IIT Madras develops cost-effective agricultural transportation system

NEW DELHI: The Indian Institute of Technology(IIT) Madras developed an efficient and cost-effective agricultural transportation system in a joint research with Pothu Vivasayeegal Sangam, a non-government organisation (NGO) for farmers.

The research project was developed by IIT Madras, department of mechanical engineering, Shankar Krishnapillai, in a joint effort with the NGO. The prototype for this cableway system was successfully tested at a farm in Nanjai Thottakurichi village of Karur district in Tamil Nadu.

This model addresses the labour shortage that is faced by Indian farmers nationwide. The transportation system is a lightweight monorail type transport system that is capable of economically carrying agricultural produce from the fields to collection points near the farmlands.

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This transportation system is a simple design consisting of steel posts erected on a concrete foundation placed along the edge of a farm. It has high strength, the light-weight rails connect these posts with a span of six metres, and a traction unit powered by a petrol engine propels several trolleys carrying the agricultural loads back and forth.

Each of these trolleys can carry about 40 kgs of load. Rails can be added to cover any required distance. All components of the model are made in local workshops using easily available indigenous components.

The major points of advantage of deploying the proposed transportation system include providing an economical solution to the issue of shortage in manpower on farms. With the deployment of this IIT Madras transportation system, the workload on farmers would decrease. The system will also help in avoiding any physical and economical damage to that is usually caused to the produce while transportation.

The transportation system has minimal environmental impact and requires minimal space to erect the system. It will not disturb the vegetation in the process. The device also has a low operating cost due to relatively low energy consumption and requiring a maximum of two people for its use.

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Speaking on how the transportation system would help in solving the issues faced by farmers, NGO president, Siva Subramanian, said: “This agricultural transport system is useful specifically for farmers who cultivate crops along the riverbanks. For instance, many farmlands in the Karur region are directly irrigated by the canals of the Cauvery river. As a result, it becomes extremely difficult for labourers to carry produce through these wetlands. The agricultural transportation system helps to address this issue. “