Page 134 - CW E-Magazine (19-3-2024)

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MILESTONE
Coromandel clocks 16,000+ acres in drone-led

pesticide spraying

Coromandel International Ltd. (CIL) “Through our understanding of farmer formally delivered to the women SHGs at
has announced a milestone of clock- needs coupled with strong rural con- a function organised at Manikyammaguda
ing 16,000+ acres of farmland covered nect, we are rightly positioned to provide in Rangareddy district, and Guntur in
through its ‘Gromor Drive’ – a pesti- drone spraying services to the farming Andhra Pradesh. These were part of the
cides spraying initiative using drones, community across geographies. From 1,000 drones virtually handed over to
launched in 2022. reducing labour dependency to enhancing benefi ciaries from across the country.
crop quality, Gromor Drive has emerged
The ‘Gromor Drive’ aims to alleviate as a trusted ally for farmers striving for “We have trained the benefi ciaries
the challenges faced by farmers across sustainable agricultural practices. We in operating the drones for agricultural
the country, delivering superior results continue working towards extending purposes. The drones were manufactured
while prioritising farmer safety and Gromor Drive’s footprint across the by the company’s subsidiary, Dhaksha
environmental sustainability. Since its country. Our company is now also work- Unmanned Systems,” a company offi -
inception, the innovative service has ing towards the empowerment of the cial said. The drones, which come with
covered farmlands across Andhra Pradesh rural women, by providing agri-drone anti-collision technology, can cover 30
(AP) and Telangana (TS), “serving as a pilot training and drones to women acres of spraying in a day.
game-changer for farmers offering un- from Self Help Groups (SHGs) under
paralleled precision spraying, cutting the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s initiative Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs),
down labour, time, and water usage, Namo Drone Didi,” he added. armed with Artifi cial Intelligence (AI)
and enhancing crop yields,” a statement and remote-sensing capabilities, can
from CIL said. 200 drones to women SHGs provide real-time data on crop health,
In another development, CIL has said soil conditions, and pest infestations.
According to Mr. Sankarasubra- it has given 200 drones to women self- As per studies, drone technology can
manian S., Executive Director, Nutrient help groups (SHGs) under the Centre’s provide an effi ciency boost for agricul-
Business, CIL, it is the fi rst fertiliser “Namo Drone Didi” scheme. The bene- ture spraying services, covering up to
company to achieve such a signifi cant fi ciaries belong to Andhra Pradesh, 30 acres per day, while reducing water
milestone. Telangana and Karnataka. The drones were consumption by a 90%.
RENEWABLE FUELS
CSIR-IIP to deploy pine needles-based fuel-making

technology

The CSIR-Indian Institute of Petro- CSIR-IIP, and Prof, Durgesh Pant, briquettes produced will be used as fuel
leum (CSIR-IIP), Dehradun and Director General, UCOST. in homes and local industries.
Uttarakhand State Council for Science
and Technology (UCOST), an auto- Under the agreement, the CSIR-IIP According to Dr. Bisht, the pine
nomous body of the Government of will implement two major technologies needle briquettes can be used as an
Uttarakhand, Department of Information & at the grassroots level in Champawat: alternative to coal for domestic cooking
Science Technology, have signed an a briquetting unit with a capacity of 50-kg and as direct or co-fi ring fuel in brick
MoU and inaugurated a project on per hour based on pine needles; and kilns and thermal power plants.
deploying a technology for making 500 units of improved cookstoves for
fuels from pine needles in Champawat. rural households. The briquetting unit The biomass cookstoves developed
will be established in the Energy Park by CSIR-IIP work with pine needles
The MoU was signed on March 5 in Champawat as a part of the Women briquettes at an energy effi ciency of 35%
by Dr. Harendra Singh Bisht, Director, Empowerment initiative, and the and reduce household pollution by 70%.

134 Chemical Weekly March 19, 2024

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