Retired auditor turns childhood dream into creating portable utility to pick dirt and leaves
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G.E.C Costa uses an electric drill to make the product.
Though not economically sound or with no proper standing in life to be a forceful and influential personality who could transform an innovation or invention into a successful product, there are many people in Sri Lanka who have the intellectual ability to be real creators for public good.
If only they are given a helping hand, like many other big, powerful businesspersons who walk into banks and come out flushed with funds, those small-time creators can turn their inventions into viable, marketable products.The Business Times (BT) columns have time and again brought to public notice, specially the knowledge of state agencies who are assigned to help such innovations, such creations and how they grapple to turn the innovation into a marketable product while –on the way – overcoming impenetrable barriers.
Though the ‘Multi-Picker’ which someway helps reduce the incidence of dengue fever is being marketed now, widening the market has become difficult. This device is like a stick that could pick up pieces of paper, leaves and other dirt, specially from drains, etc eliminating the need to bend or stoop which then means a lot of effort.
The inventor of this product is G.E.C Costa, now 60 years and living in Thotewatte Road, Wewala, Ja-Ela. Speaking to the BT at residence, he said that his basic studies was from Christ King College, Ja-Ela and then joined the Sri Jayawardenapura University in 1980 to do a degree in Public Administration. Joining the public service he served in the Police Headquarters, Education Department and then Foreign Ministry.
He said while working in the Foreign Ministry he was selected to the Foreign Service and thus visited several countries. He has seen such implements in some of those countries that were used to pick dirt. From the Foreign Ministry he moved as Chief Internal Auditor at Police Headquarters and retired in 2014.
He told the BT, “once I retired, I was thinking of how people die of dengue fever and that blocked drains are a major cause. I started thinking of a device that could pick dirt which could help reduce the incidence of deaths due to dengue. I had an inclination of testing various types of simple implements and with the retirement benefits of gratuity and pension, I invested my entire retirement benefits to research on the Multi-Picker”.
He said that during his childhood he used to make improvised toy vehicles. He is capable of plumbing, medicine, electricity and carpentry and said that technical knowledge was inborn in him. He said that he has developed the product within a matter of one year. A mold was made according to his specifications
The Multi-Picker is about three feet long and is an aluminum square tube and a gun-like plastic handle fixed on top with a trigger. A chord fixed to the trigger runs through the tube which is tied at the bottom to a claw like a crab’s claw. Once the trigger is squeezed the claw closes in to pick the dirt.
He maintains a workshop to turn out the Multi-Picker and started production in the beginning of the year. Sales are picking up and he has sold several hundred during this short time. A stick is priced at Rs. 1000. People now know the advantages of this product and there is a growing demand, but he is unable to move to a mass production scale.
Cleaning the garden.
He needs a larger factory for the mass market but the investment cost is too heavy for him. He said the nylon chord could also be replaced with a steel chord but to keep the price low he needs to produce large quantities. The item is for multi-purpose uses and comes handy for any government or private sector offices, hospitals and other places where dirt gathers. The inventor could be reached at costagec@gmail.com.