Govt Supported Startup Develops Disinfection System For Masks And PPE Kits, To Reduce Covid-19 Related Bio-medical Waste

An N95 Mask and PPE disinfection system developed by Mumbai-based start-up, Indra Water, has been installed at multiple Government hospitals across Maharashtra and Telangana.

The disinfection system called Vajra Kavach is significantly decreasing the cost of combating the pandemic by making PPE, medical, and nonmedical gear reusable and reducing the generation of excessive Covid19 related bio-medical waste, thereby helping the environment.

It is also making personal protective equipment more available, affordable, and accessible.

The product uses a multistage disinfection process with advanced oxidation, corona discharge, and UV-C light spectrum to inactivate the viruses, bacteria, and other microbial strains present on the PPE with more than 99.999 per cent efficiency.

Indra Water, the startup which was initiated with grant from Department of Science and Technology (DST) for innovations in the water sector, used the Center for Augmenting WAR with Covid19 Health Crisis (CAWACH) grant of the DST, Government of India to modify their technology to make it suitable for combating the Covid19 infection.

“With support from IIT Bombay, they are prepared to manufacture and supply 25 disinfection systems per month,” the Ministry of Science and Technology said in a statement.

The system has been validated and tested by the Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering at IIT Bombay and has been found to achieve more than 5 LOG (99.999 per cent) inactivation of viruses and bacteria. It is also CSIR - NEERI approved and IP55 certified and is now being installed in hospitals treating Covid19 patients across India.