| Man behind the Invention - 'Jalmitra' Mr. Vijay Kedia |
Jalmitra Mr. Vijay Kumar Kedia is basically a Mechanical Engineer from BITS Pilani (1977 Batch), born and brought up at Lachhamangarh Town of Sikar District in Rajasthan (India).
In the year 1996, Mr. Kedia decided to retire from his flourishing Industrial Construction business and bought farm land at Jambhali in Paithan Taluka in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra.
This farm had 9 no. of soil check dam with 25000 cubic meters water holding capacity in the reservoirs. But in summer of 1998 he faced a severe water crisis because water in the check dams & wells dried. Water became a matter of life & death for him and he did not want to go back to his old construction business.
When all existing methods of rainwater harvesting could not solve his thirst for water, he started experimenting on his own. With his knowledge and research he came up with a revolutionary invention - Kedia Farm Pattern (KFP) rainwater harvesting system.
| Mr. Kedia has received Patent from Govt. of India for this revolutionary invention. |
Impressed by the work of Mr. Kedia and his contribution in the field, Mr. V. Rangnathan, Chief Sec. of Maharashtra named him as ‘Jalmitra’ on 12.01.2002.
The Jalmitra realized the worth of this invention and its benefits for the farmers and the society as a whole. He has thereby founded Varsha-Jal through which the KFP system will be implemented for the farmers in a very reasonable rate.
 Some Laurels:
- JALMITRA Vijay Kedia has been awarded ‘Shetimitra’ (friend of agriculture) by Govt. of Maharashtra in 2003
- Paryavaran Bhushan Award in the year 2002
- Member of ‘Vision 2020’ for Aurangabad city in the year 2004
- Member of 'Amrit Dhara Jal Abhiyan’ of Aurangabad district committee in the year 2001
- Technical Speaker of ‘Mahatma Phule Jal Bhoomi Abhiyan’ of Govt. of Maharashtra in the year 2002
- Committee Member of ‘Water and Land Management Post-graduate Course Designing’ by Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Aurangabad in the year 2005
- Article “High Water Mark” published in India Today dtd 3.05.2004
- Article “Harnessing the Rain God” published in The Week magazine dtd 6.06 2003
- Article “Rainwater Harvesting” published in Agriculture and Industry Survey Magazine Vol. no 14, Issue No 8
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