What began as a question about polluted drinking water has now turned three Indian teenagers into internationally recognised young innovators. Sixteen-year-olds Vivaan Chhawchharia, Ariana Agarwal and Avyana Mehta have been named the Asia winners of The Earth Prize 2026 for creating ‘Plas-Stick’, a biodegradable solution which removes microplastics from water using powdered tamarind seeds.