With Project Ibtida we aim to target the problem of carbon emissions by tapping into viable and sustainable alternatives to existing options. For our first venture we have collaborated with GreenJams. Agrocrete® is an ingenious product by GreenJams, made using industrial waste, agricultural waste and fly ash. Agrocrete® is an alternative to Concrete with properties far superior. We plan to reduce and eventually eliminate the usage of concrete decor Pan-India.
To counter the soil erosion and CO2 emissions caused by unsustainable agricultural practices, our project aims to utilise agricultural residue to create a carbon negative material that further replaces major pollutants thus improving life on land.
Project Ibtida aims to promote the MSME sector by generating new and viable work opportunities for farmers and the artisan community by providing fair value for their hard work.
Due to lack of credit and existing issues in the LDCs, pace of industrialization is slow. There is an even smaller allocation for the R&D. Through new and innovative products such as Agrocrete®, we are building resilient infrastructure while promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialization.
Owing to its huge population India generates substantial amounts of plastic and industrial waste. Huge CO2 emissions are also commonplace. Project Ibtida reduces industrial waste, carbon emissions and replaces the products of plastics and concrete by providing a better alternative.
We promote CO2 emission curbing, agricultural and industrial waste management by replacing regular plastic products and hazardous construction materials with carbon negative products.
The Handicraft artisans suffer a lot due to lack of an institutional framework and COVID highlighted this pitfall. Project Ibtida promotes community welfare by strengthening their economic background and making them resilient, culturally inclusive and self-sustainable.
Project Ibtida aims to efficiently and effectively overcome income and resource inequalities by generating and providing viable employment opportunities to the marginalized sections of our population.
Increasing Carbon Footprint and CO2 emissions
India releases the largest volumes of pollutants into the air after China. India's CO2 emissions per capita were estimated to be 1.87 metric tons in 2019. India houses 63 of the world's 100 most polluted cities(https://www.iqair.com/us/world-air-quality-report). This level of emissions severely reduces the life expectancy of the inhabitants.
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In November 2019, PM10 crossed 550 and PM2.5 crossed 510 in Delhi. (The guidelines stipulate that PM2. 5 should not exceed 15 μg/m3 24-hour mean; and that PM10 should not exceed 45 μg/m3 24-hour mean)
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For decades now, there are increasing reports of alarming CO2 emissions through the malpractices of burning crop residues and generating industrial waste.
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The cement plants and construction industries are the major source of pollutants that we are least aware of since the industrial economy is gigantic making it all the more difficult to solve these harrowing issues of planet earth.
Plastic Pollution
India, the world's second-most populous country, generates around 5.6 million tonnes of plastic waste annually. It's estimated that 15 million tonnes of plastic end up in the oceans every year, which ends up choking the environment.
Problem
Unemployed labourers
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India, a third world country, wherein the majority of the population are seasonal workers, farmers, local artisans and labourers remain unemployed for several months struggling to earn a livelihood for themselves.
The handicraft artisans suffer a lot due to being divided into unorganized sectors facing issues such as lack of education, low capital, poor exposure to new technologies, absence of market intelligence and a poor institutional framework.
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According to a census in 2019, 42.6 percent of the workforce in India were employed in the agricultural sector. Farmers have been struggling to get fair prices for their produce and a majority of the farmers are in a vicious cycle of a debt trap.
Ibtida is an action plan that aims to utilize unexplored sources of pollution and upcycling these pollutants into innovative products, while promoting sustainability and significantly reducing the carbon footprints.
We, at Enactus Aryabhatta synergically collaborated with GreenJams, to come up with an ingenious solution to tackle the grave problem of air pollution. Through our collaborative efforts with Greenjams, we aim to establish a vertical that lays a two-fold impact by making products out of Agrocrete® to replace products made out of plastic and other hazardous materials.
solution
beneficiaries
The ideals of Project Ibtida seeks to empower the local communities of traditional handmade craftsmen, artisans and potters, thereby, generating employment opportunities for them by providing them vocational training to work with sustainable products and harness their crafting skills.