Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore (RJP)

Bangalore, Sep 21: Alok Shetty, a 28-year-old architect based in Bangalore has been named as "young leader of tomorrow" by Time magazine for his pioneering work in designing affordable flood proof houses for slum dwellers.

A native of Kundapur, Alok Shetty is among "leaders of tomorrow" who are "working hard to change their worlds today," Time said as it named six inspirational young persons in its first class of "next generation leaders".

Time lauded Shetty for building hope in India as an architect who is finding simple solutions to complex problems.

Shetty, working with the Bangalore-based non profit Parinaam Foundation is designing homes for hundreds of slum dwellers whose houses are affected during floods. These places also become breeding grounds for diseases like malaria.

Shetty studied Masters in architecture at Columbia University and has been working in Bangalore's LRDE slum that is home to more than 2,000 people.

"Shetty came at the problem with an approach he brings to all of his projects -- marrying smart design with a commitment to sustainability. Shetty epitomizes a growing breed of young leaders and entrepreneurs in India who are committed to finding solutions for a country undergoing rapid social and economic changes, some of which can leave India's poorest straggling behind," Time said.

He designed flood-proof houses costing less than Rs 20,000 out of discarded scaffolding, bamboo and wood. The houses are affordable, easy and fast to set up. Unbelievably it takes only four hours to erect and dismantle these houses. Shetty is seeking government assistance to bring the price down further to help those who cannot afford the houses.

"In my travels I saw vast stretches of rural India where infrastructure for health care and education was severely underdeveloped. Building facilities in these areas is not impossible but is time consuming. Adaptive architecture can be an extremely effective solution to help address our developmental problems, Often the simplest solutions are the best solutions."
Shetty says in the Time report.

The Time list of “next generation leaders" includes Israeli social entrepreneur Adi Altschuler (27), China's Zhao Bowen (22) who works on improving medical testing and Ikram Ben Sayid (34) an activist who founded 'Aswat Nissa' in Tunisia dedicated to women's rights, Jamal Edwards (24) online music video mogul, British-Nigerian Ola Orekunrin (28) the founder of the first emergency air ambulance service in the country.

With PTI inputs