IIT scientists develop material that can harvest water from fog
New Delhi, Oct 8 : Taking a leaf from nature's book, a team from IIT Mandi has developed a material that can harvest water from fog.
Researchers worldwide are working towards developing techniques that can harvest water from unexpected sources, such as fog and mist, to meet the burgeoning demand for water.
"There are several plants in arid and semi-arid regions of the world whose leaves can harvest water from dew and fog. If they can do it, so can we," said Venkata Krishnan, an associate professor at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi, Himachal Pradesh.
For the study published in the journal ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering, researchers studied the intricate structures on the leaves of an ornamental plant called the Dragon's lily head (Gladiolus dalenii).
The surface patterns on the leaf in micrometre and nanometre scales were evaluated in relation to the water harvesting properties, and the patterns were replicated onto a polymer material.
The team found a 230 per cent enhancement on the fog harvesting performance of the patterned samples, compared to an unpatterned control sample.
Solutions to provide drinking water to India's growing population must not only span policy and behavioural changes but also incorporate scientific and technological innovations inspired by nature, researchers said.
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Congress names candidates for 8 Haryana LS seats, fields Kumari Selja, Deepender Hooda
Chandigarh (PTI): The Congress on Thursday announced candidates for eight of the nine Lok Sabha seats it is contesting in Haryana, fielding former Union minister Kumari Selja, Rajya Sabha MP Deepender Hooda and youth leader Divyanshu Budhiraja, besides two sitting MLAs.
The party has also fielded former MP Jai Prakash and leaders Satpal Brahmachari and Mahendra Pratap, according to the list released late Thursday evening.
The Congress is contesting nine of the 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana. It has not yet announced its candidate for the Gurugram constituency.
The Aam Aadmi Party, a constituent of the opposition INDIA bloc, will contest the Kurukshetra seat.
Congress general secretary and former Union minister Selja will contest from the Sirsa (reserved) seat and sitting MLAs Varun Choudhary and Rao Dan Singh from the Ambala (reserved) and the Bhiwani-Mahendragarh Lok Sabha seats, respectively.
Deepender Hooda, son of former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, will enter the fray from Rohtak. He has represented the Rohtak parliamentary constituency three times in the past.
Jai Prakash has been fielded from Hisar, the Congress' Haryana youth wing president Divanshu Budhiraja from Karnal, Satpal Brahmachari from Sonipat and Mahendra Pratap from Faridabad.
