Odisha Girl Lalita wins Community Impact Award at Google Science Fair

Lalita Prasida Sripada Srisai, a 13-year-old Class IX student from DPS Damanjodi in Koraput district of Odisha, made the state proud by winning the Community Impact Award in the Finals of Google Science Fair 2015 at California.

Lalita’s project of using Corn Cobs as water purifier received accolade by all. The method uses corn cobs to filter contaminants such as oxides of salts, detergents, suspended particles, dyes, oil and certain heavy metals out of water.

The award carries a cash prize of US$ 10,000. It was sponsored by Scientific American organisation. Lalita will also be supported for one year by the organisation to work on her pet project.

Lalita was accompanied by her Teacher and Mentor Pallavi Mohapatra. Earlier, Lalita made it to the final of 20 students after being selected from a pool of thousands of applications from kids in the age group of 13 to 18 from 100 countries.

She is the lone Indian to win any award at the Google Science Fair 2015. In her age group (13-15), four others also won various awards. At least three are of Indian origin. In the 16-18 age group, two other Indian-origin students won the awards.

List of Winners:

* Grand Prize – Olivia Hallisey, USA (16-18)
* Incubator Award – Eliott Sarrey, France (13-15)
* National Geographic Explorer Award – Deepika Kurup, USA (16-18)
* Virgin Galactic Pioneer Award – Pranav Sivakumar, USA (13-15)
* Community Impact Award – Lalita Prasida Sripada Srisai, India (13-15)
* Lego Education Builder Award – Anurudhu Ganesan, USA (13-15)
* Google Technologist Award – Girish Kumar, Singapore (16-18)
* Scientific American Innovator Award – Krtin Nithiyanandam, UK (13-15)

* Inspiring Educator Award – Ms. Aydan Meydan, Bosnia and Herzegovina.