Tech-savvy youth ready to change the face of Karachi

A 100 start-ups present their ideas at the annual Momentum Tech Conference

KARACHI: Once known as the city of lights, the everyday experience in Karachi is now marred by traffic jams, sewerage floods and dusty footpaths. If a public representative is kind enough to respond to a citizen's complaint, more often than not, the official will bombard them with logistical, technical jargon to explain why the system is failing despite their best efforts. An artificial intelligence (AI) based start-up 'Fly Green' co-founded by Abdul Basit Paracha has come up with an innovative solution to assist district authorities with these problems.

Fly Green has invented a surveillance drone which can identify problems, collect real time data and transmit that data to the control centre, thereby indicating what needs to be fixed and where the problem has occurred.

The drone is given a map of the chosen area over which it carries out its surveillance and inspects damage. In that particular area if a sewerage fault occurs, the drone can identify the main sewerage choke, it can collect data from the sewerage system in real time, measure the scale of the problem, and transmit that data to the control centre which can then compare before and after images of the area and assess the situation. As the blockage point is identified by the drone, the maintenance and sanitation team can begin their work at the source of the problem and effectively prevent the situation from worsening.



Paracha believes the surveillance system will be useful for Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board, and others as it will significantly reduce the resources and time spent in locating the problem.

Similarly, the drone will be able to identify the source of a traffic jam so the obstruction can be cleared in a timely manner. For instance, if traffic is blocked on Shahrae Faisal Road the drone can identify the cause of the traffic jam - whether it is a truck with a punctured tyre, a road accident, etc - and locate the problem as well.

The AI-based system could also be used to monitor trees planted on footpaths. If a tree is withering or damaged, the drone can inform the control centre. It can also distinguish between an artificial plant and a natural one. The data collected in real time can also be of use to the forest ministry and can help ensure environmental protection.

'Momentum 2019'

Paracha presented this surveillance system at the third Momentum Tech Conference held at the Peal Continental Hotel in Karachi. The two-day conference hosted 100 shortlisted start-ups which presented their ideas before venture capitalists, tech giants such as Google, Facebook, Amazon and Microsoft, private multinational firms such as McKinsey, International Business Machines Corporations (IBM), and other investors.

The 100 start-ups at the conference were given the opportunity to present their ideas in front of representatives of the above mentioned organisations, seek funding, and gain insights and advice from experts. They also benefited from mentorship opportunities the conference provided.

Effective irrigation

Speaking to The Express Tribune, Ramla Kaleem, a 25-year-old, a graduate from NED University of Engineering and Technology and the CEO of Aqua Agro, explained how their start-up enabled farmers save up to 50% of irrigation water while increasing crop yield by 30% to 35%.

Aqua Agro has built a device which when placed in the soil uses censors to assess soil moisture, temperature, humidity, wind speed, and heat index. This data can help the farmer determine when to irrigate his crops and how much water is needed.

The start-up is currently incubated in the National Incubation Centre in Karachi and has six deployments in Gadap Town, she said.

Water purification

Founder of the start-up 'Save Every Drop', Usama Javed Sheikh, spoke about their 24-inch plant which he claimed is 40% to 50% more economical and 20% more operational than a conventional plant.

Their plant uses a molecular distortion technique to separate clean water from contaminants. Sheikh claimed their plant has been able to achieve 91% purification of contaminated water, making it reusable. The plant can be operated by a single person and has the capacity of purifying 10 litres per minute, he said.

The start-up which is based in the National Incubation Centre in the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) has tested its plant at the nullah outside LUMS. Sheikh said the plant achieved 91% results and was effective in cleaning the nullah at a cost of Rs10 to Rs15 per 1,000 litres.

'Emerging market'

Microsoft representative, Muhammad Arslan Shahid, who leads Microsoft's start-up investments in Pakistan, Lebanon and Jordan, said that Pakistan is an emerging market and tech giants are interested in building a start-up ecosystem in the country. He added that Microsoft has announced a $500 million investment for start-ups globally, including four in Pakistan.

Founder and CEO Amir Jafri said that Momentum was not just a conference or a place for start-ups to compete. "Our goal is to provide young visionaries with opportunities to learn, create and implement technological solutions for various industries using brains of different influencers, leaders and technologists," he said.

The top three start-ups chosen at the event were Eye Automate, GoGhoom, Edvon Robotics and Islam 360 in first, second, and a tie on the third position respectively.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 2^nd, 2019.