THE PROBLEM
With the onset of winter, farm fires become rampant in northern India, particularly in the states of Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh. The problem of poor air quality is exacerbated in the already disadvantageous landlocked Delhi. These high levels of air pollution are often attributed to agricultural fires, as each year India's rice farmers burn the stubble of their harvested crops, contributing to an annual haze that damages the health of those in and around the capital. Since air quality is a public good, the need to tackle the problem becomes paramount.
A few change-makers from across the country have decided to do something about this.
THE SOLUTION
The Happy Seeder is a tractor-mounted machine that cuts and lifts rice straw, sows wheat into the soil, and deposits the straw over the sown area as mulch. Happy Seeder can reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions while making profits for farmers. This option also has the largest potential to reduce the environmental footprint of on-farm activities, as it would eliminate air pollution and would reduce greenhouse gas emissions per hectare by more than 78%, relative to all burning options.
The group of students plan to provide these machines that will be procured at a subsidized cost to farmers in Haryana.
These Happy Seeders will be given to farmers in Sonipat & Panipat regions through the "rent & use" model. INR 1.5L is an indicative price and may be subject to a 10% variation depending on the acquisition, storage and maintenance (the cost of which will be worked out by the NGO after acquiring the Happy Seeders). Through this model, one Happy Seeder Machine can easily benefit 100 farmers at different times of the year.
ABOUT ME
My name is ARISMITA GHOSH. I am 16 years old and in grade 11 at The Shri Ram School, Moulsari.
I believe this initiative will truly make a difference in the lives of these farmers.
In addition to its effects on air quality, stubble burning also affects soil fertility (through the destruction of its nutrients), economic development and climate. The crop stubbles (if managed properly) could provide immense economic benefits to the farmers and protect the environment from severe pollution. The Happy Seeder has also proven to be more profitable to the farmers who use them.
Let us come together and change the lives of these farmers.
LOCATION
ABOUT AYURVET RESEARCH FOUNDATION
Ayurvet Research Foundation (ARF) is a Public Charitable Trust duly registered under the Indian Trust Act. The basic objective of the trust is to conduct research in the areas of animal health, nutrition & diagnostics, and other areas for the welfare of animals and the community at large. Since inception, Ayurvet Research Foundation has been promoting "Sustainable Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Practices" and supporting technologies which are environment friendly and affordable.
The concept of 5F security (Food, Feed, Fodder, Fuel and Fertilizer) was envisioned in 2006. The 5F concept implies sustainable integration of livestock and agriculture. Sustainable 5F system requires using resources efficiently at every stage-getting the most out of available resources which can be achieved by turning output waste into a valuable input for others, thus minimizing the losses and wastage.
TAX BENEFITS
Funding for this campaign is eligible for tax breaks as ARF is a registered trust and you can avail of benefits under section 80G of IT act. Foreign funding is not accepted.
FAQs
Will we get to know the details of who benefitted?
Yes. After the money has been collected it will be transferred by Fueladream to ARF. We will update you on the details of the beneficiaries as soon as possible. Once we get this information we shall upload a report on the UPDATES section of this campaign. You will then get an alert & can read details about the beneficiaries.
When do I get the receipts?
The receipts will start getting processed about 4 to 6 weeks AFTER the campaign is closed and will be sent to you directly.
How does crowdfunding work?
Crowdfunding in India is a relatively new concept & is growing very quickly.
It’s a concept that allows a large number of funders (like you) to fund an idea or a cause or event by giving small amounts of money online. Fueladream.com is a crowdfunding platform in India that allows for such pooling of funds. You can fund innovations & ideas on FuelADream and be the first to get these products or make them come true. You can also do a good turn by funding charities and causes through crowdfunding. When you fund a charity it’s more like a donation & you get small innovative rewards like a shout-out on an FB page or a thank you email from the beneficiaries.
