Posted by Vichitra Sharma  on Wed, 13/06/2007

Solar Parabolic Concentrating Cooker: Application for Extraction of Cashew Nut Shell Oil (CNSL) along with household cooking: Maharashtra
Changing the traditional way of cashew nut oil extraction through the new cooker

Simple Single Axis Rooftop Wind Generator: Orissa
A simplified windmill with low weight, working on a single axis – a vertical wind mill

Human Power Based Lighting Solution for Nomadic and Tribal People: Maharashtra
Mono wheel gen-sets, attached to a mobility-bicycle, which generate power                        

Demonstration and Performance Evaluation of Solar Tunnel Drying System: Rajasthan A dryer for large scale drying applications in farms and industries that works on an efficient solar tunnel dryer system  

Promotion of Eco-friendly Bamboo Based Low-Cost Household Biogas Plant: Rajasthan
Bamboo reinforced cement motor for a low cost household biogas plant

Institutionalizing Action for Sanitary Survey by Reward Scheme: Uttar Pradesh
Setting up social incentives for undertaking water quality monitoring and surveillance of all the water sources by promoting a spirit of competition among Gram Panchayats  

Cleaning Himalayan Foothills through Comprehensive Solid Waste Disposal and Entrepreneurship: Uttranchal
Special daily-cleaning projects to clean ravines, roadsides etc. littered with garbage will help clean areas not dealt with by the municipality. Door-to-door waste collection, waste segregation, recycling, safe treatment of non-recyclables, and vermi-composting organic wastes

Sustainable Drinking Water Supply in Fluoride Contaminated Zones of Rajasthan
To enhance the immune system of the local population against the effects of fluorosis, and reduce their dependency on ground water by harvesting alternative sources of water such as rain water 

Removal of Heavy Metals using Tea Waste: Andhra Pradesh
Tea-waste plants can be built to remove different concentrations of heavy metals in industrial effluents  

Reduction of Excessive Fluoride from Potable Water: Uttar Pradesh   
Using bio -membranes to reduce fluoride from water. The idea comes from a river’s osmosis plants used as household water filters. The idea was tested initially with various biological membranes; of these, the inner peel of the onion membrane showed encouraging results  

Pilot Project - Decentralized Wastewater Treatment for Small and Medium Towns: Gujarat    
Decentralized Waste Water Treatment (DEWATS) is a system, which uses physical and biological measures to treat wastewater. Once established, it has negligible operational and very low maintenance costs  

Wetland Utilization Through Organic Farming for Vegetable Production, ekai thabi: Manipur
“Neptunea olecerea” is being identified because it is a readily marketable vegetable item. It is has long been believed to have high medicinal value. It leads to effective utilization of unused and neglected wetland ecology which is very important for human existence  

Community Initiatives for Conservation of Biodiversity Resources in Sikkim Himalayas: Sikkim
Carry out capacity building and institutional strengthening to empower communities and local institutions entrusted with the co-management of forests: ‘himal rakshaks’, ‘pokhri rakshaks’ and ‘pokhri sanrakshan samitis’. Legal powers for conservation have been delegated to these local communities for the first time in the country

 Sustaining Humans and Nature in the Sundarbans: West Bengal         
An innovative method of rain-fed agriculture using folk rice varieties that eliminates all input costs such as for pesticides and fertilizers, as well as their related labour costs. It is planned to process, package and market the organically grown rice at the local level itself

Alternative Cropping to Reduce Wildlife Crop Predation around Tiger Reserve: Maharashtra
Established crops of aromatic grasses are remarkably free of grazing damage by stray cattle as these grasses are not palatable. This existing farm technology will be employed to solve specific problems around conservation areas

Preparing Rural Women to Produce and Market Cashew Apple Juice: Orissa   
To build entrepreneurial skills of rural women to earn better livelihood. These women who are dependant on collection and sale of Cashew Nuts, and throw away the Cashew Apple fruit consider it to be useless, will be provided with knowledge and technical skills to make the best use of the so called “useless” raw material 

Integrated pest management using Neem and Pongamia soaps in vegetables: Orissa
SUPRATIVA proposes to popularize use of Neem and Pongamia Soaps for Integrated Pest Management in vegetable crops

Promotion of Innovative and Sustainable Irrigation Solution (managed by women): Gujarat    
Bhungroo is a simple low-cost, innovative, easy-to-replicate and sustainable irrigation package based upon rainwater and diesel engines   

Ecosphere in the Market to make eco-livelihoods Viable and Sustainable: Himachal Pradesh   
Focuses on developing and strengthening niche seabuckthorn and eco-tourism industry

Utilization of Neem-based Technology for Natural Resources: Gujarat
The many uses of the neem tree are yet to be fully discovered by the world at large. To transfer technology among rural communities and blend traditional knowledge and modern technology regarding the effective and efficient use of neem tree parts for human and animal health

Posted by Vichitra Sharma  on Wed, 06/06/2007

This is my first IDM and I must admit that it was the thought of reaching out to the grassroots to help people with innovative ideas that saw me through the entire program. It is not as simple as it seems on the website, what’s gone into it is several months of hard work.

