To come up with a solution to deal with air pollution in the Capital during the winter due to stubble burning, Kriya Labs, a start-up incubated at the Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi has come up with a method to convert agro-waste into pulp that can be used to make bioethanol, paper and tableware.
Biodegradable
The team, led by Professor Neetu Singh, said farmers currently burn rice straw in the field as it is a waste product. However, the process they have developed, will help farmers earn profits from this waste product, which when burnt in the farms of Punjab and Haryana brings down the air quality of the region.
Prof. Singh explained that a solvent system developed by Kriya Labs for the process is completely biodegradable, non-volatile, made of natural products and completely safe to use. The start-up hopes to find manufacturers who will use this technology to provide a safe alternative to crop burning.
Kriya Labs director Pracheer Dutta, who completed his BTech from IIT-Delhi, said their solution to the problem of stubble burning will not only ensure a pollution-free Delhi but create rural employment by creating wealth from waste and contribute to sustainable development by starting a bio-economy.
The project will be on display at the 14th Open House being organised by IIT-Delhi on Saturday, along with several other innovations that the students of the institute have come up with over the past year.
Other products
Some of these products include an intelligent artificial leg, refreshable Braille display to enable digital access, waterless bathing solutions and a naso-filter that cuts out air pollution.
The institute said over 1,000 school students from Classes X and XII will visit the campus, apart from college students and people from the industry. Besides new technology, labs at the institute will be thrown open to the public and lectures on various topics will be given by top faculty members.
“It is our objective to create a nurturing eco-system for students to inspire them to work on innovative solutions for our socio-economic challenges,” said IIT-Delhi director V. Ramgopal Rao, while inviting people to visit the campus.
