Ivory Tower: Class 9 student devises house planter to drain water, prevent dengue

While countless kids have witnessed awareness drives on how to keep their surroundings clear of stagnant water to prevent the breeding of mosquitoes in peak monsoon season and keep dengue and malaria at bay, a Class 9 government school student has done something about it.

The simple and innovative creation —- a modest house planter with a twist —- has been devised as a quick and sustainable solution to keep premises clear of the threat of dengue larvae breeding at home. While the model is effective in draining excess water in pots, it also ensures plant health and water conservation.

Sans complications, the model, named “Planter Fitted with a Pipe”, was among the 46 statewide projects of students to have been chosen for the INSPIRE Awards held across government schools in the state last year (2024).

A student of Government Senior Secondary School, Dhadda, in Jalandhar, Gurpreet Singh created it under the guidance of his science teacher Amarjit Kaur. The innovation has been implemented at the school level to ensure that the school remains clear of dengue mosquito.

Now in Class 9, Gurpreet was in Class 8 when he created the model.

Science teacher Amarjit Kaur said, “All our schools witness intensive drives by the Health Department on how to prevent the breeding of dengue mosquitoes in summer and during the monsoon. A lot of efforts and energy of the Health Department is aimed at ensuring the success of this drive. Gurpreet is a very diligent student and came up with the idea of creating a planter which would keep excess water out on its own. It could save a lot of energy and the water reuse could further aid in the conservation of water. He researched for days before coming up with the project as it had to be ensured the water drained out on its own, without any manual interference. He first participated in the INSPIRE Awards held at the Meritorious School, Jalandhar, at the district level from where he was selected for the 46 best innovations across the state. The state event was held at Patiala.”

“His model couldn’t make it to the top four at the state level but was much appreciated. We have several planters using this method at school. We would love it if the Health Department adopts this to keep dengue at bay. Gurpreet’s work is an inspiration for other students too,” said Amarjit Kaur.

Gurpreet said, “All I wanted to ensure was a way through which planters —- which are among the most common sites of dengue larvae breeding —- could be cleared of excess water. Removal of extra water is good for plant nutrient health and water conservation. The model can go a long way in dengue prevention.”