Terafil filters consist of porous terracotta discs produced from a mixture of red clay, river sand and wood saw dust, without using chemicals. The filters are especially suited to water that is rich in sediments, suspended particles, iron and certain micro-organisms. They can remove 90-95% of micro-organisms and 80-95% of soluble iron from water. Bleaching powder added to the filtered water will remove 100% of bacteria.

Two villages in East Singhbhum district, Jharkand state, India, are to host a pilot project to promote the use of Terafil filters. The initiative has been taken by the Rural Development Trust under the Art of Living Foundation, Bengaluru. The filters have been designed by S.K. Kuntia, head of Design and Rural Technology at the Institute of Mineral and Material Technology (IMMT), Bhubaneswar, a wing of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), New Delhi.

The filters will cost around Rs 350 to Rs 500 [US$ 7-10 = € 5.50 - 7.80], but the foundation plans to ask the corporate sector to help bear the costs. It will train villagers to use the filters and encourage self-employment by developing their entrepreneurial skills.

Related news:

• Household treatment: low-tech clay filters save on fuel costs and cut disease, Source South Asia, 20 Aug 2008;
• Household treatment: study evaluates performance of ceramic filters, Source, 17 Mar 2008

Web sites: Art of Living Foundation; IMMT/Design and Rural Technology; Terafil filters (IMMT brochure)

Contact: S. Khuntia, Head, Design & Rural Technology, Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology, tel: +91-674-2581635/39, email: khuntias@gmail.com, skhuntia@immt.res.in

Source: The Telegraph, 23 Dec 2008; CSIR news, Oct 2007

Tags: south asia, technology, water treatment