Designer of unique clay water filter seeks help to expand
Nimal Wijesinghe, Anuradhapura Additional District
Group correspondent
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INVENTOR: H. M. Nawaratne.
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 ANURADHAPURA: A clay water filter capable of absorbing fluoride and
filtering water leaving aside all unwarranted micro elements has been
designed by a villager in Monnekulama Nikaweratiya.
Herath Mudiyanselage Nawaratne told the Daily News that he worked
hard conducting experiments to develop a quality water filter which
purifies drinking water to its maximum. The natural mechanism keeps the
water cool.
Explaining the production of the clay filter, he said a mixture of
common natural clay and very special herbs were used as the main items.
He assured that no chemical has been used in the manufacturing process.
The water filter functions on gravity power, an extraordinary feature
which is not available in imported water filters.
Nawaratne has studied up to the Advanced Level at Maliyadeva College,
Kurunegala.
He has worked with dedication for four years to shape the filter with
his own methodology.
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TAKING SHAPE: The clay pot or the outer cover of the filter being
shaped up at Nawaratne’s workshop. Left: The clay water filter made
out of a clay and herb mixture which completely absorbs fluoride and
micro element chemicals from anything poisonous to the human body.
The outer cover of the filter fitted with a water tap.
Pictures by Anuradhapura Additional District group correspondent.
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 Nawaratne has spent nearly Rs. 400,000 on the project, selling and
mortgaging some of his property to find the money. He has sought help
from several institutions to purchase modern sophisticated machinery and
put up a factory.
"They demand quality control reports and a number of other documents.
But for imported water filters no quality control certificates are
required. Such attitudes are a blow to local inventors and manufacturers
and this discourages them from coming forward," Nawaratne said. He said
to start at least Rs. 2 million is required.
If he is given a helping hand, he is confident that half of the
expenditure on imported water filters could be cut off thus saving
considerable foreign exchange annually. This type of clay water filters
have a great demand in the foreign market, Nawaratne said.
"There is no other make of a clay water filter which has a natural
filtering methodology identical to my invention. The product provides
highly purified drinking water which is a solution for kidney diseases
in Rajarata," he said. |
