The students participating in the Karnataka Science Fair 2023 seemed to be inspired by the daily issues they witnessed in their vicinity and made efforts to find sustainable solutions for the same. Several participants, especially from the rural parts of Karnataka, addressed the issues of electricity, garbage and water scarcity as well and how they brainstormed and came up with creative solutions for the same.

Two 16-year-old students from Davangere designed an energy conservation gym with a seesaw and gym equipment. The muscular energy of a person while exercising or playing on the seesaw would be utilised to pump groundwater. The students Pritam M and Nithin K from Indira Gandhi Residential School said their machine was energy efficient and would provide health benefits to people at the same time, stated a report by The New Indian Express.

Instead of borewells that use electricity to pump water, such equipment can be installed where children can play and adults can exercise as well with the heavy equipment. In both scenarios, water can be pumped out. Muscle-strengthening activities help maintain a person’s ability to perform everyday tasks and also slow down the rate of one and muscle loss in an ageing person.

Other students also showcased their prototypes made for producing electricity by heating dry waste, segregation of waste, protecting crops during the time of excessive rainfall and an automatic waste dumping alert system.

Three students, Dhanushree HM (14), Yashaswini SA (16) and Meenakshi G (16) from Hosur, developed a machine for producing electricity from any heat source like a biodegradation plant which can be stored in a battery and later utilised in several ways. They said, “The issue of electricity shortage is prevalent in our village and several times electricity goes in a day. If such a plant is made on a large scale it can provide electricity to houses, schools and hostels as well in times of need,” as reported by The New Indian Express.