Justin D'Silva

Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (MS)

Udupi, Feb 27: The government is mulling to provide forum for indigenous inventions and also give stress to indigenous products and inventions. A group of youths from the tiny village of Hejamady in the district have come up with a unique invention, first in India and is expecting grant from government for further work on their invention.

A team of young and enthusiastic youths from Hejamady have constructed at microlight seaplane, said to be the first in India, with their own capital. Pushparaj Amin, a local of Hejamady is the brain behind this project. This seaplane is created with the help of eight young men and women. The team has successfully completed the trial flying of the seaplane at the Shambhavi river that flows nearby. The team has put in a year's effort and spent Rs seven to eight lac rupees to create this amazing seaplane.

Pushparaj Amin, chief and director of this team says, "Right from childhood I had a dream that I should fly a plane right from childhood. I have made models of small planes for the past few years. I have trained many children also. I was eager to build a plane in which a person can fly. But is not easy. I had the scarcity of space as well as finance to build a plane that flies on the sky. That is why we manufactured a seaplane. As there is river near my house it made easier for experimenting the functioning of the seaplane and other work. The government has to provide us a small workshop and other infrastructure in order to take this project further."

The whole seaplane was manufactured in the veranda, paddy field and farmland of Pushparaj Amin. This seaplane is manufacture without any workshop or modern equipment. Apart from Pushparaj Amin, trainee pilot Vinaya U, Yacht captain Vasuraj Amin, professional drone operator Abhishek M Kotian, aeronautical student Utsav Umesh, aeronautical lecturer Shayani Rao, Reshma Bangera and Ashwini Rao are the members of the team that has manufactured the first seaplane of India.

Shayani Rao, member of the team says, "This seaplane weighs 190 kg and one pilot can sit and travel. We have been successful in our first attempt itself. This is the first seaplane that is manufactured in our country at such a low cost and minimum time. This can be used to travel between islands, for relief work during floods and for tourism."

This seaplane is named as Dhruthi microlight seaplane. It weighs 120 kg. A motor with a capacity of 33 HP is used for this seaplane. Grade aluminium, foam, fibre cloth, nylon cloth and other items are used in the manufacture of this seaplane. This team has the plan of manufacturing four, six and ten-seat seaplanes in future if they get suitable equipment and infrastructure.

The cost of this experiment is borne by members of the team, their friends and also by taking some loan.

It may be recalled, in Gujarat’s Ahmadabad, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had inaugurated and flew in the seaplane that was imported from overseas. Now support is needed to this young team who have manufactured the first indigenous sea plane. Concerned officers and the government has to look into this and help the young inventors.