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(GIST OF SCIENCE REPORTER) IIT Kanpur develops solar energy-based Root Zone Heating system and Vermi-Bed method for plants in high altitude areas

[September-2022]

IIT Kanpur develops solar energy-based Root Zone Heating system and Vermi-Bed method for plants in high altitude areas

A team of scientists and researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur, has developed a solar energy-based Root Zone Heating system and Vermi-Bed method for plants in high-altitude areas.

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The novel technology has been developed keeping in view the scarcity of fresh vegetables or agricultural produce and the lack of effective organic waste management in high-altitude areas like the Leh-Ladakh region.
At the root of this development was the scarcity of fresh vegetables faced by our defence forces deployed in high-altitude areas like the Leh-Ladakh region, especially during winters because of the extreme climatic conditions which make agriculture difficult.
This issue is further compounded due to increased tourism in those areas as the demand for vegetable increases. The region faces a severe scarcity of fresh vegetables leading to increased food miles of fresh food supply, adverse impact on the environment and economic losses due to the perishable nature of vegetables.
Another major challenge faced in high-altitude areas is organic waste management. Organic waste generation is a continuous process, and its disposal is a critical issue in regions of subzero temperatures. If organic wastes like food waste is disposed of in a landfill, it rots and becomes a significant source of methane, a greenhouse gas.
Poor waste management – ranging from non-existing collection system to ineffective disposal – causes air pollution, and water & soil contamination. This waste can be extremely beneficial when converted into compost and can be used for growing healthier plants, but that is not feasible under extremely low temperatures.
It is to address these two issues that the IIT Kanpur team has come up with this unique technology.