NirNal: This portable water purifier gets you clean drinking water at just Rs 99

Water makes up around 60% of the human body composition. The statistic drives home the importance of it in our lives. Extensive research has indicated that a human being can survive without food for around three weeks, but just three to four days without water. Be it cleaning, quenching our thirst, daily chores, or cooking, water is indispensable to human existence. You might have noticed that your health suffers considerably if you don’t consume an ample amount of water during the day. Urinary tract infections, headaches, and dehydration are just some of the common side-effects on the body caused due to insufficient water intake. 

Given the importance of water to our existence, it is shocking to know that there are millions across the world who do not have access to clean drinking water. According to the World Health Organisation, around 785 million people across the globe lack access to drinking water. The number includes 144 million people are dependent on surface water. Coming to India, statistics about the country’s access to drinking water aren’t very encouraging. The United Nations Children’s Fund claims that less than 50% of the Indian population has access to clean drinking water. The international organisation also reports that the water in as many as 1.96 million dwellings in India is chemically contaminated. The water found in these households is mainly contaminated with flouride and arsenic.

Despite, the efforts by various countries to make water accessible to everyone, a lot needs to be done. Experts recommend the use of water purifiers and filters to make impure water fit for consumption. However, the lack of quality equipment and unaffordable water purifiers make it impossible for many to get access to potable water.

The ongoing novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic has forced us to take a re-look at our health and a regular supply of potable water is a must to achieve the said goal. Does that mean that you can’t access clean drinking water without spending a lot of money? Definitely not. There are a lot of options available today which can get you a regular supply of potable water without leaving your pockets empty. One of them is the NirNal water filter, which has been designed by Niranjan Karagi. This cost-effective water filter is not only great at purifying water but can also be carried along.

Niranjan got the idea of designing this water filter while playing football while pursuing engineering from a college in Belgaum. While playing, he saw a couple of school children quenching their thirst from a public tap which was installed in an unsanitary location. The reality hit Niranjan hard. Resolving to design a product that will make potable water accessible for all, the techie came up with the idea of NirNal. This advanced water filter can easily fit into most mineral water bottles available in the market.

Over the past several years, Niranjan has added several features to the product so that it becomes more efficient at its job. The company claims that the product can remove up to 99% of the bacteria present in water. It can also purify up to 300 litre of water. This water purifier is also very easy to use, so you don’t have to depend on anyone to help you install it. All you need to do is to fix this advanced water filter at the top of a bottle with a narrow mouth. It fits atop the bottle just like a cap. Whenever you want to drink water, put the NirNal water filter at the bottle’s mouth, squeeze the bottle and start drinking. Getting this product means that you don’t have to look for potable water wherever you go, be it railway stations, market or even a relative’s house.

You can get this portable water purifier for less than Rs 300 and this price is just an investment that lasts for months. The product is like a dream come true for many households where people struggle to provide clean drinking water for their families but are unable to as they can’t afford the expensive water purifiers currently available in the market. Priced at Rs 297, the NirNal water purifier comes as a pack of three cartridges, and each refill will cost you Rs 99. Each refill can be used up to 60 days. Given its efficiency and cost-effectiveness, this purifier should be a part of your travel kit.

Like NirNal, several other companies are looking into ways of making water purification a hassle-free yet cost-effective process. Bengaluru-based startup Oceo’s water purifiers are not only reasonable but also help you check the content of total dissolved solids on a real-time basis. This low-cost solution comes with no installation or maintenance charges. If one installs these low-maintenance water purifiers, you pay around Rs 1 per litre as purification charges, rather than spending anything between Rs 40 and Rs 100 for a 20-litre can of packaged water.