The mechanical design engineers at AMMACHI Labs (Amrita Multi Modal Applications Using Computer & Human Interaction), Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, used 3D modeling to design N easy-to-make toilet, with less material and skilled labour, which will benefit thousands of families in rural India. They have taken the design to manufacture the mould for a toilet-building sprint scheduled for the month of September 2017, to build toilets across India to help end open defecation. 

The toilet is called the MTF model (Monday-Tuesday-Finished) or the ‘two-day toilet’. Unlike other toilets, which are made using hollow-blocks, this is a mould-based construction, similar to pottery molding where a big concrete mould is made. After this, it is placed inside the earth and is set aside for four hours. A foundation for a wall is also made. There are provisions in the wall for a door and sheet roof facilities. The mold-based toilet construction technique makes constructing toilets easier, efficient and economically viable for rural women. When used by a semi-skilled group of four women, the total time taken to construct a unit is reduced to 40 hours, as compared to 76 hours in conventional construction.

The team also visited several places as part of their research, including the Sulabh International Museum of Toilets in New Delhi and also studied the various models introduced by the Swachh Bharat Mission. The toilet was developed nearly two years ago and to ensure that the model was successful, it was tested in different locations to find out its compressive strength and water durability. The project aims to empower at least 5,000 women in rural India to champion sanitation and community development.