Vikram Rathode is associated with banjara, a semi nomadic tribal community. He’s a small tribal player from Narsapur village of Adilabad district in Andhra Pradesh, India. The Adilabad district comes under draught prone area. So, Vikram always were built with a necessity of an electrical or diesel motor for pumping water in the fields for irrigation. Getting labored in a small bicycle repair center in early childhood, he’d developed some liking for small mechanical tools. His technological liking made him to see the working of motor acutely and that he considered devising a water lifting device pedaled utilizing a bicycle. Without any money to aid his innovative idea, Vikram had to obtain the needed materials from the waste shop or even the nearby oil mill for testing out the concept. His water lifting device includes a motor that come with the trunk bicycle rim and also the motor fan rotates once the bicycle is pedaled and thus water is pumped.
The best-selling bicycle operated water lifting device
The price factor and also the eco-friendly nature of grassroots innovation positions them well to resolve the issue of the foot of pyramid as long as they get timely financial and technological support.
Bicycle operated water lifting system is very economical as possible setup using easily and generally available materials and it has no operational cost. So, any common person are able to afford it. The price continues to be believed to be with Rs 3000.
This grassroots innovation does not require electricity and thus is atmosphere friendly and incredibly helpful for that rural places that electricity isn’t available.
Water lifting system is portable and low maintenance. It is also employed for operating flour mills.
Recognition from the grassroots technology
This grassroots innovation got a bit of initial recognition and appreciation in your area but could not spread further as none of Vikram Rathore’s efforts to get a patent application filed resulted in any sort of success. Finally National Innovation foundation (NIF), a non-profit organization as well as an autonomous body under department of science, government asia, scouted and supported his innovation. NIF has additionally filed a patent for that innovation (371/CHE/2004, 23.04.04). NIF also awarded the innovation in the biennial national unaided eco-friendly grassroots technology and traditional understanding competition.
NIF’s support and encouragement helped Vikram to consider his innovation one step further. Now, he’s created a manual flour mill also is in line with the theory of rotating the motor by pedaling bicycle.
Vikram has additionally a concept of producing usable energy utilizing the same theory.
