What if a simple machine could automatically control your water pump, prevent tanks from overflowing and reduce unnecessary water wastage?
Meet Manoharmayum Manihar Sharma, a grassroots innovator from Imphal, Manipur, whose curiosity and practical problem-solving led him to develop the Automatic Pump Operator (APO).
The idea began with something surprisingly ordinary. Manihar noticed water overflowing from household overhead tanks and realised that people often forgot to switch off their pumps. He wanted to find a simple way to reduce both water wastage and the human effort involved in managing water tanks.
His first prototype was developed in 1997. Over the following years, he continued improving the machine and eventually developed seven variants. The system can automatically switch a pump on when the water level falls below a set point and switch it off when the tank becomes full. It can also monitor the water source to prevent the pump from running when there is insufficient water.
Manihar even worked on a remote-control version to make the system easier to operate without complicated wiring.
His innovation received national recognition when he was honoured at the 5th National Grassroots Innovation Awards in 2009, organised by the National Innovation Foundation.
But Manihar's innovations did not stop with water management. He went on to develop machines including an innovative dryer, an incense-stick-making machine and a solar-powered silk reeling and spinning machine designed with the needs of rural communities in mind.
This is the story of an Indian grassroots innovator who transformed everyday observations into practical machines.
Watch how Manihar Sharma's Automatic Pump Operator works and discover the idea that inspired him to develop it.
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