Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Water car... from river to the open sea

P.S. Vinod's water car ride drew loud applause from fishermen at Vizhinjam.

Setting out to sea daily is a way of life for the people who live by the sea at Vizhinjam. But scores of these sea-hardened fishermen could hardly suppress their excitement as they watched a modified Maruti 800 car chug out to the sea. They shaded their eyes against Sunday's scorching morning sun and watched as the half-submerged vehicle put-putted its way past the breakwater.

For P.S. Vinod who designed this amphibious vehicle and `drove' it first on the river Karamana on February 11 there was a point to make. His design was not just for the calm waters of a river but also for the swells and swirls of the open sea. According to his estimate, he went more than two kilometres out to sea on Sunday. Two dinghies darted around the amphibious vehicle ready to bail Vinod out at the first sign of trouble.

By noon, however, Vinod was basking in the applause of the local people as the `sea worthy' vehicle drove back up the beach. "It was an act of daring, setting out to sea. Actually, I wanted to increase the power of the motor that drives the car on water. But I could not manage a sponsor for that. For the same reason I have decided to abandon my proposed amphibious drive from Thiruvananthapuram to Kanyakumari," he told presspersons at the beach near the harbour.

Vinod said his design had immense potential for use in the tourism sector.

In fact, he argues that this vehicle can be used by Indian commandos as a life boat in case their ship sinks or as an attack vehicle for various kinds of military operations. "Operating a hovercraft is very expensive. For one, it uses aviation fuel. My little vehicle uses a combination of petrol and kerosene. Second, it is much more easy to maintain. If the Government deployed a couple of these vehicles at Thampanoor junction it can be of assistance in times of floods," he said.

This refrigerator mechanic is disappointed at not receiving any support from the Government. "I have got an offer from a company for the job of a technician. After a training stint in Germany, I may be posted at Dubai. My family wants me to go if at least to repay the lakhs of rupees I have taken as loan for designing my amphibious vehicle. However, I want to make enough money and come back with renewed vigour for improving my design," he said.

G. Mahadevan

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