Awards at Udvada

Achievements in developing sustainable technologies, education and sports resulted in three Young Achievers from Gujarat receiving awards at the recently concluded Iranshah Udvada Utsav (see "Come here and stay” Parsiana, January 7, 2016).

Yazad Chinoy, Julie Pardiwala and Delzad Khambata

"Ever since my childhood, I always wanted to be an entrepreneur, especially since no one in my family was one,” stated awardee Delzad Khambata from Ahmedabad who runs a business in research and development of solid waste. At 21, he started the firm Power Engineering Products manufacturing material handling equipment like conveyors, crushers, bucket elevators and vibrating screen. He outsourced manufacture for eight years before acquiring a factory in 2004. Four years later he floated a second company Zeus Engitech Private Limited. After 20 years of striving, Khambata hopes to extend his expertise to the manufacturing of recycling plants and equipment for municipal solid waste, biomass and rubber. "Two years back in Kutch, we manufactured Asia’s largest salt washery plant at 600 tons per hour. Recently we manufactured India’s first ever fertilizer coating system, with neem oil,” the technocrat says. He has also put up a biomass gasification power plant, according to an email sent to Parsiana.
Julie Pardiwala from Bulsar district received the award for her research on industrial and waste water treatment. She did her postgraduation in environment process design choosing vehicle emission pollution control for her M. Tech project. The scientist prepared a catalyst to be placed in the tail pipe of vehicles to lessen the harmful effects of noxious gases. Pursuing her PhD from Ahmedabad’s Nirma University in waste water pollution generated by textile, dye, paper and other industries, Pardiwala attributes her success to her parents, specially her father Minoo who encouraged his daughter from his bed where he is laid up due to a spinal accident. He asked her "If Dr Homi Bhabha can be a scientist, why can’t you?” She also acknowledges her ‘cool’ guide Dr Sanjay Patel at Nirma University in her email, and his contribution to her academic growth.
Nineteen-year-old Yazad Chinoy received his award for excelling in rifle and pistol shooting. A member of the National Cadet Corps, Chinoy has taken after his father Jahabax who is also a shooter and mother Hufrish is an all India Judo champion, his father informed Parsiana. The junior commerce student practices at the National Rifle Association in Bulsar and even traipses to Ahmedabad for shooting. He is grateful to Billimora Rifle Club which allows him to use their range regularly. Shooting is said to be one of the most expensive sports. Each gunshot costs Rs 40-50 and 100 are required to be fired.