Dr. Muzamil:A farmer friendly innovator
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Dr. Muzamil:A farmer friendly innovator

Post by on Wednesday, August 3, 2022

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With an aim to ease the living of common people, Dr. Mohammad Muzamil has been at the forefront for his unique innovations that not only helped farmers but also curbed air pollution.

The young farming engineer from Kashmir gained attention after his new innovations surfaced. Dr Muzamil, a farming engineer cum scientist of Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences & Technology is playing a vital role. 

He has been working tirelessly in the agriculture farm engineering testing lab, one of the development projects established by the Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India.

Born and brought up in Bemina area of Srinagar, he completed his Bachelors in Agricultural Engineering from the College of Engineering Agricultural Technology, SKAUST-K. 

After completing his Bachelors, he qualified Indian Agricultural Research Institute (ICAR) examination with JRF for the Post Graduate Program and got admission in Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) New Delhi and was enrolled for PhD program in the same varsity.

During his PhD, he was granted DST inspire fellowship which is only limited for toppers, and at that time he started his innovations.

Dr. Muzamil says after completing his Ph.D., he qualified for another prestigious examination ARS (Agricultural Research Service) of ICAR and after that he was selected for ‘Scientist’ and went for training at NAARM (National Academy of Agricultural Research Management) Hyderabad.

“After spending four and half years in Hyderabad, I got new opportunity at SKAUST-K in the same department where I have studied. So, I joined the department started teaching and training the young students,” he said. 

Dr. Muzamil has innovated many things including Vermi composting machine, Apple grader Paddy straw chopper, Pea planter, Chilli seed extractor, Solar operated Saffron Cocoon dryer, Vegetable seeder and Maize Sheller.

“Currently I am working on two projects including Mushroom bag filling and spawn which will be first of its kind in the entire world.And second project is ‘Sprayer for vegetable and Orchards’. It will be the solar-operated sprayer for vegetables and fruit crops,” he said.

Dr. Muzamil says he has filed patents for his Ph.D. work and for the rest of the machinery, we evaluate them and very soon we will be filling patents for them also.

He believes that innovations should ease the work of humans and also should be inexpensive. It is not affordable if it is not innovative. We should made machine for multiple purposes and I am working on many such projects,” the engineer said. 

Dr. Muzamil says, from his childhood, he was interested in machines. He would always open them and left them unattended sometimes. Innovative engineers mind is always active and it starts working out of box. I believe that engineers are better innovators than others, he said.

“I developed ‘Paddy Straw Chopper’ to overcome the pollution as most of the famers were burning that material in Punjab, Haryana and other nearby states. It was aimed that farmers will not burn that paddy straw instead they will convert into it compost,” he said.

Over the past few years, Dr. Muzamil won national awards for his contribution in the field of Agricultural Engineering. He believes with his innovations, he can give something back to society. 

“This innovation was my dream as that time I had worked on ground along with my team in farming fields of Punjab and New Delhi. After developing paddy straw chopper, I took my machine to those fields and promised those farmers it will change your life,” he said. 

Recently Chief Minister of New Delhi, Arwind Kejriwal also suggested the same solution to paddy straw pollution. He said they will not burn any more paddy straw and would convert the same into compost.

He suggested some microbial or microbiological culture; I have also worked on that culture. 

“My machine is using that culture to spray on that and first it will chop agricultural waste, then it will put in one line and then it will apply same microbial culture that Delhi CM was advocating in order to convert it on compost within a period of 45 days that usually were taking 5-6 months,”  Dr. Muzamil said.

“It was my first achievement when Delhi CM came on media and recommended our technology,” he said.

About challenges in his life, the young innovator said there are always challenges in any innovators time. “Innovators are not getting good time to spend with their families. One has given full concentration to make any idea successful,” he said.

About message for young innovators, he said everyone has certain ideas in his mindset, so they need to put it on paper. “Once you are putting any idea on paper, then you can explain to whole world,” he said.

“There are number of platforms that can turn your idea into reality. Currently government of India is focusing on these innovations and entrepreneurship. Instead of running behind the government jobs, it is better to start your own enterprise.

“They shouldn’t lose hope. There are opportunities always and we should not get discouraged. Don’t look back. Taking initiatives is the solution and that works," he said.

Dr. Muzamil says, in terms of resources and capabilities, there is tremendous potential for innovations in Kashmir. We can build on our traditional industries and can reinvent the wheel of resource-based sector innovation, he said.