13-Year-Old Odisha Girl Wins Award at Google Science Fair for Purifying Water with Corn Cobs

A student of standard IX in DPS Damanjodi of Odisha, Lalita Prasida Sripada Srisai has won an award at the prestigious Google Science Fair. She developed a low cost water purifier which uses corn cobs in a very innovative manner.

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Lalita Prasida Sripada Srisai, a 13-year-old student from Odisha, won the ‘Community Impact Award’ at the prestigious Google Science Fair in California on Tuesday.

A student of DPS Damanjodi in Koraput district of Odisha, Lalita developed a low cost bio-absorbent based water purifier, which functions mainly on waste corn cobs.

She won in the 13-15 years age group, and received 10,000 USD as the prize money. Additionally, she will also be supported by the organization for a year to build upon her project.

Her basic idea was to purify water using the least utilised part of the maize plant - that is the corn cob. A very important agricultural waste, corn cob is a suitable adsorbent because of its high mechanical strength, rigidly and porosity.

According to the headmaster of DPS Damanjodi, Trinath Prasad Padhi, Lalita is also very proficient in extra-curricular activities like song and dance. A major function at school has been planned to honour her when she returns.

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