/ technology

Atmospheric Water Generator : Water From Thin Air - PART I

By: Saurabh Kulkarni | Date: 15th September 2019

Why do we need AWG? / Why did we find it necessary to build it? / The Objective of AWG

"I see it! I see it!" cried a man (M1) to his fellow traveller (M2) who were searching for little ounce of water in the drought stricken place called INCEHAN southern region of ARBATH.

The dried lip skin were like autumn leaves about to fall, their mouths were all disfigured & bruised as if they have been indulging in the public fights over water.

Land was cracked and barren all over till the horizon. It seemed to be an agricultural land before, as the land was sectored and there were worn-out tractors & tools at various places. No sign of shed. "Where?" asked M2 in desperation.

M1 did not react to him and started limping towards a 4-feet wall-like structure in the middle of the sectored land. "Well it's well, water, water!” these were the only words his mouth allowed him to speak.

As soon as they reached they just stood there arching their backs over the well. M1 burst into a loud cry of happiness and torn his muddy looking shirt full of dirt into half. The adrenaline rushed due to what he saw.

M2 stood there blank, trying to recollect himself. In a flash of seconds M1 climbed the wall and jumped into it. M2's pupils dilated. There came this sound "Thud". The hallucination won. Dry well started filling up with blood.

Now, let us continue this story after say 30 years, savvy?

Drinking water, let alone clean drinking water, as a basic necessity has not reached every one of us, despite the enormous progress we have made in terms of technology, infrastructure, multimillion dollar space odysseys and health facilities among others.

Some unfortunate people consume contaminated water causing life threatening diseases. According to World Health Organization (WHO)-

1. 785 million (1 out of 10) people lack basic drinking-water service, including 144 million people who are dependent on surface water.

2. Globally, at least 2 billion (1 out of 4) people use a drinking water source contaminated with faeces. Contaminated water can transmit diseases such as diarrhoea, cholera, dysentery, typhoid, and polio. Contaminated drinking water is estimated to cause 485,000 diarrhoeal deaths each year i.e. more people die of diarrhoea than tuberculosis!

3. And the most horrifying revelation which 99% of us would take it for granted is, by 2025, half of the world’s population will be living in water-stressed areas. India is already the 13th most water stressed countries in the world, only to be preceded by the countries in the Middle East.

In land of seven rivers (India), due to all the time rising population there is ever increasing water demand which is to be supplied by battling with the severe climate change demon.

This water crisis is the worst ever faced by India as the water bodies have turned seasonal (as monsoon comes they fill up and after that they are almost dry rest of the year). This problem also affects the economic growth, livelihoods, human well-being and ecological sustainability, not in a good way.

But, here can be a solution to not just obtain but “produce” drinking water. Welcome to the realm of Atmospheric Water Generators.