The Union Minister of Earth Sciences, Jitendra Singh, launched India’s first saline water lantern, known as “Roshni”. The initiative uses seawater to power light-emitting diode (LED) lamps.
He also unveiled the one-of-a-kind saline lantern during his visit to “Sagar Anveshika”, a coastal research vessel operated by the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOTC), Chennai for marine research.
According to Singh, the lantern will bring the poor and needy people ease of living. Particularly to the fishing community, which lives along India’s longest coastal line. He informed that three desalination plants based on the Low-Temperature Thermal Desalination (LTTD) technology would be developed and demonstrated at Kavaratti, Agati and Minicoy Islands of the Union Territory of the Lakshadweep. He further stated that the capacity of each Low-Temperature Thermal Desalination (LTTD) plant is around 1 lakh litres of drinking water per day.
What is a Saline water lantern?
The Saline water lantern is a technology which uses seawater as an electrolyte between specially designed electrodes to power Light-Emitting Diode (LED) lamps. This technology will help the people who live along the coastal line of India.
This initiative is a supplement scheme to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Ujala Scheme (PMNMUS), which was launched in 2015 to distribute LED bulbs nationwide. The primary purpose of this initiative is to have a renewable energy programme with energy security, energy access, and a reduction of the carbon footprint of the national economy.
Advantages of a Saline water lantern:
- Usage in remote areas
This technology can be used in hinterlands, where seawater is unavailable. Any saline or normal water mixed with common salt can be used as fuel to power the lantern. This technology is not only cost-effective but also very easy to operate.
- Budget-friendly
The technology does not need any additional sources or costly parts. It operates on saline water, which is available everywhere. If people do not find saline water, regular water with a small amount of salt can be used as fuel to power the lantern. This is an effortless and effective way to make fuel and power the light source. This is the reason why it is named “ROSHNI”. The technology does not need to be maintained.
- ROSHNI’s Radiance
This unique technology, which uses saline water as a fuel, brings brightness to India’s 7,500 km long coastal line. It is said that the longest coastal line in India is home to 9 coastal states and 1,382 islands.
- Renewable sources of energy
Saline water, as a fuel for lanterns as a renewable energy source, does not emit pollution into the environment. It does not cause any harm to flora and fauna. Another benefit of using only saline water as fuel is that it does not flourish easily.
