Three Indian projects are among eleven vying for this year's Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy, popularly known as the 'Green Oscars'.
The Awards, now in its 6th year -- rewards outstanding initiatives that use sustainable technologies to meet the needs of local communities and at the same time address the urgent challenge of climate change. The total prize money involved in the global awards is 200,000 pounds ($373,060).
The three Indian finalists are Appropriate Rural Technology Institute (ARTI) in Maharashtra, International Development Enterprises India (IDEI) and Vivekananda Kendra -- NARDEP (VK-Nardep) in Tamil Nadu. The awards will be presented in London on June 15.
ARTI is chosen for designing a revolutionary biogas system that uses food waste and other sugar, starchy substances rather than dung to produce gas for cooking.
It only needs to be 'fed' 1kg per day to produce 500 litres of gas. The digestion process is much quicker -- taking place within 48 hours instead of the 40 days required when using dung.
The system is also cheap and simple to install and, unlike traditional biogas plants that are large and require readily available livestock waste, it can be used in urban areas. Indeed, one of its many benefits is that it helps clear city streets of rotting food.
The IDEI has been selected for promoting a device that allows farmers on the plains of India to grow crops all year round rather than wait for the monsoon.
{{/usCountry}}The IDEI has been selected for promoting a device that allows farmers on the plains of India to grow crops all year round rather than wait for the monsoon.
{{/usCountry}}This simple device is a treadle pump that uses human power to pump water from wells, streams and lakes up onto the fields.