Triman Sarai

Triman Sarai is an industrial designer and change-maker whose practice explores empathy, material storytelling, and how community collaboration shapes functional solutions that are deeply human. Designing at the intersection of social impact and healthcare, she blends craft and innovation to restore trust, dignity, and beauty to everyday life.

Rahat embodies this ethos. Rahat (राहत راحت), meaning “relief” in Hindi and Urdu, is a modular system of terracotta drain covers. Designed in response to the open drainage crisis in Dharavi, Asia’s largest and most densely populated informal settlement, the covers filter water, trap waste, and nurture small ecosystems of growth and care.

Rahat in Dharavi

Rahat protypes rest above an open drain in Dharavi. Each transforms waste channels into living infrastructures that filter water, trap debris, and bring beauty back to shared spaces.

Rahat made by Actual Materials

Terracotta mandala patterned panels paired with stainless-steel frames—housing the hydroponic greens.

Rahat in Context

Installed along a real drain edge, Rahat becomes a quiet gesture of care. The plants begin to reclaim space once defined by waste, symbolising renewal through community-led design.

Moments of Curiosity

A child stops to observe Rahat—an encounter that captures the project’s essence. What was once ignored becomes a site of wonder, reminding us that design can spark care through curiosity.

Rahat — Relief in Progress

This GIF shows the transformation that Dharavi’s open drains will have after Rahat is installed.

Rahat - A Short Film

This short film introduces Rahat by tracing the open-drain crisis in Dharavi and the design response it inspired. A story of craft, collaboration, and hope, built by many hands for many lives.

[View full video here]

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