Since the past many years, India has been facing an acute problem of stubble burning leading to pollution on a great magnitude. The country goes through a cycle of blaming the other stakeholder every season, but no real solution is made. Arpit Dhupar and Anand Bodh resolved to take action regarding this and went beyond just talking about it, resulting in Dharaksha.
Dharaksha Ecosolutions was founded in 2020, after intense R&D led to a product that used the stubble waste from farms to create sustainable packaging. It prevents CO2, CO, nitrogen oxides, and methane from being released to the already debilitating atmosphere of northern India. The alternative is far better for the environment, and it also saves the farmers from putting themselves in dangerous situations. As disposing agricultural waste is expensive, standing in burning fields is unavoidable for them. The process easily takes 2-3 days including the time to cool down before any new activity could be done on the land. Additionally, stubble burning reduces soil fertility, making it even less feasible for the farmers.
The process started with Arpit and Anand looking into ways to clear the farms in an effective way that would convince the farmers to stop stubble burning. Collaborating with Western technology during the initial stages, baler machines were shipped to India to collect the crop residue, and astonishingly, when three machines were put to work together, a field of over 50 acres was cleared in just three hours! The farmers gradually joined in, as providing the something they burned to Dharaksha also earned them good incentives, while minimising their hardwork. There was no looking back from there.
Mushroom Magic in agri-tech
To make the production process completely eco-friendly, mycelium, a fungi is used as a medium to convert the stubble into resilient packaging. After careful consideration, the product was designed to replace thermocol, a painfully common sight in the drains, water bodies, and garbage sites around. A substance that can take anywhere between two decades to ten centuries to break down, has been replaced by Dharaksha packaging that is 100% biodegradable. From a market point of view, it can sustain the longest journeys in shipments: it is durable and endure rough handling without breaking too easily, and water resistant so the objects in it stay safe and clean. The material can be shaped easily too, which is why the venture has seen quick success with companies like Dabur, Havells, Deciwood and many more comprising of Dharaksha’s clientele.
The company has truly lived up to its name by contributing to the protection of ‘Dhara’ (Earth) while being accessible and effective. Being from a mechanical engineering background, Arpit has combined its practical knowledge with marketing strategies to sustain the country’s ecosystem, and both him and Anand plan to take the venture to great heights, for the good of the country, and the environment.
