Delhi Man Vidyut Mohan’s ‘Takachar’ Awarded INR 10 Crores| A Game-Changer For India’s Air Pollution

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Vidyut Mohan, a resident of Delhi, has developed an innovative solution to control the city’s air pollution. A portable and cost-effective machine is pitched in to improve the dipping air quality index of the country. The 30-year old's innovation claims to reduce toxic emissions by 98%.

takachar

“We are the first generation to feel the effect of climate change and the last generation who can do something about it.” Barack Obama, Former US President.

Considering the gravity of this situation, Mohan’s innovation is the need of the hour. Let us dive deeper and understand the innovation and its future scope.

Also read: This is how the world is fighting climate change | Sathyanarayanan from IIM Indore

Vidyut Mohan’s Inspiration behind the Innovation

India's capital city Delhi has been dealing with a drastic dip in air quality, with a US AQI rating as high as 350+, considered extremely hazardous. Vidyut Mohan, a Delhi-based mechanical engineer in Scotland’s Glasgow, often fell ill due to India's capital city toxic atmosphere. His mother, too, suffers a lot due to the growing pollution levels of Delhi. Sitting out in the open is a thing of joy Vidyut Mohan misses in Delhi, his hometown. To help improve the city’s poor air quality, Vidyut Mohan decided to come up with an innovative solution.

Takachar.com - Vidyut Mohan's innovation

Vidyut Mohan’s innovation includes a portable and cost-effective machine, which converts crop residues into sellable bio-products. The significance of the innovation is that Delhi's air pollution is due to stubble burning in the Punjab and Haryana region. Mohan went ahead and founded Takachar.com. The innovative equipment converts rice straws, coconut shells to create energy. The waste is burnt in a controlled environment, at predefined temperatures to produce fuels, fertilizers, and other essential products.

In September 2021, Takachar was selected for Prince William's ₹10,00,00,000 Earth shot Prize. The organization was awarded for its innovative small-scale, tractor mountable equipment which can convert tonnes of agricultural waste into renewable fuel and fertilizers.

The prize analysts note: "Takachar has developed a cheap, small-scale, portable technology that attaches to tractors in remote farms. The machine converts crop residues into sellable bio-products like fuel and fertilizer."

Why agricultural waste?

$120 billion worth of agricultural waste is produced every year globally. For most Indian farmers, burning the waste is the most cost-effective way to clear land for new plantations. However, what they ignore is that the waste is full of resources, which can be channelized, to generate fuels and fertilizers.

According to the World Health Organisation, agricultural land burning leads to air pollution that kills seven million people a year. India recently pledged to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2070 at the COP26 summit as a nation. Being one of the critical contributors to carbon emission agricultural waste disposal can help reduce emissions drastically.

What Mr. Mohan has brought to the table is something worth considering. Not only will it educate our farmers, but at the same time help the country become carbon-neutral. Innovations like these are the need of the hour and must be incorporated to improve Indian Climatic conditions.

“Takachar’s technology reduces smoke emissions by up to 98 percent which will help improve the air quality that currently reduces the affected population’s life expectancy by up to five years. If scaled, it could cut a billion tonnes of carbon dioxide a year: a win for India’s farmers will be a win in the fight against climate change," explained the prize analyst.

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