A convenient way to drive away odours

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI, MAY 3.A public convenience that promises to do away with unpleasant odours all day long has been devised by Dr.G.K. Narayanan, former Principal of SRM College of Pharmacy and C.L. Baid College of Pharmacy.

Based on ``simple technology'' that he used in 1997, Dr. Narayanan says the main problem that deters people from using the public conveniences could be avoided.

At the heart of his design is a plastic or porcelain bowl that is connected to a leveling tube. The tube is designed in such a manner that any fluid poured into the receptacle to a level below the rim, starts overflowing from the shorter limb, thus maintaining a constant level.

Before commissioning the facility, water is poured into the receptacle till it overflows from the free limb of the leveling tube. Waste crude oil is added and this floats on top preventing the smell from escaping into the air.

A little lemon grass oil or other deodorants can also aid in keeping the urinals smelling fresh, he told newspersons on Tuesday.

He says the public conveniences can be installed at schools, colleges, banks, corporate offices, bus stands and depots, cinema theatres and all public places including exhibitions and fairs. ``It takes less than two days to install and can be done with the help of a few plumbers.

It also conserves water as the pipe alone has to be washed at the end of the day with 300 ml of water. Oil has to be poured once in 15 days.''

An application has been filed for patent. The cost of installation would be Rs. 15,000 for ten urinals and Rs. 2,000 for one including the cost of pipes. Interested persons could contact him at stinkfreeurinals@hotmail.com or Mr. S. Murali at 8529471/8520677/8520967.

The design could be of particular interest in Chennai, which has an acute shortage of public facilities, leading to fouling up of open spaces including arterial roads like the Anna Salai. The Chennai Corporation's plans for constructing new PCs has got bogged down in controversy.

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