Young inventors show their ingenuity

By Lalit K. Jha

NEW DELHI, DEC. 10.

Ever thought of using a particular stone found in abundance to generate a gas that can be an effective, eco-friendly and much cheaper substitute for petroleum in a motor bike or a car! Or for that matter using waste polythene as a material for surfacing of roads?

And just imagine what it would be like if power can be generated from vehicles plying on a busy road. If young students were given a chance and a well-equipped laboratory to experiment with their novel ideas, all these and much more might be a reality soon.

The two-day city level Intel Science and Talent Discovery Fair 2001 for students which concluded here today was a melting pot of ingenuity and innovation. Providing a glimpse into the minds of budding Indian scientists -- a resource which needs to be accessed by the Government and civil society, it was part of Intel's attempt to foster the spirit of discovery and innovation among school students.

A Hero Honda bike running on acetylene gas generated from calcium carbide placed at the entrance of the Science Fair was a centre of attraction. Brain child of Anshul Kaushik and Anuj Sharma -- students of S.M. Arya Public School, Punjabi Bagh, it was being dubbed as the cheapest, environment-friendly substitute to petrol. ``It works out to just Rs. 2 per litre,'' the two claim.

Giving details of their invention, for which they have already applied for a patent, they say ``Calcium carbide which is found in abundance in India reacts with water to give acetylene. This is used as a fuel to run the four-stroke engine. I have successfully tested it on our bike after making some changes in the carburetor and mechanical parts. Filter was added to engine to check impurities of acetylene gas and to make the engine safe.''

Not to be left behind is Bhaskar Gupta from Jabalpur, who has developed a system to reduce accidents and the risk of driving at night on highways without street lights. ``This can be done by placing an automatic dipper switch in the vehicle so that drivers are able to see the roads when another vehicle approaches,'' he says.

While civic bodies are grappling with the problem of finding an environment-friendly alternative for plastic bags, Sumit Ghosh from Delhi Public School, Bhilai, has used waste polythene for re-surfacing roads. It can be used as a filler in roads, building tops and coating metal articles to prevent corrosion. ``The idea is to protect the environment from the ill-effects of discarded polythene,'' he says.

Concern for the environment they live in has led Natasha Jha and Jyoti Sharma from Delhi Public School, Mathura, to develop a model for water management system for oil refineries. The model has been selected for the national level exhibition to be held in Mumbai next month.

All in all, it was a fair that reflected the genius of young minds.

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