Students’ research projects qualify for National Science Congress

LUDHIANA: In what could turn out to be a viable solution to the growing problem of dengue, a research project of students has qualified for the National Children’s Science Congress organised by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India.

Gurvinder Singh

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, December 5

In what could turn out to be a viable solution to the growing problem of dengue, a research project of students has qualified for the National Children’s Science Congress organised by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India.

Two teams from the city, one from BCM Arya Model School, Shastri Nagar (senior category) and the other from Delhi Public School (junior category), were among 16 teams from the state that have made it to the national level congress.

The students, including Armita, Pranav, Hardic, Mehar and Jatin from Class X of BCM Arya Model School, Shastri Nagar, carried out a research project to control dengue. They found that the solution could be right in the kitchen. Amarpreet Kaur, the faculty guide for the project, said the students carried out the research and found that salt, lemon, kerosene and vinegar prevented the breeding of mosquitoes that cause dengue, malaria and other diseases.

She said the students got the research results tested with the help of scientists from Punjab Agricultural University, including Dr DK Kochhar from Department of Zoology. “Changing the acidity and forming a film on water surface worked well for preventing the breeding of mosquitoes,” she added. She said students were also working on creating a mosquito repellent using a crude mixture of lemon grass and garlic.

The research project in the junior category, carried out by the students of Delhi Public School, was based on wastage of electricity in paddy cultivation. They also found that it was leading to a rise in the level of carbon dioxide and green house gases, as the source of electricity for the farms is the Bathinda thermal power plant. Agrim Sood, Ojas Sharma, Mudita, Khushi Sibal, Daksh Arora, from Class VI, VII and Class VIII, conducted a survey at Issewal village in the district. Ruby Sood, their guide teacher, said the students found as electricity was provided to farmers free of cost, it led to excessive use of motor pumps, resulting in overirrigation and waste of electricity. “Most of the landlords have hired labourers to operate motors pumps. They do not bother about switching these off on time,” she said. “Moreover, the pumps used are of poor quality, without ISI mark, which consume more power and take longer duration to pump out water. As hydro power was not sufficient, power is sourced from the thermal power plant, where coal is burnt to generate electricity,” a student said. So excessive use of power results in excessive coal burning, which leads to an increase in carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases, impacting the environment, she said.

District Science Supervisor Pardeep Kapoor said: “Research carried out by the children not only encourages them to find out the solution to problems facing society but also inculcate scientific temper in them. These teams have qualified from among 62 teams at the senior category, and 58 teams in the junior category. We hope the qualifying teams do well at the national level as well.”