An exhibition on Building Technologies      was organised by Development Alternatives in Bhopal from June 11-June 13,1998.  The main objective of the exhibition was to demonstrate products and applications of  cost effective alternate building technologies.  The technologies on exhibit were Micro Concrete Roofing (MCR) and Ferrocement Roofing Technology for roofing, Concrete Blocks and Compressed Earth Blocks for walling.  The Exhibition was formally inaugurated by Mr. Badal Das, Principal Secretary, Rural Development (M.P).  Other dignitaries like Mrs. Anita Das, Secretary, Rural Development, Mrs. Tinoo Joshi, Commissioner Sericulture and Mr. H.K.Dubey, Regional Chief HUDCO graced the occasion. 

The exhibition, was organised with the objective exposing government agencies to alternate cost effective building technologies for application in housing schemes and programmes.  The exhibition also soughht to link these technologies with marketing and finance institutions. 

The venue for the exhibition was the construction site of the Footwear Design and Development Institute.  The building commissioned by the Rajive Gandhi Gramodyog Mission incorporates many of the exhibited technologies in its design and construction and is thus a living example of the cost-effective construction techniques. 

The relevant information about the products, technologies, equipment and project reports of the exhibited technologies were on display.  The effectiveness of these technologies lie in the fact that they are ideal even for small scale entrepreneurs to start up their own businesses.  The exhibition also formed a single window information access to users, builders and potential entrepreneurs. 

The exhibition received a very warm response from Bhopal.  A large number of potential enquiries for equipment were generated for TARA, the marketing wing of Development Alternatives.  TBRT, - the franchising wing, has been able to promot MCR tiles in Bhopal.    

The TARAGramin Nirman Kendra received consultancy projects for transferring complete technology packages to newly sanctioned Building Centres in Madhya Pradesh. 

Similar interventions are now required by the Technology Promoters to update the entrepreneurs and the users about newly developed technologies in selected districts at regular intervals. q 

The reporter is a marketing engineer
at Development Alternatives.

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