CHENNAI: Water crisis is looming large in Chennai. A solution to regulate water consumption is the need of the hour. Water Today, an Indian publication that provides information about water and the water treatment industry, organised Water Expo 2020, which began on Thursday and will end today. Held at the Chennai Trade Center in Nandambakkam, over 250 brands presented their innovations for sustainable water and treatment solutions for a better future.
The Expo began its first day with chief guests Prakash Shanmugam, general manager - head, BU-Liquid Purification Technologies; Rahul Kesharvani, general manager, business development, Permionics Membranes; Aga Irfan Ali, manager, Overseas; Vardarajalu, advisor, Water Today; P Shanmugam, senior principal scientist, CLRI; JA Raj, president, Dharshan Dredging Constructions; Piyush Narang, director, Membrane Group; D Rathna Kala, project head, Water Today; Naina Shah, editor, Water Today magazine; and Shanmugam, MD, Water Today, cutting the inaugural ribbon and lighting the ceremonial lamp at the entrance.
Engineers from around the world had a platform to present their ideas to manage water systems. “Our engineer, Syuusan Kyo, global strategy department, MIRAI Co., developed a machine that captures air-borne water, condenses and sterilises it, to make it fit for consumption,” said Munkhajargal Nambarmyadag, chief of global business promotion, MIRAI Co. The machine she was representing would purify the air, condense any moisture in it, purify the water collected and then sterilize it using ultraviolet rays, to produce potable water. “This machine has been designed to produce 100 litres of water in 24 hours,” she added.
Greenrich Grow India, a company that provides green waste disposal methods, presented My Green Bin, which converts organic waste into manure. “The bins come in 20, 50 and 120 litre capacities for usage at home, while our modular models come in 3,000, 5,000, 7,000 and 12,000 litre capacities,” said V Balakrishnan, regional head, marketing, Greenrich Grow India. The product is used to compost organic waste into compost and a liquid bio booster with the help of a microbial mixture that they provide along with the bins. “Once you invest in a bin, the only repeat investment will be in the microbial mixture,” he added.
Another green technology innovation that was displayed at the expo was a non-filling bio-tank system that can be used in place of a septic tank to tackle sewage problems. The set-up is economical and claims to be odour free. It doesn’t require regular maintenance and the treated water can be used to water plants. “The tank is completely eco-friendly and doesn’t require any power connection either. The solid organic wastes are treated using a powdered bio-culture which breaks down the matter. The liquid undergoes multiple filtration methods to extract the water for usage. It’s economical, can be easily installed and adopted in rural areas,” said N Kanniappan, sales executive, Bioman.