Dealing with Uday Bhawalkar is difficult. He makes tall claims about his Biosanitizer and has no data to back it up. He will bandy about statements like he has “millions” of satisfied customers, that his Biosanitizer works like a “neutron” bomb in removing odours from effluents.
Before you do business with him ask for the following:
- The scientific reason behind Biosanitizer – he will tell you it is proprietary and hides behind secrecy.
- A Technical Overview – There is none that is credible.
- What Quantitative Indicators can be measured – You won’t get a satisfactory answer
- Technical papers that substantiate the claim – There are none.
- Reports from Independent Testing Labs – None available
- Why has the product not been tested at NCL, Pune?
- References? – No credible references, just anecdotal information
A contact of mine was keen on taking Biosanitizer to treat odours from a Sewage Treatment Plant in Hawaii. I must say I was taken in by Bhawalkar’s claim and put down Rs. 16,000 for 500mg of Biosanitizer and sent it to Hawaii for testing. It failed miserably. They said it was, “snake oil”. Their words.
Let's face it, the Biosanitizer crystals are inert and insoluble. The crystals don't react, it is supposed to act like a catalyst. There is absolutely no scientific basis for this to work. It is a lot of hand waving and using the "nose" as the basis to prove that this works.
I told him Biosanitizer was rejected and requested a refund. He said return it and he would refund the money. After receiving the product, he reneged and asked for a Lab Report. This was provided. Then it became very apparent that he was not going to return the money, I asked for the Product. He refused to send it until I provided a project overview! Not delivering a product that is paid for is most unscrupulous and un-professional.
This individual is unethical, a charlatan and a person of questionable character. Do a thorough due diligence before you do business with him. I for one, am glad that things didn’t work out and my losses are curtailed to Rs. 16,000/-. I shudder to think what would have happened if I entered into a business agreement with him.
The simple response ought to have been a refund, no questions asked. But this is not in the Indian gene.
Another example is Kumaraswamy reneging on the transfer of power to the BJP in Karnataka. People don’t want to keep their word and then concoct all kinds of excuses to renege their commitment.
15 comments:
Thank you, Rajan, for posting this caveat.
Dear Dinakarr,
My name is Shantharam Shenai, the person who introduced Mr. Rajan Shastri to Dr. Uday Bhawalkar at the I.I.T. Alumni function at Bandra Kurla Complex some years ago. This was because Rajan spoke about his relations running a Food & Water testing laboratory in HAWAII. I've also been working with the technology since 1992, and also his PhD guide, Dr. H.S. Shankar from the Chemical Engineering Department of I.I.T. Bombay. The issues raised by Rajan are
1. The scientific reason behind Biosanitizer –
Ans: BIOSANITIZER cannot be explained using the laws of science that have been taught to us. It involves a Chemistry that takes place in plants very different from the regular equations.
2. he will tell you it is proprietary and hides behind secrecy.
ANS: And why not ? Due to its strategic nature, it will not be told to anyone in a road side discussion. Nuclear Chemistry also has its secret
3. A Technical Overview – There is none that is credible.
It is premature to reveal it at this stage. First, stake holders need to acknowledge that the technology is real.
4. What Quantitative Indicators can be measured – You won’t get a satisfactory answer
ANS: Due to the nature of the technology, the parameters need not be altered the same way each time. It's like dealing a pack of cards and we get a different hand each time.
5. Technical papers that substantiate the claim – There are none.
ANS: There are one or two now and certainly, much more could be done by students as a thesis or a paper for a journal.
5. Reports from Independent Testing Labs – None available
ANS: The present parameters used in laboratories are decided by the limitations of the equipment. For example, the W.H.O. norm for Nitrate is 45 ppm whereas BIOSANITIZER is able to bring it down to less than 1 ppm.
6. Why has the product not been tested at NCL, Pune?
ANS: NCL does not carry out tests, I.I.T. can do it.
7. References? – No credible references, just anecdotal information
ANS: In industry, references are not practiced as having a new knowledge can give one industry an edge over the other. Usually no consultant announces process results. It's left to the industry to announce it when the time is right or when its to their advantage.
Dinakarr,
Thanks for posting your views. I was reading about the product and was getting fairly convinced to try a sample. Your blog has saved me money that i can spend for a better cause.
Please do not prototype indian hearts. You might be surprised someday!
TRUTH SIMPLY HURTS http://truthsimplyhurts.blogspot.in/2012_10_01_archive.html?m=1
WEDNESDAY, 3 OCTOBER 2012
Newer Technology for Sanitation
Nature and Ecology
Eco Sanitation
Waste management has become a daunting challenge indeed. An ever increasing population also creates more pollution apart from exacerbating the already worsening resource crunch. A finite planet simply cannot provide infinite resources for a constantly exploding population. And when we overstretch, the byproducts of our wanton excesses, too, are enormous. And in all seriousness, it is the waste that has become a nightmare. Apart from liberating greenhouse warmers, gases like methane, ammonia and hydrogen sulfide, the waste leaches toxic chemicals into our subsoil water, making it unfit to drink.
