Technological Contributions to Rural Development-The CST (astra) experience

Centre for Sustainable Technologies

IISc

Though importance of S & T for rural India was appreciated as early in 1930s by Mahatma Gandhi, S & T in Advanced Academic Institutions turned their attention to this area only 1970s.

Most well-known effort is from IISc with its programme: Application of Science and Technology to Rural Areas known as ASTRA.

Guiding Principles of ASTRA

Technological development is driven by societal demands

First step in technology development for rural masses is needs identification through direct contact and translating needs to technological solutions

Technological solutions bound by constraints of user-acceptability and sustainability

Amulya Reddy: CURRENT SCIENCE, VOL. 87, NO. 7, 10 OCTOBER 2004

BROAD AREAS of Technological Interventions

• Bioenergy Technologies

– Biomass gasification, biomethanation, improved wood burning devices (cook stoves, driers, kilns, etc.)

– Technology generation and transfer/dissemination

• Alternative building technologies

– Technology generation, training and transfer/dissemination

• Defluoridation of Water & Sanitation Program

• Hazardous waste management

• .Forestry, sustainable biomass production and climate

change

Early 1980’s - accepted a challenge to look into the energy needs of agricultural sector through the route of bioenergy conversion by mainly focusing on:

– Improved stoves for meeting the cooking energy needs– Biogas through bio-methanation route for meeting cooking and any small power needs– Biomass gasification to provide electricity or mechanical power to various rural needs.

Bio-Energy Activities

What it means to the Country• Based on a analysis, total agro production of 415 million tons which totals to about

440 million tons of bio-residues in India. • Accounting for current usage pattern there is surplus of 130 million tons of agro

residues that can realize a power of potential of 17000 MW. • Further there are waste lands for bio resource development to address both

transportation and stationary applications• Distributed power generation is the concepts using

– Captive generation, Micro grids, Hybrid systems

• ASTRA ole – a three pan stove based on standard engineering principles

– Increasing the area of heat transfer using, Multi pans, dipping the pan entirely, fins

– A chimney to remove the flue and create the draft

• Applications

• DOMESTIC COOKING (ASTRA OLE); LARGE - SCALE COOKING BATH WATER HEATING ; ARECA PROCESSING, JAGGERY MAKING;AYURVEDIC MEDICINE, SILK REELING,DYEING OF YARNS; STEAM DISTILLATION ,STEAM CURING OF LIME-STABILISED MUD BLOCKS,DRYING; TOBACCO CURING;CRAMATION

• These stoves were disseminated through subsidy programs – over 1.5 million!

Bio-Energy Activities Biomass combustion – Fixed stoves

Fuel-efficient ASTRA Stoves

1. Motivation for development for technology• Conservation of fuel wood and biomass to save

deforestation; less time to be spent by women and children to collect firewood, thus children can be encouraged to attend school

• Smokeless ness: thus avoiding ill effects of exposure to smoke environment.

2. S & T component • Application of principles of combustion & heat transfer3. Technology Dissemination• Through involvement of govt.agencies, NGO’s,

institutions. Entrepreneurs4. Bottlenecks• Lack / not sufficient trained man power• Poor Market net-work• Needs more awareness

Bio-Energy Activities Biomass combustion – Fixed stoves

Wood Burning DevicesTechnologies / Designs Technology Transfer Impacts

Efficient smokeless cook stoves

• Cook stoves: 1.55 million HH

• Bath stoves: 3300

• Institutional stoves: 4000

• Fuelwood conservation: 0.5 t/yr•Improved quality of life for 1.5 million women•Entrepreneurship and employment•Investment: Rs.300 million

Agro-products driers: spices, fruits, vegetables

Driers: 1000

• Enhanced economic value of Agro-products•Investment: Rs.27 mil

• The activity began with use of cow dung as the feed material to meet the energy needs.

