Nexus of Good

Dhamani structure, housing 22 family members in Maharashtra’s Sangli district, grabbed regional media’s attention in 2009. There was a sea of visitors outside the newly constructed yellow home, made from local bricks and recycled materials.Everyone wanted to know how the 2,200 sq ft house, accommodating mango and coconut trees, was constructed with a budget of merely Rs 8 lakhs.The monumental feature of the house, its arch which celebrates the old architecture, is at the heart of the structure. The skylight slits on the ceiling help hot air exit and allow cool air to enter from the lower rat trap cavity in the walls. Rat trap cavity method is a brick masonry method of wall construction. Here the bricks are placed in vertical positions instead of the conventional horizontal positions, thus creating a hollow space within the wall.Dhamani house“We slashed construction costs with our vernacular material palettes like stone and bricks and use of climate-responsive designs such as brick vaults and arches,” Praveen Mali, co-founder of ABHA Architect tells.The aesthetic and architectural principles of Dhamani house can be reflected in the 19-year-old firm’s construction projects. Mali started the sustainable firm along with his wife, Vidya, with the sole purpose to build green homes by using traditional practices. Integrating aesthetic designs like a dome, arches and vaults is their unique selling point.The Sangli-based husband-wife duo draw inspiration from William Laurie Baker, the British-born Indian architect and pioneer in constructing sustainable homes using mud and other local resources.“As the construction industry flourished with an influx of modern construction materials like cement, glass and marble, we started devaluing traditional methods. People’s definition of a house changed, as it turned into an asset with a long-term investment. Investing money in a house that didn’t match modern conventional standards was not appealing any more. We wanted to remind people that ancient constructions have lasted for centuries in India. Buildings were built in a way that respects the climate and we need to reinforce that,” says Mali.Praveen and Vidya MaliFrom residential, commercial to institutional structures, the duo has constructed nearly 300 houses across Maharashtra and Karnataka. In the majority of the houses, the duo has been able to save 25 to 30% of costs with their innovative designs.Mali and Vidya share why they are bringing back the norm of domes and arches along with insights into their eco-conscious material palette and passive cooling strategies. These are not only cost-effective but are known for their durability and disaster-resistant features.Repopularising Domes to ArchesBesides, the historical significance and symbolism, the semi-circular arch, the vault — an arched covering of stone, and the dome hemispherical structures have several architectural advantages.“Due to its ratio of high volume to the surface area, domes require less building materials and thus use less energy. It promotes thermal insulation and maximises solar gain. Since domes are corner-less, they allow for optimum air circulation. As for the arches, a two-dimensional curved beam construction, they can carry a much greater load than a horizontal beam can support. A vault [French voûte, from Italian volta] is a type of arch, usually of stone or brick, serving to cover a space with a ceiling or roof,” says Mali.Based on their low-cost and aesthetic appeal, Vidya and Mali have successfully convinced many clients to adopt biblical designs.Recycled Materials, Fly Ash Bricks & MoreEntering with ideas of eco-architecture in an arena littered with carbon-emitting construction materials was not easy. Not only did they have to deal with a lack of sustainable construction materials but also grapple with people’s ignorance.“More often than not, we have to hunt for appropriate and quality building materials that may delay the construction process. We even started manufacturing our own bricks in the process but had to stop due to some reasons,” says Vidya, adding, “We patiently explain the benefits of all the materials used and their historical significance."Brick is the most striking material in every structure by the Malis. Different types of bricks like burnt bricks, recycled, fly ash and compressed mud-brick form the foundation of the building.“While burnt bricks are durable and resistant to abrasion and fire, fly ash bricks are lightweight and absorb less heat. The wire cut bricks can be made from discarded bricks and mud bricks are low cost and low embodied energy,” explains Mali.The use of bricks and other materials like stone, tiles, wood, walls and fillers depends on the geographical location. For example, in Konkan regions, they use laterite stones and wire-cut bricks dominate in the Southern region of Maharashtra and Karnataka.Cost-Effective & Climate-Responsive StrategiesVidya and Mali have always eschewed modern architectural techniques like Reinforced Cement Concrete (RCC), steel bars, steel plates due to their carbon emission-causing factors. And facts back their claims. For instance, cement generates around 8 per cent of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.Malis opt for load-bearing structures over RCC constructions. In this system, walls bear the load of the roof. It is more economical and ecological than RCC.Ventilation, controlled open spaces and distinguishing passive cooling methods are reflected in each of their near-perfect projects. This is achieved through verandahs, courtyards, rat trap cavity walls, roof tiles and filler slabs.Explaining the technicalities of such methods, Vidya says, “Filler slab is an alternate slab construction technology where part of the concrete in the bottom of the slab is replaced by a filler material like Mangalore tiles or clay pots. Both the rat trap method and the filler slabs provide thermal insulation, resulting in cooler interiors during summer and warmer interiors during winter.”On a parting note, Vidya and Mali reinforce the need to combine sustainable practices and traditionally significant designs for a greener future.