Trincomalee teacher creates wonderful invention that could protect the planet’s scarce water resources – thro’ commode power!
TRINCOMALEE – The level of state machinery available to identify, monitor and promote talent and innovative ideas in Sri Lanka – without any doubt – is weak in this country. This was seen as a result of the Business Times (BT) opening up its columns to raise the profile of these struggling inventors and their new ideas in a bid to help them secure funding new technology and to make them economically viable products in the market.
Among several other inventors and creative innovators is S. Parthasarathy from Orrs’ Hill, Trincomalee who had called the BT and said he has invented a commode cover that could save around 5 litres of water during flushing.
Displaying how it works.
On the face value of it, the idea appeared to be sound as this could transform to millions of litres saved across many Sri Lankan families.
Last week, this newspaper met Mr. Parthasarathy at his home at Orrs’ Hill, Trincomalee
There was nothing that could be seen to reflect that we had come to the home of a inventor. No workshop, any tools or machinery that has used to create his ‘wonderful invention’. He has made a separate commode lid (cover), fitted, it a strip of about six inches of thick rubber type of flexible material around it, which once pressed and released comes back into its original position. He showed us how his device works in his toilet.
He raised the existing commode lid and on the seat, placed his rubber stripped commode lid and pressed the top down. Water in the commode then drained out into the cesspit. His invention is called “Pneumatic Pressure Commode Cover (PPCC)”. With his crude device the operation is cumbersome, but in that simple form worked perfectly well. It simply works on the air pressure. Once the contents are flushed off with this pressure, around three litres of water is released to the commode from the cistern to wash and to retain the water sealing for the next pressure dirt flushing.
His commode cover is also fitted with a small one way air sucking valve. When the lid is pressed the valve closes and once the pressure is released the valve opens to suck air to the commode to prevent the operation reversing.
Any Tamil living in the area invariably has a powerful but sad past – a story of horror and anxiety, and this was the situation in the case of Mr. Parthasarathy, too. His home town is Velanai, Jaffna. He too was a victim of the crises that took place in the recent past and in fact, he met his wife while travelling in the ship from Jaffna to Trincomalee, the only mode of transport available during that time in that area.
He had his basic studies at Kinniya Central College, Trincomalee and obtained a BSc in Agriculture from an Indian University. He has obtained his MA in Science Education from the Peradeniya University. Now with three children, he works as an agriculture teacher at the Kinniya Central College, Trincomalee.
This PPCC is like an uncut precious gem – the great value that it could generate for the entire world is yet to be measured in terms of saving a colossal amount of water. Normally it is estimated that around 8 litres of water is required to flush the commode but with the PPCC, 5 litres are saved. This should not only attract the attention of local investors and supporters but also international organisations interested in saving the planet’s meagre water resources.To explain preciousness and the scarcity of water, he said in India one of the pressing problems is the lack of adequate toilet facilities. During some seasons, in some areas there is a severe scarcity of water so much so that a particular Indian state would
S. Parthasarathy
not allow water to be flushed in commodes.
Mr. Parthasarathy is an innovator but doesn’t have the backing of important, connected Government agencies not only to commercialise invented products but also – like in the case of many others – make sure the country gets the benefit of a product that improves the life of the people.
For example in 1997 he obtained patent rights for another of his inventions – a system of ladders to pluck coconuts and tap palmyrah trees.
Residents in these areas make a living by tapping palmyrah trees but he found that many people die trying to climb these trees. So, he invented the specialised ladder to prevent those deaths. His first approach to climb tall trees was a ladder system and as far back as in 1997 his invention was approved and has obtained patents.
While explaining about his PPCC, Mr. Parthasarathy said, “There was no one to help me or provide me any advice to make my inventions into viable marketable products”. He said that with some technological inputs these inventions could be turned into very valuable products, but also he insisted there should be much needed financial assistance.
He said that in the case of the ladder climbing device there should be low weight and high strength material to be used to make these ladders, instead of the original wooden ladders. This inventor could be reached at tel: 0776014721 or on email parathy61@gmail.com.