IIT students showed how to generate useful products from farm residue

NP NEWS 24 ONLINE-  In the beginning of winter every year, millions of tonnes of farm waste are burnt in many states of India like Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, which also produces pollution threat. Several measures are being taken to prevent pollution from stubble burning.

A start-up linked to the incubation centre of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi has developed a method to produce eco-friendly cups and plates from crop wastage. By using their newly developed process, three students has established  a unit to manufacture the cups and plates which can be become an alternative to the regular plastic plates.

Researchers have developed a solvent-based process, with the help of which, the crop residues can be adapted to industrial use in spite of silica particles.

Ankur Kumar, Chief Operating Officer of Kriya Labs Startup, told, “With the help of this technique, any agricultural wastes or lignocellulosic mass can convert holocellulose fibre or pulp and lignin. Later on Lignin can also be used as a binder in cement and ceramic industries. At present, we are making tableware from pulp made of paddy. ”

Every year in winter, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh burns millions of tonnes of crop residue. According to the Ministry of Environment, more than 900 incidents have been reported in Punjab and Haryana in this season so far.

Initially, this initiative was started by IIT -Delhi students Ankur Kumar, Kanika Prajapat and Pachir Dutta as their summer project in May 2014, when they were doing B.Tech. Their motto was to develop a technique of making biodegradable pottery utensils with crop residue, which will  reduce the use of plastic plate and cups.