Gp Reflection

- by Akshaj
Team - Vedant, Ayaan, Aveer, Maya, Akshaj

Evaluation of Acton

We as a team set out with a singular aim to convert stubble burning in the north Indian agricultural sector into a
useful product. This goal aimed to reduce pollution and to make a product that we could sell on the market. Our
action so far has seen some success as we have developed a prototype brick made of stubble but with the flaw that
POP required to be mixed with it is too expensive. We also gained a promise from three village heads whose farmers
we interviewed to sell their waste stubble instead of burning it by showing them how it resulted in a net positive
situation in terms of economic standings and environmental impact. I would like to think our aim was partially met
as we were able to show that this idea was quite plausible and practical albeit could become better by changing the
product it was used to produce. This action would have a significant impact on society as it showed a way to rid the
pollution that plagues North India Through October and November. Overall, we saw quite a bit of success and
mapped a blueprint for future exploration of the idea as well as contributing however small to pollution emitted by
the agricultural sector.

Evaluation of Own Performance

In this journey, I had a vital role to play by going to three villages gathering interview data 1on some key questions
and trying to convince them to not burn stubble from now on. This was for the primary research of our team and
helped solidify some doubts and give some insight into the process.
I went about asking 5 major questions and the general answer we got:
1. Why do they burn stubble?
During the October season, they have a very short window to plant crops and due to burning them being an
incredibly fast method it had become a tradition.
2. Is our plan, time efficient for them?
They responded that, based on the number of laborer’s hired it could be time efficient.
3. Is our plan profitable?
From burning them, they make no money, so compared to that it is very profitable even accounting for the money
required to hire the labor.
4. Are they willing to work with us?
They said that with some refinement and us handling the shipping, they would gladly sell us the stubble.
5. What feedback do they have for our mission?
They felt that as a company we needed to be efficient with their time.
These were key questions that would give us an insight into the problem, show the feasibility of our idea and assure
us that it's an idea that people are willing to put into practice. I got some major learnings from this experience about
their hardships. I also did some secondary research on the matter concerning converting stubble to bricks and
making stubble into production material2 3 4 5. Looking back feel this was great experience that would help improve
my research skills in the future

1 WhatsApp Video 2023-08-12 at 12.mp4

2 “From Stubble to Bricks: Miranda House Helps Farmers Earn Income.” The Times of India, 8 Dec.
2020, https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/education/news/from-stubble-to-bricks-miranda-house-
helps-farmers-earn-income/articleshow/79626495.cms Accessed 22 Jan. 2024.

3
“IIT-Hyderabad’s Bio-Bricks May End Stubble Burning.” The Times of India, 3 Sep. 2021,
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/iit-hs-bio-bricks-may-end-stubble-burning/
articleshow/85880579.cms Accessed 22 Jan. 2024.
Reflection of teamwork

I was fortunate to have the team I did who helped support me and collaborate with me to bloom this project into
what it is each one of them had a part without which we would be unable to reach where we reached. It wasn't
smooth though there were some hiccups like the initial squabble we had with Vedant binani who was very critical
about any and all ideas we had thought of but in hindsight, there were a few holes in our ideas that his critique was
able to identify. We each had assigned a role to ourselves early on Maya was to interview and meet the Punjabi
farmers while I interviewed the ones in Haryana. Ayaan was in charge of creating the stubble brick while Aveer was
helping organize things. I and Vedant were also able to calculate some economic benefits of this action.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1b-I9mAAeFbYn8S-CSfwqhMXLNNruRCpjA4xjC_mVNPs/edit?
usp=sharing . As a team, we had a mediocre level of coordination but we all were able to collaborate and create this
project into what it is in the later part. Throughout this project, I was able to enhance my teamwork skills greatly and
was able to better interact and talk with group mates. As a team, I feel we ended up a very solid unit that could use
our skills to create a much bigger project that not any one of us could individually handle. This project was only
possible because each one of us putting hard work and effort from our side.

Reflection on learning

I gained many learnings from this project as do I believe will have my teammates. These key learnings and changes
in perspectives include the reason behind stubble burning, what blockade farmers faced in stopping it and some of
their working conditions. At the very start of this endeavor, I thought that stubble burning was an easily avoidable
and meaningless waste of resources and a contributor to the pollution which was quite easy to fix, I have after my
interview with farmers found the other side of the story which tells about the labor costs, the timing for crop rotation
and economic pressure. I have also gotten a deeper understanding of the working conditions of these farmers after
visiting the farms and experiencing the grueling labor of the agricultural sector. They don't have access to many
things we have such as technology, Wi-Fi and consistent health care. They also have very intensive and rough jobs,
something I appreciate. The experience gave me a deeper appreciation for what I have and a longing to help the
lower-class agricultural workers gain the most necessities for a happy life. I also learnt that perspectives change
depending on the culture and environment from state to state, village to city etc. as many people view things very
differently. Overall, this has been a very enlightening experience for me.

4 “How Shriti & Company Turned Stubble into Building Bricks.” The Times of India, 6 Dec. 2023,
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/how-shriti-company-turned-stubble-into-
building-bricks/articleshow/105772707.cms?from=mdr. Accessed 22 Jan. 2024.

5 Dsouza, Krystelle. “Engineer’s Carbon Negative Bricks Are Made of Stubble; Cut Construction
Costs by 50%.” The Better India, 29 Dec. 2022, www.thebetterindia.com/307534/tarun-jami-started-
greenjams-agrocrete-eco-friendly-carbon-negative-brick-using-stubble Accessed 22 Jan. 2024.