By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Feb 15: Innovation from a village classroom in East Khasi Hills found regional recognition after a Class IX student secured a jury award at the North East Science Fair & Innovation Festival 2026 for designing a smart LPG leak detection system.
James Donald Kharkongor of Mawngap District Christian Multipurpose Higher Secondary School was honoured at the four-day regional festival organised by the National Science Centre, Guwahati. The event, held from February 11 to 14 in Guwahati, brought together student innovators from across the Northeast.
A resident of Laitpynter Synrangkaban village, Kharkongor developed a project titled “Smart LPG Safety and Hazard Prevention System” with the objective of strengthening domestic safety measures. The system is equipped with sensors that detect gas leakage and automatically activate multiple safety responses.
Once unsafe gas levels are identified, the device triggers an alarm, switches on an exhaust fan to disperse accumulated gas and shuts off the supply through an automatic valve. The model also features a user alert mechanism to warn households of potential danger, allowing for prompt action.
The jury recognition highlights the growing participation of students from Meghalaya in science and innovation platforms at the regional level.
