The death of a pilot whale due to plastic ingestion profoundly impacted a young boy, inspiring him to take action against plastic pollution. Varun Saikia, now an 18-year-old engineering student from Vadodara, has developed a device named ‘Flipper’ to clean plastic from ponds, rivers and other water bodies.
At the age of 12, Varun was moved by an article about a pilot whale in Thailand that died after consuming 80 kilogrammes of plastic waste. Determined to make a difference, he began designing small prototypes to clean water bodies. Over the past six years, Varun has created six prototypes, culminating in his flagship product, ‘Flipper,’ a portable machine equipped with modern technology to effectively clean ponds.
Varun’s device, patented as ‘A Garbage Collection Device for the Surface of Water Bodies,’ can collect 200 to 300 kilogrammes of floating plastic and cultural waste in one go. Supported by a grant from Gujarat Technical University and Drs. Kiran & Pallavi Patel Global University (KPGU), as well as his own finances, Varun’s ‘Made in India’ device is now ready for commercial launch.
The AI-powered ‘Flipper’ can be controlled via mobile phones and gadgets connected through the internet. It also features technology to display data on plastic collection, aiding the Municipal Corporation and other organisations in future pond cleaning efforts. Varun plans to rent the device to NGOs and individuals committed to environmental conservation.
“The journey was not easy,” Varun shared. “I wanted to create a working model that provides effective cleaning solutions for our ponds, which are slowly turning into heaps of plastic garbage. With grit and determination, I finally created my patented device, ‘Flipper,’ with the help of a ₹1.76 lakh grant from the Government of Gujarat and our own expenses.”
Varun is also the founder of Ocean Cleanerz Technologies Private Limited, a clean-tech start-up dedicated to sustainable environmental solutions. With 256 volunteers globally, including from Pakistan, Indonesia, Singapore and the USA, Varun’s mission is to clean all water bodies in India.
“Our vessel can collect 200 to 300 kilogrammes of plastic waste and can be controlled through devices connected to the internet,” Varun explained. “The most important part is the data collection of pollutants, pH value and unwanted vegetation, which helps local bodies identify problems and make cleaning easier. We are working on making it future-ready with features like self-driving, reprogrammable routes and solar power.”
Varun’s mother, Ruchira Choudhuri, has been his biggest supporter throughout his journey. She hopes to see ‘Flipper’ in action within the lakes of Vadodara, cleaning hazardous plastic and other waste to make water bodies safer for marine life.
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