Sometimes a seemingly complex problem like drought can be solved through simple thinking that looks at the issue holistically. Like B P Agarwal did with his Aakash Ganga design for harvesting rainwater in drought-prone areas. And for that the founder of Sustainable Innovations, has won the $100,000 Lemelson-MIT Award for Sustainability.
Aakash Ganga is a large-scale rainwater harvesting system that collects rainwater from individual rooftops, and pipes it into manmade underground reservoirs that can be accessed as the need arises during drought season. The business plan revolves around villagers renting out their rooftops for water collection, using a portion of the collected water for their own household, and sending excess water to a common village tank. Seventy percent of the water is used by the individual households or sold. The rest goes toward supporting local agriculture.The technology has been successful for 10,000 villagers in various drought regions throughout India.
Local customs and some small gestures went a long way in inculcating a sense of ownership, so vital for any community venture.
Sustainable Innovations is a nonprofit organization that helps tech entrepreneurs build self-sustainable projects that can aid developing nations. The organization becomes a partner, finds capital, and assists in project development and management, as well as marketing.
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