Following the devastating cyclone of 1999 in Orissa, Project " Ashraya " was launched by CARE, with Development Alternatives as the Technical partner. The project sought to demonstrate, transfer and anchor safe construction assets in the communities of coastal Orissa, by providing about 1400 core houses to the most vulnerable of the society. The prime assumption behind the project was that if people have access to materials to build with and the skills with which to build, a self sustaining system of local construction enterprises can take place reducing dependency on external supports for construction.

BMSB in Choudwar, Orissa

Based on this assumption, a strategy was developed to institute centres to produce, train and to provide construction services at the village levels. These centres have henceforth come to be known as " Building Materials and Services Banks" and three such Building Material and Services Banks or BMSB’s have been set up, one each in the districts of Puri, Jagatsingpur and Cuttack . These BMSB’s operating in the rural settings are being managed by grass root organisations, with no prior exposure to housing and housing related activities.

Following completion of about three fourths of mandated production requirements, the BMSB’s have been expected to look for marketing opportunities of the different products and services. This is to ensure that by the time the project requirements are accomplished, sufficient market development has been achieved and local demand for available products and services will have been created. Thus the BMSB’s can take the road to becoming full fledged enterprises, managed and run professionally and profitably.

The BMSB’s are designed to perform a host of functions other than production and construction services. They are a platform on which rural economy is designed to flourish. Employment at different levels, both direct in production, construction and training at the BMSB"s and indirect employment at the village artisan and household levels are first levels of impact. These BMSB’s will network with financial institutions and leverage finance for rural housing, so that people can have access to credit and credit related services. Goods and products produced at the village level, either at the individual or group levels will be marketed through the BMSBs and forward and backward linkages for this will be established. Skill upgradation and income generating opportunities will be provided at these centres and avenues for new employment will be created. In addition to providing housing related services, the BMSB’s will also adopt principal positions in water, sanitation, health and hygiene and implement sponsored schemes in its catchment. The BMSB’s are therefore designed to encompass a range of local needs and offer solutions at the collective level, with the spirit of social enterprise. The success of these BMSB’s is expected to result in more of such being established in the different blocks and districts of Orissa.

Of the three BMSB’s set up, the BMSB’s at Astarang and Balikuda, are proposed to be relocated to other sites, because of the convenience of operation and control of the managing organizations.

BMSB Chowduar shows the first signs of success already. It has proposed to register itself as a section 25 company, with the major stakeholders being groups of tribal women and men from the adjoining villages. It has already secured sufficient orders for products and services to tide them over for the next six months and the workers (primarily women) have organized themselves into self help groups, and activities like night classes, group banking etc have already started.

Development Alternatives is committed to continue support to the BMSB and as part of the support, assistance from BMTPC and CARE has been arranged. Under this assistance, new equipment to increase product portfolio is being provided. A display center and demonstration building to highlight and demonstrate different products and techniques are being sponsored. Linkages with other projects utilizing the various products are also being made and a partnership with EFICOR to supply R.C.C Planks and Joists for their housing project has already been facilitated. Sufficient awareness has been generated and a blue print for the path ahead prepared with plans to implement it are already under way. It is expected that very soon the BMSB will be financially viable and consolidate itself to discharge its designed functions and responsibilities. q

Appropriate Technology Forum - Orissa

Orissa ,one of the poorest states in the country and having therefore a great need for appropriate and cost effective technologies ,has over the past couple of years seen a lot of action ,particularly in the context of shelter. Efforts to popularize alternative building technologies were initiated by DFID through the Education programmes. HUDCO sponsored the establishment of Building centres and recently a host of organizations have supported shelter projects based on alternative technologies. However, these efforts have been isolated and the learnings and experiences derived from such initiatives have not been properly shared with others concerned, primarily because there is no common forum where such interest groups could gather and share and trade information. It was with this backdrop that an effort was made to bring together all concerned, whether they be active practitioners, academicians, bureaucrats, students or simply interested persons under the aegis of an informal group or forum, The forum has come to be called The Appropriate Technology Forum -Orissa . The forum is basically an interest group, working honorarily to promote awareness and information amongst the individuals and organisations promoting alternative technologies primarily in shelter. The group is easily accessible as an e-group ,and everyone is welcome to visit the group site at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/oapptechforum . The first newsletter of the forum has been published and soft and hard versions are available on request. It is presently expected that a quarterly newsletter would be published. Amongst the many activities ,a group has taken up the task of compiling specifications and standard rates for different technologies and techniques, to be presented to the administration for incorporation into their system . It is envisaged that the group would eventually have a web site and a small secretariat at Bhubaneswar would manage and coordinate the workings of the forum.

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