CHENNAI: It took a pandemic to educate and remind the denizens of this planet to ‘wash hands, practise personal hygiene and stay safe.’ With the virus unfolding each day in the last four months, the vulnerability of human health is now almost subject to our sanitation practices. Health experts, too, have been reiterating that one of the best and simplest ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is to wash hands regularly, besides wearing a mask. So even as the world continues to struggle with the issue of water crisis, it’s ironic that the availability of water is critical more than ever before.
But then how feasible is it to keep washing our hands as a key preventive measure? Earthfokus, run by Roshan Karthik and Arun Subramanian, two aspiring engineers-turned- entrepreneurs, offers a sustainable solution. Two years back, the duo had innovated a prism-shaped nozzle that garnered the attention of reputed corporate giants and loyal patrons. In the current circumstances, thanks to client feedback, the team recently introduced four new models of this nozzle to cut down water consumption.
“Every house has a different water pressure in different rooms. The pumping speed from the borewell influences the functioning of this product and controls the flow of water. We design our prototypes keeping all these factors in mind. The first prototype only had the mist option that permitted very little water flow. A few clients requested a nozzle that would permit a relatively better flow of water. We introduced the shower mode a few months back for that purpose and it has been selling like hot-cakes,” shares Arun.
While the process of atomisation where water gets converted into sprinkles or droplets remains the same, in the new version, speed is model-specific. Ecomist is an only mist model that saves 90 per cent water. Ecoshower is an only-shower model that saves 85 per cent water. Quamist, a dual-mode with mist and shower option, saves 85-95 per cent. Quamist, dual-mode with 360 degrees, saves 85-95 per cent water. These are the four models of the nozzle now in stock. T
he nozzles come in standard sizes and are easy to install. It works in buildings even without pressure pumps. The pieces are made of eco-brass, which is said to have anti-microbial properties. “An ordinary tap can supply water up to 10 LPM (litres per minute). With Ecomist, the usage is close to 0.5 LPM. A single handwash can use up to 600 ml of water. But with Ecomist or Quamist, the output would be close to 60-100 ml only. Fine mist covers more area and gives you enough water to give you a great hand-wash. You do not have to compromise on your hand-wash experience,” assures Roshan.
They have sold about 400-500 pieces since the lockdown. Enquiries have been pouring in from international customers in the UAE, Poland, Australia and the UK. “Some of our biggest clients were B2B. Now that everybody is working from home, our focus is more on regular consumers. We have been spreading the word through our personal social media pages and the offical page of Earthfokus. We ship across the country,” said Arun. The team is now working on nozzles for hand-showers. The nozzles are priced from Rs 499 to Rs 990. For details, visit: www. earthfokus.com