   Air pollution affects everyone – rich or poor, old or young, man or woman, urban or rural. It’s a problem that cannot be dealt with in isolation; the solitions need to correspond to varied causes of air pollution. We need out-of-the-box ideas to tackle air pollution. India is a petri dish of innovation, and here are five innovations to #BeatAirPollution:
1. A revolution from PollutionÂ
Chakr Innovation curbs air pollution with the world’s first retro-fit emission control device for diesel generators. It captures ~90% of particulate matter emissions from the exhaust air without reducing energy efficiency. The diesel soot captured from the exhaust is converted into inks and paints.
2. Solar Ferry
ADITYA, India’s first solar ferry, built by NavAlt Solar & Electric Boats, brings together innovation in naval design and engineering, solar power and advanced controls. It is India’s first commercially viable solar-powered ferry. The 75 seater ferry gets over 80% of its energy from the sun and can cruise over 6 hours on a sunny day.
3. CleanTech for health and clean air
Cellzyme Biotech from Coimbatore uses an engineered enzyme to make antibiotics at room temperature without using solvents – a main contributor to air quality. The novel production process reduces the environmental footprint by replacing harsh industrial chemicals and conserving energy.
4. Cooking with radiant heatÂ
Inspired by the traditional Indian method of cooking on charcoal, Agnisumkh manufactures commercial kitchen equipment driven by innovative, energy efficient radiant heat gas burners. These ultra-efficient cooking stoves save 30% on gas, improve cooking and help beat indoor air pollution in commercial kitchens.
5. Biomedical waste management
There are microwaves now available in the Indian market to treat infectious waste and eliminate air emissions, including toxic POPs (Persistent Organic Pollutants) – toxic chemicals that adversely affect human health and the environment around the world.
   The commercialization of these and other examples was fast-tracked in a joint programme of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization with the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, funded by the Global Environment Facility.Â
The original content was posted on https://in.one.un.org/blogs/five-indian-innovations-to-beat-air-pollution/
Photo credit: UNIDO
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The views expressed in the article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the SDG Philanthropy Platform. The SDG Philanthropy Platform is a global initiative that connects philanthropy with knowledge and networks that can deepen collaboration, leverage resources and sustain impact, driving SDG delivery within national development planning. It is led by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA), and supported by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, Ford Foundation, Oak Foundation, Brach Family Charitable Foundation, and many others.