Water from thin air for Chennai students

Chennai: In an attempt to improve basic amenities for students at its schools, the Chennai Corporation on Monday inaugurated an experimental project to provide drinking water at its Chennai school in Thideer Nagar. What’s interesting about this project is the fact that drinking water will be obtained, not through pipes or cans, but from the atmosphere.

Fundamentally, the machines take in air and cools it to the point where water vapour condenses. This water is collected and passed through micron activated carbon and ultraviolet filters. While no independent water source is required, the machine needs a continuous supply of electricity to function, consuming around 0.4 units to produce one litre of clean water. The machines that have been installed cost Rs 98,000 each and can produce up to 120 litres a day.

Speaking at the function after inaugurating the project, Chennai Mayor Saidai S Duraisamy said the Corporation would look into the feasibility and practicality of installing such machines in other schools as well. He also said the ‘water-from-thin-air’ machines could prove to be an effective drinking water solution for household, if they are made cost effective.

The manufacturer of these machines, Akash Ganga, had already donated one of the machines to the Chennai School on Kuppam Road, in Thiruvanmiyur, around two years ago. Sources in the Corporation say the machine has been functioning fine till date, producing around 200 litres of drinking water a day.

“We have given the machines to the Corporation free of cost. It is in line with our desire to take part in a social cause. We are aware that even basic drinking water is not available to the children in these schools. Keeping the health of the children in mind, we have donated these three machines. We will be happy to take part in a much wider initiative of this nature,” said T M Shyamsunder, managing director of Akash Ganga.

While no commitment has been made to installing the machines, the civic body would monitor the performance of these machines and consider the possibility of getting more, Corporation sources said.