Here is a glimpse of the IDM preparations: the program begins with trying to convince various organizations to fund the awards. There were some hits and many misses in our several rounds of presentations. Next was the painstaking process of screening every letter/application, getting assessors on board for three levels of short-listing hundreds of proposals and sorting them out through a complicated computer software program for transparent scoring after hours of discussions.

But all this was truly worth it when I met the wonderful participants from across India on May 26th evening at the Samrat Hotel, New Delhi. The excitement in the lobby was palpable. A car load of people had driven down from a remote district of Gujarat. Arriving at 21.00 hrs there was no room for so many of them, accompanying one participant. Some quick thinking and they were sent off to Gujarat Bhawan- a few blocks away.  

The ‘Innovation Day’ was so colorful and ethnic, I even saw some participants swinging to the music and songs of the Dandia dancers from Gujarat. There was so much networking among the finalists as also sharing innovative ideas to improve each other’s innovation. The participants from Orissa have already formed a network and have decided to remain in touch.

The IDM is a unique platform. It is gradually carving out a special niche for itself in India and many organizations are planning to follow the World Bank’s initiative of providing grants for implementing small-project ideas of ordinary citizens.   

Posted by Vinita Ranade  on Mon, 04/06/2007

The bug bit them young. Mansi Kulshreshta and Rishti Kaura were only in their first year of college in Agra when they felt they must do something to protect people in neighboring villages from the crippling bone diseases and dental decay caused by high levels of fluoride in local well water.  

Putting their lessons to good use, and taking the help of their Chemistry and Zoology teachers, they have come up with a safe and easy-to-use water filter using an unusual bio-membrane. After trying potato and garlic skins, they settled for the fine inner membrane of the onion - a must in every Indian kitchen. Easily inserted into a household tap, four paper-fine layers of the membrane can filter 50 to 60 percent of harmful fluoride from drinking water.

Their quest for a natural filter sprang from the fact that commercial water filters were either too expensive or tended to use aluminium – a harmful substance when ingested.  The girls plan to use their grant money to train about 2500 people in three of the most affected villages in Bichpuri Block to make and use these simple and effective drinking water filters.   

Posted by Lalitha Mahadevan  on Fri, 01/06/2007

The World Bank’s Development Marketplace (DM) is indeed a laudable step in identifying and nurturing social innovations across the globe. I deem it an honour and a privilege to be part of the screening process and the final jury that screened proposals under IDM 2007. I found the whole process completely innovative, transparent, and unbiased.

To me in particular, such an initiative from World Bank assumes significance, considering the fact that in developing countries like India, support for such innovative projects/programs especially by institutional agencies is still at a nascent stage and requires a lot of mindset and attitudinal change.

Hence, events like IDM 2007 will not only nurture innovative initiatives of individuals and Government and Non- Government agencies, but will also act as a trigger for making a difference by doing things differently. It will also create awareness among institutional agencies as to how to spot and support innovative projects and programs to achieve the desired development goals. 

Posted by Vinita Ranade  on Wed, 30/05/2007

Try living next to a tiger reserve. If the carnivores don’t get you the herbivores will! That's the plight of farmers living in three small ‘adivasi’ (indigenous people) villages around a tiger reserve in Maharashtra.

Herds of deer and wild boar wander out of the forest, ruining their carefully tended paddy. Tiger then stalk these herds scaring terror-stricken villagers off their fields. Farmers sit up all night on ‘machans’ (raised platforms) and keep up a feverish beat of drums to protect their crops from the herbivores and themselves from the carnivores.

Now a local NGO has stepped in to help. “We got the idea from a DM project in Africa that grew chillies to ward off rampaging elephants,” said a representative. But, chillies won’t work in India as the monkeys ruin these plants. “So, we decided to grow citronella – an aromatic grass which the deer won’t touch.”

