This start-up incubated at IIT Guwahati will now provide contaminant-free drinking water across Assam

Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with RD Grow Green India Pvt Ltd on August 22, 2019. The Technology Transfer Signing Ceremony was held at the IIT Guwahati campus between Dr T G Sitharam, Director IIT Guwahati and Rajeev Saikia, MD, RD Grow Green India Pvt Ltd.

Expressing his thoughts on the MoU, T G Sitharam, Director, IIT Guwahati, said, “Drinking water contamination is a major problem in most of the states including Assam. This “chemical free” treatment technique might be useful to the citizens in rural and urban areas as well. I appreciate the initiative made by the team from IIT Guwahati that has resulted in one of the successful incubation of a company within IIT Guwahati (RD Grow Green India Pvt Ltd) who have taken the challenge to supply contaminant-free drinking water in the Assam state presently using the technology developed by Prof M K Purkait.”

The technology is based on the ‘Apparatus and Method for Removal of Fluoride, Iron, Arsenic and Microorganisms from Contaminated Drinking Water’ by Prof Mihir Kumar Purkait, Department of Chemical Engineering, IIT Guwahati. The technology is patented by Prof Purkait under the Indian patent Number: 286481.

Explaining the technology, Prof Purkait, said, “In electrocoagulation process, an applied potential generates the coagulant species in situ as the sacrificial metal anode (aluminium or iron) dissolves, while hydrogen is simultaneously evolved at the cathode. Coagulant species aggregate the suspended particles or precipitate and adsorb dissolved contaminants. Tiny bubbles of hydrogen and oxygen that are formed during electrolysis of water, collide with air bubbles which compel to float the pollutant particles. Choice of electrode material depends on various criteria such as low-cost, low-oxidation potential, inertness towards the system under consideration. Aluminium has been seen to be very effective and successful in iron, arsenic and fluoride removal at favorable operating conditions. The technology is equally effective for the treatment of industrial effluent including oily wastewater.”

RD Grow Green India is an incubating company at the Technology Incubation Centre in IIT Guwahati and is working for this project for the treatment of contaminated drinking water and industrial effluent as well.

Talking on the MoU, Rajeev Saikia, said, “The Company is capable of handling Arsenic, Iron and Fluoride contamination of Assam in collaboration with the state government in appropriate manner.”

The application is time proven state-of-art-appropriate technology in every process control unit further makes the all-in-one packaged water treatment plant. In this process, there is zero wastage of water (Unlike RO based unit).