Current Challenges

We are talking so much about “Atmanirbhar Bharat” but still, we are very much dependent on other countries for sources of energy.  Exponentially increasing energy demand, pollution reduction, and waste management are few challenges India is facing now. It is need of the hour to find out commercially viable, renewable, and pollution-free sources of energy.

As India is Agriculture based country, the amount of agricultural waste generated every year is approximately 350 million tonnes; it is huge. In only a few places, farmers use this agricultural waste as animal fodder. Generally, farmers burn this waste which enhances air pollution.   Food processing industries also generate a huge amount of food waste, which is approximately 50% of the raw material used. The management of agricultural and food waste is a big challenge for India.  Soil-to-soil technology can be a solution to all these issues.

Soil-to-soil technology

Soil -to-soil technology is a new technology that has the potential to change the course of second-generation bioethanol production. This technology will make the process cheaper, quicker, and pollution-free.  Bioethanol is a pollution-free and renewable fuel, unlike fossil fuels.  The by-product of this process is used for the production of biofertilizers, which will provide additional environmental and economic benefits.

Soil supports the growth of vegetation on earth. All the plants get nutrients from the soil.  These plants are directly or indirectly useful for humans. Only a certain part of a plant is useful for us, the remaining part is considered as waste, and we throw it. Examples of such wastes are green leafy part of corn and sugarcane plants, wheat straw, paddy straw, olive tree pruning, banana plant, peels of fruits and vegetables, pineapple and cotton plants, cashew apples, grapevines, etc. This waste contains complex hydrocarbons known as lignocelluloses, which are potential substrates for the production of bioethanol. Certain grasses like Kans grass and even weeds like Lantana camara and Parthenium hysterophorus can also be used for bioethanol production.

Bioethanol production is done by microbial intervention in a laboratory setup, and it is a multistep process. The conversion rate of waste into bioethanol is ranging from 5-30% depending on the type of waste. The lignin-rich solid remains obtained after the separation of ethanol is utilized further for making biofertilizers, again through microbial intervention. This biofertilizer will be used in organic farming. The process started from the soil and ended to the soil, that’s why called soil-to-soil technology. In between, it gives certain valuable things like bioethanol and biofertilizer. It also reduces environmental pollution.  Isn’t it seems like a cycle of life and death as per the belief of Sanatana Dharma?  An Atman (individual soul) is separated from Parmatma (divine) to perform certain duties on this earth and after that Atman returns to Parmatma.

Current status of soil-to-soil technology in India:

Currently, various government agencies like the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, the Department of Science and Technology, and the Ministry of Human Resource Development are funding academic projects for this research and this already showed excellent potential. Several pilot studies are also going on in the academic settings under supervision. Indian railways and other institutions also investing in bioethanol production plant establishment.

Future prospects:

The government of India should conduct several pilot projects with different types of waste, in the different parts of the country.  After successful pilot projects, bioethanol production units should be installed in every district. Farmers should be motivated to send their agricultural waste to these units. This will discourage farmers to burn the crops, hence the air pollution will reduce.

A huge amount of bioethanol will be produced by using soil-to-soil technology. This will help the Government of India to achieve the aim of blending 10% ethanol in petrol by 2022 to cut dependence on fossil fuel import and reduce air pollution.  In return for this, biofertilizers should be given to farmers at very affordable rates; it will motivate them to use biofertilizers in place of chemical fertilizers. This will further increase the production of organic food. As the market demand for organic food is high, the prices are also high.  High prices of organic food will ensure an increase in the income of farmers.

This soil-to-soil technology will also give employment to thousands of people around the country, and it will contribute to achieving our goal of “Atmanirbhar Bharat”.

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