L. C. Ponnumon, Media & Communication Officer, PIB, Cochin.
Machines developed by Central Coir Research Institute (CRRI) to convert husks from tender coconuts that pile up along Sabarimala trekking path, into usable coconut fibre should be deployed along with eco-friendly tender coconut disposing units. Mobile Fibre Extraction Machine (MFEM), also known as ‘Swarna’, was developed by a CRRI.
The vending points for tender coconuts at Sabarimala generate huge heap of waste materials, which is an environmental hazard by itself. It was felt essential that these materials are removed for fruitful end uses.
The ban on the supply of tender coconuts, which is a natural source of energy for the pilgrims while trekking up the hills to the Sabarimala shrine, is no solution. Therefore, it was essential to ensure that there is proper management of the waste generated by the process of vending tender coconuts.
A presentation in this regard was made by the Coir Board before the High Court of Kerala in the presence of all the learned counsel appearing for the various stakeholders, including the Government, TDB etc. A few products were shown that have come out by utilizing the fibres of coconuts. The working of Mobile Fibre Extraction Machine (MFEM) as a disposal mechanism of coconut husks was also explained for instantaneous defibering of coconut husks.
The High Court of Kerala has given directions to use the husks of coconuts properly under the guidance of Central Coir Research Institute (CCRI) of Coir Board.
A project for defibring the husks dumped in Pamba and Sabarimala by making value added products has been implemented through cooperation between Coir Board and Forest Department.
The husk has been defibered using the Mobile Fibre Extraction Machine (MFEM) developed by the CCRI of Coir Board.
The coir fibers coming out of the machine will be used for making handicraft items like coir toys, necklaces, chains etc. and coir pith will be converted into organic manure. It will help to develop the coir industry and agricultural industry.
Prof. G. Balachandran, Chairman, Coir Board took keen interest in the project and directed his officials to launch the project immediately. Accordingly, the project work has been inaugurated by Dr. U.S. Sarma, Director, CCRI of Coir Board by installing MFEM on the site. The process of defibering using MFEM and composting of coir pith was demonstrated before the forest officials and PWD engineers.
Mobile Fibre Extraction Machine
The coir industry in India utilises only 25% of the total availability of husk, remaining valuable bio-mass is either used for fuel purposes or for dumping it around the coconut trees for manure purpose.
The industry sometimes starves for the husks and it becomes a crisis. Almost every year the state of Kerala is forced to buy the coir fibres from the neighbouring states namely, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka for making floor covering products making those uneconomical.
During the year 2009, the crisis deepened and the Central Coir Research Institute (CCRI) was asked to come to the rescue of the industry by developing a mobile fibre extraction machine which could be easily transported to the villages where there is availability of husk but it is difficult to collect at a centralized location for defibering. The CCRI could develop this machine in a period of 2 months by December, 2009 and it was demonstrated before the coir industry during the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the institute in which the then Minister of MSME, Shri. Dinsha Patel had given it the name of SWARNA.
The industry had expressed satisfaction on the quality of fibre and pith being obtained in a matter of 10 seconds.
The machine is also weighing about 350kgs and can be transported by towing with a Tata Ace. The technology was transferred to the National Coir Management and Research Institute (NCMRI), Govt. of Kerala. The technology has also been taken by the Govt. of Karnataka and 17 other machinery manufacturers for fabrication in large numbers.
With Inputs from Central Coir Research Institute (Coir Board), Alappuzha.
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/tender-coconut-husks-processing/
