Innovation as Technology
What is Bhungroo
Bhungroo, a Gujarati colloquial, means straw or hollow pipe. Bhungroo, across Asia and Africa, is now a unique, innovative and efficient rain water conservation technology by use of pipes of ten to fifteen centimeters in diameter. This globally recognized disaster mitigating and irrigation guarantee technology filters, injects and stores excess farm water or storm water underground for usage in lean periods. It ensures adequate water for irrigation and other sectors with zero water foot print i.e. by storing and then using rainwater. Using a surface space of only one square meter, Bhungroo can take care of nearly one to four million litres of water in each year within its subsurface zone. Bhungroo actually takes in excess water and retains that in conformable subsoil strata to be used in lean periods. 17 designs of Bhungroo are now available for serving communities within various agro climatic zones. Along with guaranteeing food security during rainy periods and crop survival in lean periods, Bhungroo also allows a community to supplement their household water needs.
Why Bhungroo
In South east Asia as well as Africa, small and marginal farmers constitute more than 50% of total farming community. Nearly all small and marginal farmers across these continents practice rainfed cultivation Erratic, inadequate and delayed rain many a time results in crop-failure together with severe food insecurity, financial loss and large scale male migration to towns & cities and in extreme circumstances, they are even compelled to commit suicide. Ecologically, extremes in weather conditions aggravate the problem of desertification and, in many cases, soil salinity- both lead to decline in soil fertility and loss of biotic richness.
In India alone, more than 6.72 million ha of land is affected by salinity and seasonal waterlogging and nearly 5 million small and marginal farmers have to bear its consequence!! Globally, nearly 260 million farming families are adversely affected by excess water on their land for more than 15 days. They are also deprived of irrigation water in lean periods (FAO 2011). Bhungroo is capable of increasing India’s agri-income in excess of $ 1.5 billion annually and that of the world by a staggering $ 208 billion every year! Not only that, it helps in achieving the Sustainable Development Goal of ‘Food for all’.
Each Bhungroo guarantees productivity to more than 25 acres of land in each year. Bhungroo needs relatively low capital investment once in a life time and it guarantees high agricultural output and soil fertility for the next 30 years. The technology is able to pay off for its cost in less than two years, making it one of the most preferred solutions for all those farmers.
