IIT Guwahati turns crop waste into fuel pellets to reduce dependency on wood and coal

In a key initiative to bolster rural development, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati, with the collaboration of HDFC Parivartan, has instituted a series of new projects that aim to enhance the lives of farmers in the north-eastern region of India. The objectives include enhancing farmer earnings, food security, and energy security, along with encouraging sustainable farming.

The programme, or the Focused Development Programme, is concentrated on three core technologies that specifically benefit local farmers and women’s organisations.

One of the major projects is a Biomass Pellet Unit established in Umnowe village, Meghalaya. The facility generates crop waste and natural biomass into green fuel pellets, decreasing the demand for wood and coal.

Not only does this benefit the environment but it also provides farmers with an alternative source of income from agricultural waste.

In Assam’s Hailakandi district, a new model of agrivoltaic farm has been implemented. Here, farmers cultivate medicinal herbs beneath solar panels.

TURNING CROP WASTE INTO GREEN FUEL

In this manner, they receive both crops and solar power from the same land. There is also a tea processing centre powered by more than 1,000 farmers as part of this initiative, providing a major boost to tea and herbal production in the region.

IIT Guwahati has also established a freeze-drying and herbal processing facility to enable fruits and herbs to be preserved for longer periods without any loss of quality.

This technology enables farmers to sell their produce in high-end markets and even export them.

Several hundred farmers have already been trained through workshops and practical sessions, equipping them with the information and skills required to gain from these innovations.

These initiatives are opening up new possibilities for rural communities and helping realise India’s objectives for sustainable development and clean energy.