BHUBANESWAR: Aswatha Narayana, student of city-based engineering college, has created history by winning the first-ever gold medal for the country at the 45th World Skills competition held at Kazan in Russia.
Narayana was a part of the 48-member contingent representing India in the world’s biggest international vocational skills competition. A student of CV Raman College of Engineering in the city, Narayana bagged gold in water technology on Tuesday.
The 25-year-old, who competed against 11 countries to win the medal, has also been felicitated ‘Best of Nation’ amongst the Indian competitors. “My interest in the field of industrial automation had driven me to choose this skill,” Narayana said, adding, “since water is the world’s most critical resource, the importance of this occupation and quality of those fulfilling it is second to none.”
In Water Technology, the competitor must assume the role of a water technician who ensures that potable water is available from a treatment plant. “We had to do tasks based on the challenges faced in water supply and waste water treatment. We must be able to collect and analyse the samples of water and perform chemical and biological analysis to achieve optimum dosages of chemicals in the treatment process,” Narayana said.
The skill also required the competitors to be able to create an automated system where we control the process of the plant in filtration and supply of water, he added.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Odisha Skill Development Authority Chairman Subroto Bagchi and others extended their greetings to Narayana for his feat.
“Congratulate #SkilledInOdisha youth, Aswatha Narayana on winning India’s first ever gold medal at @WorldSkills 2019 for showcasing stellar skill in water technology. #Odisha is proud of you,” Naveen tweeted.