Shillong: A Class 9 student from East Khasi Hills district has brought laurels to Meghalaya by winning a jury award at the North East Science Fair and Innovation Festival 2026 for developing a smart system that detects gas leaks and prevents potential accidents.
James Donald Kharkongor, a student of Mawngap District Christian Multipurpose Higher Secondary School, received the recognition at the regional science festival held at the National Science Centre in Guwahati, organised by the National Science Centre, Guwahati, a unit of the National Council of Science Museums.
Hailing from Laitpynter Synrangkaban village, James developed the “Smart LPG Safety and Hazard Prevention System”, an innovation designed to enhance household safety by detecting gas leaks in real time and initiating automatic preventive measures.
The system uses advanced sensors to continuously monitor air quality and triggers an alarm along with activating an exhaust fan when gas levels cross safe limits, helping reduce the risk of fire accidents.
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The innovation is further equipped with IoT-based alert mechanisms and an automatic solenoid valve that immediately cuts off the gas supply upon detecting a leak.
The project was praised by the jury for its practical relevance, strong technical integration and potential social impact.
James’s work received mentoring and technical support from the Innovation Hub of the Shillong Science Centre.
The four-day North East Science Fair and Innovation Festival 2026, held from February 11 to 14 at the National Science Centre, Guwahati, showcased innovations from across the region, with James emerging as one of the award winners.
