SPU student’s innovation to promote Swachhata

Vadodara/ Anand: An automatic announcement system developed by a PhD student of Sardar Patel University (SPU) is spreading the message of cleanliness at Kevadiya colony where world’s tallest statue – the Statue of Unity – will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 31.
Using the renewable energy concept, Harshvardhan Jha, a PhD student of C L Patel Institute of Studies and Research in Renewable Energy, has developed the announcement system which has been installed at the energy park at Kevadiya colony.

“I had developed this standalone system that uses both wind and solar hybrid combination to make public announcements. It does not use any external source of energy,” said Jha, 28.

“The system can store seven messages at a time of which six messages are of duration of one minute each while seventh message is of the duration of four minutes,” said Jha, who after graduating in instrumentation and control had completed his post-graduation in renewable energy.

“This system has a timing pot through which you can set time intervals of public announcements which can vary from one minute to 10 minutes,” he said. The easy-to-access announcement system has been developed in such a way that the messages or the announcements that are to be played are stored in memory card.

“There are day and night sensors due to which the system automatically stops during night hours and re-starts from morning,” he said.

Although the motto of this announcement system is to spread the message of ‘Swachhata Abhiyan’ being promoted by the PM, the system has been designed for multiple usage. “This system, if installed in garden, can appeal people not to litter. Similarly, in temple premises, there can be appeals to maintain silence or beware of pickpocketing,” he said.

“Also, if installed at Chorwad, the announcement can be to keep a safe distance from the sea as there can be high tides,” said Jha. Developed at a cost of Rs 50,000, the system has been installed Supernova Technologies, which is run by Jha’s father Shreelal Jha who is himself an innovator.