Engineering Students Developed an Agriculture Multi-Operation Vehicle

Engineering students from rural areas are coming up with innovations that would help farmers and the society at large.As part of their college project, B Tech (Mechanical Engineering) final year students of Sri Ramananda Teertha Institute of Technology, Nalgonda, developed an agriculture multi-operation vehicle, a thread-mill cycle and drainage-clearing machines, which will not only ease farmers’ troubles but also reduce cultivation cost.

The agriculture multi-operation vehicle, which was developed by a team of students headed by P Raj Kumar, would help small and marginal farmers. “It can spray pesticide, pump water from open wells and farm ponds, sow seeds and plough fields,” Kumar told Telangana Today.The vehicle is essentially a mini-tractor engine with added features — all built at a cost of Rs 1.2 lakh, which the students shelled out from their pocket — Kumar said.

Another innovation was the thread-mill cycle, which also helps in spraying pesticide, pumping water in case of a power cut and generation of electricity for lighting small lamps in fields. The unit is operated by pedaling the cycle.V Yadagiri, who was on the team that developed the thread-mill cycle, said the innovation would helpful farmers in remote areas where there is no constant electricity supply. Pesticide-spraying machines, which run on fuel, are a financial burden on small farmers. But, this machine runs on zero budget, Yadagiri said.

The third innovation – drainage-cleaning vehicle – can be used to unclog drains and canals, and is suitable for both urban and rural areas. It collects waste, which blocks water flow, and shifts it to a special built-in cabin.Head of Department of Mechanical Engineering P Satya Prasad said the students picked the themes of the projects themselves and developed the machines in a workshop at the college. The college faculty just extended support and suggestions.