MEGHDOOT – Generating Water from Air : A product from Maithri Aquatech
Providing access to safe water on a sustainable basis.
Water is an important resource to all life on this planet. But one important fact we have been ignorant about is how little of it we have access to. Of all the water available on Earth, only 2.5% of it is freshwater, in which only around 1% is accessible to humanity. The rest of the freshwater is locked away in glaciers and deep underground water aquifers. Decades of exploitation of this 1% has created a major global issue known as water scarcity.
Earth’s growing population has created a situation where the demand for water is much greater than what is available, leading to a further increase in exploitation. Global Warming is not making this situation any better. With rapid urbanisation and industrialisation comes pollution. The greenhouse effect caused by the pollutants in the air lock-in heat inside the Earth’s atmosphere preventing it from escaping into space and heat the planet. This gradual heating of the planet has added up and has put the planet in a peril, causing surface water bodies to dry up and the polar ice-caps to melt.
In circumstances such as this, the world is still reliant on aged water solutions such as Reverse Osmosis (RO) and related Desalination techniques. The issue here is that these commonly used technologies are neither sustainable nor safe for the environment. The RO systems we have at home have water outlets to expel waste water, a by-product of the purification process. For every litre of water used, one-third of it is purified while the remainder two-third is expelled.
Now considering the billions of litres purified by RO systems across the planet, and the image is truly terrifying. Desalination systems are in the same bag as they require lots of energy and large infrastructure to set up and dump enormous amounts of salt – the by-product of the process, into the surrounding environment, severely damaging local biodiversity. Continuing the use of such devastating “solutions” for a worsening problem is not exactly best for neither humanity nor the planet.
To create a solution capable of generating water without damaging ecosystems is the driving force behind the Indian water start-up – Maithri Aquatech. Ramkrishna Mukkavilli the founder of Maithri Aquatech shares “We manufacture the MEGHDOOT Water from Air Systems, which is based on the concept of ‘Atmospheric Water Generation (AWG)’, and is capable of generating water from the air, with zero dependence on ground and surface water sources making it sustainable. The technology is capable of producing various grades of water specific to customers’ requirements and is highly scalable, allowing it to meet minor to massive demands up to millions of litres per day”.
The MEGHDOOT Water from Air Solution operates using the process of‘heat exchange’. Initially, the air is drawn into the system and cooled. As the temperature falls below its dew-point, the water vapour present in the air is condensed into droplets which are then collected in water storage. Following this, the water is filtered, and mineralised before dispensation. The architecture of the system allows it to generate tens of litres to virtually infinite litres of water every day. By pairing the solution with a renewable energy source, it would be self-sufficient and generate a negative carbon footprint.
The founder opines “Maithri Aquatech’s water solutions are unique due to their sustainable, scalable, and decentralized nature. Our solutions are capable of generating the best quality of water with no compromises, ensuring better health and wellbeing especially to those frequently affected by poor water conditions. The company has also developed ‘No-contact’ dispensing systems to ensure that every drop dispenses is free from human contact. We work with our clients to show the importance of our solutions especially in delicate times such as now making sure everyone we meet has access to the best quality of water.”
The advantages of Maithri Aquatech’s MEGHDOOT are:All-in-one water solution which generates and purifies water
- Extremely scalable with its unique modular architecture
- Most sustainable water technology
- Virtually infinite potential for producing water
- Plug-and-play with no infrastructure requirement
- Economical when compared to expensive large-scale water solutions such as Desalination plants
- Easy to maintain
The Inside Story of Maithri Aquatech
Ramkrishna Mukkavilli, the Founder of Maithri Aquatech, is a serial entrepreneur, who had observed the scarcity of water around him, and how small of a focus had been shed on it despite being a major global issue. He had observed that water scarcity was mainly due to two reasons: it was either the unavailability of water caused either due to overexploitation and urbanization, or it was due to the contamination of available water resources due to deep digging, rapid industrialization, or other forms of human intervention. Current water solutions are inefficient due to either wastage or an inability to filter highly contaminated water. This drove Ramkrishna to search for an answer leading him to the skies. Air has enough water to fill all rivers on the planet six times over, thanks to the natural water cycle, why not harness it? This is how Maithri Aquatech and its product MEGHDOOT were born.
Looking forward, the founder shares “we have inspired quite a few major clients who have continued to work with us time and again – Public Sector Units (from the likes of TCIL to IOCL), the Indian Railways and the Indian Defense Forces. Our sustainable solutions have also gained much notice from large private corporations even such as that of Amazon India who themselves are driven to building a sustainable future. As water is a universal requirement, we also provide to individual customers. Our client base is not only limited to the country of India but also expands to Africa, the Gulf, and Oceania.”
Today Maithri Aquatech is the only company of its kind to be approved by the Ministry of Jal Shakti (Ministry of Water, India) through the esteemed R. A. Mashelkar Committee.
As per Economic Times, Maithri Aquatech is one of the top 50 Startups in India in 2020.
In the 10th Anniversary of the RELX Environmental Challenge (2020), the company is proud to be one of the 7 short-listed applicants among 170 from 43 countries that best demonstrate how they can provide access to safe water on a sustainable basis.
The company is working actively towards setting up of MEGHDOOT Water from Air Kiosks across all Railway Stations in India, with similar Community Water Kiosk for those locations experiencing water scarcity. The company has also collaborated with the likes of USAID for setting up kiosks at the community level in cities like Chennai and Visakhapatnam.
The founder believes “Entrepreneurs and businesses should not solely focus on building revenue but also paperwork towards achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals. After all, contribution towards a better planet builds a better future for everyone.”
