Prof. Dr. Shyama V. Ramani (Professorial Fellow, UNU-MERIT Netherlands) conducted a session on the topic “The role of design in the war against Open Defecation: A triple bottom line perspective” at KSID on 19 July. She presented her research and activities on creating awareness regarding sustainable and safe waste management methods, especially on the dangers of poorly designed toilets in India. Most of the toilets in India use the traditional septic tank with soak-pit design, and due to the high population density, this causes leeching of harmful bacteria into wells and other drinking water sources. She also believes that this is one of the major contributors of water-borne diseases in India, even in places like Kerala where there is an abundance of water. She challenged the audience to create more eco-friendly and sustainable solutions to toilets. The session was attended by design students from KSID as well as architecture students and faculty from various institutions in Kollam.
