Coronavirus: Bengaluru student creates homemade contactless water tap
Govardhan, a Class 8 student from Bengaluru, utilised his free time during the lockdown to create a contactless water tap, drawing inspiration from the internet.
Crisis paves way for innovation. While we are adapting ourselves to live with the coronavirus, technology has helped us make this transition smoother.
Meanwhile, with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Indian government encouraging safe hygiene practices, frequently washing hands with soap has become a habit. However, one tends to touch the tap unnecessarily while washing hands, resulting in an increase in infection.
14-year-old Govardhan
To help lower the risk of infection while washing hands, Govardhan, a Class 8 student of the Government Higher Primary School in Channasandra, Bengaluru East, has created a contactless water tap called ‘Tippy Tap,’ drawing inspiration from the internet.
Tippy Tap is a sanitiser dispenser-like solution where people can use a pedal to get water instead of touching the water tap.
“In this COVID-19 time, it is safe to not touch anything. So I came across this idea, and I even read about pedal-operated Tippy Tap. I saw it and it was very easy to make. So, I took the help of my father and set up the Tippy Tap,” Govardhan told SocialStory.
Govardhan says his mentor at the Akshaya Patra Foundation motivated him to learn new things during the lockdown, and his innovation was the result of it. His father Krishnappa owns a laundry shop, while his mother Kalavathi is a homemaker.
Speaking about his innovation, Govardhan said that he didn’t spend a single rupee to make the Tippy Tap, and used materials that were easily available at home, such as empty oil can, few matchsticks, among others.
Growing up, Govardhan wishes to pursue his dream of becoming an astronomer. He naively says, “I want to become an astronomer, and work with NASA to create spacecraft, and find something interesting in space.”
As of June 13, India has recorded over 8.7 lakh COVID-19 cases, with over 23,000 deaths. Globally, the number of positive cases stands around 13 million.
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Edited by Suman Singh