Whenever Kapurthala has found itself in a crisis, the town’s famous Hanspal Traders have pitched in with an innovative solution to ease the trouble. This time, the Hanspal brothers have come up with a mechanism aimed at addressing Kapurthala’s mounting garbage problem.A five-minute, hands-free solution for garbage loading, unloading and disposal has been devised by the Hanspal brothers to tackle the mammoth litter crisis in the erstwhile “Paris of Punjab”.The three brothers behind Hanspal Traders — Pritpal Singh, Devinder Pal Singh and Sukhwinder Pal Singh — manufacturers of rail coaches, have previously produced 100 boats to help flood-ravaged Sultanpur Lodhi. They also developed an amphibious ambulance that doubles up as a boat on water and a tractor on land to assist flood-affected areas.Their newest garbage disposal mechanism is currently set to undergo a trial by the Municipal Council (MC), Kapurthala. The model comprises a garbage bin installed on a stand, with a removable bottom panel designed to facilitate instant disposal.Devinder Hanspal, one of the Hanspal brothers, said, “Kapurthala is known as the Paris of Punjab, but lately it has been plagued by garbage. Seeing the piles gathered across Kapurthala’s streets, we decided to come up with a hands-free technique that will reduce the tedious garbage disposal procedure to a five-minute job, without the need for manual effort. A team of the Kapurthala council had come to see the installations, and five of these, so far produced by us, are up for a trial soon.”Devinder Hanspal added, “Be it old buildings, the civil hospital, Randhir School or the Jubilee Hall overgrown with wild plants, their walls fall and architecture crumbles, while instead of traditional charm, what reclaims space is tonnes of garbage. This innovation is just our small step to ease this crisis.”MC Kapurthala Commissioner Anupam Kler said, “We have taken a look at the mechanism and plan to run a trial soon. I have also held a meeting and sought four key points in the city where these machines could be installed. The plan is in the nascent stages, but the units could prove a boon if the trial is successful. It all depends on the public’s response.”How it worksThe brothers have developed garbage boxes or bins mounted on stands. Each unit comprises an 8-feet x 5 x 3-feet garbage bin, with a capacity to hold 5 to 6 quintals of garbage, or around 100 cubic feet. The boxes or bins can be elevated using a battery-operated pulley, while a bottom panel can be opened with a lever. This allows the garbage to be emptied directly into trolleys, trucks or garbage vehicles positioned underneath, without requiring anyone to touch the garbage.The entire model has been designed by the brothers at their Kapurthala factory. Battery-operated, electrical and manual versions of the mechanism have so far been created. The brothers also plan to develop hydraulic versions.