Introduction
Our readers will recall that in the previous ·financial year, governmental outlay for the Indira Awaas Yojna GAY), had been increased manifold and targets raised from 4 lakh to 10 lakh houses. A significant fact, however, was the thought given to the "delivery" of these 10 lakh houses. In this context, the role of Non-' Government Organisations (NGOs) was acknowledged for the first time. The Council for Advancement of People's Action and Rural Technology (CAPART)_was entrusted with the responsibility of 30 to 40 thousand dwelling units. It has sought to meet this target through NGOs on its network. An expectation from the involvement of the independent sector organisations is the demonstration of many "region specific models for 'the effective delivery of improved housing.
Grassroots Initiative
At this same time last year, Development Alternatives initiated its regional venture that focussed on an integrated development of rural Bundelkhand. Along with other programmes, improving the state of rural shelter in Bundelkhand is also the mandate of TARAGram - our regional appropriate technology resource centre.
Thus a concentrated effort into looking at local building materials and technologies, upgrading building systems and introducing energy and resource efficient construction systems is being made. But demonstrate effective models for the delivery of these technologies. CAPART's Rural Housing Scheme formed a means that could enable us to take these technologies into the villages.
The Target Population
Twenty nine villages form the primary region of focus of TARAGram, as described elsewhere in this newsletter. These villages fall In both Madhya Pradesh and Utter Pradesh and; support a large population of Sahariya tribals, the poorest community there. An initial survey identified the tribal populations below poverty line in the villages neighbouring TARAGram. Development Alternatives decided to target them as the primary beneficiaries of this project. The mainstay of most Sahariya tribals today is income from unskilled construction or farm labour, illegal collection and sale of jungle wood and basket weaving from the Ipomea weed. They form a major section of the non-monetized economy in a village.
Existing State of Shelter
The Sahariya tribals live in clusters around open spaces. Houses consist of one or two rooms. The construction system used is mainly wattle and daub or composite random rubble and brick walls on minimal foundations with sloping roofs clad with country clay tiles on an understructure of jungle wood and lantana branches. The roofing tiles that are typical gf, Jhansi, Tikamgarh and surrounding districts are baked at home using cow dung and jungle wood. A combination of poor quality soil, low moulding skills and inefficient burning process results in a poor quality product and upto 250/0 of the roof requires annual replacement.
Selection of beneficiaries
This being TARA-Gram's first year of' operation in the region, we decided to start at a small scale in order to Least out and fine-tune the delivery mode. A total of 65 families in two villages - Banguan in Jhansi districts and Azadpura in Tikamgarh district have been identified for this first venture. Selection of the 15 Sahariya families in Banguan is based on the Gram Sabha list for IAY which due to target limitations were not sanctioned by the district authority (DRDA).
In Azadpura, on the other hand, there are no government developmental programmes planned. This village is also being targeted for a watershed management programme by TARAGram. However, the Sahariya community that forms almost 30% of the village population had been generally left out. For the village to improve as a whole it is necessary that the Sahariyas be involved. This Sahariya cluster was therefore identified as-a focus for the shelter programme. Four months of regular meetings with the community resulted in short listing of 50 families, the criteria ·being existing condition of the shelter, congestion in the house and need for the family to increase its dwelling space.
The Delivery Mode
While the project has its mandate of fulfilling a target of 65 houses, it does not stop at that. The delivery of improved shelter has been visualised not as a one time project based activity but as an ongoing process that builds in capacity within the community to improve its lot. TARAGram, in the process, is viewed as a service centre for the region with its role as a facilitator of rural livelihoods and habitat improvement - a place where a villager can procure low cost building materials, skilled manpower, machine rental, design and technological assistance and advice on loans etc. Therefore the issues before us were:
the actual delivery of dwelling units we decided to adopt the "semi-engineered self mode walls with a light roof through the local entrepreneur mode." The beneficiary with assistance from the project team brings up the walls while a local entrepreneur provides turn-key roof installation service.