As it is, the existing pollutants in water range from the lethal uranium, to the demonic arsenic and chloroform. That they are entering our food chain unchecked is already an inescapable reality. Recent surveys by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre have pointed out extremely high uranium levels in the subsoil water in some parts of Punjab.
In nature, the waste end product of protein metabolism is nitrogenous chemicals like Urea etc. This Nitrogen cycle utilizes the services of plants, soil bacteria, earthworms and other worms, apart from insects and other forms of life that exists in the top soil strata. These organisms carry out the remarkable chain of reactions that restore the gas back to the atmosphere as nitrogen.
The thoughtless dumping of fertilizers, destruction of soil microbiology and worms, and excess of waste has caused a worrisome consequence in the form of noxious nitrogen compounds. The nitrates and ammonia are far in excess of what nature’s denitrifying mechanism can handle. And our penchant for having western solutions for nearly all our problems has led to worrisome consequences.
Take conventional waste water management for instance. It is extremely energy intensive, wasteful and ultimately gives us a reactive bio-sludge, whose final disposal is also an ecological nightmare. But it has caught the fancy of our nation simply because it is being promoted by Western companies. In sharp contrast to this, the Mumbai IIT has over the years developed and perfected a system that largely uses Earthworms and Bacteria for restoring water to its pristine usable state. And this water can be safely discharged into our rivers or used to recharge aquifers.
CleansePlanet interviews a key member of the team that helped unravel this revolutionary technology and developed it further for the benefit of mankind. Dr. Uday Bhawalkar is a world renowned expert on Eco Sanitation.
Whilst his critics have argued that his technology is veiled behind a cover of secrecy , the blogger was able to speak to a couple of satisfied users. One reported the digestion of extremely tough hospital waste , while another reported the change in taste of well water in Mewat region that was unpotable prior to biosanitiser use. Other scientists have hailed it as either a secret culture of bacteria or fungi or enzymes loaded on some carrier. What it is exactly , only Dr.Bhawalkar or God knows , but it surely seems to work
This previous post by Mr. Shenai, is another instance of "tall unsubstantiated" claims! He cites IIT Bombay as the source of the technology. IIT Bombay has had nothing to do with it and has not endorsed it. Bhawalkar is refered to as world famous! After a rambling introduction regarding the state of pollution, followed by quoting of unamed sources and "qualitative" observations, the last paragraph touches upon the crux of the matter in that there is no scientific evidence and reference is made to "Divine Intervention".
This previous post by Mr. Shenai, is another instance of "tall unsubstantiated" claims! / THERE IS DIFFICULTY AS PEERS CANNOT COMPREHEND THE ECO TECHNOLOGY WITH WRONG KNOWLEDGE TAUGHT AT IIT SOURCED FROM PRIMITIVE "MODERN" WESTERN SCIENCE / He cites IIT Bombay as the source of the technology. / ACTUALLY TECHNOLOGY WAS CREATED IN THE MIND ON A FARM WITHOUT ELECTRICITY, BROUGHT TO I.I.T. TO GIVE IT TO INDIA, WAS IT A MISTAKE ? / IIT Bombay has had nothing to do with it and has not endorsed it. / U.S. PATENT WAS FILED BY I.I.T. BOMBAY SPENDING MONEY. IF YOU ARE SO SURE, COULD YOU BE KIND ENOUGH TO USE YOUR INFLUENCE WITH I.I.T. BOMBAY TO SURRENDER THE PATENT & MORE, SO WE CAN BE FREE TO DO WHAT WE LIKE ? / Bhawalkar is refereed to as world famous! / THERE ARE MANY WORLDS, AND HE IS DEFINITELY NOT APPRECIATED BY THE TOXIC WORLD / After a rambling introduction regarding the state of pollution,/ EVERYBODY IS NOT AS ELEQUENT AS THEE / followed by quoting of unnamed ( U SPELLED THIS WORD WRONG, I CORRECTED IT ) sources and "qualitative" observations, / SOMETIMES QUALITY IS MORE RELEVANT / the last paragraph touches upon the crux of the matter in that there is no scientific evidence / YOU ARE CONFUSING THE ISSUE, THERE IS DATA TO SUGGEST GRAND CHANGES / and reference is made to "Divine Intervention"./ IT IS GOD'S OWN TECHNOLOGY BECAUSE IT IS SOURCED FROM NATURE, INDIAN TRADITIONS./ MANY INDIANS ARE THRILLED WITH THE GRAND POSSIBILITIES AS ARE MY CLIENTS IN THE U.A.E., KENYA, TANZANIA AND BALI WHO HAVE HAD PRACTICAL RESULTS AND SOLVED PROBLEMS.