Citronella oil can fetch farmers a good price, and what remains is good fodder for their cattle. Village cattle won’t then graze illegally on forest lands which they otherwise tend to do. The grass doesn’t need much water to grow - and water is a problem in these rainfed areas. It doesn't need to be looked after either, so farmers are spared many a hair-razing experience of unexpectedly staring a tiger in the face.

Posted by Jan Erik Nora  on Mon, 28/05/2007

artistThe colorful mural paintings and bamboo art of G. Azhicode attracted many visitors to his exhibition stand. And he is probably the only one here who made money before the awards were announced. One of his bamboo table lamps is now in the possession of one lucky visitor to the IDM.

But he is really here to help the rural poor people in Kerala who are dependent on bamboo for their livelihoods. His project aims to teach aspiring artists the skill of mural painting using natural colors, and help them identify markets and buyers. “My goal is really to make poor people into artists,” he says. “There is high demand among tourists for traditional art created with natural colors.”

His project especially targets dalit and scheduled caste communities to increase their income through increasing bamboo plantation and by improving their skills to produce new and diverse bamboo products.

Posted by Jan Erik Nora  on Mon, 28/05/2007

himalayaWith no waste management or municipality trash pick up, three panchayats 3-4 km from Rishikesh in the Himalayas have suffered from pollution and piled up garbage that goes into the Ganges.  

Mr. Jitendra Kumar of the organization “Clean Himalaya” presented a solution to this problem at the IDM. He is running a small enterprise engaged in daily collection, sorting, recycling, and disposal of dry waste. User fees for domestic trash pick up and sale of recyclable waste cover the cost of these services.

Currently, he covers 25% of the Laksmanjula locality, but he wants to expand to cover a larger part of the area, and to include collection of organic waste as part of his services. If he wins an IDM grant, he says he will build a shelter to improve working conditions for his employees, and to protect the waste from rain, wind, and roaming animals. He also wants to buy a mini-carrier truck to transport the waste, build a vermin-composting unit, and to put together an incinerator with filer to burn non-recyclable waste.

Posted by Jan Erik Nora  on Mon, 28/05/2007

mirrorWhen visitors are entering the IDM tent exhibition, the first they see is Mr. Vasanthkumar Mysorematt adjusting several mirrors to light up a miniature house on his exhibition stand. His project – U-SEE: Unlimited Saving of Electrical Energy – proposes solar energy to limit use of electricity during day time and to light up rural houses at no cost.

He uses simple mirrors strategically placed outside windows or doors to redirect the sunlight to the white surface of the ceiling, which in turns reflects the rays of the sunlight to light up the house.

He says the main objective of his proposal is to limit misuse of electricity. “Millions of units of electricity are used during day time when the sun is shining. This misuse of electricity produced at high cost could be averted using this technology.”

The same technology could also be applied to light rural households that do not have electricity. “By doing so it will provide natural light to the women who currently cook under kerosene lamps. It will also help keep away house mites."

He has partnered with the Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Ltd who is planning to pilot this technology in the state.

Posted by Jan Erik Nora  on Mon, 28/05/2007

 Cycling That Brightens the Lives of Nomadic People

Thirty minutes of cycling can provide 4 hours of electricity for the nomadic and tribal people without access to grid power, says Yogesh Kalkarni of the Save Bombay Committee and Vigyan Ashram center. "Because of their constant travel, traditional energy supply is not an option to these communities."

This project titled “human power based lighting solution for nomadic and tribal people” does not require any special equipment, only a bicycle which is commonly used in nomadic communities. A generator attached to a bicycle produces the power required to light up their home wherever they are. This technology can also be used to provide electricity to schools that are moving with the nomadic camps.

Currently, this mechanism is being piloted in a tribal school in Thane District in Maharashtra. In this school, 32 children peddle for 15 minutes each, and generate uninterrupted power for their classroom.

Posted by Onur Ozlu  on Sun, 27/05/2007

50 finalist projects from all around India are setting up their tents, the World Bank India Country Office staff is scrambling to make last touches and the buzz is unlike any other Sunday:  the second India Development Marketplace event is getting ready for official launch tomorrow, Monday 28, 2007 with the President of India, Dr. A.P.L. Abdul Kalam cutting the red ribbon.  This blog will cover the two day event live from the ground, and tell the stories of the 50 social innovators who will compete to be among the 20 winners to receive US$20,000 each. This way, we hope to share the DM experience with everyone.   

So if you have been involved in the IDM 2007, as an applicant, as a finalist or as an organizer, or have an opinion about it, we invite you to contribute to our blog. Be heard, and help us fulfill one of DM program’s core objective of sharing information.