Ingenuity unleashed: Host of innovators win TSIC accolades

P Rohan, a young innovator and a resident of Nizamabad, who innovated band-aid for potholes on roads, shares, “Every year, the state government spends a huge amount to fix the potholes that are damaged due to heavy downpour or due to the pressure applied by the heavy vehicles. The contractors repair these roads by filling the potholes with limestone and bitumen mixture. In a short time, these roads again get damaged. To overcome this problem, I along with my mentor V K Madhu came up with fixing band-aid on potholes on the road. This pothole mixture is made with plastic waste (polythene bags), worn-out tyres, dismantled building debris and bitumen mixture. Once applied on the potholes, it just takes 10 minutes to settle. Potholes filled in this way last for a minimum of 15 to 20 years and pollution can also be controlled. Recently, the Municipal Commissioner of Nizamabad has given permission to implement this project in an experimental manner and we are working on it.”

Raju Magani has innovated an automatic bike accident detector after learning about a fatal accident of one of his relatives. Speaking about the device, he said, “This innovative device detects motorcycle accidents and contacts emergency services. The device offers various unique features including automatic emergency calls, SMS notifications, sending live location tracking for emergency contact and it also has an alarm sound audible up to 500 metres along with emergency light indicators to prevent secondary accidents. Due to lot of reasons many accidents are observed on roads. Many people are losing their lives due to lack of prompt medical assistance. This device automatically detects the motorcycle tilt and notifies the emergency contact person and also it will prevent secondary accidents. Right now we are testing this prototype and once it yields good results, we will launch it in the market.”

Y Nagaraju, a Chemistry teacher and resident of Sangareddy, created an eco-friendly brick made with tea powder/ coffee seeds residue and his innovation was recognised in the Intinta Innovator Program. Explaining his innovation, he said, “According to the United Nations Environment Programme, per annum, 50 billion tons of sand is used globally for the construction of roads, dams, houses, etc. Generally, bricks are made up of cement and sand. If we use sand for construction purposes, we will face a decline in our natural resources, as sand is the second largest natural resource. So, as an alternative, I have chosen tea powder residue for making eco-friendly bricks and these can be used in the laying of roads, plastering work during the construction of buildings, etc. It is 30 per cent stronger than concrete bricks made from sand. This innovation has a lot of advantages – it is non-toxic, low-cost and helps save the natural resources (sand). We are currently working in talks with the state government and several private organizations on further steps.”