Watch: Chennai schoolboys win award for prototype to solve stubble-burning crisis

Stubble burning caught the attention of three bright students at the Agurchand Manmull Jain School in Chennai when they were told about the Young Innovators Program at IIT Kharagpur late in 2023.

Every November, Delhi chokes under a blanket of smog. There are many reasons for why this happens. One is the much discussed and debated stubble burning in the nearby states of Punjab and Haryana.

Farmers have taken to using alternative varieties of paddy that don’t create the thick stubble that would need to be burned. Strict fines are being imposed on those who burn. Cases are filed against offenders. But the problem does exist and cries for a solution. Experts and top end researchers are working on a low-cost solution to this problem.

Stubble burning caught the attention of three bright students at the Agurchand Manmull Jain School in Chennai when they were told about the Young Innovators Program at IIT Kharagpur late in 2023.

The YIP is an annual competition that attracts bright minds in schools across the world. The 2023-24 edition of YIP attracted some 1,200 entries.

The three students at Agurchand Manmull Jain School, Revanth, Pio Jacksmith Fernandez and Santhosh came up with a simple solution they call Pyro Polish for stubble burning and submitted it. Out of 1,200 entries, 250 teams were selected. On Day 1 of the competition, 32 were shortlisted to showcase their models. Out of the 32, 20 were selected to make their powerpoint presentations.

And Pyro Polish was declared the winner of senior division. Here’s their story.

Reporting: Samreen Wani