IIT-M’s cableway to help farmers in Tamil Nadu

CHENNAI: Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras have developed an efficient and cost-effective agricultural transportation system in collaboration with Pothu Vivasayeegal Sangam, a non-governmental organisation for farmers, to address the labour shortage, a major issue faced by the farmers.

The transportation system, which is a lightweight monorail type, can carry agricultural produce from the fields to collection points near the farmlands. An IIT Madras team has successfully tested the prototype cableway system at a farm in Nanjai Thottakurichi village of Karur, a statement issued by the Institute.

The transportation system is developed by Shankar Krishnapillai, professor of, department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Madras.

“Indian farmers will face a severe shortage of labour in the coming years, especially in post-harvest operations. The simple agricultural transportation system is made in local workshops, from locally available components, based on the lightweight overhead rail concept. It can be easily installed on Indian farms and reduce labour requirements in transporting the produce. The system has also minimal environmental disturbance as it passes over the ground,” Krishnapillai said

An IIT Madras team, led by Krishnapillai, jointly with the NGO, conducted continuous trials covering a distance of about 200 metres for several months from July 2020 with five loaded trolleys. Two people were required to operate the system, one at either end of the transportation system.