“We must try and treat the Earth as our home and refrain from polluting it. Civil construction plays an integral role and if architects, builders and engineers move towards the eco-friendly process now, we will see a tangible result in future,” adds Vidya.The story has been extracted from Couple Use Domes, Recycled Materials To Build Homes; Save 30% Costs (thebetterindia.com)

Around 25 years ago, villagers in the Khunti district in Jharkhand saw a massive amount of tree cutting carried out for development purposes. Locals say the activity was so rampant that about 100 trucks of wood were being carried every day.Moreover, the absence of afforestation drives to compensate for the massive environmental damage led to depleting groundwater levels and water shortage. The natural water springs and canals dried up. The situation worsened, when from 2010 onwards, the villagers no longer had water to bathe, and drinking water became scarce.Despite spending lakhs of rupees, water conservation efforts taken by the state government failed. The check dams built from concrete could not sustain under the strong water current and heavy flow during monsoons.However, bori bandhs, an innovative concept of low-cost check dams, have turned out to be a game-changer. The idea, conceived in 2018 by Ajay Sharma, founder of NGO Sewa Welfare Society, has solved the water crisis and doubled farmers’ income. So far, the check dams built under this initiative have benefitted about 8,000 farmers across 70 villages of the district.“As a journalist, I have witnessed the hardships faced by the villagers in the district and tried to raise their concerns through my writing. The water crisis has affected the agricultural produce as well as their personal lives,” he says. He explains that contractors often give away gunny bags used for cement transportation during construction. The same bags can be filled with soil or sand and arranged in a dam-like structure. He adds, “I thought it would be a good idea to introduce shramdaan (voluntary labour work) to them.”A volunteer effortTo encourage villages to volunteer, Ajay gave the initiative a traditional twist. “The villagers follow a tradition called Madait, wherein people come together for a community cause and to celebrate good work done, have a meal together,” the 49-year-old says. Based on the same principle, Ajay ensured that after a day’s work, the villagers came together to eat meals to celebrate their achievement.Bori bandhs, made on small rivers, streams and canals, are at least 30 feet wide, with a barrage-like structure made by arranging gunny bags on top of another. The biggest check dam structure built so far is 80 feet, and requires around three hours to construct. Ajay says gunny bags filled with grass (in addition to the soil or sand) prove to be better, as grass grows in water. “The strength of the dams increase, with the grass holding the soil. The wall-like structure is strong enough to last for a couple of years, and needs minor repairs, depending on the intensity of rain or floods,” he says.Madait involves consuming food together to celebrate the good workThe NGO was launched in hopes of attracting donations for the cause. With the help of some funds, the work began on a budget of Rs 2,000. The funds collected from donors are used to procure groceries and feed the volunteers for the day. After convincing some villagers to volunteer for the trials, Ajay built five dams in the Tapkara block during the summer of 2018. Locals benefited from the rainwater that was retained, and subsequently, other villagers from other areas volunteered as well.“We built 118 bori bandhs in 2019,” Having seen the success, many villagers started building these dams themselves. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, only 40 bori bandhs could be set up in 2020.The farmers have been reaping the benefits of volunteer work.“The concept has turned out to be a game-changer in terms of water conservation. There is no village which has not built a bori bandh in the Mandal. Farmers have arrested water in small streams, canals and rivulets, which has allowed them to take two crops a year, as against the restriction of one harvest due to shortage of water,” says Wilson Purti, Mukhiya at Hassa Panchayat.