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11-year-old Gitlanjali was living in Colorado, 4,547 miles from Flint, Michigan, at the time the Flint water crisis was discovered. When she learnt on the news that people were getting sick from lead-poisoned water, Gitlanjali wanted to do something to help. She had the idea to use her passion for science and technology to create a device that detects lead in water, so that residents would be able to test their water before drinking it.
Gitlanjali told her parents that she wanted to develop a carbon nanotube sensor at Denver Water Quality Research Lab and she found herself a research partner. Together, they kept trying: researching, prototyping and testing sensors until they developed one that was fast, accurate, portable and inexpensive. The device detects lead in water and sends the information to a mobile app. The research duo named the device Tethys after the Greek goddess of water.
Gitlanjali wants to inspire other children to create their own devices to solve real world problems. She says, ‘While solving problems, you will continue to encounter failures. Accept them but persist with the problem. Do not give up, and always remember the bigger goal of making a difference.’
