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Star Citizens

How Dharaksha's Eco-Friendly Revolution is Saving the Earth from Stubble Burning

Amid a world grappling with environmental challenges, Dharaksha Ecosolutions shines as a ray of hope. Founded in 2020, the startup based in Faridabad has embarked on an innovative mission to address a pressing environmental issue. Co-founded by Anand Bodh and Arpit Dhupar, Dharaksha Ecosolutions is on a quest to convert paddy straw stubble into biodegradable packaging material, paving the way for a greener and more sustainable future. Driven by a shared commitment to combating pollution and offering a sustainable alternative, the founders recognized the urgency of the issue, particularly in the face of rising cases of stubble burning in India. Dharaksha, a combination of two Hindi words, "Dhara" meaning earth and "Raksha" meaning saving, reflects the startup's mission to save the earth from pollution. Dharaksha achieves its innovative approach by using mycelium, a mushroom root, to decompose paddy straw and transform it into eco-friendly packaging materials. They have cultivated a unique mushroom species that thrives on stubble waste as its food source. These materials are not manufactured; they are grown, staying true to their commitment to nature. These biodegradable packaging materials offer a sustainable alternative to plastic and thermocol. They can decompose in just 60 days in normal soil and have a shelf life of more than three years. Dharaksha's products are designed for secondary packaging and come with impressive qualities like moisture resistance, thermal resistance, fire retardancy, and water resistance. Dharaksha procures stubble from farmers through a network of aggregators, enabling them to tackle the issue at its source. Their goal is to reduce stubble waste burning by 40% over the next six to seven years, a significant step towards curbing pollution and its detrimental effects. The startup has ambitious expansion plans, aiming to set up manufacturing plants across India and potentially mitigate over 23 million tonnes of stubble waste. With a focus on sustainability, Dharaksha is well on its way to making a substantial impact on the environment.

2 Nov 2023
Star Citizens

Good News

Chattisgarh Farmers Find an Amazing Use for Paddy Straw Which Is Usually Burnt Leading to Air Pollution

As we all know farm stubble or paddy straw is a major problem for people of Haryana and Punjab, for whom the only way out to get rid of it is by burning it. However, burning paddy straw leads to a spike in the pollution level of these states and even in neighbouring places like Delhi which was in news for its hazardous pollution levels. Farmers of Punjab and Haryana can now take a cue from the Chattisgarh farmers who have an out of box solution for the problem of farm stubble. They are using it to grow mushrooms which adds to their income and also helps protect the environment from the dangerous fumes that arise and pollute the air. Initiative Of Forest Department The Chattisgarh forest department initially would procure paddy straw from farmers and use it to cultivate mushrooms and make vermicompost. Forest Officer Mayank Pandey informed that they decided to train the farmers in these activities so that not only can the farmers earn additional income, but also it provides employment opportunities to many. This out of the box solution also helps in saving the environment as farmers no longer will burn farm stubble. Praise from Environmentalists Environmentalists are heaping praises on the forest department for this amazing initiative. Farmers who would burn paddy straw without realizing its ill effects on the environment are now trained to use it to cultivate mushrooms.  The department has also roped in women self-help groups and willing citizens for mushroom farming which has helped to increase their income. The paddy straw is also used to make vermicompost which improves the fertility of the soil. Farmers of other states can replicate the above model and thus put paddy straw to good use instead of burning it which is disastrous for the environment. Image Source: shasyadhara agriculture

12 Dec 2019
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Coming Soon – A Plant That Converts Paddy Straw Into Biogas!

Every year tons of paddy straw is burnt triggering environmental pollution and destroying the nutrients of the soil. To tackle this problem, a plant that converts paddy straw into biogas will soon come up in Karnal, Haryana. India’s First Plant Under the  'SATAT' (Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation) scheme launched by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, this unit will be set up by Ajay Bio-Energy and it is slated to come up by 2022. This plant will be able to convert farm stubble generated from 20,000 acres of farmland in a year into compressed biogas (CBG) that can be used as CNG. CBG from the plant will run tractors and earth-movers as well as power gensets. Advantages The plant will be like a boon to the people in Delhi and northern India where burning of paddy waste spikes up the levels of environmental pollution leading to health hazards. Besides, it will be an additional source of income for farmers who bring their paddy straw to the plant. Apart from producing cleaner energy, the byproduct of this plant will be a good source of organic manure which could be used to grow organic fruits and vegetables. This plant that converts crop stubble into biogas will tackle the issue of alarming levels of pollution in north India.    

21 Oct 2019
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