Indian Institute of Technology Madras professor T. Pradeep has been awarded the VinFuture Prize for his low-cost filtration system to remove arsenic and other heavy metals from groundwater.
VinFuture prizes are given in four categories annually and the award-winners are selected from around 1,000 nominations from 71 countries and recognise innovators from developing countries. The VinFuture Grand Prize worth $3 million includes three special prizes, each valued at $5,00,000 given to women innovators, innovators from developing countries, and innovators with outstanding achievement in emerging fields.
Mr. Pradeep, a professor in the Department of Chemistry, discovered affordable and sustainable nanomaterial that removed arsenic and other material. The method employed simple designs and purified groundwater. The technology does not require electricity.
Mr. Pradeep, who received the award at a ceremony in Hanoi, Vietnam last week, said the award recognised all who worked with him, those who benefited from the work and those who enabled translation of the work. He has been awarded the Padma Shri, Nikkei Asia Prize and Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz international prize for water.
Courtesy : The Indian Express