Project Prakriti Shield

Inspiration

Project Prakriti Shield was inspired by the 2017 pesticide poisoning incident in Yavatmal, Maharashtra, where over 800 people were hospitalized due to pesticide exposure. Being from this region, we wanted to address not just one problem, but the interconnected challenges of degraded soil, declining farm productivity, pesticide drift, and public health. Our goal was to create a solution inspired by nature that restores ecosystems while improving the lives of farmers and nearby communities.

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What it does

Project Prakriti Shield is a three-layer Soil-to-Sky restoration framework that combines ecological restoration with digital technology.

• Soil Detoxification: Sunflower and vetiver grass naturally absorb harmful chemicals from contaminated farmland through phytoremediation.
• Soil Restoration: Beneficial mycorrhizal fungi are reintroduced to improve soil fertility, increase nutrient uptake, and reduce dependence on chemical fertilizers.
• Green Protection Belt: Neem, bamboo, moringa, and tulsi are planted around urban areas to reduce pesticide drift, improve air quality, and create healthier communities.
• PrakritiApp: A mobile platform that helps farmers monitor soil health through leaf scanning, receive restoration recommendations, track recovery progress, and visualize local environmental data.

Together, these components create a sustainable ecosystem where healthy soil supports healthy crops, and healthy crops support healthier communities.

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How we built it

We began by researching the environmental issues affecting Yavatmal, including soil degradation, excessive pesticide use, and declining agricultural productivity. We studied scientific research on phytoremediation, mycorrhizal fungi, and urban green infrastructure before combining these proven concepts into one integrated framework.

For the digital component, we designed PrakritiApp, which includes:

• AI-assisted leaf health analysis
• Soil restoration recommendations
• Community recovery mapping
• Air-quality monitoring dashboard

The project combines environmental science, agriculture, ecology, and technology into one scalable solution.

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Challenges we ran into

One of our biggest challenges was designing a solution that solved multiple interconnected problems instead of focusing on just one.

Another challenge was ensuring that every part of the project was backed by scientific research while remaining practical, affordable, and scalable for farmers.

Integrating plants, soil biology, environmental restoration, and digital technology into one ecosystem required extensive research and careful planning.

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Accomplishments that we're proud of

• Designed a complete ecosystem restoration framework instead of an isolated solution.
• Combined phytoremediation, mycorrhizal restoration, green infrastructure, and digital monitoring into one project.
• Developed the concept of PrakritiApp to connect farmers, communities, and environmental monitoring.
• Created a scalable solution that can be adapted to agricultural regions across India.
• Proposed a project that benefits both environmental sustainability and public health.

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What we learned

Working on Project Prakriti Shield taught us that environmental challenges cannot be solved independently. Soil health, biodiversity, agriculture, air quality, and human health are deeply connected.

We also learned how combining biology, environmental science, agriculture, and technology can create practical solutions with long-term impact.

Most importantly, we learned that many of the best solutions already exist in nature—we simply need to understand them and apply them effectively.

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What's next for Project Prakriti Shield

Our next step is to transform this concept into a working solution.

Future plans include:

• Building a functional prototype of PrakritiApp
• Developing an AI model for leaf-based soil health assessment
• Integrating IoT sensors for real-time soil and air-quality monitoring
• Conducting pilot projects with farmers in Yavatmal
• Collaborating with agricultural universities, NGOs, and government agencies
• Expanding the framework to other regions facing similar environmental challenges

Our long-term vision is to make Project Prakriti Shield a scalable, nature-based restoration model that helps restore degraded land, protect communities, and promote sustainable agriculture across India.

Built With

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