How the 'Scrap Man of Odisha' changed waste into wealth in ITI Berhampur

The Industrial Training Institute (ITI) here has become a trendsetter by reusing scrap and waste into wealth, and the pioneer behind the move is Dr Rajat Kumar Panigrahy, principal of the institute, managed by Govt of Odisha. The ‘Scrap Man of Odisha’ Dr Panigrahy says, "Thousands of people throw off their old, scrap vehicle parts and electronic goods every year in the waste yard, but we have come up with some fascinating ideas by reusing these waste materials into artifacts”. 

There are now nearly 500 artifacts of different sizes made from scrap that exist inside the ITI, Berhampur campus. A 'scrap museum' inside the  campus was opened in 2017. A table lamp made with a scrap bike gear, flower vase made from broken bathroom pipe fittings, wall clock made from a damaged bike and bicycle crank chain, a hanging scorpion made from a  broken bicycle chain, a tractor reusing damaged C clamp or a scrap sewing machine, elephants made from waste iron powder in the ITI workshop and many other fascinating items are there in the 'scrap museum'.

     
An 'Open Air Scrap Material Park' has come up in front of the ITI building consisting of more than 15 Asian and national record crafts and has grabbed people’s eyeballs. The park hosts a 70-foot high guitar, 32-foot high giraffe, a 22-foot high fish, a 18-foot high Hollywood film character 'Predator', a 10 feet high and 15 feet in diameter Olive Ridley sea turtle, world's largest fishing lure 22 feet 8 inches (6.90 metres) long, and others are the main attractions of this park. 

   
A recent addition is a 'Tyre Art Park' decked up with used tyres. The concept behind this is ‘Best Out Of Waste’ inspired, created and designed by Dr. Rajat Kumar Panigrahy. "We have used not less than 20,000 tonnes of scrap till today, he said. 

The ITI principal says his aim is to enable his students to make scrap as a new source of income, when they go out of the institute. “We can make value addition of scrap through skill and it will definitely help others in their life”, says Dr Panigrahy. 

Taking a cue, several ITIs in Odisha and other organisations have come forward to make the best out of waste materials like iron, electrical scraps, automobile scraps, plumbing scraps and others. Dr. Panigrahy says, the students now love to show off the crafts and objects made from waste. “It will fetch them good income while at the same time making them feel good for having recycled mechanical, electronic, metal and other wastes for saving our wonderful planet. The day will come when people will like to keep these crafts in their drawing rooms and bedrooms as a show piece”, he says. 

Dr. Panigrahy says, it was Subroto Bagchi, chairman of Odisha Skill Development Authority, who inspired him. "I got this new concept after Bagchi showed me a photograph of the scrap craft", he said. 

When the new automobile scrap policy of Govt. of  India will be implemented, it will generate a humungous number of  car scraps. “These scraps will be upgraded to decorative home items. Thousands of people will adopt the skill and can become entrepreneurs”, says Kanhu Behera, ATO of the institute.

For example, a watch made out of cycle chain, crank costing around Rs. 60,  can be sold for up to Rs.500. Flower vessels made out of tyres  are some examples created by Abhijit Das, Aditya Narayan Sahu, Bikash Kumar Behera, Aditya Prasad Parida, Purnima Nayak & Rupali Behera, fitter trade  trainees of ITI Berhampur.