INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY FOR INDIGENOUS TRIBAL RAT CATCHERS
 

• INTRODUCTION
  • Traditional mud pot fumigation method
  • Problems in the traditional fumigation method
• Improved Technological Fumigation Device - Advantages
• Won The World Bank DM Competition
• PHOTOGRAPHS
• Contact Us

1. Occupational Health problems:
   
   The rat catcher uses his mouth to blow air through the hole of the pot. He inhales heavy amount smoke leading to severe respiratory, heart, eye sore and other occupational health problems. We have made a study and found out that 30 to 40% of the rat catchers have one or many of these health complications. They often get their lips burned. They also burn their hands/fingers when the hot-pots are in use. Stuffing of paddy straw through hot and smoky mouth of the pot causes heat burns
   
   
2. Efficiency of the method and Income levels:
   
   The efficiency of the method is only 40% as the pressure of the air through mouth blowing is low. There is no constant and even distribution of smoke due to mouth blowing. This was calculated on the basis of attempts they made at the burrows. Out of 100 attempts at 100 burrows, they get success only in 40 burrows. Often rat escapes due to low pressure and time availability. Hence, their income level is also 40% only. It ranges from $15 to $30 a month. (But, they need atleast $35 a month to meet their minimum requirements in food, shelter, medicine, education, work expenses etc. This is based on local rates.)
   
   
3. Mud pot breaks:
   
   The cost of the mud pot is about $.5. They carry this pot to long distances for undertaking their work. It breaks often, at least one in two months, during travel and work. This leads to additional recurring expenditure.
   
   
4. The smoke leakage:
   
   The smoke leakage through the side of the mouth of the pot reduces the smoke pressure inside the burrow and also causes environment pollution. This also affects the even distribution of smoke inside the burrow.
   
   
5. Drudgery of work:
   
   The rat catcher often fed up with the drudgery of the working of the system leading to disinterest in the work, which in turn make him impoverished.
   
   
6. Rat menace in agriculture fields:
   
   The rats in agriculture fields destroy about 20 to 30% of the grains. This is economically devastative to both farmers and the country where 85% of the people are involved in agriculture. One estimation shows that if we stop this menace, we can feed our ten billion population thrice a day for two months freely. It is also to be noted that most of the farmers are small and marginal farmers having very little land holdings.
   
   

1. Complete elimination of all the Occupational health hazards
   
   This completely eliminates occupational health problems arising out of mouth blowing as it is attached with hand operated blower. Burning of lips due to moth lowing is also eliminated. As there is separate opening for stuffing the paddy straw and also wooden handles attached with the device, heat burning at the hands completely is averted.
   
   
2. Work efficiency - more than doubled:
   
   The work efficiency gallops to 95. Our research shows that the rat catchers get 95% success. There is sufficient constant and even distribution of pressure leading to immediate attack on the rat, killing it instantaneously. There is no possibility of escape by the rats.
   
   
3. Income level -more than doubled:
   
   Correspondingly, the income level shall also be more than twice as the success rate is 95% comparing to 40% in the traditional system. Instead of $15 to $30, they will earn about $30 to $60. They can send their children to school without any economic problem. (Almost 95% of the children below 15 years of age from these communities are not attending the schools due to poor conditions)
   
   
4. No breakage:
   
   As the device is made of steel, there is no possibility of break. They can get rid of their fear of handing carefully.
   
   
5. Arrest of smoke leakage:
   
   As the device has a small pipe outlet which can be inserted inside the burrow to a length of about 5", the smoke goes directly pumped inside leading to complete arrest of smoke leakage which is happening in the traditional system. The environment pollution is averted.
   
   
6. Release from work drudgery:
   
   Due to elimination of all the problems arising out of traditional fumigation, the rat catcher is able to undertake the work with ease, comfortability and efficacy. They also take a pride that they are carrying a machine instead of dirty mud pot. This will also boost them to work more and earn more. This kind of additional outputs will lead them to get additional income.
   
   
7. Social and educational standards:
   
   The indirect benefits are that the additional income will help them to send their children regularly to school, without dropping them in the middle. The higher caste communities, who brand the rat catchers communities as untouchables, may start to respect to some extent due to the use of 'decent professional type of device'.
   
   
8. Reduction of rat menace in agriculture fields:
   
   The farmers have the compulsion of completing their step by step agriculture activities with in a period/season. The rats also heavily accumulate during a particular cropping activity, in which the farmers have a compulsion of removing as many rats as possible. Other wise the menace will be heavy. Under the new device, as it is 95% efficiency, more work can be undertaken in a day by the rat catchers so that the quantum of removal of rats within a season will also be more, leading to more savings of grains and income.
   
   
9. Affordable cost:
   
   The cost of the instrument is just around $20 to $25. It is just one month's income of the rat catcher.