‘A good alternative to cement structures’Wilson says that apart from being affordable, bori bandhs are highly beneficial. “The farmers do not remain unemployed after harvesting the first crop, and are engaged in agriculture activity throughout the year. The rainwater that used to run off earlier now gets arrested and percolates inside the ground,” he adds.The panchayat head, who leads eight villages, says the farmers have also doubled their income. Along with traditional crops like paddy, wheat and mustard, they now also grow corn, watermelon and other vegetable varieties. “The villagers are also in a bid to recharge groundwater levels by reviving the springs,” he adds.Ajay’s initiative also won him appreciation from the district administration and an award of excellence from the Central government’s Union Jal Shakti Ministry, under the participatory water management category at the National Water Innovation Summit 2020. He also won the SKOCH award.In a video recorded in January and shared by Ajay, Deputy Commissioner of the district, Shashi Ranjan, says, “The cement structures suffered damage in heavy rains, and the bori bandhs serve as a good alternative. The water storage in these check dams will last until March, and farmers use the water for multiple daily uses including agriculture.”However, Ajay feels that a lot more can be achieved with more funds and contribution of volunteers. “The hardest part is to change the villagers’ mindset. They’re often under the impression that the solution won’t have any long term benefits and thus won’t work. It’s also difficult to unite different groups for a common cause. It takes days of convincing before they agree to the task. The shortage of funds is always a problem. Sometimes, I use my personal expenses for the trips or to organise events,” he tells. “The region is also affected by Naxalites, and if the state government supports us financially, a lot of hardships can be eased,” he says.The story has been extracted from Low-Cost, Innovative Check Dams Help 8,000 Jharkhand Farmers Save Water & Earn More (thebetterindia.com)

Sabari, a mother of six from Jharkhand, was hopelessly trapped in a cycle of debt. Her husband, a daily wage worker, spent most of his earnings on alcohol. Though Sabari herself had a job as a Krishi Mitra (a Government-appointed agricultural counsellor at the village-level), her monthly income of INR 5000 was never enough to cover the household expenses. This left her with just one option: borrowing from the local moneylender (sahukar) whenever the need arose.This is a common story across India — and indeed, around the world — where the poorest are often the worst affected by the ‘debt trap’. People from the bottom of the pyramid hardly ever have access to banks or financial institutions. They have limited earnings, little or no savings, and no assets that can be used as collaterals. Thus, they are forced to borrow from private moneylenders, who have a tendency to charge extremely high interest rates.  The dependence on such loans grows in times of crisis, such as the Covid-19 pandemic. Failure to repay adds to the borrowers’ existing problems, often subjecting them to harassment, bullying, threats, or even worse. Is there a way out?For Sabari, the answer came through a financial literacy programme that trained her to manage her money better and take the right steps to achieve financial stability. By applying the learning imparted in the training sessions, she was gradually able to free herself and her family from their dependence on the sahukar. The name of the programme: Jaadu Ginni Ka (literally, the magic of the ‘guinea’- the name of a traditional gold coin, now seen as a symbol for a unit of money).Through this unique initiative, Vodafone India Foundation and Learning Links Foundation are teaching the essentials of financial management to youth, the urban poor, micro-entrepreneurs, farmers, artisans, rural women and housewives across the country. Its specially designed curriculum is available in 10 different languages. The course material uses simple vocabulary and relatable, day-to-day examples to explain basic financial concepts like income, expenditure, inflation, investment, banking, loans, insurance, investment, budgeting, mobile banking and Government welfare schemes. The method of instruction employs videos, pictures, charts, puzzles, card games, group discussions, Q-and-A and reflective journaling. A free mobile app ‘SamVaad’ also makes the content available to users. Why financial literacy?Findings from a pan-India survey in 2018-19 revealed that only 27 percent of the respondents were financially literate. The study, titled Financial Literacy and Inclusion in India, was carried out by National Centre for Financial Education (NCFE). It found that the financial literacy rate was 24 percent in rural areas and 33 percent in urban areas. 21 percent of the women and 29 percent of the men were financially literate. In general, educational and income levels showed a direct correlation to financial literacy.A financially literate person has basic competences linked to earning, spending, budgeting, borrowing, saving, and using financial services such as banking, insurance and money transfers. Financial literacy involves a mix of awareness, information, skill, mindset and actions, through which an individual can take good financial decisions and, in due course, attain financial security. It is important for achieving financial inclusion, which in turn is crucial for empowering individuals, as well as strengthening the overall financial system. Financial literacy and inclusion together can encourage general economic growth and the achievement of