12th standard Kashmiri students brings revolution in 'Namda' mattress manufacturing

A twelfth class student from the Presentation Convent School in Srinagar has come up with a path breaking innovation which she calls the "Namda Rolling Machine".

A Bota Kadal, Lal Bazar based Zufa Iqbal,17, has overcome the hectic process of rolling and designed a prototype model for rolling and manufacturing a Namda, mattress-like carpet particular to Kashmir.

Zufa said, "I was watching a programme on TV about 'Namda' work and I saw that everything is done manually for hours. I searched on internet whether any machine is developed for this work"

"People were ready to quit, our culture was at stake. To safeguard our culture was another factor", she added

The model, Zufa says, works on the principle of rotation and relative motion after material is wrapped around the main roller.

"The roller applies pressure on material. It takes just 30 minutes to make one piece of Namda with the machine thus reducing the workload which would take hours. A motor is also attached which rotates the roller", she added.

The facility of embroidery and finishing thread works is also facilitated in the machine.

"We've used biological pesticides to increase the shelf-life of the mattress." she added.

Zufa attributes this novel innovation to her parents whom she calls morale booster.

"My parents especially my father has been very enough supportive and have encouraged my innovative pursuits."

Her father said "whatever she picks, she does excellently by God's grace. She would do a great service to humanity. I tried my best in whatever I could offer in terms of support"

Recalling her struggles, she said "I had made three or four preliminary models. First one was entirely cardboard based. Post which, I went for couple of round surveying how the work is done, until then I was relatively unaware, an iron machine followed until this final polished model.

In order to develop a prototype of her innovation Zufa has registered her innovation with GIAN Cell - University of Kashmir. GIAN Cell has also submitted a proposal to National Innovation Foundation-India for support. Recently President Pranab Mukherjee presented Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam IGNITE Awards to the winning children of IGNITE competition organized by National Innovation Foundation (NIF) in Delhi. Zufa Iqbal was among the awardees.

"This is sure a revolutionary step, I would definitely want to invent a lot of things, but first I would like to have a professional degree from a good college." she concluded.