Swachha Sankeerna
Being the design partner of the Rural Drinking Water and Sanitation Department and the Department of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, Govt. of Karnataka, we designed India’s first unified Solid and Liquid waste management brand and system in Karnataka.
We designed a continuous waste management system + experience to integrate and inspire communities to respond to the waste crisis, adopt best practices, rituals of waste management and a cleanliness culture.
My Role : Design Lead // Research and Insights // Communication Design and Strategy // Storyboarding // Film Direction
Team : Girish Raj Nair (Strategy Director, Founding Partner, Spread) // Sonia Manchanda (Chief Designer, Founding Partner, Spread) // Mallikarjuna Swami (Program Lead) // Sreeraj and Sreenath N (Cinematographer and Film Editor) // Shajin (Principal Designer) // Suryarshi Mitra (Content-writer) // Murugan (Studio)
©️Spread Design and Innovation Pvt Ltd
How do we inspire communities to participate, integrate and respond to the waste crisis, by designing fresh practices, rituals and cultures across rural Karnataka?
Problem
As per report, in January 2019, Karnataka generated 10,000 tonnes of waste every day, of which only 3,200 tonnes (32%) was processed. A whopping 68% of waste is left littered, dumped, scattered, posing a huge threat to the people and the environment.
The incorrect assumption in rural areas is that nature takes care of what is thrown away, as that’s how it’s always been.
“In India as well as in Karnataka, celebration is ritualised via festivals, where communities come together and celebrate.”
How do we make the whole idea of health and hygiene almost celebratory, by making this a common unifying theme of every festival?
// The Big Idea
Swachhotsava Begins!
Leveraging the festival season, we conceptualised and designed the idea of “Swachhotsava”, as a year round festival and daily celebration of cleanliness for the people of rural Karnataka.
Swachha or Clean equals joy, festivity and celebration. Utsava means a festival or celebration or any joyous occasion.
Conceived as a fresh bisociation, Swachhotsava serves as the opportunity for communities to come together, take action to keep their villages clean by making waste beautiful — Swachhotsava becomes a Nityotsava (daily celebration) !
Blueprint for Behaviour Change
We created a new, participative culture, implemented policies and built infrastructure to enhance the adoption of Solid and Liquid Waste Management facilities by integrating with Karnataka’s cultural DNA.
Design: Triggers for Social Commentary
Build: The People’s Calendar of Swachhata
Spread : Clean Ideas
// Swachha Sankeerna
Designing India’s first unified Solid and Liquid waste management brand and standardised system
While “Swachha” means clean in Sanskrit, “Sankeerna” refers to a collection center in Kannada.
We designed a standardised design system which can be prototyped, implemented and over time, scaled up in every village across the 30 districts of Karnataka.
Identity Design
Taking forward the United Nations SDG No. 6 and 12 , the design of the identity is inspired by the circular economy model which integrates the vibrance of festivals and traditional rangolis of Karnataka.
It aims to catalyse the new culture of cleanliness and transform Karnataka into a sustainable, low carbon and green State.
// Swachha Sankeerna Experience
We designed the experience of the Swachha Sankeerna units to transcend the idea of space and become an experience that serves as a rich source of knowledge for the present and future generations
We turned these units into Eco Parks, with dedicated zones for collecting and processing solid, liquid, reject, e-waste and bio-medical waste, installations, upcycling units, bold graphic information points, etc. which can also serve as experiential knowledge information points for the whole community.
Creating the Design System
We designed a comprehensive detailed system and kit to support the RDPR Department in ensuring easier adoption through motivated staff, volunteers, communities and partners across Karnataka.This system was adopted by 69 Gram Panchayats by March 2021. The design system includes the following
The Swachhata Mark
The Wall of Swachhata
Inspiring Instructions as Wall Paintings
Waste Processing Zones
Tactile Information Poster
Swachha Vahini : Dedicated fleet of vehicles
Detailed Wayfinding
Solid Waste Installations
Protective Uniform and Masks
The Anthem of Swachhata
Heralds of Swachhata
Integrated Information Systems
Swachha Sankeerna : The People’s Narrative
Read about the detailed system in this case-study or the official Government of Karnataka Report.
The Anthem of Swachhata
Inspired by a popular bhajan of the Mahatma, we created a powerful anthem that evokes pride in cleanliness. The anthem comes alive visually as a film which inspires people to celebrate cleanliness everyday.
CII Design Excellence Award Winner at the 20th India Design Summit!
Super excited and proud for this recognition in the Design for Social Impact Category! Thank you CII Design // Spread Design and Innovation // RDPR Govt of Karnataka for giving me an opportunity to be a part of this journey :)
// Design Impact
Swachha Sankeerna makes health and hygiene celebratory, by making cleanliness the substrata / unifying theme of every festival. So that behaviour change happens not by impositions/ instructions, but through positive integration into the culture, and people take action to keep their village clean.
With the launch of Swachha Sankeerna, Karnataka’s rural ecosystem and various independent Govt. bodies are coming forward as communities to catalyse behaviour change among the people. 2000+ Units are to be put up across the State by March 2021, for a cleaner, sustainable Karnataka