Tata swach
Encyclopedia
The Tata Swach water purifier
is developed by Tata Chemicals
, a part of the Tata group
in India. The Swach was designed as a low cost purifier for Indian low-income groups, who lack access to safe drinking water. The product is sold in three variants on the Indian market; Tata Swach, Tata Swach Smart and Tata Swach Smart Magic.
deployed thousands of these filters in the Indian Ocean Tsunami disaster of 2004 as part of its relief activities.
The Sujal was a very basic low-cost model which used rice-husk ash (produced from heating rice husk in combination with pebbles and cement). Activated silica and carbon is present in the ash; silica can reduce the turbidity of water, while activated carbon binds with and adsorbs non-polar impurities (such as pesticide
s and fertilisers). However, the purification system did not have bacteriostatic
or bactericidal properties and it was incapable of removing impurities such as lithium, alcohols, ammonia, strong acids and bases or inorganic substances like sodium, lead, iron, arsenic and nitrates. Dr. Muraly Sastry, Chief Scientific Officer of Tata Chemicals, confirmed that even though Sujal could successfully remove the odour, colour and particulate matter from impure water, many pathogens could not be eliminated.
To address these concerns the Swach product was conceptualised by Tata Consultancy Services and produced by Tata Chemicals. Titan Industries
contributed to the development of special assembly presses for mass production of the units.
The Swach can purify water at the rate of about 3 to 4 litres every hour. The purifier consists of two parts; an upper reservoir where the untreated water enters and a lower middle portion with a bulb to which the cartridge can be attached. Another reservoir is placed at the lower end, which collects purified water. The two chambers are stackable and arranged so that the entire system can function on gravity. The Tata Swach Smart and Smart Magic are variants with a more compact design, holding 15 and 7 litres respectively.
Water purification
Water purification is the process of removing undesirable chemicals, materials, and biological contaminants from contaminated water. The goal is to produce water fit for a specific purpose...
is developed by Tata Chemicals
Tata Chemicals
Tata Chemicals Ltd is a Tata Group Company based in Mumbai. The company is one of the largest chemical companies in India with significant operations in India and Africa.-Plant locations:*Mithapur *Babrala *Nanded...
, a part of the Tata group
Tata Group
Tata Group is an Indian multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. Tata Group is one of the largest companies in India by market capitalization and revenue. It has interests in communications and information technology, engineering, materials, services, energy,...
in India. The Swach was designed as a low cost purifier for Indian low-income groups, who lack access to safe drinking water. The product is sold in three variants on the Indian market; Tata Swach, Tata Swach Smart and Tata Swach Smart Magic.
Product development
The Tata Swach was designed by Tata Research, Development and Design Centre (TRDDC) and Tata Chemicals with contributions from other Tata group companies. In 2004 the company developed a water purifier called "Sujal". Tata Consultancy ServicesTata Consultancy Services
Tata Consultancy Services Limited is a global IT services, business solutions and outsourcing company headquartered in Mumbai, India. It is the largest provider of information technology in Asia and second largest provider of business process outsourcing services in India...
deployed thousands of these filters in the Indian Ocean Tsunami disaster of 2004 as part of its relief activities.
The Sujal was a very basic low-cost model which used rice-husk ash (produced from heating rice husk in combination with pebbles and cement). Activated silica and carbon is present in the ash; silica can reduce the turbidity of water, while activated carbon binds with and adsorbs non-polar impurities (such as pesticide
Pesticide
Pesticides are substances or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating any pest.A pesticide may be a chemical unicycle, biological agent , antimicrobial, disinfectant or device used against any pest...
s and fertilisers). However, the purification system did not have bacteriostatic
Bacteriostatic agent
A bacteriostatic agent or bacteriostat, abbreviated Bstatic, is a biological or chemical agent that stops bacteria from reproducing, while not necessarily harming them otherwise. Depending on their application, bacteriostatic antibiotics, disinfectants, antiseptics and preservatives can be...
or bactericidal properties and it was incapable of removing impurities such as lithium, alcohols, ammonia, strong acids and bases or inorganic substances like sodium, lead, iron, arsenic and nitrates. Dr. Muraly Sastry, Chief Scientific Officer of Tata Chemicals, confirmed that even though Sujal could successfully remove the odour, colour and particulate matter from impure water, many pathogens could not be eliminated.
To address these concerns the Swach product was conceptualised by Tata Consultancy Services and produced by Tata Chemicals. Titan Industries
Titan Industries
Titan Industries is the world's fifth largest wrist watch manufacturer and India's leading producer of watches under the Titan, Fastrack, Sonata, Nebula, RAGA, Regalia, Octane & Xylys brand names. It is a joint venture between the Tata Group, and the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation...
contributed to the development of special assembly presses for mass production of the units.
TSRF technology
In the Tata Swach design, water purification is carried out using processed rice husk ash impregnated with nano (1 x 10) silver particles for purifying the water and to destroy disease causing bacteria, germs and other organisms. The bacteriostatic and bactericidal properties of silver is attributed to its ability to react with the sulfhydryl (-SH) groups in the bacterial cells that produces the structural changes in bacterial cell membranes and interacts with nucleic acids. The nano sized particles help in increasing the surface area so that the bacteria get enough reaction time.The Swach can purify water at the rate of about 3 to 4 litres every hour. The purifier consists of two parts; an upper reservoir where the untreated water enters and a lower middle portion with a bulb to which the cartridge can be attached. Another reservoir is placed at the lower end, which collects purified water. The two chambers are stackable and arranged so that the entire system can function on gravity. The Tata Swach Smart and Smart Magic are variants with a more compact design, holding 15 and 7 litres respectively.