CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT-Hyderabad) chief scientist and chemical engineer Sundergopal Sridhar has been admitted as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC), London, the U.K.
During his 26 years as a research scientist, Mr. Sridhar has developed and transferred several technologies for chemical and allied industries, besides contributing immensely to societal welfare.
He had designed and installed over 75 water purification plants based on nanofiltration, ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis technologies to purify groundwater, surface water, and floodwater for 50 lakh people affected by fluorosis, typhoid and other water-borne diseases across 10 States.
Mr. Sridhar’s other innovations include a novel and affordable system to produce medical-grade ultrapure water for use in the dialysis of over two lakh patients suffering from chronic kidney diseases. An atmospheric water generator of 60 to 1,000 litres a day capacity to produce remineralised drinking water from relative humidity in the air in water-scarce regions is another invention of his.
During COVID-19, Mr. Sridhar designed a low-cost multilayer washable mask, which was given to over six lakh people, including schoolchildren and frontline workers. These masks generated ₹2 crore in revenue for NGOs and employed 500 senior citizens and women’s self-help groups, according to a press release.
