A sealed silencer-cum-pollution control device for all vehicles promises to reduce emission of carbon particles by 15 per cent. This is an invention by Vishwanath Karad, founder of the Pune-based MIT Educational Group, who has obtained a domestic patent for the design of the silencer that has been named the 'Vishwas Silencer'. Unveiling the product, Karad claimed that compared to the smoke released by regular silencers, the Vishwas Silencer reduces emission of carbon particles by 15 per cent and that the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) has conducted tests on the silencer and concluded that the claims are true.

With the objective of reducing a vehicle's exhaust fumes that cause inconvenience to other commuters, especially to those on two-wheelers, the design of the silencer not only filters the fumes but also scatters it to avoid trouble. The cylindrical shape of the silencer circulates the fumes in 180 degrees and instead of directly releasing it in the air, the device first filters and later releases it under the space of a vehicle. "The idea is to avoid direct exposure to fumes," said Karad. The silencer needs to be removed and cleaned up once in a fortnight.

Karad has urged the government and vehicle manufacturers to test the silencer on their own parameters. Karad applied for the patent on June 14, 2004 and received the approval recently. The ownership of the design will remain with Karad for 20 years from the date of application. The device was invented with the help of his associates Anant Chakradev and B T Kotulkar. Karad has a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Pune and a doctorate in philosophy and education from the International University of Washington.