What if crop residues aren’t burnt but used as a building material? asks Tarun Jami.

” MANKIND WILL ADD 2 BILLION NEW HOMES TO THE PLANET BY 2100.WE WILL REMOVE 17 BILLION TONS OF CARBON DIOXIDE BY 2100.” he adds further.

Tarun Jami came up with hempcrete, also known as hemp concrete or lime hemp concrete, when he was pursuing his Master’s in Environmental Science. Today, as he is pursuing his PhD at the Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, he, along with his brother Varun Jami (22), want to make hempcrete a phenomenon via Visakhapatnam-based GreenJams Infrastructures. Why? Because not only does it have the power to reverse the climatic impact of the construction industry, it is also carbon negative, can absorb emissions (up to 250 kg of carbon-di-oxide per meter cube), it is light-weight too.

“We have gotten in touch with several stalwarts from the construction field and they are very excited about our product. Now, we just need to start manufacturing it on a large scale,” informs Tarun, who along with his brother, featured in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list this year.

Currently, they have collaborated with the Central Building Research Institute and are ironing out a few details. “The biggest disadvantage is that there is no supply chain, and because hempcrete is made with the stalk of hemp, which no one uses, it’s hard to convince farmers to part with it. We are thinking of creating an ecosystem, similar to a bank, where farmers can deposit this waste material and we can give them fair prices in exchange. Every other challenge is surmountable,” says the determined 28-year-old.