In a fruitless rescue operation, a pilot whale died earlier this year in Thailand after swallowing more than 80 plastic bags that weighed up to eight kilos. Disturbed by this dreadful news, a 12-year-old boy from Gujarat’s Vadodra city decided to find a solution to the ever-growing plastic menace and in turn protecting the marine life from choking on the toxic material. Varun Saikia, studies in the eighth grade and has developed a cost-effective machine that can remove litter, especially plastic items from different water bodies like lakes, seas and rivers.
After reading about the tragic news of pilot whale, Varun started his research on how plastic waste is gradually degrading the water bodies, environment and endangering the lives of species living on land and in water. He came across various instances where fishes have died or are becoming extinct from all parts of the world due to reckless dumping of plastic waste. While he was aware that it would be impossible to end people’s dumping habits overnight, he decided to opt for a route that would reduce the plastic from water bodies. Read More