a technique to save power.

Six farm ponds admeasuring 100x100x10feet were dug. The bore wells, bearing little water earlier, started retrieving more water in two years after the farm ponds were dug. Water from the bore wells was carried to the ponds and later pumped for irrigation after monsoon.

Energy saving irrigation technique:

In the energy-saving technique, single five hp motor pumps water from the two bore wells into a pond with less use of electricity. This water is used for irrigation.

Tamarind Harvester :

Called tamarind harvester, it’s a novel technique. It has hundreds of iron chains hanging from a rod and this carried on a trolley of the tractor. When tamarind is ready for the harvest, the tractor trolley is taken through the rows; the chain is kept loose whereby tamarind falls into the trolley. Due to the chain strokes, the tree is damaged but grows again.

Tamarind Seed Separator :

Called Tamarind seed separator, it was developed in 1994 and is connected to a tractor or an oil engine for enhancing efficiency. In this machine, tamarind is thrown out of the pod due to the sliding action of pegs. The machine works on destining method and saves both time and labour.

Seed Cum Fertilizer Drill :

Called Seed-cum-fertilizer drill, it is used to sow seeds of different sizes. It ensures proper spacing of the seeds, facilitates dispersal of fertilizers, mud and grass. The equipment has a wooden roller for various sizes of seeds. The drill is used in black cotton soil for placing the seeds effectively

Plough blade :

The Plough blade with no whetting need remains sharp for a longer period and does not cause strain on the bullock. The blade can be used for tractors, too. The blade can be sharpened on a low flame without using electricity.

Lifting Cart :

The Lifting cart has the facility of unloading without unfastening the bullock. The traditional cart can be modified with wheel bearings facilitating smooth operation.

Deep Plougher :

Called Deep plougher, it’s a new kind of tiller. It is bullock-drawn and used for tilling.

Water Boiler :

Called the water-boiling heater, it saves fuel. The boiler has an inbuilt mechanism, which consumes only five kg. wood for boiling water for 20 people in five minutes.

Pooran Pump

Mr. Pooranlal Kushwaha City: TikamgarhState: Madhya Pradesh

He lives with his three brothers and four sisters. His father died when he was a small boy. His mother took care of the family with a lot of difficulty as they were very poor. Although he was fond of studies yet he could not study after fifth standard because of the family condition. He was very upset when his studies were discontinued and fell ill for a month. He remained semiliterate and still he dreamt doing big things. During Gulf war when there was hike in diesel prices, he thought of moving the fans of the engine manually or by bullock so that water could be drawn from the well. In his place, people still use the bullock drawn prussian wheel and other devices to pull water from the well.

Called Pooran pump, it’s run without petrol or diesel and has the capacity equivalent to three hp of the normal pump. Useful for irrigation, it can be run for four hours at a stretch with the help of two bulls.

Arecanut Dehusking Machine.Mr. Narasimha Bhandari City: ChickmangaloreState: Karnataka

Passed SSLC and worked in a hardware workshop for some years. Now owns Durga Engineering Works. Interested in experimentation. He is looking forward to file a patent for it.

Called Areca (Areca catechu) nut dehusking machine, it has two versions. In the manual machine, wheel has to be rotated by hand for peeling the item and is comparatively slow. The automatic machine can peel 20 kg areca nuts in an hour.

Getting Areca nutshell peeled is not an easy task. The innovator has designed a manual as well as an automatic machine. The former was very cumbersome and slow in process but by using the latter machine, one can produce at least 20 kg. dehusked areca nut per hour. This machine is four times efficient than an expert labour. The machine is designed to peel areca of any size and better compared to others in the market.

Chandraprabah Water Gun (Rain Gun)

Mr. Annasaheb Udgavi City: BelgaumState: Karnataka

Annasaheb Udagavi, a farmer in Sadala village of chikkoditaluka in Belgaun district, North Karnataka. He is also known for his extra ordinary skill in reparing old Buddhist statues.

Called Chandraprabha Water Gun (Rain gun), it is an innovative sprinkler, which washes away white flies and Aphids from the tobacco plant. The sprinkler system is also useful in irrigating sugarcane.

Annasaheb Udagavi, a farmer in Sadala village of chikkoditaluka in Belgaun district, North Karnataka, has designed sprinkler system which covers as much as 140 feet radius to irrigate the sugar cane. Many years ago, when hardly anybody knew about drip irrigation, he thought of using it in his own way. To save his betel-vine orchard from the acute scarcity of water, He fitted PVC pipes, used in electrical fittings, after making perforations with nails. He spent 30,000 Rs/- to cover 2 acres of betel-vine in 1985. By irrigating it for an hour every dy, he successfully maintained the orchard for 7 years. But poor prices for betel leaf & labour problems made him switch to other crops.

Washing away pests: A novel way of pest control

He thencultivvated tobacco for a few years & thought again about a new sprinkler irrigation system. He believed that the best method to save his crop was to wash down aphids and white flies with a high-pressure water spray. He switched over to sugarcane cultivation for better returns. Although he had dug another well for irrigating the sugar cane crop, the problem of salinity and the difficulty of irrigating the dense crop made him search for an alternative. And then the sprinkler irrigation system started taking shape.

Birth of new Sprinkler:

By studying the conventional sprinkler irrigation system, he designed a new one to suit the sugar cane crop. He worked with wood at home and later fabricated it at a foundry. After installing it in his field, he further improved its design. To achieve a balanced shaft movement, He added about 400 gm additional weight. At the outlet, he provided a groove for fixing nozzles of different sizes to throw water at different length as per need. Further, he introduced a locking system to prevent the sprinkler head from throwing water into

neighboring fields. With all this refinements, he has now an almost perfect sprinkler head, which he has named after goodness Chandraprabha.

Comparison with other designs:

A simple comparison of a conventional sprinkler system with this clearly illustrates the advantages of his innovations over other systems. Two ‘Chandraprabha Rain gun’ sprinkler heads are enough to irrigate acres of sugarcane. The per head cost is Rs. 3,500/-. The per acre installation cost is Rs. 15,000/-, inclusive of the installation of 3 inch PVC main pipeline and riser pipe. It can irrigate 1 acre in about one and half hour time. Since it has 3-inch pipe and a wide nozzle, even composts such as biogas slurry can be applied to the crop through it. Since the water is applied with force, pests like aphids, white flies etc. can be washed down. It does not even need additional pipelines because of its large coverage.