World Environment Day 2021: A Civil Engineer Constructs Covid Hospital Using Stubble, an Agro Waste

World Environment Day 2021: Shriti Pandey, a civil engineer from Gorakhpur, has been in news for building Covid hospitals, with zero water by using stubble, an agro waste. Every year, stubble burning leads to massive pollution in North India, but shriti found a sustainable way, wherein she was able to convert stubble into building material.

During the Covid-19 crisis, in the year 2020, she built covid-19 hospital near Patna, using eco-friendly technique to build the 6000 sq feet Covid hospital. She also built Covid facilities at Jalandhar and Punjab to meet the rising demand for beds a year later.

In collaboration with the Selco Foundation, the civil engineer in mere less than 80 days, she was able to set up fully functioning Center in Patna for her Client, Doctors for You. The 2nd unit was set up in Jalandhar in collaboration with Batra Hospital.

Shriti stated that, in the month of March in 2020, they had shut their operation due to the lockdown. And in the month of April, Selco, approach shriti to construct a facility that not only has to be cost effective, but it must also be eco-friendly and should be build in short period in Masehri.

By July, the shriti's company handed over the 6,000 square feet facility, it has 75 beds capacity. And Separate rooms for patients who needed oxygen cylinders and ventilators.

Major highlight is, zero water has been used to build the facility and it entirely runs on solar power. Shriti shares as to how, she has achieved the daunting task and she is presently building similar structures in other areas.

Reading the signs of worsening climatic conditions as well as catastrophe bound to happen in the future due to our present consumptions habits. Shriti has a technique, similar to a European company, Ekopnely, which uses recyclable and vapour permeable construction panel as a building material.

Shriti makes use of fibre panels; they are the sustainable alternative to concrete walls as well as the ceiling, from agricultural waste. The straw core of the strawcture board is encase 3 layers of recycled paper. After the board has been installed into a structure, the surface is penetrated and a final finish, is applied, so that it can prevent rodents from entering the building. The straw panels can last nearing to 100 years. The micro-pores, created on the panel have the ability to absorb as well as retain humidity until the temperature conditions change for the better. The board then, it releases the humidity, moistening the air inside the room.

They use silica, this makes the wall fireproof, and each wall structure is capable of storing near to 3 kilos of carbon dioxide. Each panel is inherently thermally insulated, which means it can absorb heat and it keeps the interior cool, which is conducive to patients having breathing discomfort. The roof consist corrugated sheet, which can absorb heat too. Selco was mindful with regards of electricity problems in the area and no medical facility can run without it. Solar panels has been installed on the roof, this offers power for the entire facility, thus making it self sufficient.