Welcome to the Evolving Folks Project’s “Evolved Young People” of the Week profile. Today, we will highlight historical and contemporary figures who embodied what it means to be an evolved person, famous and non-famous alike. The world needs to know their stories and deeds. This week’s honor goes to three 16-year-old teens from India: Vivaan Chhawchharia, Ariana Agarwal, and Avyana Mehta.
Globally, over 2.2 billion people lack access to safely managed drinking water, forcing them to rely on stored water that might contain microplastics. Microplastics could be the most significant global pollutant affecting both the environment and human health.
Scientists have detected tiny particles, ranging from the width of a human hair to one-thousandth of that, almost everywhere they investigated. Researchers have found these microscopic particles in challenging environments, ranging from the summit of Mount Everest to the deepest depths of the Mariana Trench. Scientists have discovered particles ranging in width from a human hair to a thousandth of that width in virtually every location they have studied, including Mount Everest and the Mariana Trench.
Three Indian teens discovered that powdered tamarind seed can act as a natural clumping agent for microplastics, which can be retrieved with a magnet after stirring. With a drive to invent a solution that is both impactful and easy to use, Chhawchharia, Agarwal, and Mehta engineered a system that operates without electricity or sophisticated infrastructure. It actually only requires a crop that is already a staple in South Asian cooking and can be grown or found in nature.
Asia Winners of The Earth Prize 2026 include these three brilliant young inventors, recognized for their groundbreaking invention, “Plas-Stick.” Each of them will receive $12,500 to further develop their creation.
The invention “Plas-Stick” was developed after observing rural communities storing drinking water in communal containers without filtration and realizing that more than 2.2 billion people globally lack access to safe drinking water.
“Winning the Earth Prize validates a problem affecting communities across India,” they said after receiving $100,000 to scale their solution. Elegant solutions often come from the environments they aim to improve.
We at the Evolving Folks Project wish Vivaan, Ariana, and Avyana continued success. Today, we honor them as our Evolved “Young” People of the Week for their sustainable invention.
Evolving Folks Project 