What are Terafil water filters?

Terafil water filters have been in news in connection with low cost water filters developed in India. Terafil Water Filter is a low cost device to filter impure water into clean drinking water. The filter is developed to cater to the needs for clean drinking water, especially when the water is rich in sediments, suspended particles, iron and certain microorganisms causing water borne diseases. It is most suitable for areas where water from dug wells, ponds, tube wells and rivers is used for drinking purpose. TERAFIL has been developed at the Institute of Mineral and Materials Technology (IMMT), formerly known as Regional Research Laboratory, CSIR, Bhubaneswar. TERAFIL discs are prepared under license and training from IMMT. The ingredients used in the preparation of the TERAFIL discs are red clay, sand and wood saw dust mixed in a definite proportion which is then sintered (burnt) in kiln used by artisans. Total capacity of the filter (top and bottom container together) is 30 liter.