It was nice to see the pollution levels drop during the COVID-19 lockdown, however as people started stepping out, cities started to get polluted again.?
Because of this, people continue to innovate in ways the impact of pollution could be reduced on our planet. And now, a 14-year-old girl has tried to reduce the impact of pollution that arises due to ironing.?
Yes, we often use electric iron at our homes but people who do ironing for a living tend to stick to conventional ironing methods with the use of charcoal. And according to India¡¯s Department of Science and Technology, that¡¯s roughly 5 kilograms by each vendor on a daily basis. This equals a ton of pollution while causing a severe risk of lung issues for the one operating the iron.?
To eliminate these problems, 14-year old Vinisha Umashankar has developed a wheeled cart, with solar panels on top and batteries to power an electric iron. She worked on this project alone, after her school and took six months to come to its final stage.?
Reported first by Reuters, Umashankar's invention was even tested a year back by the National Innovation Foundation, under the Department of Science and Technology. They also helped her seek a patent for her.?
The device needs five hours of bright sunlight to fully charge and each battery is capable of providing power for nearly six hours. The cart is also compatible with grid power or a generator, should such a need arise.?
The overall cost to make such a cart is roughly Rs 40,000. To put things into perspective, the average cost for charcoal for two days worth of ironing comes around Rs 700 to Rs 1,000.
Vinisha said in a statement to Reuters, ¡°I calculated the enormous quantity of charcoal being used, the pollution from it that worsens climate change, damages Mother Earth and human health. I wanted to create a renewable resource to replace charcoal.¡±?
She added, ¡°Today, solar energy is inevitable, particularly in sunny nations such as India, where some parts of the country get 300 days of sun a year. In the long run, my innovation will not only work out cheaper for vendors but help the environment too. ¡±
Vinisha Umashankar's invention is a testament to the upcoming innovations that will help solve the climate change crisis, and we can't wait to see what she innovates on in the near future.