Design and Technology Choice
A model design was formulated in the beginning that enabled an initial estimate to be drawn up for the sanction of funds. However, on site, no design restriction has been placed. A family decides on the size and shape of the dwelling unit (which is often just a room or a room + verandah in the courtyard of the existing house depending upon space available, funds allocated, technology chosen and labour + material input that a family is able to contribute. The, roof cost and its implications on the overall size of the dwelling unit is an important consideration while deciding the design. After discussing all these issues, a layout is made in the place indicated by the beneficiary. The only condition being that the house is on the land owned by the beneficiary. The project team advises the beneficiary as to the roof height, ventilation, drainage etc.
Technology choices were guided by the fact that while local soil is suitable for the manufacture of Stabilised Compressed Earth Blocks (SCEB), locally available fired bricks are of very poor quality. Block production in the village would contribute to local employment and overall SCEB masonry was estimated to be cheaper and of better quality.
Sloping roofs being the traditional and preferred system, Micro Concrete Roofing as an up gradation was suggested. A sample micro-concrete tile was passed around from house to house and an organised tour of TARAGrah·1 to show roofs already put up adequately convinced the families to use this technology.
Production of SCEB in the village
Block production started in the courtyard of Ramdhakeli's house. Initially It was planned that each family should participate in block production to reduce block cost. However, we found that productivity was very low resulting in almost doubling the block cost. This was because family members, especially the women, had to often stop work in order to cook and feed the family, fill water and collect firewood. At the same time, changing the team as the production moved to the next house meant retraining and further loss in productivity. In order to maintain continuity in production it was decided that one team from the village be trained. This team would manufacture blocks for all the families and their labour cost would be incorporated in the block cost Today, all the workers on the Balram are from amongst the beneficiaries gaining employment from the project with the possibility that they would utilise their skills to earn a long term livelihood as this technology spreads into the neighbouring villages.
Construction
After line-out the family digs the 'foundation and brings up the construction to plinth level using conventional random rubble in mud mortar. Rubble is locally available and free if the beneficiary can spend the time to collect and break it into usable boulders. The walls upto sill are similarly ~done with cement pointing externally. A mason from the village or from TARAGram (with their associated costs) may be called in if felt necessary by the beneficiary. SCEBs are used in walls from sill to roof level. The role of the project team is to constantly advise, check quality and explain the budget to the family. Roofs are normally the most technical and difficult to access component of the building. Rural enterprises for MCR production and roof laying in the area are already in operation. The entrepreneur steps in when the walls reach the roof level. He provides a turn-key service of roof installation. With tiles being manufactured at TARAGram, the beneficiaries can access these at any later stage if they require additional tiles for replacement or house extensions.
Sanitation
Rural resistance to modern sanitation methods is well known. Our approach has been to provide toilets only when the need for these is adequately understood and expressed by the beneficiary herself. Of course, the process to motivate villagers into using a hygiene sanitation system, instead of defecating in the open, is an ongoing one. The advantages of privacy for women and comfort for the older people are emphasised. As of now we have two families who have come forward and asked for individual toilets; we hope the rest will follow soon.
Managing Finances
Enabling and capacity building are the key words in our programme. Enabling not only requires access to skills and information but also a genuine access to and management control of finances. This has to be built into the delivery system. The first job is to educate the families with the concept that money allocated for the house belongs to them and the decision to spend it within ambit of the project would also be theirs. The project team acts as advisors to ensure that funds are utilised efficiently. This has not been an easy task. Surprisingly, the first resistance to this process came from the people themselves who were very skeptical of the process.
After explaining the process, each family was given a notebook for keeping account of expenditure incurred. Total funds allocated are mentioned. An estimate for each house is drawn up before commencing work which acts as a guide for expenditure. The cost of every element in the house is discussed and its implication on overall cost of the house is explained to the family. Payments for material and labour are made only after the beneficiary has certified the receipts. These are all recorded in the note book. The note book is kept with the beneficiary who is fully aware of expenditure record of her house at all times. Funds left over in the end can be utilized for platform or verandah or plasters etc.
In Conclusion
We still have a long way to go, the process and the delivery methods will be fine-tuned with every house. We have found that construction activity has to fall in with the rhythm of daily activities in the villager's life, thus tight time schedules and pert charts don't work. Most of the effort goes into the initial building up of confidence and educating the beneficiaries about the process and programme. It is only when a sort of ownership for the process develops within the community that active participation can happen. The author is an architect with the Shelter Group, Development Alternatives |
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