Conventional architects normally design houses, offices and buildings. Hence when you come across a young architect whose heart beats for the society and the community, you take notice immediately.
Panjim based architect Tallulah D’Silva is one such architect, who has a very strong social streak in her. I meet her near the sleepy village of Carambolim in North Goa a couple days back. We are there to examine the ‘Ecoloo’ ( dry toilet) project implemented by her for the Mitsuko Trust in 2015.
The energetic Tallulah is all smiles and explains the importance of the Carambolim lake, which is designated as an ‘Important Bird Area’ (IBA). She explains how the water body is an important conduit for the Cumbarjua water canal and the Zuari river. The water from the lake moves into the village canal which further flows into the Cumbarjua canal. Sadly, the village canal has become a cesspool of garbage, assorted debris and sewage contributed by the villagers in the absence of a full-proof, workable garbage management system.
This, I soon realize is the genesis of the Ecoloo project in the village. A majority of the Carambolim villagers are tenants who live cheek-by-jowl in congested tenements with no permissions to construct in-house toilets. A few, ill-equipped community toilets have sprung up across the village, which are used by the community, while a majority of the population still resorts to open defecation.
Faced with the problems of extensive water pollution, shortage of clean drinking water and poor sanitation systems, Tallulah suggested the building of dry toilets in this village.
According to Tallulah, she was aware of the concept of dry toilets or composting toilets from her earlier research on the history of different modes of disposing sewage. “I also came across a handbook designed by UNICEF for composting toilets and did additional research on the different models to arrive at what would best suit Goa,” Tallulah said.
The Ecoloo or the dry toilet has chambers built above ground for faeces and a separate receptacle for urine and wash water. After each use, instead of water, a dry mixture of ash, sawdust and lime is sprinkled over the faecal matter whereby it decomposes to become manure.
All the waste water and urine is collected into a root zone plant bed where food plants like banana, colocassia and canna indica filter the water for safe percolation into the ground.
According to Tallulah, these systems have proven to be absolutely pollution-free and most importantly convert waste into a resource. “This model is ideal in areas of severe water pollution and water logging,” Tallulah said.
We walk into Carambolim villager Prabhakar Naik’s home and examine the first Ecoloo that was constructed in the village in May 2015. The toilet is spotlessly clean ( see picture) and Prabhakar cannot thank Tallulah and Mitsuko Trust enough. “The Ecoloo has been a god-sent. My wife, two school-going daughters and my elderly mother used to struggle to walk to the crowded community toilet every day. The in-house Ecoloo that was donated to us has made life very easy,” Prabhakar told oHeraldo.
Today, there are seven Ecoloos in Carambolim village and the Mitsuko Trust is planning to construct more with fresh donations. Shyamalee Roy, founder, Mitsuko Trust praised Tallulah for her commitment to community issues. “Tallulah is special because of her ability to take up so many community projects despite her busy professional and family life. Her ‘lets do it’ attitude is extremely refreshing,” Shyamalee said.
And it is not just Ecoloos that have caught Tallulah’s fancy over the years. In 2012, Tallulah was part of a citizen’s initiative in Panjim city which saw the successful implementation of the ‘Nomozo’ ( non-motorised zone) concept on Panjim’s busy 18th June road. Recollecting the Nomozo project, Tallulah said, “On one Sunday each month, the road used to be closed to motorised transport for the entire morning. It was so nice to see children skating, running and playing on the road. Senior citizens and families could also walk without the fear of vehicles and the resultant noise and pollution.”
Tallulah attributes her love for the community to her banker father, Jose Fernandes. “My father instilled in me the love for nature and the local community. He simply allowed me to accompany him everywhere. Be it our village, the city, the backwaters, the beach, the temple, the church, school, etc. This connected me to nature and community so beautifully that I began to easily connect with social and environmental issues,” Tallulah said.
