WWF power project awaits govt's attention
A local professor of chemistry and globally acknowledged researcher Tahira Rauf has claimed to produce electricity from street garbage with cheaper and environment friendly technology which can help overcome the country's energy crisis.
Currently serving an Associate Professor of Chemistry in Islamabad College for Girls F-6/2, Tahira has developed a successful award winning model of environment conservation and green energy generation initiative, seeking relevant authorities' assistance to turn her research work into a practical dream.
"I have won three national awards at National Level Science Festival 2019 at F-9 Park, Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (FBISE) National level competition 2016- 17, Intel Best Category Award by Science Foundation Karachi 2012-13 and had won consecutive first prizes from 2012-15 in science olympiads organized by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) for the garbage to energy model," she said.
In an exclusive chat with this agency Tahira claimed that in her model simple scientific techniques were used to separate Chromium from industrial waste and electricity production from household garbage.
Sharing
Prof Tahira further said the
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Thomson Effect technique had been used in which garbage was put in the pit comprising an enclosed chamber. "The household garbage will be dumped into the pit and then burnt to produce gases. These gases being released will be transferred into a very specially designed compressor," she added.
Prof Tahira went on to mention that these highly compound gases would pass from thousands of very small nozzles of the compressors which would emit the gases with high kinetic energy and would move the turbine producing energy.
Replying to another query, she said the technology was entirely eco-friendly and had no detrimental impacts on the ecology.
The innovative models had bagged recognition at national and international level but a competent team was required with proper funding to execute those projects for the betterment of the nation, she said.
"The global non-governmental organization,WWF has requested me to share this technology but I plainly declined just to ensure its utilisation for my country and nation," she disclosed.
Another eco- friendly model, she said, was comprised of water purification cum chromium extraction from the effluents of leather tanneries using chromium for washing leather, a much needed initiative to keep our natural water reservoirs protected from depletion.
Prof Tahir said, "Chromium is a very expensive metal and used as a catalyst in fertilizer industry and washing of leather in tanneries which was putting burden on the imports and costs of our leather products. By adopting this method, Prof Tahira said hazardous impacts could be reduced by recycling chromium metal from affluent and decreasing water pollution in the area.
To a question, she said chromium was a non-corrosive metal and could be used in electroplating of surgical instruments, in the iron industry to produce stainless and non-rusting iron and also in the production of fertilizer industry catalyst.
The technology was cheaper to adopt and would provide another source of income to the tanneries' owners, she remarked.
Prof Tahira said she had also made special insect repellant tablets that could even prevent dengue mosquito bites through malabatham leaf commonly known as tez path and used in biryani. "Its results are convincing as by putting those tablets in pulses, flour, spices and any other culinary item the insects would come out of it other than dying inside the product," she added.
Porf Tahira regretted for lacking resources to get her tablets patent through a recognized pharmaceutical to benefit general public.