Water is essential for life, but millions of people around the world lack access to clean and safe drinking water. According to the World Health Organization, more than two billion people use a drinking water source contaminated with faeces, which can cause diseases such as diarrhoea, cholera, dysentery, typhoid and polio.
In India, the situation is even more alarming. According to a report by NITI Aayog, 21 major cities in India are expected to run out of groundwater by 2020, affecting 100 million people. Moreover, 70% of India's water is contaminated, making it one of the worst performers in terms of water quality among 122 countries.
One of the states that faces severe water scarcity and contamination is Gujarat. The state has a long coastline of about 1,600 km, but most of the coastal areas suffer from high salinity and fluoride levels in groundwater. This makes it unfit for human consumption and agriculture.
However, a young engineer from Gujarat has come up with a novel solution to provide clean drinking water to the coastal villages using solar energy. Engineer Yash Tarwadi launched a desalination plant in Olpad, a village in Gujarat, to help the residents access clean drinking water. He explains how his project works, and what other interventions his company Solnce Technologies has led towards sustainability.
How Sol-Evo works
Sol-Evo is a solar-powered desalination plant that uses reverse osmosis technology to remove salt and other impurities from seawater. Reverse osmosis is a process that forces water through a semi-permeable membrane under high pressure, leaving behind dissolved salts and other contaminants.
The plant has a capacity of producing 1,000 litres of potable water per day, which is enough to meet the needs of about 300 people. The plant operates on solar energy during the day and on battery backup during the night. The plant also has a smart monitoring system that tracks the water quality and quantity, and alerts the operator in case of any malfunction.
The plant was installed in Olpad in 2018 as a pilot project by Solnce Technologies, a startup founded by Yash Tarwadi in 2020. Solnce Technologies aims to provide sustainable energy solutions to rural and urban areas using solar power.
Yash Tarwadi says that he was inspired by his father, who was also an engineer and worked on renewable energy projects. He says that he wanted to use his skills and knowledge to make a positive impact on society and the environment.
He says that he chose Olpad as the location for his pilot project because it was one of the worst affected areas by water scarcity and contamination in Gujarat. He says that he faced many challenges while setting up the plant, such as getting permissions from the authorities, convincing the villagers to trust his technology, and maintaining the plant in harsh weather conditions.
However, he says that he overcame these challenges with the help of his team and the local community. He says that he received support from the local panchayat (village council), NGOs, and other stakeholders who helped him spread awareness about the benefits of his project.
The impact of Sol-Evo
Yash Tarwadi claims that his project has made a huge difference in the lives of the people in Olpad and nearby villages by providing them with clean drinking water. He says that he has eliminated the contamination in the local water well that caused waterborne diseases such as diarrhoea, cholera, dysentery, hepatitis A, typhoid and polio.
He also claims that through his project, he has prevented 2.064 tons equivalent CO2 from entering the atmosphere and saved 5.14 million litres of water. He says that he has also reduced the dependency of the villagers on expensive bottled water or tanker water.
One of the beneficiaries of his project is Munjal Bhai Jariwala from Asnabad village. He says that he used to drink water directly from the well, thinking that it was safe. However, he had to walk a long distance every day to get this water, and the colour and taste of the water were visibly different. He says that he did not have any other cheap options to work with, and as a result, his children often suffered from various diseases due to the contaminated water.
He says that ever since he started using Sol-Evo's water, he has noticed a significant improvement in his health and well-being. He says that the colour and taste of the water are now normal, and his children are healthier and happier. He says that he is grateful to Yash Tarwadi for bringing this technology to his village.
The future plans of Solnce Technologies
Yash Tarwadi says that he is not satisfied with just one project. He says that he wants to scale up his venture and reach out to more communities in need of clean drinking water. He says that he plans to install more desalination plants in other coastal areas of Gujarat and other states.
He also says that he wants to diversify his portfolio and offer other sustainable energy solutions such as solar rooftops, solar pumps, solar street lights etc. He says that he wants to make Solnce Technologies a one-stop solution for all kinds of renewable energy needs.
He says that he is also working on developing innovative products such as solar-powered refrigerators for rural areas, solar-powered air conditioners for urban areas etc. He says that he wants to use his creativity and engineering skills to solve some of the biggest problems faced by India today.
He says that his vision is to make India a leader in renewable energy and sustainability. He says that he believes that solar power is not only good for the environment but also good for the economy and society.
He says that he hopes that his story will inspire more young people to pursue their dreams and passions with courage and conviction. He says that he wants to show them that anything is possible with hard work and dedication.
He concludes by saying: "I believe that we have only one planet to live on, and we have a responsibility to take care of it. I believe that we can make a difference by using our skills and talents for good causes. I believe that we can create a better future for ourselves and our generations to come."
We applaud Yash Tarwadi and his team at Solnce Technologies for their remarkable work in providing clean drinking water to the coastal villages of Gujarat using solar energy. They have not only improved the health and well-being of the people, but also saved millions of litres of water and reduced carbon emissions. They have also shown how innovation and entrepreneurship can be used for social good and environmental protection. They have set an example for other young engineers and entrepreneurs to follow their passion and make a positive difference in the world. We wish them all the best for their future endeavours and hope that they will continue to inspire us with their vision and creativity.
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