From harvesting rainwater and solar energy, to providing shade to passers-by – Ulta Chaata is one device that does it all. Rainwater is the purest form of water. It's just that once it hits the ground, it does not remain pure anymore and requires high levels of filtration. We thought of collecting the water in its pure form and filtering it for drinking purposes," says Samit Choksi, the co-founder of ThinkPhi, a green technology startup focused on developing products for a more sustainable tomorrow. ThinkPhi's flagship product called Ulta Chaata converts rain water into potable drinking water during monsoons, and produces energy with the help of solar panels in the dry seasons. One unit of Ulta Chaata can collect 8-10 lakh quintal of water annually and capture energy with maximum peak power of 1.5 Kw. It is currently being used at over 50 locations across the country.

Ulta Chaata, Hindi for inverted umbrella, is a device that looks exactly like it is named. During monsoons, first, the rainwater falls on the top of each Ulta Chaata, and then the water will undergo the first level of physical filtration through a mesh of around 2,000 microns. Then the water passes through a mesh of 20 microns which is placed in the rod. After this first filtration, the water reaches the common 'Phi Box'. Here the water is completely purified using UV filters and activated carbon filters. After this stage of filtration, potable water comes out, which is stored in a tank. This water can directly be used for drinking purpose! A single unit of Ulta Chaata starts from INR120,000 and varies depending on the size and has the capability to harvest and filter up to 85,000-100,000 litres of potable water during each rainy season.

Ulta Chaata is definitely an eco-friendly and energy efficient solution to all our worries regarding water and power. However, we have to see if the hefty cost of installation is going to prevent its mass acceptance!

Source: http://www.ecoideaz.com/innovative-green-ideas/ulta-chaata-solves-power-water-problems-one-stroke