Professional work in conjunction with Nikita Mahajan, Shirish Joshi and Anirudh Paul with the KRVIA Design Cell and Tata Trusts Small Grants Research Fund | India, 2017
The Orissa Urban Habitat: Existing Situation Report consisted of site visit and documentation of the water and sanitation situation of 15 slum settlements in Bhubaneshwar and Cuttack. These cities are tier 2 cities in the state of Orissa in Southern India. The report to be submitted to the Government of Orissa hoped to provide a methodology of mapping of informal settlements to intervene holistically and sensitively. The methodology for this included : 1) Studying interstitial spaces and the reliance of settlements on natural systems for sewage treatment (fig 3-4) 2) An economic and socio political survey conducted with the help of a local NGO called UDRC and its backing by the Society for Promotion of Area Resource Centre. 3) Recommendations for improving water and sanitation systems (fig 1 -2). Suggestions were made to align existing toilet systems for further treatment using DEWATS at an individual or cluster level. Special consideration was given to how the interventions could build on the existing systems already in place. A GIS platform was created in order to further navigate these settlements with their various layers such as drainage, water supply, informal drains, additional structures etc. Additionally, of the 15 settlements surveyed, all of them became completely open defecation free, and several open discussions were held with the communities in order to discuss better drainage and sewage disposal (fig 5-6).
