Dr Ritu Pandey, Assistant Professor of Chandrashekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur, has created a machine which makes it easier to extract fibre from lotus stems. The stem of the lotus plant is made of long, slender fibres, famous for their durability and strength. However, the process of extracting lotus fibre is not so easy and often requires a great deal of skill and patience. But no more.
Dr Pandey's research led to the machine which extracts the lotus stem fibre and makes cloth from it. This cloth is softer compared to the famous pashmina fabric and more durable, reports said.
Filed patent in 2017
Dr Pandey said she had filed for a patent for her machine back in 2017. She got the patent in 2024 after the process was completed.
Helping farmers
She said now that it's easy to make cloth from lotus stems, farmers cultivating lotus will benefit from this initiative. Earlier, they would treat the lotus stem as a waste product. People will now buy lotus stems from these farmers, earning them some extra money, she added.
Further, Dr Pandey said she is already in talks with several farmers in this regard. She intends to work towards its commercialisation process so that soon eco-friendly clothes made from lotus stems can be available in the market.
(Edited by : Shoma Bhattacharjee)
First Published: Mar 20, 2024 6:53 PM IST
