Shashank Chaubey, an electronic and communication engineer based in Vadodara city, has adopted the method of aquaponics to develop a sustainable agricultural ecosystem using less water. They are doing profitable farming by adopting the method of aquaponics. Currently, he's growing plants without soil with the help of aquaponic methods.
Shashank Chaubey studied as an Electronics and Communication Engineer and visited many countries in South Asia during his job. During one of his visits to Delhi, he saw people growing vegetables for their livelihood near the river. From there, he decided to develop the concept of urban agriculture in a different way.
A self-taught person, Shashank sought the help of the Fisheries Department regarding fish diseases, keeping capacity inside the fish tank, filtration, and other technical details to set up the facility. He said, "I use boring water for this purpose and lose 300 liters of water every week due to evaporation. I have kept gold and koi fish which are known to produce a lot of waste. For sustainability, I use drums, empty paint cans, small stones, gravel, clay balls, filtration, and aggregate (gross) for growing plants.
Shashank had earlier used this method in a sunless room and now goes into hybrid mode, where he grows vegetables and herbs using sunlight on the building's terrace. They are spreading awareness among people who want to start aquaponics and also training students as part of their studies. He further said, "My aim is to teach as much as possible about this method which is an alternative to traditional farming and saves a lot of water and other things." Anyone can grow vegetables at home using this technique and earn money by selling it.
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