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Man
Bhadur Khadka
VSBK Metal Part Supplier
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Man Bahadur Khadka knows the
importance of technology transfer. A trained mechanical
engineer, he currently co-owns Karnali Tech Engineering
(KTE) in partnership with Navanand Neupane. KTE is located
in Gwarkho, Lalitpur and is playing the sheet anchor
role in the popularization of Vertical Shaft Brick Kiln
(VSBK) technology. This has already brought about positive
changes.
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"Those who have mechanical
workshop can expect good times now," Man
Bahadur Khadka says with optimism. That optimism,
of course, is fuelled by prospects of more brick
makers switching over to VSBK technique in the
years ahead.
Someone who is expecting good
tides in the years ahead, he has come a long way.
To begin with, he was a bright student at Adarsha
Bebasayik Madhayamik Vidyalaya in Lalitpur and
had passed high school in 1981 with flying colors.
As is expected of bright students, he later successfully
earned an engineering degree from Ford Institute
in the southern Indian city of Banglore. He had
majored in automobile engineering and had come
back with stars in his eyes. "I was amazed
by the technological advancement in India. There
were business prospects
all around," Man Bahadur Khadka says. One
can see a smile of endurance flashing across his
face.
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| Potraits |
Chandra
Maharjan
VSBK Pilot Entrepreneur
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Raj
Kumar Lama
VSBK Fire Master [
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Santoshi
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Local, Immadole [
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Man
Bhadur Udhas
VSBK Brick Moulde [ read
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Man Bahadur Khadka, however, had limited choices when
he came back with a degree in 1990. The private sector
was not yet developed. This left him with the only option
of joining Lamosangu Jiri Project (LJP), where he had
worked as workshop manager for two years.
From 1992 to 2000 he was associated
with Arniko Highway Project (AHP). "I enjoyed working
at both LJP and AHP. At AHP I was involved in planning
and building bridges. Our job, of course, was related
to the mechanical segment," Man Bahadur Khadka
says. He is pinning hope on a growing construction sector,
which, he insists, has opened up prospects for more
mechanical workshops. The latest hope is the arrival
of Vertical Shaft Brick Kiln (VSBK) technology and the
outlook of more brick makers switching over to VSBK
technology.
However, mere demand for only pug
mill is also equally likely to produce enough business.
While not many out of 200 odd brick makers of the capital
are expected to go for the new technique yet, a large
number of them can be expected to go for pug mill at
the very least.
"That machine (pug mill) is drawing the attention
already. I am sure we will have a roaring business in
future" Khadka says. Technology transfer is paying
off. The cost of pug mill has come down from to Rs.
115,00 from Rs.160, 000 when initially imported from
India. Similarly, the cost of screw sets has come down
from Rs.47,000 to Rs. 26,000 when fabricated at KTE.
Meanwhile he goes back to the mixed
memories of a workshop he worked at in Paanchkhal once.
"We depended on government road projects and bridges.
We had enough work but never felt secure," Man
Bahadur Khadka says. He had always been trying to forge
ahead regardless of the setback.
That workshop, he says, was later
privatized and marked the rise in prospects for private
workshops. This culminated in the setting up of KTE
two years ago. That in turn coincided with the introduction
of VSBK technology. Now he expects to do a thriving
business by fabricating and marketing pug mills, screw
sets, trolleys and extruder machines; all of which are
needed for VSBK.
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