If you are in two minds about visiting Chilika and Kalijai due to the frequent boat mishaps in the lake, here is a piece of good news for you.
This time, two school students have come up with a solution. Two students of Narayan Vidyapitha demonstrated their project on how to prevent boat mishaps at the Science Exhibition organised at Kamaleswar Nodal School under Krushnaprasad block of Puri district.
Their project became a crowd-puller in the exhibition.
Demonstrating a boat made from thermocol, one student narrated that his model boat has two balancers on both sides of the boat. “In case of a cyclone or thunderstorm, when the boatman presses a button, the two balancers will come out from below the boat and protect it from capsizing,” he said.
“Their proposed boat is also environment-friendly. Instead of fuel like diesel, petrol, and kerosene, it is driven by solar power. A solar panel is fitted atop the boat. This apart, it is equipped with a wind turbine. In Chilika, the wind speed is normally 50 to 60 kmph. Using the wind speed, the turbine can also produce electricity,” he added.
“When the students discussed with me about their project, I found it worth displaying. Their model demonstrates how it can maintain balance in turbulent situations in water,” said the guide teacher.
(Reported by Nilakantha Pradhan)