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Olawale Olaniyan

Oct 14, 2017
10:04

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Hello,

Thanks for this well elaborated proposal which focuses on transforming agricultural waste to money. I particularly like your idea of trying a hypothesis on farmer-labourers contract. It will be good to let these groups of people decide on which arrangement is much better for them. Your own role could be facilitation of this key process.

Meanwhile, it will be great to read the benefits of your proposed practice in terms of its mitigation and adaptation potential. 

Best of luck!

Olawale


Akanksha Ahuja

Nov 4, 2017
04:22

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Hi Mr.Olawale Olanyan, 

I appreciate your comments and feedback regarding the proposal. There are a lot of missing links when it comes to mapping farmers with laborers because agro-laborers have traditionally been an unorganized sector and laborers have to work on a daily wage basis in India. Also, in our context, laborers can also be unemployed women or women who are looking to sustain themselves or wives of farmers who can share the profits within the family. Our motive is to ensure the protection of the environment and allow rural villagers to depend on themselves despite lack of resources by mutually getting into the contract and empowering themselves in the process.

I agree we are only facilitating the process and giving them a freedom of choice to follow whichever method suits their needs the most. You can read the tangible and intangible benefits in the proposal description. If you have any doubts or comments regarding the same, please reach out to me here or at akanksha.ahuja99@gmail.com

Thank you again,
Have a great day!

Best, 
Akanksha Ahuja


Navya Kapahi

Nov 4, 2017
03:36

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Hello

It is a nice idea to use agricultural waste for a nutritional and therapeutic food and that too by employing and empowering the   women and other sensitive sections. If you could tell 

   --What is the time required to grow one cycle of oyster mushroom

-- it's seems the market in India is captured by button mushrooms. Would you like to create awareness among urban people .. where the space restriction is always there   but at least they start consuming it. 


Meena Kapahi

Nov 4, 2017
04:53

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Hi Navya

Thanks for these encouraging words regarding the proposal. Oyster mushroom cultivation employs very easy, cheap and faster cultivation method; the first oyster mushroom is available in approx. 30 -40 days. The main advantages with the oyster mushrooms is that in just one month (approx.), the food to be consumed is ready. We can harvest at least three cycles of mushrooms.

No doubt,  Indian market is captured by button mushrooms; awareness about oyster mushrooms is being created in urban areas also - academic institutes/schools/corporate world, etc. It does not require large areas, can be grown utilising vertical space. Awareness workshops are being organised with distribution of free seeds to encourage domestic cultivation. It can be grown with  ligninocellulosic wastes   - paper/empty egg trays/cardbord boxes etc.etc. - - in containers like empty & sterilised bottles/boxes/baskets/polybags  - easily available in urban homes. The waste left after harvesting can be used as manure. Eventually, waste is converted to food with no waste at all!

Thanks for showing interest ! If you have any more queries, please let me know. 


Nitin Kapahi

Nov 5, 2017
11:00

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Hi 

Its a nice idea to convert wheat/paddy straw into oyster mushrooms beaming with loads of nutrients and good health. The technique is simple and faster. The idea of mapping farmers to labourers, if implemented, can be very sucessful! Inspite of the advantages that the process of oyster cultivation offers - its not a popular technique in India. What could have been the obstacles and how would you deal with that? 


Meena Kapahi

Nov 5, 2017
12:19

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Hi 

Thanks for appreciating the idea. Yes, it has lot advantages. Apart from the nutritional and therapeutic properties, it has lost of entrepreneurial and employment generation opportunities. In an awareness survey conducted by us (available at  - http://www.lamk.fi/tapahtumat/smart-cities-in-smart-regions/Documents/Lamk_smart_cities_2016%20FINAL.pdf (pg 126 to 137)), only 4% of the sampled population was growing mushrooms at the domestic level. No one (0%) included mushrooms on daily basis in he diet and similarly no body was aware of their nutritional properties. Hence, there is a limited awareness among people the general public regarding their benefits. Mushrooms are not considered a  vegetarian diet. Therefore, oyster mushrooms are not a preferred diet option. Oyster mushroom has iron content and an excellent source of Vitamin B1, B2, B3, Vitamin C and D, Protein, Calcium, Zinc, Magnesium, Potassium, Phosphorus and Folic Acid. They are a low calorie option and has anti-cancerous properties and reduce blood pressure and heart diseases. There is an immediate requirement to make people aware about this food, the simple technique, its nutrient contents, therapeutic properties and the dishes which can be made. 

We are targeting the problem from all angles; creating awareness, conducting  workshops in urban and rural areas to motivate and train people to cultivate oyster mushrooms and cook them as well! People shall be also be trained to cultivate oyster mushrooms at home using domestic waste like tea and coffee, paper, cardboard etc. and simple containers easily available at home. 

