On May 15th, 2023, the inauguration of a comprehensive five-day training programme on Entrepreneurship Opportunities in Agricultural and Industrial Waste Management for Environmental Sustainability took place.
The program was inaugurated by renowned Padma Bhushan Prof (Dr.) R B Singh. A total of 49 participants, including 15 from various states in India and two international candidates from Korea and Nepal, registered for the training. The participants came from diverse educational backgrounds, representing a wide range of fields. Notably, 34% of the participants were women.
During the concluding session of the program, Dr. Alok Singh, Director in Chief (Horticulture) at the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, delivered a keynote lecture on the topic of "Waste to Art to Waste to Wealth."
Dr. Singh emphasized the significance of waste and highlighted the Municipal Corporation of Delhi's remarkable projects, such as the Waste to Wonder Park, Bharat Darshan Park, Nandan Van Children's Park, and Woodland Children's Park. These initiatives showcased the transformation of waste into sculptures and explored the concept of creating wealth from waste materials.
The valedictory session was attended by Dr. S. Naresh Kumar, Head of the Division of Environmental Science, and introductory remarks by Dr. Bhupinder Singh, the training coordinator. Dr. Ashish Khandelwal, the Course Director, provided an overview of the training program, which covered various topics including biogas and bio-slurry production, biofuel generation, the role of PUSA decomposers in managing agricultural residues, extraction methods for bioactive compounds in industrial and agricultural applications, biodegradation techniques for waste management, and the utilization of blue-green algae as a nutrient-rich formulation.
Additionally, the program focused on utilizing waste from the sugarcane industry for diversified sectors, horticultural waste as an organic pesticide, case studies of start-ups that utilize waste materials, biomass utilization for vermicompost and leaf-enriched compost, mushroom production, engineering interventions in animal block technology, and pellet development. Value addition in ornamental products using agricultural waste was also discussed.
As part of the training program, the participants had the opportunity to visit the waste-to-electricity plant in Tehkhand and the National Thermal Power Corporation in Dadri, Uttar Pradesh. These visits provided valuable practical insights into waste management and renewable energy generation.
Genna Tesdell, the Director of Young Professionals for Agricultural Development (Global), was the Guest of Honor. She presented an overview of YPARD and emphasized the role of youth engagement in agriculture and allied sectors, particularly in relation to entrepreneurial opportunities.
Dr. R. N. Padaria, Joint Director (Extension) at ICAR-IARI, highlighted the importance of waste management and entrepreneurship opportunities. He emphasized the need to develop courses focusing not only on waste management but also on business models related to waste management.
Dr. Akriti Sharma, In-charge of ZTMBPD, expressed gratitude on behalf of the organizers and participants during the vote of thanks. The training program successfully emphasized the use of technology to convert waste into wealth and highlighted the entrepreneurship opportunities associated with waste management.
