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Indian man invents ‘anti-suicide’ ceiling fan rods after model’s death

03:40 PM | 6 Apr, 2017
Indian man invents ‘anti-suicide’ ceiling fan rods after model’s death
MUMBAI - A man from the western Indian state of Maharashtra wants to save lives with his ‘anti-suicide’ ceiling fan rods.

Sharad Ashani, who previously worked with multinational design company Crompton Greaves as assistant general manager, says it was model Nafisa Joseph's suicide, in June 2004 that spurred him on to come up with this invention.

Ashani's plan to save lives hinges on the safety down rod. When someone tries to hang themselves, the rod disengages from the fan, and deposits the person safely on the ground.

Sharad Ashani giving a demo of how his 'anti-suicide' ceiling fan rod helps save a life.


Out of about 130,000 people who commit suicide in India each year, nearly 60,000 do so by hanging themselves, and the ceiling fan features in half of these suicides, according to data from the India’s National Crime Record Bureau.

“What I am doing is stopping people from accessing the most used avenue to commit suicides in the country," the Times of India quoted Ashani as saying.

The rod comes with an unlatching mechanism that is activated the moment the load on the fan exceeds a determined value.

"The spring expands and the person lands on the ground safety without the motor housing or blades causing injuries. This is my way of giving back to society,” says Ashani, whose idea was one of the winners of Mahindra's Spark The Rise competition, in 2011.

Last week the electrical engineer, a Mulund resident, sought approval from the Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises to incorporate 'wiring' into his safety down rod.

The 61-year-old has so far produced over 100 rods, and says that his firm is equipped to build about 10,000 units a month.

He is also open to donating rods to hostels, and will soon start meeting fan manufacturers to gauge their interest.

He plans to market his safety down rod under the brand name of 'Gold Life' .

The writer is a member of the staff.

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PKR rate against US Dollar, Euro, Pound, Riyal - Check 16 April forex rates

Pakistani currency gains momentum against all currencies on April 16, 2024 Tuesday. US dollar was being quoted at 277.9 for buying and 280.85 for selling.

Euro was quoted at 295 for buying and 298 for selling while British Pound stands at 345 for buying, and 349 for selling.

UAE Dirham AED was at 75.4 and Saudi Riyal's new rates was at 73.30. 

Today’s currency exchange rates in Pakistan - 15 April 2024

Currency Symbol Buying Selling
US Dollar USD 277.9 280.85
Euro EUR 295 298
UK Pound Sterling GBP 345 349
U.A.E Dirham AED 75.45 76.2
Saudi Riyal SAR 73.3 74.05
Australian Dollar AUD 182.7 184.5
Bahrain Dinar BHD 739.38 747.38
Canadian Dollar CAD 204 206.2
China Yuan CNY 38.45 38.85
Danish Krone DKK 40.45 40.85
Hong Kong Dollar HKD 35.57 35.92
Indian Rupee INR 3.33 3.44
Japanese Yen JPY 1.86 1.94
Kuwaiti Dinar KWD 903.91 912.91
Malaysian Ringgit MYR 58.92 59.52
New Zealand Dollar NZD 167.63 169.63
Norwegians Krone NOK 25.38 25.68
Omani Riyal OMR 722.1 730.1
Qatari Riyal QAR 76.35 77.05
Singapore Dollar SGD 206 208
Swedish Korona SEK 25.72 26.02
Swiss Franc CHF 307.11 309.61
Thai Bhat THB 7.61 7.76

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