Manipal student wins laurels for designing train toilet

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

In keeping with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s clean India initiative, the Railways decided to hold a public competition for waterless and odourless 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.
Vinod’s design was adjudged the second best in the results announced on June 14 and bagged Rs 75,000 as prize money. The second place was shared by another designer, Rahul Garg and team member Saurabh Hans.

Vinod, a 10th 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.

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 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 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”.