Indian prodigy builds ‘intelligent ship’ to suck plastic off ocean’s floor
Ocean pollution is an enormous challenge and the hazardous effects of plastic pollution in the oceans have spurred many individuals, organizations and companies to develop ingenious methods and create innovative devices to tackle the problem.
Among the few environmentalists and scientists, a 12- year old Indian boy Haaziq Kazi is hogging the limelight for designing a ship named ERVIS that could clean up the waste out of the ocean’s surface.
Genius design
Two years ago, Haaziq Kazi, studying in Pune’s Indus International School in Grade 5 was dismayed by the magnitude of the plastic pollution in the oceans and the devastating ill-effects on the marine life and decided to design a ship to collect the waste from the oceans and clean it.
Since last year, Haaziq has been highlighting the hazards of ocean plastic pollution and measures to prevent it. He has been working with different people, organisations and forums to create public awareness for the same.
Recently, Haaziq Kazi was one of the speakers at the TEDxGateway event in Mumbai where he received applause for his genius design as well as his take on the ocean’s plastic pollution. Speaking to Al Arabiya English, Haaziq Kazi shed light on his innovation ERVIS and the importance of overcoming plastic pollution in the ocean in a responsible manner.
In 2016, his interest to clean up the world’s ocean was sparked by watching documentaries on the National Geographic Channel about the ocean waste problem and its dangers to marine life. He was also impressed by Boyan Slat’s TED Talk and also wanted to make a difference on the ocean waste problem.
Explaining the concept of ERVIS’s emergence, Haaziq said that once while washing his hands he watched the water flow into the sinkhole. He thought he can use the same principle of centripetal force to suck waste from the ocean’s surface. This created his first rough model of ERVIS which was his vision for changing the future.
However, the current prototype design of ERVIS emerged much later, in mid 2017, following extensive research and consultations with few scientists, designers, inventors and environmentalists; all of whom helped him to refine his vision of ERVIS and make it more practical in design.
ERVIS is an intelligent ship which has multiple saucers and chambers surrounding it. (Supplied)
The Intelligent Ship
Talking about the functions and features of ERVIS, Haaziq says, ERVIS is an intelligent ship which has multiple saucers and chambers surrounding it. The saucers suck in the ocean’s waste and through connected pipes send it across five different chambers; within which the entered waste is analysed, segregated and compacted and the filtered water is pumped back into the oceans.
The first chamber is for waste oil and the other four chambers are for large, medium, small and micro waste respectively. Haaziq clarifies that although he is currently working on the prototype of ERVIS, “It is still in the initial phases.
It will have to go through multiple stages and trials along with substantial funding before a fully operational ERVIS comes out in the oceans.Yet, Haaziq is optimistic that ERVIS will be a reality and in the future, multiple ERVISes will man the oceans; cleaning and scavenging the waste off it”.
Haaziq wants to use sustainable energy to power ERVIS like solar energy or Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) or Liquefied BioGas (LBG); being inspired by newer radical designed ships, which are utilising sustainable energy. He also hopes to make ERVIS fully autonomous like TESLA.
Haaziq is very passionate about creating public awareness of the dangers of ocean plastic pollution as he believes that this will solve a multitude of problems. He states that the global consumption of plastic in the last decade alone has surpassed that of the last century’s plastic consumption and that a major part of it was ending up in the oceans.
‘No Planet B’
Haaziq quotes Mahatma Gandhi and says, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” He further emphasises, “We all have in some manner contributed and created this ocean waste problem and if we don’t make smart choices or change the way we consume plastic in a more responsible manner, this problem will not only persist, but it will aggravate.”
He further asserts that he wants people to be conscious of their choices as there is only one earth which will be bequeathed to future generations and that our actions now will determine our legacy. He reminds us that “There is no Plan B, as there is no Planet B”.
