From a startup helping farmers buy produce to a plastic alternative from a young scientist, our top SocialStory picks

Technologies and innovations are transforming the ways in which governments and organisations function. However, the challenge lies in leveraging them to solve real-world problems. Right from environmental degradation, illiteracy, and ill health, to lack of nutrition, climate change, and pollution, we are dealing with many grave issues. But, help is here, as several individuals, NGOs, and startups are looking to resolve these problems through science and digitisation. 

This week, SocialStory brings you the stories of people and entities who are doing some inspiring work to address social challenges. 

This agri startup runs a mobile van for farmers to buy produce 

Founded by Dr Ramesh Chandra Biswal and Gopal Krushna Pradhan in 2017, Villa Mart is a mobile rural market that buys farmers’ produce at their doorstep for double the price. The Odisha-based startup, has penetrated the rural market presently has a strong network of more than 50,000 people and 2,000 farmers from around 40 villages.

The biggest problem that farmers face is that of market linkage. The selling of quality farm produce at reasonable prices is another constant challenge. To address this concern, Villa Mart introduced two solutions: a market and a mobile outlet. 

Farmers in rural areas earlier had to go to cities to sell their produce and household items. The mobile outlet, on the other hand, reaches out to them and covers 25 villages on a weekly basis.

This man’s innovation makes it possible for you to clean your car without water

With innovation and technology, a lot can be achieved in meeting the challenge. Nitin Sharma from Maharashtra has done just that. The 36-year-old entrepreneur launched ‘GO Waterless’, an initiative that provides doorstep service in Mumbai and Nagpur to help individuals with car wash.

Nitin invented a plant-based high lubricity spray that can capture dust particles from the surface of automobiles without wasting a single drop of water.   

Almost 80 to 90 litres of water is used while washing cars at home through a pipe. If a bucket is used then 40 litres is consumed and at a service station almost 200 litres is used. When the quantity is multiplied by the total number of cars, which is at least 23 crore in India, it sums up to a huge quantity of water. With GO Waterless, all the water which would have otherwise been depleted can be conserved.

This startup is meeting sustainability targets to manage climate change

The impact of climate change was felt across the world last year. Widespread fires, ice melting, and animals losing their habitats, while the world continued to take a hit as temperatures around the globe rose. 

These drastic changes led Samuel John to launch MistEO, a Kerala-based computation sustainability startup that addresses opportunities created by extreme weather. MistEO prepares data on weather parameters from ground sensors and satellites.

The startup focuses on building a weather business solution centred on the principles of computational sustainability. Their primary focus is on the financial risk management side of climate change and extreme weather events.

Meet the woman working for the welfare of tribal communities in Nagapattinam 

The year 2004 witnessed the occurrence of one of the deadliest natural disasters in India’s history. The tidal waves that originated from the Indian Ocean lashed across several coastal districts of Tamil Nadu and took away the lives of more than 8,000 people. R Revathi was 27 when she joined as a volunteer to work at a relief camp in Nagapattinam—a district in Tamil Nadu located 320km from the State capital of Chennai—one of the worst-affected coastal regions from the 2004 tsunami. 

At that time, she was working as an assistant director to Tamil film director Gautham Menon, but took a sabbatical to offer her services in the disaster area. Little did she know that the experience would change her life forever.

When Revathi found out about the indigenous tribes living in the region and their poor living conditions, she started a school for their children. Vaanavil started out with 20 students in 2005. But now, the school run by Revathi provides education to more than 180 children every year and is creating waves of transformation amongst the community. 

How this young mind developed an alternative to plastic 

Plastic pollution is a serious threat to the world and alternatives are the need of the hour. Many environmentalists are looking at sustainable alternatives that do not harm the environment.  From biodegradable sanitary pads to steel straws, many innovations have been made to address this global issue. 

Tenith Adithyaa, a scientist from Wartap village and the Founder of a startup called Tenith Design in Tamil Nadu, has developed different products using Banana Leaf Technology that has the potential to enhance the physical properties of banana leaves. The technology ensures that banana leaves can be used as an alternative to plastic and paper, and can last up to three years.