Pune: About 700 million people across the world fall sick due to various mosquito-borne diseases such as Zika virus, West Nile virus, Chikungunya, jaundice, dengue and malaria and more than a million die. The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended the use of mosquito nets to keep such diseases at bay.
This inspired India Meteorological Department scientist Shirish Khedikar to invent a micro-control mosquito net. Interestingly, Khedikar recently has set a world record by filing ten patents, and this invention is among it.
Explaining the mechanism
“There was a need for a solution to reduced the temperature inside the bed/sleeping area without using electricity and using less water. The solution should not disturb the medical recommendations of social distancing”, Khedikar said.
“The micro-climate control mosquito net is among the ten filed patents. It works without using electricity or fuel. It required less than 10 litres of water. Cost of manufacturing is less than 500 Rs per unit, and the life of this net is three to four years. No maintenance cost and repair is required while using this net”, he added.
This net is portable, washable and easy to use. It is eco-friendly and has no harmful effect. This net can be used in jungles/ outstation and places where no electricity or problem of load shedding or water scarcity.
How to use
The user needs to fill the duct attached to the net through an inlet. The water is absorbed by the net and raised through capillary action and wick mechanism. The water evaporates from the wet net due to temperature and flowing wind. Due to evaporation, sensible heat is absorbed from the net and reduces the temperature inside the net.
This net can reduce the temperature by 4 to 8 degree Celcius inside the net. It can also protect from hot climate and mosquito-borne diseases like malaria. It can protect from insect bites, dust and small wild animals. This net is best suitable for self-isolation, as it can reduce the spread of diseases. This net also reduces light inside the sleeping area and hence provides better sleep. It is easy to enter and exit.
This net will prove useful to solve various problems during the ongoing pandemic. Khedikar ready to give this technology to the government.