• Research at IISc has led to use other ligno-celluosic material as feed– One reactor for wide biomass composition – Low input energy, low biomass processing– Wide VFA fluxes, slow methanogenesis,– Feed stratification and floating,– Create multiphase flow amidst changing form – Ferment biomass even when afloat, – Corrosion proof civil structure, gas-proofing

Major Achievements• Leafy biomass and crop wastes up to 1.5 t/d-Over 15 systems• Coffee waste water-75 operational units• Municipal Solid Waste- 8 units built in 3 towns

Bio-Energy Activities Biological Conversion

Bio-Energy Activities Biological Conversion

BIOMETHANATIONTechnologies / Designs Technology transfer Impact/ Investment

Community biogas for rural electrification

– Optimized designs

Village electrification – 17 villagesHome lighting and water supply

•Reliable electricity in 17 villages•No. of HH electrified - 1800•Inv. Rs.10 mil

Bioreactors for Coffee effluent•Multi-feed high rate bioreactor process

No. of sites – 17Capacity – 1700 kg COD/d, 92% removal

•Gas production for multiple end uses•Effluent treatment 504, 000 litres per day•Inv. Rs. 5 mil

Municipal solid waste treatment

No. of plants – 1Capacity – 90m3

•Gas for multiple end uses &•Waste treatment•1 town 50,000 population

Biomass plants for cooking•Solid phase and plug flow processes.

On going –25 villages

•Gas for cooking for all HH•No. of HH = 2000•Inv. Rs. 10 million

Thermo chemical conversion of biomass

Process that converts solid fuel to gaseous fuel

• Used in an internal combustion engine for power generation to substitute fossil fuel▫ Diesel engine – for dual fuel

application▫ Gas engine – for single fuel

• Used in heat application▫ Low temperature – drying, etc▫ High temperature – furnaces,

kilns, etc• Combination of the above -

heat and power

Bio-Energy Activities

Scientific challenges addressed– To ensure that tar and particulates are minimized, system elements are robust, multi-fuel capability to avoid ash fusion and yet have good quality gas– Producer gas engines for power generation

Typical applications – Electricity generation , Village electrification, Captive power generation, Grid linked power generation– Thermal application, Low temperature (drying, etc., ), High temperature (furnaces, kilns, etc., )

At IISc (Open top down draft technology - distinctly different from other designs)Technology package for agro residue as the fuel

– Power range 5 – 1000 kWe– Both power and high quality thermal applications– Over 500,000 hours of operational experience – Gas cleaning system for turbo-charged engines

• High pressure gasification for micro-turbine• About 6 MW electrical and 40 MW thermal

– Saving in excess of 25000 lts of oil per day

Bio-Energy Activities, Thermo-chemical Conversion

BIOMASS GASIFICATIONTechnologies / Designs Technology transfer Impacts / investments

• Biomass gasifiers for power generation

• Capacity:

20 kW to 1000 kWe

• Village electrification – 4

• On-going village electrification - 25

• Industry captive power and grid connected – 20

- Installed capacity

Village Elec. 145 kWe

-100% HH electrification-2500 HH to be electrified

- Captive and grid Power 2500 kW

- Inv. Rs. 120 mil

Thermal Gasifiers

Upto 5 MWth

Industrial application – 8 • 1 MW – 500 to 1 MWe rating•Improved processing

Green and Sustainable Buildings1. Motivation for development for technology

– Excessive contribution of the building sector towards GHG emissions– Indiscriminate adoption of energy-intensive materials and practices– Climatically unsuited designs – reliance on active (energy intensive) mechanisms

to maintain thermal comfort– Inadequately harnessed and building-integrated solar energy

2. S & T component – Scientifically validated guidelines for design and evaluation of thermal performance

of buildings in tropical and sub-tropical regions– Extensive study into passive mechanisms of providing thermal comfort– Building physics in Building/Façade integrated Photovoltaics’

3. Technology Dissemination– Prototype demonstration– Training and/or advanced diploma in ‘Sustainable Buildings’– Publication of guidelines/monographs4. Bottlenecks– Inertia to accept change towards green building concepts– Inadequate guidelines on design and material use– Heavy dependence on energy intensive building materials and techniques

