Ms Devika Ganesan

Ms Devika Ganesan is an Assistant Professor at the Center for Environment, Urban Governance and Infrastructure Development at the Administrative Staff College of India. She is an Architect-Planner with over eight years of experience in architecture, planning, and academia. She completed her Bachelors in Architecture from SRM University and Masters in Urban and Regional Planning with a specialization in Environment Planning from CEPT University, Ahmedabad. She received the Best Graduate award in Environment Planning. Her expertise spans the areas of Solid/Plastic Waste Management, Sanitation Worker Safety, and Capacity Building..

Currently, she leads the Capacity Building interventions for the inREPLACE project, funded by USAID, which focuses on improving plastic waste management in select cities within the country. She also serves as the Program Director for the Urban Learning Network (ULN), a national peer learning platform for city leaders, instituted in partnership with GIZ. This initiative aims at supporting city leaders in achieving excellence in municipal waste management by facilitating exchange of tacit knowledge of city leaders. .

She is involved in investigating mortality among core sanitation workers and has led design and development of the Safai Mitra Accident Information Database (SM AID), a website for transparency in data regarding accidents and deaths of sanitation workers and advocacy through national and state governments. She has also developed the curriculum and modules for the Harpic World Toilet College focused on improving their safety, dignity and access to livelihood for a project supported by Reckitt Benckiser and Jagran Pehel.  

In 2020, Devika was nominated as a Fried-Philosopher-Guide by the Commissioner and Director of Municipal Administration (CDMA), Government of Telangana. She provided support for the Swachh Survekshan activities in two municipalities. Her Master’s research, based on qualitative research, focused on the integration of intangible heritage in HRIDAY. This work was part of ‘HRIDAY Reflections: A Monograph on the Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India’. The publication was curated by ICOMOS India and CEPT University, Ahmedabad.  

Devika has also contributed to projects such as the Holistic Strategy and Action Plan for Plastic Waste Management for Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and the City-Wide Inclusive Sanitation project by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. She also works with school children to create awareness about the Sustainable Development Goals. Her research interests encompass Urban Policy and Governance, Capacity Building, and Climate Change.