Centre for Sustainable Technologies 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

Bio-Energy Activities 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. 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

Bio-Energy Activities Biomass combustion – Fixed stoves 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!

Fuel-efficient ASTRA Stoves Bio-Energy Activities Biomass combustion – Fixed stoves Fuel-efficient ASTRA Stoves 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. S & T component Application of principles of combustion & heat transfer Technology Dissemination Through involvement of govt.agencies, NGO’s, institutions. Entrepreneurs Bottlenecks Lack / not sufficient trained man power Poor Market net-work Needs more awareness

Technologies / Designs Wood Burning Devices Technologies / 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

Bio-Energy Activities Biological Conversion 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

Technologies / Designs BIOMETHANATION Technologies / Designs Technology transfer Impact/ Investment Community biogas for rural electrification Optimized designs Village electrification – 17 villages Home 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 – 17 Capacity – 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 – 1 Capacity – 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

Bio-Energy Activities, Thermo-chemical Conversion 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

Technologies / Designs BIOMASS GASIFICATION Technologies / 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 Buildings 1. 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/monographs 4. 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 Technologies Technologies/ designs Technology transfer Impact/ 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 India Water Quality Areas 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.

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

Technologies / Designs Defluoridation & Rural Sanitation 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

Climate Change and Forest Sector – Contributions to Science and Policy 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.

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

Drinking Water Rural Housing Rural 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 Water Out 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 Sanitation In 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.

Current Government Initiatives 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.

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

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

CST-NABARD Collaboration (Some Thoughts for Micro-Enterprise model): Steps Envisaged Create 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.

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