Green Building TechnologiesTechnologies/

designsTechnology

transferImpact/

Investment

-Stabilized mud blocks

-Lime-Pozzolana Cements

-Composite mortars

-Pre-cast and prefab roofs

-Ferro-cement roofs

-Masonry vaults and domes

-Filler slab roofs

-Earthquake resistant buildings

-Solar passive architecture

>12,000 buildings nationally

>4000 buildings in Gujarat after the Bhuj earthquake

Training technology carriers

Energy efficient & improved buildings

Homes for earth quake victims

Energy conservation

Environment conservation

Trained entrepreneurs, employment generation

Appropriate Sanitation

1. Motivation for development for technology– Inadequate understanding of a societal sanitation approach– Community acceptable designs– Designs or technologies to suit diverse conditions of habitations and environment– Sanitation designs/technologies in response to climate change and its consequent impacts– Construction adopting local skills and materials

2. S & T component – Systemic evaluation of a community’s sanitation approach– Guidelines for structuring and organizing social issues determining appropriate sanitation– Sanitation technologies adopting minimum water and effective neutralization of pathogens– Compact designs for dense congested habitations such as slums

3. Technology Dissemination– NGOs and SHGs– Training and awareness programmers (institutional and community level)– Enhance community participatory approach in identifying appropriate sanitation– Publication of guidelines/monographs

4. Bottlenecks– Diverse responses to acceptance/rejection of appropriate sanitation– Appropriate sanitation more a social issue than technological– Social acceptability – traditional beliefs– Provision of urban image in sanitation for rural areas

Areas endemic to fluorosis in IndiaAreas endemic to fluorosis in India

70 100 % affected

40 70 % affected

10 40 % affected

Endemic fluorosis is a public problem in India

Almost 60-65 million people drink fluoride-contaminated groundwater.

The number affected by fluorosis is estimated at 2.5-3.0 million.

Water Quality

Precipitation reaction: MgO + H2O + F- → Mg(OH)2-yFy (1)

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2.50

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0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500

Treatment period, days

F in

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g/L DDU 1-with electric stirrer

DDU 2-with electric stirrer

DDU 3-with manual stirrer

DDU 4-with manual stirrer

Untreated water quality Permissible limit

Sudhakar Rao-IISc

Field Photos at Yellodu

Sudhakar Rao-IISc

Processing sludge

Technologies / Designs Technology Transfer Impacts

Domestic Defluoridation Technology

• 15 liters domestic defluoridation units• 100 liters defluoridation units

•Health benefits for rural people drinking fluoride-contaminated water•Improved life quality

Rural sanitation program

Under progress • Improved sanitation & hygiene conditions

Defluoridation & Rural Sanitation

Climate change is emerging as one of the most important scientific, technological and policy challenges, globally and nationally. Pioneering work has been done in the following areas of science and policy aspects of climate change and forests at CST:

Greenhouse gas inventory methodology for forest and land use sectors: Forest sector contributes to nearly 20% of the global CO2 emissions. Faculty of CST has contributed to the development of IPCC methodology for GHG Inventory for Land use, Land-use change and forest sector (IPCC, 2003) and for GHG Inventory for Agriculture, Forest, Grassland and other land categories (IPCC, 2006). The methods and guidelines developed are being used by all the countries for estimation of GHG Inventory. CST has also estimated the GHG Inventory for forest and land use sectors for India for submission to UN Climate Convention.

Carbon sequestration potential of forest sector: CST has estimated the mitigation potential of forest and land use sectors for India. The mitigation potential estimates made by CST have been used in preparing the National Climate Change Action Plan of Govt. of India. According to the estimates made, the forest carbon sink in India will continue to increase till 2030. CST has also contributed to the estimates of mitigation potential in the forest sector at the global level, for the IPCC 2007 assessment.

Climate Change and Forest Sector – Contributions to Science and Policy

Impact of Climate change on forest sector: CST has made an assessment of the likely impacts of climate change on forest ecosystems and biodiversity. Studies have shown that 68-77% of the currently forested area is likely to undergo change in vegetation type by 2085, adversely affecting the biodiversity and forest ecological functions. The studies further showed that the Net Primary Productivity of forest ecosystems is projected to increase by 70-100% due to CO2 fertilization, during the initial decades of the current century. The findings of the CST studies are used in preparing the National Greening Mission, under the National Climate Change Action Plan.

