KVIC launches eco-friendly ‘hawan-samagri’
Jaipur: In a fusion of Mahatma Gandhi’s swabalamban (self-reliance)
and Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s Swachhata Ahbiyaan, the
Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Shri Giriraj
Singh launched environment-friendly Shubh Hawan Samagri – manufactured
by Kumarappa National Handmade paper Institute (KNHPI), a unit of
Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) from excesses of
flowers and coconut shells – on Wednesday at this magnetic Pink City
of India.
Valuing the KVIC’s innovation in this connection, the minister said
that this eco-friendly shubh hawan samagri would not only ensure the
proper utilization of excess of flowers and coconut shells, but would
also help in Swachhata Abiyaan as the unutilized flowers and coconut
shells often cause civic blues.
KVIC Chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena informed that before production, the
scientists of KNHPI sent the ingredients of this hawan-samagri for its
evaluation. “After proper scientific evaluation, it was found that the
gross caloric value of flower and coconut shell – used in making this
hawan-samagri was far better than the commercially available ones,
without adding ancillary components, with respect to hawan-samagri –
available in the market,” he said.
It is worth mentioning here that as many as 36 ingredients, including
sandalwood, nagkesar (mesua ferrea), camphor and cardamom, have been
mixed with this hawan-samagri and it would be available at all KVIC
outlets. While the price of one kilogram pack would be Rs 101, it
would cost Rs 57 for half kilogram pack.
As the minister was very enthusiastic about such innovations, he had
expressed his desire on September 8 to get the handmade paper made
from cow-dung, so that it can be properly utilised subsequently
increasing the cattle-owners’ income as well as creating cleanliness
on roads and streets. Taking minister’s desire seriously, the KVIC
Chairman directed KNHPI – to explore the feasibility in this
connection. The KNHPI scientists, in a record time of four days,
developed the paper made from mixing the cow-dung with paper rags.
Singh later launched hand-made paper at KNHPI – made of cow-dung and
cotton rags. He also thoroughly took the stock of the paper-making
process – made of mixing the plastic waste with cotton rags, under
KVIC’s ambitious project named REPLAN (REducing PLAstic in Nature),
launched recently. “What else can be a better example of swachhata
abhiyaan than REPLAN by KVIC, who has not only derived a proportional
yet novel way to reduce the plastic menace, which is one of the
biggest problems of contemporary world, but also revived this
26-year-old KNHPI to make the institution self-reliant,” he said.
It may be mentioned here that this plastic-mixed paper bag is the
first of its kind in the world so far, when plastic is used in
paper-making. Notably, in less than 10 days’ time, KNHPI has already
got supply orders of over 1.5 lakh waste plastic-mixed carry bags. It
is likely to grow due its cost effectiveness and durability in coming
days.