larger development goals.The ‘Jaadu Ginni Ka’ Value ChainJaadu Ginni Ka creates a value chain that can spread awareness about financial literacy across communities. This enables rapid scaling-up of the benefits of the programme. For example, Rinky, a Community Resource Person from Odisha, has learnt about savings, investments and financial record-keeping by attending the programme. This has helped her to manage her own household finances better and recover from past setbacks caused by poor investments. In fact, Rinky has also started using the SamVaad app to teach other women in her village. Bidyabati, a participant in Rinky’s training session, has started saving regular sums in a bank account and has invested in a Government-backed scheme to secure her daughter’s future. Similarly, Madan Lal from Rajasthan and Vidhyak from Jharkhand are using the learning from the programme to run their own small businesses more efficiently. At the same time, they are teaching and encouraging their customers and neighbours to adopt modern financial practices. The program has already benefited lakhs of youth and adults across 16 States of India.Financial literacy is the first step on the road to financial freedom. A financial literacy programme like Jaadu Ginni Ka helps in bridging the gap between the mainstream and marginalized sections of society. Its ultimate aim is to empower people and bring sustainable change that leads to financial security and eventually prosperity. Learn more about the program at www.jaaduginnika.in

“No child should be left behind! Our deployment of AI technology for English in thousands of government schools across India has created a tech-enabled learning model that signals a transformative opportunity for large-scale change across the country. Our technology is provided as a classroom solution (ReadToMe School Edition) supported by the same technology as a phone app (ReadToMe Student Edition) for self-study at home. It is true that not all government school students will have access to Android devices, and that gap needs to be closed with public, private and philanthropic sources of funding. The aim is to provide each student, anywhere in the country, the ability to access ReadToMe Student Edition.” - Sanjay Gupta, CEO, EnglishHelper Technology that Is Integrated with School CurriculumNationwide school shutdowns over the past several months have created new challenges for students and teachers. To help students learn while at home, EnglishHelper’s ReadToMe® software, which has been traditionally used in school classrooms (ReadToMe School Edition), is now also available to students on Google Play Store as ReadToMe Student Edition. This app is accessible to students across India through an Android smartphone or tablet. ReadToMe Student Edition is an AI-enabled multi-sensory reading and comprehension app that is trained to read textbooks in the English language. The app supports reading and comprehension for K-12 learners and is designed to facilitate self-learning for students.The journey began in 2013 with 100 government schools using ReadToMe® to read English textbooks under the RightToRead project – EnglishHelper’s flagship program, now having a footprint in 27 states and 4 union territories across the country. The new app, developed in 2020, widens the access, since students can use this powerful software to learn on their own at home. The technology is expected to reach 20 million students by 2021. Presently, ReadToMe Student Edition is trained to read NCERT textbooks in English including subjects like history, geography and even mathematics. The scope of the app is constantly being enhanced with the coverage of textbooks prescribed by various states. The program is also used for CBSE and state boards, too.  Teachers SpeakSowmyashree B. is the English teacher at Government Higher Primary School, Veerbhadranagar, Bengaluru. She has been using ReadToMe School Edition in her classes with textbooks being read by the software, and integrated for use as per the regular school time table.   Sowmyashree says that students learn better with ReadToMe® - it helps them get their pronunciations and spellings right, and allows students to understand unfamiliar words and their meanings easily, through the use of the picture dictionary and the vernacular dictionary tools in the software. She says that the familiar accent of the reading voice is really helpful, and being able to adjust the reading speed of the text helps every student learn at her comfort level. Sowmyashree adds that while the pandemic and school closure left teachers and students in a state of panic, the ReadToMe Student Edition app came as a big relief in overcoming the disruption in school learning. The app is designed to assist students with self-learning while schools are closed, and students do not have access to their teachers. Sowmyashree is upbeat about the app and encourages her students to practise their lessons daily. She says that when schools reopen, students will be able to enjoy learning with ReadToMe®, both in the classroom and at home, thus closing any gaps in their learning.  