When asked about his future plans and innovation, he muses that there is so much more to be done and adds that the ocean plastic problem itself poses the bigger problem of micro plastics which are more in quantity and a greater threat than plastics on the ocean surface. He mentions that wastes on beaches are a challenge.
He further adds that through ERVIS he wants to create a platform for like-minded people to connect and collaborate and help alleviate the problems facing the oceans and marine life.
Haaziq sees himself solving problems of the world innovatively and by sustainable means. One such problem that this child prodigy wishes to resolve relates to urban transportation.
Courtesy: english.alarabiya.net
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LoP Ashoka targets CM govt over corruption, says being 'shameless' in public life not forgivable
Bengaluru (PTI): Targeting Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and the Congress government in Karnataka on corruption, BJP leader R Ashoka on Friday said, being foolish was forgivable, but being "shameless" in public life was not.
The Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly claimed that in just 30 months of its tenure, the Congress administration has broken every previous record on corruption-related controversies.
He was responding to Siddaramaiah's post on 'X' on Thursday hitting back at the BJP, stating that Upa Lokayukta Justice Veerappa's claims of "63 per cent corruption" were based on his report in November 2019, when BJP's B S Yediyurappa was the CM.
"But Ashoka, without understanding the Upa Lokayukta's statement properly, has ended up tying the BJP's own bells of sins onto our heads and has effectively shot himself in the foot," the CM had said, as he accused Ashoka of foolishness for trying to twist Veerappa's statement to target the current government.
Responding, Ashoka said, "it is one thing to be called foolish in politics, that can be forgiven."
"But in public life, especially in the Chief Minister's chair, one must never become shameless," Ashoka posted on 'X' on Friday addressing Siddaramaiah.
Noting that the CM himself had admitted on the floor of the Assembly that a Rs 87 crore scam took place in the Valmiki Development Corporation, he said that when a CM acknowledges such a massive irregularity inside the floor of the House, the natural expectation is immediate action and accountability.
"But instead of taking responsibility, you continue in office as if nothing has happened. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness," he asked.
Pointing out that the CM's Economic Advisor and senior Congress MLA Basavaraja Rayareddy had publicly stated that under Congress rule, Karnataka has become No.1 in corruption, Ashoka said, "Yet, you still cling to the Chief Minister's chair without a moment of introspection. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness."
Senior Congress MLA C R Patil had exposed the "money for House" racket in the Housing Department and even warned that the government would collapse if the details he has were made public, Ashoka said.
"Despite such serious allegations from within your own party (Congress), you neither initiated an inquiry nor acted against the concerned minister. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness," Ashoka asked the CM.
Highlighting the "40 percent commission" allegation Congress made against the previous BJP government, the opposition leader said, the commission that the Siddaramaiah government appointed concluded that the accusation was baseless.
"After your own panel demolished your own claim, what moral right do you have to continue repeating that allegation. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness," he asked.
For the last two and a half years, Karnataka has been 'drowning' in corruption, scandals, irregularities and allegations across departments. Ashoka said, "If I begin listing every case that emerged under your government, even 24 hours would not be enough."
"And the most tragic aspect of your administration is this: the unbearable pressure, corruption demands and administrative harassment under your government pushed several officers and contractors into extreme distress - including the suicide of Chandrasekharan which exposed the Valmiki Development Corporation scam - a sign of how deeply broken the system has become under your watch," he said.
Instead of fixing this hopeless environment, the government has tried to bury every complaint and silence every voice, he charged.
"Being foolish is forgivable, but being shameless in public life is definitely not."
"When your own ministers admit scams, when your own advisors certify Karnataka as No.1 in corruption, and when your own MLAs expose rackets inside your departments - clinging to power without accountability is not leadership. It is shamelessness in its purest form." PTI KSU
Earlier on Thursday Ashoka had demanded that the corruption case and allegations in the state against the Congress government be handed over to a CBI investigation, citing a reported statement by Upalokaykta Justice Veerappa alleging "63 per cent corruption", following which Siddaramaiah hit back at the BJP leader.
