The Hindu  28.10.2010

Remedy for water contamination

Swathi.V

Water treatment method aims at treating water through solar radiation and does not use power

What an idea:Vemula Lakshmi Narayana from Tadipatri with his invention.

HYDERABAD: Despite the extravagance of dollars in millions through Public-Private Partnerships, one problem that remains from resolution in the third world countries is water contamination and the spread of disease thereof.

If Raqxa, a contrivance by Vemula Lakshmimnarayana(Ph: 9848391922) from Tadipatri town of Anantapur District, gains recognition and commercial production, people from rural India can hope to get potable water at nominal cost.

The ‘Solar Water Purifier with Integrated Storage and Automatic Supply' as mentioned by its architect in his patent application, is one among the 52 projects shortlisted for the ‘India Innovation Initiative-- i3 National Fair' being organised in the national capital on November 22 by the Confederation of Indian Industries, together with Department of Science and Technology and Agilent Technologies.

Raqxa competed with 850 entries from all over India, and what makes it special is the innovator's non-technical educational background. For Mr. Lakshmimnarayana, a postgraduate in literature, innovation has been the second nature and Raqxa, the acme of it. He earlier designed a perpetual calendar, a rat-trap, and a solar water heating system.

“Safe drinking water is one challenge faced by many countries in the world. According to a World Bank report, 10,000 people die every day due to water and excreta related diseases. My storage and supply system can assure continuous supply of disinfected drinking water by removing pathogenic micro-organisms through solar radiation,” assures Mr. Lakshminarayana.

Raqxa in fact uses the SODIS (Solar Water Disinfection) treatment approved by the World Health Organisation for affordable safe drinking water in small quantities by households. The method aims to treat water through solar radiation and involves filling water in Pet bottles and exposing them to the sun for five hours on a bright day or two days under cloudy sky.

In his device, Lakshminarayana used a number of glass purification cells to contain water for exposure upto 20 hours.

These will be fixed to a solar panel and kept at a suitable angle on the terrace. Untreated water will be pumped up from a water tank/can in the house, kept at a level higher than the discharge unit from where the treated water can be drawn. The whole system runs with gravitational pull and does not use power to build pressure, asserts Mr. Lakshminarayana.

Through check valves, he also made sure that the untreated water does not get mixed up with the treated water in the cells when water is drawn for consumption. The device is long-lasting, environment-friendly and requires zero maintenance, he says. He is on the lookout for patrons who can fund the commercial production without profit motive.

The Times of India         28.10.2010

PCMC records 87 chikungunya cases in nine months

PUNE: Pimpri-Chinchwad continues to be in the grip of chikungunya with 87 cases being reported within PCMC limits in the past nine months, according health department statistics. However family doctors in the township say the number is likely to be much higher since many people visit private hospitals for treatment.

R R Iyer, medical director, Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) said, "The PCMC sends samples of suspected cases to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) for confirmation. The NIV has confirmed that 87 people suffered had chikungunya."

Iyer said that the dengue spreading mosquito aedis egyptii is also responsible for spreading chikungunya and said that people should ensure that water does not accumulate in utensils, scrap materials, tyres, flowerpots and areas around their homes.

Shahaji Chavan, chairman of the Pimpri-Chinchwad doctors association said that the number of chikungunya patients is actually much higher than the 87 quoted by civic officials. "Most people get admitted in private hospitals rather than civic hospitals for treatment. There has been a noticeable increase in the number of chikungunya patients coming to private hospitals."

Also many pathological tests done by patients show negative results although they have all the classic symptoms of chikungunya like persistent arthritic pain.

Meanwhile, Prashant Shitole, chairman of the PCMC's standing committee said that its members were concerned about the growing number of chikungunya cases within the municipal limits.

"The civic administration is responsible for maintaining cleanliness on the roads and in public places," said Shitole. "Regular spraying and fogging activities must be undertaken in public places to prevent the breeding of mosquitoes."

He stated that he has received complaints about health workers not getting sufficient material for spraying and fogging so the civic administration has been instructed to take remedial action.