Voice of StudentsFrom Bengaluru in southern India, to faraway hilly Himachal Pradesh in the north, ReadToMe® is much loved! “I have just one goal - a job in the government sector so I can support my family”, says Komal, who is a 16-year-old, grade 10 student of a government school in Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh. Komal adds, “my father used to work as a driver, but lost his job during the lockdown, and now my mother, a tailor, is the only breadwinner. I will be able to end the financial troubles of my parents when I grow up and get a job.” Komal is admirably resolute at such a young age. “I want to speak English like my relatives do, especially like my cousins from Delhi”, says this young girl with dreams in her eyes. Like many in India, English is aspirational for Komal. “Exams for good government jobs require English language skills. Also, people pay more attention to you when you speak fluent English. It is important that people listen to you when you are a government official.” With little or no academic help from her parents, Komal is one of the millions of students who are solely dependent on their school for all their learning needs. When her school closed due to COVID-19, Komal started using ReadToMe® Student Edition on her father’s mobile phone. She is already familiar with ReadToMe®, which was regularly used in her school before the school closure. Komal has now been reading her English lessons on the app for at least an hour daily and reports that she has improved her English language skills through this regular usage. She says, “I can study anytime and anywhere with the app at my own pace.” Komal believes she is one step closer to achieving her dream, now that she uses ReadToMe Student Edition.   Technology Enables ScaleThese are just a couple of stories from the countless heart-warming tales of students and teachers who have benefitted from ReadToMe®, primarily through the RightToRead program that reaches over 8 million students across the country. When the lockdown was announced, the program was being implemented in 25,000 schools and is expected to achieve a footprint of 100,000 schools once schools reopen. The newly developed app has the potential to reach over 200 million students, especially from the lower-income segments across the country to help them continue their curriculum-aligned English classes while schools are closed, and to consolidate their learning at home even when schools reopen.  A Multi-stakeholder Public-Private InitiativeFrom just 100 schools a few years ago, the program has grown exponentially! This has been made possible by the engagement of multiple stakeholders from the private sector and the government. The trick is to keep the model simple. The key approaches and areas of focus are the following: EnglishHelper has stayed obsessively focused on working with government schools.EnglishHelper has partnered with agencies that are well established in the sector and trusted by the public education system.RightToRead projects go through a rigorous assessment process. The assessment reports have been made available for all (they demonstrate a significant gain in students' English reading fluency and comprehension).The principle of affordability has always tempered commercial goals.This Public-Private initiative is becoming a model of replication in states across the country. In the state of Maharashtra, millions of government school students are studying with the help of this reading and comprehension technology. RightToRead is a ‘without borders’ initiative that has expanded its footprint beyond India, moving to Asia, Africa, and Latin America. After a successful pilot, the program is currently being implemented in all 10,000 schools in Sri Lanka.EnglishHelper has partnered with organisations across the public and private sector to make their vision a reality. They continue to form new partnerships to ensure that one day, every student will have access to quality English education.For more information on EnglishHelper and their work, please write at [email protected] or visit the website https://www.englishhelper.com/

Is it possible to make someone literate in just 30 hours? You will be surprised to know that Sunita Gandhi, an educationist in Lucknow, has been doing this for five years. She is making literate children of UP who cannot go to school. For this, she does not charge any fees, but teaches for free. Now she will start this model of literacy in 30 hours in other parts of the country.Sunita Gandhi told, ‘We are hoping to start it in 20 states by the end of next year. Hopefully, we will make 20 lakh literate children who cannot go to school. Sunita Gandha’s Global Dreamshala is run entirely by volunteers.‘Based on general principles’Sunita Gandhi said that all this is based on a simple principle – ask the children what they know and start working on the same. It does not apply the same structure to all students.‘Some children are illiterate despite going to school’Tom Delani, trainer of the literate program, said, "Some of my students are illiterate even after going to school. They are told that they are ‘nalayak’ (worthless) and assault. But it is not that they do not know things. They can recognize pictures, know words. We try to understand what he knows and what he does not know".Similar tool kitEach session does not exceed 15 minutes as children from poor backgrounds do not devote much time. Instead of telling those things to children, we tell them the answers to those questions.For example, when a child wants to recognize words, it is only a matter of identifying the letters. For that we have brought a cheap 50 rupees toolkit. It has a pack related to pictures of syllables. The toolkit has 30 lessons – 60 short videos, books, alphabet cutouts and stationery items.The story has been extracted from https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/this-up-teacher-is-making-poor-kids-literate-in-30-hour/articleshow/79832072.cms