In the business model suggested, it is being treated  as a cash crop and involves providing technical and financial support to the participants through the contracts between farmers and labourers as suggested. Win - win situation for both!


Meena Kapahi

Nov 5, 2017
02:03

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I would like to add here is that its not a new practice but we are trying to popularise the same by creating awareness and proposing a new business model to use the agro-waste at the place where it is being generated!

Thanks 

Meena 

 


Sanjana Malhotra

Nov 5, 2017
08:57

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Hi Akanksha,

What are the environmental factors that support oyster mushroom cultivation? Can it be grown throughout the year?

All the best.

Sanjana


Shalini Rajput

Nov 6, 2017
07:00

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Hello,

It’s a great idea as it includes bioconversion of paddy through low cost technology….

Moreover it is providing employment to women and landless farmers..!!!!!!!

Oyster mushroom is the second largest commercially produced and important edible mushroom in the world market after Agaricus mushrooms…….

I really appreciate your work as you would be facing lots of problem and the great problem is awareness about this proposal..

                                               !!!!:: Hat’s off to you ::!!!!

                                                                                                      Wish You Good Luck…

 


Meena Kapahi

Nov 6, 2017
01:32

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 Hi Sanjana

Thanks for showing interest in oyster mushroom cultivation. It does not require complicated conditions; the technology is simple and can be implemented at home using various varieties of wastes as discussed in the above comments. Oyster mushroom can be cultivated at  the temperature range of 20 - 30 C; and the  humidity levels of 55-70%. The bags/container and substrate have to be sterilised before growing. It can be grown during the months of March/April & September/October (when there is optimum temperature supporting) in a year and during summers also  by supplying the extra moisture/humidity. 

 

Thanks 

 


Akanksha Ahuja

Nov 6, 2017
06:22

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It's easy to cultivate and I'll explain the math to justify the calculations of GHG emissions.

According to papers, the Total crop residue in the year 2014 was 620.44 million tonne per year. This approximates to about 5% of the total GHG emissions by the country. Over the successive decades as we spread this movement and educate people about alternatives such as mushroom cultivation till the estimated adoption of 100% of the proposal by 2050 we can reduce the GHG emissions by 5% in India and similarly in other proposed countries.


By 2020, 25% villages will be worked upon. That is approximately 5000 villages. 
Each village has approximately targeted 24,000 kg of husk.

The literature mentions that on an average 300 C02 is released per 5kg of 12.6% moisture crop residue.
or we can extend that to 10kg at 23.6% moisture.

for 1 village:
Oyster Mushroom Cultivation: 6000kg of husk
Sold to markets: 18,000 kg of husk

That means, 180 kg C/kg for Mushrooms and 540 kg C/kg for redirecting it to markets.
For 1 village that is 720 C.

720 x 5000 = 3.6 million tonnes of carbon emissions prevented if 25% adopted.

These are only approximated calculations but are highly realistic.

India has over 6,40,000 villages which means.

(6,40, 000/5000 ) x 3.6 million = 460.8 million tonnes of carbon emissions if nationally adopted.



 


Akanksha Ahuja

Nov 7, 2017
05:24

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Infact, you can see the news today 

Delhi air pollution Live updates: Kejriwal asks Sisodia to consider closing of schools, calls city ‘a gas chamber’

"Air quality in Delhi dropped to ‘severe’ on Tuesday as pollution levels crossed permissible levels by multiple times. Visibility in Delhi NCR dropped as smog enveloped the city. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, describing the city as a “gas chamber”, attributed the pollution to crop burning in adjoining states.

“Delhi has become a gas chamber. Every year this happens during this part of year. We have to find a soln to crop burning in adjoining states,” Kejriwal tweeted today. The last time the air quality was ‘severe’ was on October 20, a day after Diwali, reported news agency PTI. Since then, pollution has been at ‘very poor’ levels."


Shalini Rajput

Nov 7, 2017
10:21

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Hii,

I completely agree to Akansha as Delhi is one of the polluted city and their are day to day severe cases due to pollution......

Atlaest 20 flights were either delayed or affected after foggy condition prompted Delhi airport authorities to close the runway......

 


Neeru Malick

Nov 9, 2017
01:43

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Hi Meena,

It seems a practical solution to the problem of smog which the entire NCR is facing these days.  We need to initiate an implement such techniques as early as possible.  

Keep up the good work.

 

Neeru


Neeru Malick

Nov 9, 2017
01:43

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Hi Meena,

It seems a practical solution to the problem of smog which the entire NCR is facing these days.  We need to initiate an implement such techniques as early as possible.  

Keep up the good work.

 

Neeru


Meena Kapahi

Nov 9, 2017
01:00

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Hi Neeru 

Thanks .. Everyone is worried about and is being affected by the smog these days - we need simple , technologically and financially feasible solutions with multiple benefits these days !!

