Traditional dhobi ghats waste 1,400L of freshwater daily, and detergent-heavy wastewater pollutes ecosystems. To solve this, Prof. Kasturi Dutta’s team at NIT Rourkela built a constructed wetland–microbial fuel cell using Canna plants and bacteria to treat water while generating bioelectricity. This innovation saves 90% of freshwater by recycling 1,000L daily, providing laundry workers a reliable, safe supply even during summer shortages.