The corporate grind might help bring in cash, but for some, remaining close to nature is paramount. Rohit Gupta (28) found himself among the latter when he quit his software engineering job to take up farming.“I never regretted my decision to quit my IT job,” he says, adding, “I’m proud to be part of the farming system, and help farmers, who are the real heroes of the nation.” Rohit sells 25 tonnes of seafood in a year, and produces over 200 kg of vegetables in a week.The engineer first heard about aquaponics from his uncle, Commander Raman Kumar Agrawal (retd), while still working at an IT company in Mumbai. “I didn’t have any knowledge of sustainable farming methods like aquaponics, which allows one to breed fish and grow vegetables using just one system. My uncle told me about it, and said that it can fetch good income as well,” says Rohit. He visited different research centres to learn more about aquaponics. Once he gained enough confidence to start a farm, he quit his job in Mumbai, and moved to his native town in Punjab, in 2018.With help from his uncle and cousin Saurabh Agrawal, Rohit opened Aarpun Farms in Lambra village in Jalandhar district. The location of the farm, which spans over 2.25 acres, was decided keeping in mind operational and commercial advantages — it provides easy and quick access to both farmers as well as consumers.“My uncle, who is a senior defence officer with vast administrative and operational experience, has always motivated the youth in Jalandhar to take up agriculture. Saurabh was also working with various start-ups and NGOs in Mumbai to provide relief to local communities and farmers in drought-hit regions of Maharashtra. That’s how we decided to start Aarpun Farms,” Rohit says.A longer shelf lifeOn his farm, Rohit cultivates exotic green leafy vegetables such as spinach, iceberg lettuce, mint, romaine lettuce and broccoli. Beetroots, cauliflowers and capsicums are also grown on the farm. The only manure added to the fruits and vegetables is water containing fish waste.He says a major benefit of aquaponics is the shelf-life of the products. “Our products last three to four times longer than those produced from regular cultivation. The production from aquaponics is 10 times more than that from traditional farming,” he explains, adding, “I have 1,000 tomato plants in the farm, and a single plant, I get eight to nine kilograms of tomatoes. So essentially, from one plant’s fruit, I get around Rs 400.”“We also grow fruits, including papayas, watermelons, cherry tomatoes, and regular tomatoes. We make sure we pack our produce keeping in mind all safety measures. The entire farm is sanitised regularly, and no outsiders are allowed to enter. We use gloves to pack the produce as well, before we deliver it to our customers’ doorsteps,” Rohit says. The products are sold at different outlets and stores across Jalandhar.‘The backbone of Aarpun’“I also breed fish at the farm, and its waste is used as manure for my vegetables and fruits. Fish and fish waste are essentially the backbone of my farm. The technique of aquaponics works around a bio-system that involves fish,” Rohit explains.Fish waste is converted into nitrite, which in turn is made into nitrates on the farm. These nitrates help plants grow quicker than they would under normal cultivation. “After fish waste is collected, it is purified and mixed with the water that we use for the plants. This is the plant’s single source to gain all the nutrients it needs. As the water level decreases, we add freshwater in the fish tank from outside,” he says.Rohit says there are around 50,000 rohu and murrel fish on his farm. “The approximate price of one fish is Rs 130. So, we get over Rs 21 lakh from 100-square metres of the fish pond. There is more demand for our fish, as it is fresh and tastes good. There are no salt-water fish on our farm,” he adds. The fish is sold to local vendors and fast food stalls.Helping farmers earn moreAarpun Farms gives free lessons on aquaponic techniques to farmers to help increase their income. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, over 15 farmers from different parts of India used to visit the farm to learn about this technique.“The aquaponics model is famous in countries like Singapore, the US, and Israel, but not so much in India. Many farmers here don’t have enough information about it. The technique uses approximately 90 per cent less water as compared to traditional agriculture. The water is rarely changed since it’s recycled over and over. We want to help local farmers earn a good income from cultivation using aquaponics,” Rohit says.Aarpun Farms also plans to set up similar projects around the city and spread more awareness among people about aquaponics. Aarpun Farms can be contacted here: 8360597323The story has been extracted from https://www.thebetterindia.com/245871/aarpun-farms-earns-lakhs-rohit-gupta-it-professional-jalandhar-farming-agriculture-aquaponics-seafood-fish-waste-sustainable-farming-income-san196/