Ayaan Shankta wins 2021 International Young Eco-Hero award

A 12-year-old environmental activist Ayaan Shankta from Mumbai, India, has been named as a 2021 International Young Eco-Hero award winner for his efforts to solve tough environmental problems. Ayaan won 3^rd place in the 8 to 14 years age group category for his project ‘Conservation and Rehabilitation of Powai Lake’.

Ayaan Shankta is a 12-year old environmental activist who lives in Powai, Mumbai, India. Ayaan while going to Powai Lake cleaning drives every Sunday noticed the deteriorating state of Powai Lake due to the dumping of garbage. In an attempt to save the lake, Ayaan began the project ‘Conservation and Rehabilitation of Powai Lake’.

Ayaan began exploring the root causes of environmental degradation. Ayaan also conducted a detailed survey of Powai Lake using satellite imagery. He also designed an Autonomous Spatial Pollution Detection Robot that can detect pollution and siltation in lakes with spatial accuracy.