Advancements in technology and environmental conservation may not always have gone hand in hand, but an organisation in Koramangala has worked to bring the two together. Centre for Action Research and Technology for Man, Animal and Nature (CARTMAN) uses modernisation as a tool to come up with environmentally viable solutions, especially for those residing in rural India.
Located in a discreet building in Koramangala 6th Block for the last 31 years, CARTMAN has been involved in several projects in the fields of animal welfare, technology and environmental education since its inception in 1981.
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CARTMAN even has an eco-park in Koramangala spread over a two-acre plot, containing several species of medicinal and endangered plants, which is used to spread create awareness about the importance of conserving plants.
The eco-park houses an animal welfare centre, a veterinary clinic run by Rahmath Ulla Shariff, and an anganwadi for underprivileged children.
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The brainchild of the late IIM-B founder-director N.S. Ramaswamy, popularly known as ‘Bullock Cart’ Ramaswamy, one of CARTMAN’s most important projects has been to improve the design of bullock carts.
This was done by introducing pneumatic tyres, steel wheels, axles and smooth bearings at a subsidised rate with the help of a leading tyre company. The purpose of this was to “reduce the strain on the animal, as well as to offer farmers a more efficient option,” says Krishnamurthy, Deputy General Manager.
“We have already implemented this in several states including Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra,” says T.N.K. Kurup, secretary of CARTMAN. The aim was to find a way to reduce the workload on farmers who were below the poverty line, and to provide them with an efficient bullock cart that would enable them to do other work simultaneously.
The organisation also researches and campaigns for improvements to slaughterhouses, to make the process of killing animals more efficient and humane.