Desi Fridge: Keep Produce Fresh for Weeks | Shekhappa Kumbar | Hubballi News - Times of India

Source: The Times of India
Author: Sangamesh Menasinakai

Dharwad: Shekhappa Kumbar, 58, a potter in Mugad village has come up with the idea of manufacturing a 'desi fridge' using lake soil and eupatorium, which is considered an environmentally hazardous weed.

Kumbar told STOI that he had experimented with it 25 years ago but it had faced a hurdle of water storage and its storage capacity was very restricted."As the water stored in the bottom compartment started smelling badly, it failed. Now this single-compartment fridge is meant to store vegetables and fruits for 2 weeks," he added.

This fridge is currently in two types - the first one has a narrow opening and the second one is wider with 15 litres storage capacity. It must be kept in a small box with a gap of 2-3 inches filled with sand. This box can be made using bricks. Water can be poured once a week. Kumbar carried out his experiment for two years and says the product is garnering a good response.

Kumbar adds that he uses eupatorium weed instead of wood lags to burn the soil. "As our pottery was in pathetic condition in recent years, this fridge has emerged as an alternative product for our traditional profession. Now we are planning to make compartments in this storage," he asserted.

Vinayak Hongal, who has been using this fridge for a year, said that it costs about Rs 900 and has several benefits. "We believe that soil can purify vegetables and fruits and we are saving electricity by using this fridge. Earlier, we were spending about Rs 1,000 per annum on the maintenance of a refrigerator that was bought for Rs 20,000. With this fridge, we have the pride of encouraging pottery, a cottage industry, and being part of Make in India," he commented.

Dr Prakash Bhat, a sustainable development expert, observed that this initiative does not use electricity, which has a 26% share of global warming. "At the other end, this potter uses eupatorium, an invasive weed. Hence, it is an appreciable initiative in the larger interest of the environment," he remarked.