Drone by tea vendor's son to help Siliguri fight dengue
What's the story
A drone made by Rajiv Ghosh, the 17-year-old son of a Siliguri tea-seller, will help the local government fight dengue. A Class 11 arts student, Rajiv spent Rs. 1.5 lakh and seven months to make the drone, which is being tested to help Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) tackle the health menace that has claimed innumerable lives over the years. Read on to know more.
Backstory
Rajiv persevered despite odds
Rajiv attends Margaret High School. He is deeply interested in science, but couldn't score enough in Class 10 to pursue it further. However, he didn't let it or the reality that his father was a tea-vendor at Siliguri railway station, stop him. With financial help from parents and neighbors, he imported the necessary equipment from the US and China, and began building the drone.
Way forward
Drone's endurance, image quality to be tested for a month
It was while he was still making the drone that Rajiv heard Siliguri's mayor talk about using drones to check dengue menace in the city. Since then, he didn't look back. His drone's endurance and image quality will be tested for a month. If found satisfactory, it would be used by SMC to take pictures of stagnant water on building terraces.
Details
Kolkata has already used drones to detect stagnant water, garbage
However, Rajiv says he has tested the drone thoroughly and is satisfied with its performance. According to him, it can fly up to 1,800 metres. The idea of using drones to identify stagnant water and garbage in high rises and residential buildings in not new. Kolkata has already deployed them successfully in and around South City Mall.