About my BITS Design Community Project at ‘Wildlife Conservation Trust’.
A journey into forests, villages, and the invisible lines of privilege in between.
For many of us, the idea of wildlife conservation begins and ends within the boundaries of a sanctuary. But in reality, species like tigers depend on a much larger landscape. One stitched together by invisible corridors, that allow them to migrate and maintain the genetic diversity essential for their survival. These corridors often pass through human-inhabited areas, turning villages into crucial stakeholders in conservation.
Growing up in Nagpur: ‘The Tiger Capital of India’, meant I was never far from these forests. Weekend safaris to Tadoba, Pench, Kanha, and Bordharan became a regular part of my life. The jungle wasn’t just a place to visit; it was something I felt deeply connected to. Witnessing tigers in the wild not only sparked interest, but made me appreciate the delicate balance between human life and the wild in a culturally privileged country like ours.
That early connection drew me to the Wildlife Conservation Trust (WCT); an organisation working across India to protect diverse species and landscapes while centering the needs of the communities that share space with them. WCT’s approach blends ecology, science, and social development from conserving aquatic species to the forest carnivores. Enabling better healthcare, education, and livelihoods in remote areas. Their work recognises that conservation isn’t just about saving animals, but about supporting systems where both humans and wildlife can coexist.
Trap cameras used to track wildlife movement.
When a Water Heater Becomes a Privilege
The project I got to be part of was WCT’s flagship initiative called Heater of Hope, which has reached over 150 villages since it began around six years ago. It focuses on forest-edge villages in the Brahmapuri region near the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve; one of the most active tiger and leopard corridors in India.
Map of the villages located around the Ghodazari Wildlife Sanctuary located in the Bramhapuri Forest Division. (available on WCT Website)
Many people living here depend on the forest for basic needs like collecting firewood to cook or heat water, and gathering tendu leaves or mahua flowers to earn a living. These regular visits into the forest often lead to dangerous encounters with wild animals, and attacks have become sadly common.
To reduce this risk, WCT designed a simple, fuel-efficient water heater called the Bumbb. It uses much less firewood and saves time and effort. Each unit is provided to families at a 75% subsidy, making it affordable and accessible. By meeting an everyday need more safely, this thoughtful design is helping protect both people and wildlife; one heater at a time.
Parts of the ‘Bumbb’ Water Heater
During my time there, I visited six villages: Nangao, Dellanwadi, Padmapur, Ballarpur, Chargao, and Chak. When I spoke to the villagers, many told me how happy they were with the design and how seamlessly it fit into their daily life.
Since the heater is already in use, WCT field staff now go village to village, often walking for hours in the 40–50°C summer heat to ensure they reach every person and every household.
Spreading the word, one doorstep at a time.
When I asked why they work so hard, even when some people aren’t interested, Manda Tai, a senior field executive, simply said: “Hum bhi iss hi gaon ke hai, apne hi logon ke liye kaam karke bohot accha lagta hai.” (“We’re from these villages too, it feels good to work for our own people.”).
It made me realise that change doesn’t always come from big actions. Sometimes, it’s about people who quietly show up every day and care.
Rethinking Design and Privilege
Before this project, I often thought of design as something functional, enhanced, and even aesthetic, but rarely urgent. Being on the ground with WCT changed that. I saw how something as basic as heating water could be a matter of safety, dignity, and even life or death.
Ramesh from Dellanwadi shares how the ‘Bumbb’ heater is easing daily life in his village.
That contrast made me reflect on what I’ve always taken for granted, not just owning a water heater, but never having to think twice about my safety while using it. That in itself is a form of privilege: not having to face the problem at all.
This experience shifted how I see design. It’s not only about creating solutions but about recognising who doesn’t need those solutions, and asking why. Some people, like me, have always had hot water at the press of a button. Others have had to risk their safety for it.
Good design, I’ve come to realise, begins with that awareness. It asks us to notice inequality, question it, and design with empathy and not just creativity.
The Privilege of Asking Questions
While it’s easy to see the villagers as victims of human-wildlife conflict, and in many ways, they are. Being in Brahmapuri made me pause and ask: are they the only ones without privilege? Or is there more to the story?
Humans have shaped this conflict. Hunting herbivores like deer and wild boars for food or income pushes predators like tigers and leopards into new areas in search of prey. Studies even show that tiger movement closely follows prey movement. So when we disturb one part of the chain, everything else shifts too.
Poaching laws reveal another gap. The strictest penalties protect big carnivores and endangered species. But why are the fines lighter for killing prey animals, even though their loss can unravel entire ecosystems?
One question stuck with me: why don’t villagers just grow tendu or mahua trees at home instead of entering forests?
Vivek Tumsare, a lead conservationist at WCT, explained: “All this also depends a lot on human behaviour. A lot of the villagers don’t want to add on to their labour by planting these trees, and they take years to grow. So they feel it’s easier to just go into the forest, unaware of the consequences.”
That made something click. Privilege isn’t always about having more but it’s about having choices. The time, energy, and resources to pick the longer but safer path. When survival is at stake, sustainability often takes a back seat.
Village settlements continue to expand into forest land, sometimes even with policy support. To protect their farms, people use barbed wire that is cheap, but dangerous. I read about a leopard that died entangled in one. No one meant harm, but there were no safer, affordable options.
Hands-on demos showing how the Bumbb fits into daily village life.
So how might we design better? In these blurred spaces where village and forest overlap, good design must do more than solve; it must listen, adapt, and respect. Even small interventions, like the Bumbb heater, matter. They shift habits quietly by reducing risk, saving time, and fitting naturally into everyday life.
Being able to ask these questions is a privilege. But with it comes a responsibility: to co-create solutions with communities, rooted in empathy, not assumptions.
What is Privilege for Me?
Privilege, for me, is each pugmark imprinted on the dry jungle trails; a quiet reminder that wildlife still roams free. It’s the laughter of children echoing through the village lanes, the joy of jugaad born out of necessity. It’s watching people make the most of what they have, finding happiness in the everyday. It’s the sense of community, where people look out for one another despite limited resources.
A child with his self-made jugaad car.
But privilege is also having the space to reflect, the tools to design, and the hope that my work can make even a small difference. It’s being able to see, listen, and act, not just on behalf of those who are heard, but especially for those who aren’t.
For me, privilege isn’t just what I’ve been given, it’s what I choose to do with it.
Acknowledgements
Thank you to Tamanna Ahmad and Aditya Joshi from WCT for your warmth and guidance.Grateful to Khushboo Jogani, Sangeeth Sankar, Samir Parker, BITS Design School, and Nandita Abraham for making this experience possible.Big thanks to the WCT teams in Nagpur and Sindewahi for being so welcoming, and to the villagers whose kindness and cooperation made a lasting impression.
Disclaimer: The author is associated with Wildlife Conservation Trust. The views and opinions expressed in the article are her own and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Wildlife Conservation Trust.
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