INDIA, June 1, 2026 (Good News Network): In mid-May, GNN reported that three teens from India had won a major continental science prize for their brilliant use of an ingredient of Indian cuisine as the basis for a simple microplastic filter for drinking water. Now, from Geneva comes the announcement that 16-year-olds Vivaan Chhawchharia, Ariana Agarwal and Avyana Mehta, have claimed the Global Earth Prize in addition to the Asian one, as voted by 23,000 experts from dozens of countries around the world. “Being named the Global Winners of The Earth Prize is incredibly special for all of us, especially as the first team from India to receive this recognition,” the trio said in a statement. “What started as an idea between students has now been recognized among thousands of projects from around the world, which feels both surreal and deeply motivating.

Their grand prize-winning invention is called Plas-Stick, and uses powdered tamarind seed as the base for an all-natural microplastic clumping agent. After a short agitation period, the clumped microplastic-tamarind mass can be removed with nothing more than a magnet. Designed for use in shared water containers, the biodegradable powder offers a simple and low-cost alternative to complex filtration systems. The idea was sparked by the team’s studies in environmental science and a visit to a rural community, where they observed how drinking water is often stored in shared containers without access to advanced filtration systems. Determined to create a solution that is both effective and accessible, Chhawchharia, Agarwal, and Mehta developed a system that requires no electricity or complex infrastructure. It in fact requires only a crop that’s already used widely in South Asian cuisine, which is both cultivated and thrives in the wild.

More at source.
https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/3-teens-win-global-earth-prize-for-inventing-tamarind-powder-that-easily-removes-microplastics/

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