Students Design Multipurpose Vehicles

Ongole: A team of students from Prakasam Engineering College in Kandukur designed a multipurpose vehicle to plough tobacco, cotton and chilli fields and a vehicle to remove weed in the fields.

The final year mechanical students, K Prasanti, M Raviteja, U Venkatesh and second year mechanical student Brahmareddy worked as a team under the guidance of their principal Dr Muppa Lakshmana Rao to design the multipurpose ploughing vehicle and bicycle to remove weed.

Lakshmana Rao explained that the students used a 100CC engine of a scooter to the rotary tiller. The ploughing tool is attached in front of the machine.

The accelerator in the handle helps the man or woman to till or plough the field easily. As the plough can be attached to the machine with variable lengths from 12 to 20 inches, one can use the machine with little effort.

Tests done in the fields in Prakasam district proved that one litre of fuel is consumed for ploughing one acre of land.

Lakshmana Rao said that the multipurpose vehicle is designed with a cost of Rs 25,000 but the machine is found useful for farmers who doesn’t have cattle and cannot afford higher machinery.

A low cost eco-friendly bicycle tool for weeding and ploughing is also designed by the students. Lakshmana Rao explained that a ploughing tool or weeder is attached to a cycle tyre using 3 feet length joined pipes.

The tool is tested for its performance in the presence of natural farming guru Palekar recently and he is said to be suggested the tool for zero budget natural farming method.

The principal of the Prakasam Engineering College named the tool after its chairman Ramaiah as Ramaiah Tool, and said that this can be used in terrace farming also.