Climate Change and Forest Sector – Contributions to Science and Policy

Forestry, Biomass Production, Climate Change

• Developed and promoted mixed-spices forestry for biodiversity conservation & sustained yields

• Developed Nursery practices manual for 100 tree species

• Estimated Sustainable biomass production potential for energy for India

-----------------------------------------------------------• Climate change mitigation technologies, potential,

costs and projects– Forestry– Bioenergy technologies– Renewable energy technologies

• Bioenergy for Rural India and Climate Change Mitigation: A large project prepared by ASTRA,– Funded by UNDP-GEF– Implemented by Govt. of Karnataka

• Climate change science and policy making

CST Technologies in Rural Development Programs

Rural HousingRural housing shortage figure in India at around 2.31 million (2002 estimate).There are 10.31 million unserviceable kutcha houses requiring up-gradation in the rural areas.

Drinking WaterOut of total of 15,07,349 rural habitations in the country, 74.39% (11,21,366 habitations)

are fully covered, 55,067 villages (2,20,165 habitations) remain uncovered. Slippages= 2.8 lakh habitations due to:

Sources going dry or lowering of the ground water table, Sources becoming quality affected

2,16,968 habitations are affected due to a variety of water quality problems excess fluoride, arsenic, salinity, iron, nitrate and multiple quality problems

SanitationIn rural areas, only 21.9 percent of population has latrines within/attached to their houses.Open defecation continue to remain predominant form of sanitation for majority of population in rural areas.

Ministry of Rural Development: (Govt of India)Rural Housing : Indira Awaas Yojana Rural Roads: Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY)

Accelerated Rural Water Suppy Program Central Rural Sanitation Program:  (Total sanitation campaign):

Nirmal Gram Puraskar    Bharat Nirman: step taken towards strengthening the infrastructure in

six areas viz. Housing, Roads, Electrification, communication(Telephone), Drinking Water and Irrigation, with the help of a plan to be implemented in four years, from 2005-06 to 2008-09.

Current Government Initiatives

Why has Technologies from CST/Academic Institutions not been significantly adopted in Rural Development Programs at National Level

Are the Technologies Sound- The answer is YES as they have gone through the rigorous process of Sustained R & D in laboratory, Peer Review In Journals/Conferences and Technical Committee meetings, Extensive Field trials and especially in case of building materials, Bio-Gas Technologies widely used by private/semi-government players

Are the Technologies Scalable- Yes: Wide use of SMB Technology (12,000 buildings),1.5 million rural households are using the ASTRA wood burning devices for cooking needs, adoption of biomass gasifiers for village electrification and industries is resulting in a daily savings of about 30 tons of fossil fuel, thirty-five biomethanation plants are converting bio-waste into useful biogas

Perhaps a dis-connect between S & T Fund Mangers, Academics and Policy Makers in Government

Inadequate Awareness of the Technology Packages from Academic Institutions

• Academic Institutions, S & T Fund Managers, be an integral part, at the drawing board and implementation levels

• Use ICT to create link between Academic Institutions, Government & Stakeholders

• If all players are together, Rural Society will behave like a sponge to R & D outputs from academic Institutions

How can the outputs of research in Sustainable/Rural Development made relevant to Rural Development Programs

CST-NABARD Collaboration (Some Thoughts for Micro-Enterprise model): Steps EnvisagedCreate extensive awareness of technologies developed by CST in rural areas through discussions, exhibits, demonstrations at grama panchayat level.

Provide technical training for skill development in CST technologies to motivated groups at CST field station, Ungra village. The participants shall also be trained in need assessment and identification, construction, operation & maintenance, problem solving, market development etc.

Select candidates (resource persons) shall be supported to establish their business centres at panchayat/villae level with necessary technical support and hand holding in business development, market building, etc

Monitoring these resource persons to deliver best performance and meet people’s needs and in the process make their enterprise economically sustainable.

CST Technologies that could be disseminated:Fuel-efficient wood burning stoves for domestic and other applications

Agro-processing Driers

Stabilized Mud Block (SMB) and allied building products

Biomass-based Bio-gas plants

Defluoridation water filters for treating fluoride contaminated drinking water.Biomass Gasifiers for thermal applications and electricity generation

Appropriate and improved sanitation approach and technologies.

Thank you