You may use any technology, the parameters used to testify are same the so called technology should satisfy existing norms. Why mr. bhawalkar is not ready to give results from any laboratoru? This , if proved will add to his credentials.
You may use any technology, the parameters used to testify are same the so called technology should satisfy existing norms. Why mr. bhawalkar is not ready to give results from any laboratoru? This , if proved will add to his credentials.
You may use any technology, the parameters used to testify are same the so called technology should satisfy existing norms. Why mr. bhawalkar is not ready to give results from any laboratoru? This , if proved will add to his credentials.
I totally agree with you Surpriya of not insulting the "Indian Gene". But well am sure Mr. Poster understands that he is throwing muck on himself by saying that.
History speaks for itself that India the golden bird crumbled only because of the few cowards who betrayed their motherland. Now calling it the Indian gene is shameless, I'd only say martyrs like Chandrashekhar Azaad, Bhagat Singh, Lala lajpatrai and those who sacrificed their lives without even a NAME in the martyr list, didn't want their future Indian generation to talk like this about their own and that too on a public platform.
Seriously, way to go! And all this for what? Rs.16000/- !!
Am sure all the freedom fighters got a pension and a refund to their sacrifice product which is clearly not valued by people like you Mr. Dinakarr.
Well said Mr. Shantaram, when you really wish to solve toxicity, one has to have perseverance, trail and error. Try different ways like Nature has its combinations and permutations that the human scientific mind can't comprehend. There are people across the world who give utmost credit to nature s ways! Way to go, keep up the good work.
And to talk like this With "deshbandhu" ?! Whatever it is 16,000/- or failed business deal, you should be sensible enough not to drag the bloody country into it! Detest such citizens who just can't get enough - but they are straightened by the cold blood abroad.
God ! Get a life and start having the knack of appreciating !
Is 16000 payback done?
Can user share analysis report of Hawaian Lab done to verify sanitizer?
All this talk of nationalism is just a whitewash to hide behind voodoo science. True nature has its mysterious ways. He claimed it is like a neutron bomb that gets rid of smell. What a joke. Also business is business. Mr. Bhawalkar asked for his sample back and it was returned. No refund was given. The Hawaiian lab reported that it was a dud. If you maintain proper aeriation and take care of what goes into the septic tank, put some sugar in, the bugs love it, and you have a smell free system. These flaky flakes he peddles is just a ruse to implement some basic procedures that would produce the same results without his bogus Biosanitizer.
I'm going to give you similar story of a technology supposedly validated by a German PhD physicist and used at around 35 European contaminated sites. Apparently these sites were approved by The Regulators for no further action. Treatment involved inserting electrodes in the ground under certain potential and it was claimed that even organic contamination such as PAHs remediated over a reasonable period of time. This was in addition to inorganic contamination. This was then marketed to the US market and to some of my clients and constituents in addition to Industry in general including EPA as easy to implement low cost technology having the potential to clean up the world. It was approved and funded for cleanup of pcbs at the Alcoa Messina site, Duluth MN PAH site... my main interest for cleanup of Legacy tar sites numbering around 2500 to 10000 sites in the US and a Mercury site in Washington State. To make a long story short, including proof of concept demonstration which I was going to fund but based on my fish tank experiment design and rigorous testing rather than field testing which cost millions of $, the field studies proved unsuccessful. Lot of theories for proposed as to why and more work was proposed. Army Corps of Engineers and I representing epri, after long discussions and Analysis concluded why the sites in question seem to be cleaned up versus the test sites. The answer was -- they were doing statistical averaging at the testing sites which were closed out in Europe. The initial assumed average contaminant concentration at the site was obviously biased towards the high side as would happen in multiple characterization rounds over many years of study as there are more and sampling points around contaminated zones. The final testing in European studies was done by choosing sampling points using a random number generator. That gave us the answer because by choosing these two and sampling methodologies the investigators we're simply averaging clean parts of the site with the dirty parts thereby getting an average concentration sample after implementation of the technology that... So there was really no cleanup going on, just simple averaging in testing.
Lots of these snake oil Technologies come to the market from time to time -- I have been lucky to have the privilege of analyzing many and you may have heard of some of those. Addition of superbugs to contaminated soils for Rapid clean up, use of calcium oxide to remediate pcbs in soil, use a proprietary additives to solidify and make impermeable highly contaminated soils Etc. all those claims proved to be just that ... claims! So buyer beware!
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