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/delhi-smog-air-quality-likely-to-get-worse-today/articleshow/61568222.cms

http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/india/punjab-cm-urges-pm-to-intervene-to-tackle-crop-residue-burning-2434441.html

https://thewire.in/189798/crop-residue-burning-punjab-haryana/

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/delhis-poor-bear-the-brunt-of-deadly-smog/article20009629.ece

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/delhi-turns-into-hitlers-gas-chamber-heres-what-smog-does-to-your-body/articleshow/61558015.cms

https://www.ndtv.com/delhi-news/as-toxic-smog-suffocates-delhi-schools-shut-decision-on-odd-even-today-10-points-1773052


Akanksha Ahuja

Nov 10, 2017
04:01

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PM 2.5 is particulate matter about 30 times finer than a human hair. The particles can be inhaled deep into the lungs, causing heart attacks, strokes, lung cancer and respiratory diseases. #DelhiSmog
 


Akanksha Ahuja

Nov 10, 2017
04:56

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Extensive #smog over #Pakistan and #India - extending hundreds of miles, looks more like a #weather system forming! #DelhiSmog #AirPollution @@David_P_Moore -@NCEOscience research scientist, based @uniofleicester, using satellite remote sensing to study the land/atmosphere around us


Akanksha Ahuja

Nov 10, 2017
04:10

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This is the air purifier at work. Hazardous level. 5 is highest. Red is danger zone. And this is inside office! #DeathByBreath #DelhiSmog  @Zakka_JacobNov 7 -Deputy Executive Editor, CNN-News18

 


Akanksha Ahuja

Nov 10, 2017
05:44

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We Told You So! It’s Not Diwali, Delhi’s Smog Comes From Stubble Burning #DelhiSmog https://swarajyamag.com/ideas/we-told-you-so-its-not-diwali-delhis-smog-comes-from-stubble-burning … via @swarajyamag 

"Now, the important thing to remember is that it is still the beginning of winter and that Deepavali (also known as Diwali) is long gone. It has been almost three weeks since the end of the festivities, there are no reports of fireworks being burst in the National Capital Region (NCR), yet the pollution persists.

What does winter have to with it?

Cold air, is heavier than warm air, and due to the extremely low temperatures, cold air tends to be sandwiched between the ground and a layer of warmer air. Further, due to the presence of moisture in the air, pollutants are trapped in this layer of cold air and thus the thick smog.

But where do the pollutants come from? They can’t have stayed there for three weeks post the celebrations, assuming that crackers did add pollutants even after a ban on their sale in the National Capital Region! The culprit here is the same as last time - burning of crop stubble in Punjab."
 


Akanksha Ahuja

Nov 10, 2017
05:50

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"The effects of crop stubble being burnt have been well documented, with a survey pegging that approximately 84 per cent of people in the NCT face various health issues due to the smoke emanating from paddy stubble being burnt in Punjab and Haryana.

How do we solve the problem of paddy stubble being burnt?

One, find out why the paddy stubble is still being burnt. Identify the reasons why farmers still prefer to burn the stubble rather than transporting them to a power plant.

Two, make it more economical for farmers to transport the stubble. This can be done by opening more facilities to dispose of them, improving connectivity, and reducing overheads through minor subsidies or incentives.

Three, penalise farmers who burn the stubble. The Amarinder Singh government in Punjab needs to take this seriously as a bulk of the crop stubble being burnt is from Punjab.

Four, rope in the private sector to set up more power plants to dispose of the crop stubble. A privately owned entity will certainly put in more effort to collect crop stubble as a raw material than a government body."


https://swarajyamag.com/ideas/we-told-you-so-its-not-diwali-delhis-smog-comes-from-stubble-burning



Our proposal was designed before the article was published and we aim to implement each of the steps.
We identified why they burn it

1. It's easy to get rid of
2. It doesn't take much time
3. They can't afford the labour to dispose of the stubble
4. They want to have 4 crops a year hence they are short on time.
5. Close minded and follow the crowd hence they see nothing wrong in burning crop residue, a practice that is ongoing for ages.
6. Punjab and Haryana are relatively greener areas hence the pollution doesn't affect the air that much but since they both are near Pakistan and are a part of India as well, cities with fewer trees get affected the worst.

We created a business process mapping to make sure all aspects of crop residue burning as well as employability are covered.

The crop residue, 2000kg from each contract is divided into two parts.
500kg for mushrooms and 1500kg for sale.

The 1500kg can be transported to power plants and complete the whole chain of problems arising due to stubble burning.


Akanksha Ahuja

Nov 10, 2017
05:46

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Akanksha Ahuja

Nov 18, 2017
05:29

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Akanksha Ahuja

Nov 18, 2017
05:40

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The Happy Seeder is too expensive at Rs. 1.3 lac and is neither affordable nor an immediate solution to farmers who take loans on a yearly basis to produce crops. It's a great initiative but it's outreach is limited.