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Manipal University student designs toilet for trains, bags second prize

Manipal: Vinod Anthony Thomas has done Faculty of Architecture (FOA) and Manipal University proud by clinching the second prize at an all-India competition organized by Research Designs and Standards Organization, Lucknow.

In keeping with Prime Minister, Mr Narendra Modi’s clean India initiative, Indian Railways decided to hold a public competition for waterless and odorless toilets in trains. The competition was to design such toilets for operation and maintenance. 

The jury comprised experts from Railways, industry and academia/research fields. Ten entries were shortlisted and the designers had to present their projects to the jury on May 31, 2016. Vinod’s design was adjudged the second best in the results announced on June 14, 2016 and bagged Rs 75,000 as prize money.

However, the second place was shared by another designer, Rahul Garg and team member Saurabh Hans.

Vinod, a tenth semester student of FOA, has designed a toilet which does away with problems in the existing system of disposal of human waste on the tracks which is, “unhygienic, unethical and damaging to the environment,” he said. His project also mentions that the existing model of toilets are not subjected to effective flushing resulting in the accumulation of dirt and therefore the foul smell.

His design therefore, introduces a system of waste management, which prevents generation of foul smell and replacing the system of flushing toilets with water by a conveyor system carrying waste in a hermetically sealed pocket to a large collection bin to store waste and is run manually by a crank wheel. The bin has been designed in a way to reduce the amount of waste by way of decomposition and forced ventilation (evaporation of water).

Director, Faculty of Architecture, Prof Nishant H Manapure said that Vinod has brought laurels to Manipal University by bagging the second prize at the important competition. “It’s first of its kind for FOA and am hopeful the students will showcase their talent in future also,” he said.