Sixteen‑year‑old Ananya Patel from Mumbai has developed a low‑cost, portable water purifier that uses sand, charcoal, and a simple UV‑filtering chamber to remove bacteria and heavy metals from contaminated water. The device costs under $25 to produce and requires no electricity, making it ideal for remote villages. Patel was inspired after visiting her grandmother’s village, where residents relied on a single hand pump that often broke down, forcing families to drink unsafe water. After months of experimentation in her school lab and with mentorship from a local engineering college, she created a prototype that reduced E. coli levels by over 99% in field tests. Her invention won the national Young Innovators Award and has drawn interest from NGOs working on water access in South Asia. Patel plans to collaborate with local artisans to manufacture and distribute the purifiers, aiming to reach at least 1,000 households by the end of 2026.
About the Author
