Rural Innovations that Showed Light to Others

2. From Low-Cost Tractors to Agricultural Sprayers

Gujarat’s Bhanjibhai Mathukiya became a hero at Junagadh after innovating machines that reduce their agricultural work such as low-cost tractors, ground-nut sprayers, building 25 check dams and also by bringing forward a mechanism that would store grains at low cost. When the farmers of Saurashtra had water shortage, he built a check dam over the river Dharwad. With the help of local people, the bridge was constructed in less than five days.

The much effective tractors cost around 1.6 lakh and he delivered almost ten tractors to the farmers. For his innovative work, he received a Life Time Achievement Award by the National Innovation Foundation in 2017. In addition, Bhanjibhai has represented our country at the Commonwealth Science Council in South Africa.

3. Bumhum, a Musical Instrument from Nagaland

It was Moa Subong and his wife Arenla from Abiogenesis who found that Naga music needs an instrument that produces all the notes and compositions without any difficulty. After several trial and errors, finally Moa came up with an instrument that can play all the notes and compositions even by the rookies. Named ‘Bumhum’, the medium-sized, flute-like bamboo instrument is durable and Moa used one of the sturdiest kinds of bamboo that can help his lady love with her style of singing. In 2017, Moa received the 9th National Grassroots Innovation Award from Honorable ex-President of India Pranab Mukherjee and in the next year, the National Innovation Foundation helped Moa set up a Bumhum manufacturing unit.