In 2015, the then President Pranab Mukherjee presented Rishikesh C.S., a pre-degree dropout hailing from Muhamma near here, with the National Grassroots Technological Innovations and Traditional Knowledge Award instituted by the National Innovation Foundation - India for developing a ‘wireless electricity sensing machine’.
Four years later, he has come up with yet another ‘lifesaver’, a ‘wireless power supply disconnecting system’ that can automatically turn off the electricity supply in case a power line snaps. The new device has already caught the attention of the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB), which finds itself in a difficult position following the death of two persons as they stepped on a live electric wire that snapped in Thiruvananthapuram last month.
According to Mr. Rishikesh, 43, the device contains a receiver and transmitter. “The receiver is fixed on the transformer while the transmitter is placed at the end of a power line. The transmitter will relay a signal to the receiver the moment the line gets cut off. The snapped line will fall to the ground dead. No one will get electrocuted upon touching it,” Mr. Rishikesh said.
KSEB tests system
KSEB officials recently experimented with the device on a live line in Alappuzha and expressed satisfaction. “A detailed report will now be submitted to top officials of the KSEB. We will suggest slight modifications in the original device invented by Mr. Rishikesh,” said Sunil Kumar V.V., executive engineer, KSEB.
Sources said the KSEB was planning to introduce the device on an experimental basis in two months. “We hope the modified device will be ready in the next couple of months. Once we are convinced that the device meets all the requirements, the KSEB could use it across the State,” said a source.
Mr. Rishikesh, who dropped out of formal education at the age of 17, has acquired knowledge by reading books on electronics.
18 devices developed
He has so far developed 18 devices, including wireless systems for sending distress signal following earthquakes, floods, and so on. Mr. Rishikesh is currently working on an unmanned boat, which could carry out rescue operations in the sea. The State government has provided ₹2 lakh for its development.
