September 08, 2008
Steel bullock carts replacing wooden ones in rural India
It is reported that steel bullock carts are fast replacing conventional wooden ones in India as the bull used to pulling the heavier wooden carts, is finding the load so light that brakes are needed to be applied to prevent him from racing down the muddy roads of rural India.
Mr RKP Singh director general of Institute for Steel Development & Growth said that “We actually had to devise brakes for the steel carts, since bullocks are used to pulling heavier carts.”
Mr Singh said that the Khadi and Village Industries Commission and INSDAG have tied up for providing training to fabricators for building the carts which will cost INR 15,000 compared to the wooden ones whose cost vary between INR 10,000 and INR 18,000 depending on the availability of wood in that state. However with a bit of painting, the steel carriage serves for nearly 30 years while the wooden one last for about 5 years.
Mr Singh said that “While promoting, the consumption of steel was our main motive. The project has simultaneously scored on 2 other points, it promoted environmental conservation and second it was kind to the animals since these carts are lighter.” He added that although the present rate of steel consumption had exceeded the forecasts made in the national steel policy, the share of the rural market was still very small although there was a good potential in promoting steel use.
The idea, mooted during the recessionary years of the Indian steel industry as part of a programme to boost steel consumption, has now taken off in Maharashtra. The Madhya Pradesh government is also floating tenders to procure steel bullock carts for distribution among tribals.
Instead of baring forests for making a conventional bullock cart, which weigh between 500 to 700 kilogram hollow, square and rectangular mild steel sections are used for the block carts of modern India which weigh only 280 kilogram.
The promoting agencies for INSDAG include the union government, the Joint Plant Committee for Steel, Steel Authority of India Limited, Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited, TATA Steel, Essar, Jindal and JSW.
