IIT Kharagpur Kharagpur Chapter

EWB IIT KHARAGPUR CHAPTER ACTIVITY PLAN 2012-20131. Free medicines for the needy
The objective of this project is to provide the residents of the nearby villages with the unused medicines collected from the students of IIT Kharagpur campus. Baesd on a small survey conducted on 100 students inside the campus, about 56% medicines worth Rs. 1120000 get wasted per year. The idea is to collect these unused medicines and distribute them among the needy through organizing medical camps with the support of RDC and BC Roy Hospital.2. Cooking in an improved Chulha
The conventional 3 stone stoves that are being used currently in nearby villages have a lot of demerits. People are dealing with respiratory problems as the conventional stove produces a lot of smoke. The main objective of this project is to provide the villagers with new and locally manufactured improved chulha with less smoke emission and high efficiency. A survey has to be conducted based on the result of which improved chulha are to be distributed on a small scale. After gathering the feedback from the villagers, large scale distribution of chulha will be done.3. Awareness drive for farmers in West Bengal
This project aims to develop the skills of farmers and make them familiar with the new and improved techniques of modern farming system with the best possible use of resources. Information regarding soil type, land use etc. is to be gathered based on the results of which a crop model will be generated along with irrigation and fertilizer scheduling. Training sessions and information seminars will be conducted and farmers will be provided with detailed pictorial hand-outs of the entire plan. Regular monitoring and surveys for proper feedback will be done.

4. Going green with Vetiver grass
Chrysopogon zizanioides, commonly known as vetiver, is a perennial grass of the Poaceae family, native to India. The grass has a lot of applications in various fields. It atteacts pests and hence can be effectively used to prevent the attack of pests on crops. It can be used in erosion control and water conservation. Moreover, the grass can also act as a potential source of animal and cattle feed. Perfumery, roof thatching and medicinal uses are some more applications of vetiver grass. A lot of research is to be done regarding soil water requirement and oil extraction and processing techniques. The next step will be to grow vetiver on a small plot of 10mx10m and study its growth characteristic and other phenomena. After getting the feedback from the professors and RDC, the plant will be grown on a large scale in villages of Balrampur and Gopali near Kharagpur.

5. Lighting villages with solar energy
Almost all the houses in the nearby villages lack proper lighting facilities. Villagers are bound to use unhealthy means of lighting which not only affects their health but also pollutes the environment. An improved and better alternative will be the use of solar lamp D light S10. The solar lamps are 30-50 % more efficient than CFL and work for 8 hours on full charge. Phase 1 of this project has already been implemented in which solar lamps were distributed in around 10-12 houses. Based on the extremely positive feedback of the villagers, it has been planned to distribute about 50 more lamps in the same village.