| 4. In which ways is the initiative creative and innovative?
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The strategy was implemented by organizing women’s self help groups in the local areas through the Shetech initiative and integrating them in a wide network, spanning different parts of India. Capacity building was undertaken among the members of this network so that they could address the local needs through the application of appropriate technology relevant to the context. By establishing a network of grass root level institutions for the transfer of eco-friendly technology BTC - Shetech promotes eco friendly living by disseminating non-conventional energy such as solar, wind, wave and geothermal energy. Sustainable agriculture technology such as bio manure, bio pesticides, bio control agents, organic food are encouraged. Land and waste management using eco-friendly and cost effective technologies for solid waste treatment, non burn technologies for biomedical waste; sewage treatment and disposal; plastic recycling, industrial waste treatment, toxic waste management, control of soil pollution, water conservation and treatment, eco friendly habitat development, health and healing using traditional healing practices, environment friendly transportation technology such as natural gas vehicle, solar powered automobile, low emission automobiles, pollution prevention technologies and environment monitoring and measurement instruments are popularized by BTC. This is carried out by a network of institutions such as Building Technology Centres, Applied Technology and training centres, Prikriti Green Concepts, SSP Architects & Designs, Orion Projects, Shan Solar, Knot Solutions, RD Costructions etc. Production centres have been set up to produce materials using cost effective energy efficient and environment friendly technology. Training is imparted regularly in various branches of applied technology and science in urban as well as rural areas. Employment opportunities have been generated, especially for women, in construction, micro enterprises, agriculture, dairying, and floriculture. The innovative approach has been adopted by governments at the national and provincial level and policy decisions taken for the propagation of innovative technology. Universities have included this technology in the curriculum in the technical education institutions. A network of non-government institutions have been formed for transfer of technology in the municipalities and local bodies in India.
Implementation of the action plan was done through the aegis of Community based organizations, NGOs, partner institutions and individuals Government, local self governing institutions, District Administration.
To implement the programme and monitor the progress, people’s committee (“Nattukkoottam” in local language) were formed in the villages. Certain villages were identified and developed as ‘eco-villages’ where concentrated efforts were made to demonstrate the most economical and most scientific ways eco-friendly living and conservation of water.
Under the ‘People’s Planning Programme’ of the local self governing institutions (Panchayats), organize farming and use of eco-friendly technology was taken up as a priority item and local projects for conservation of water were implemented as part of the planning process.
BTC’s strategy is to equip the people to access affordable housing through BTC chapters and NGO networks with local mornings. These strategies and objectives were facilitated after detailed deliberations among the network partners and periodically reviewed by the members at national and local levels.
As the movement grew guidelines for establishment of BCs were framed and circulated amongst the net - working agencies, an action plan manual was prepared detailing the procedure for establishment, source of funds and other requirements, model bylaws and rules and regulation of BTCs, Model Project reports, the list of R&D bodies and the technologies propagated by them was published and made available to the prospective agencies for setting up of BTCs.
R&D efforts of National Laboratories, State Institutions, NGO’s and efforts of professionals like Laurie Baker are extensively promoted through live projects. These institutes have developed innovative and cost effective construction technologies and building materials such as under reamed pile foundation, stabilized compressed earth blocks, stabilized adobe, Fal-G stabilized mud blocks, Clay flyash burnt bricks, Flyash/sand lime bricks, flyash-lime gypsum products,lato blocks, Flyash based light weight aerated concrete walling and roofing blocks, Rat Trap bond, Bambo-Mat based walls, composite ferrosystems, pyramidal brick roof, Guna tile roof, Micro concrete roofing tile,precast brick panels, ferrocement channel/shell units,funicular shells, Fillerslabs, partition/ceiling/panels made out of wood waste, rice husk and bagasse,precast RCC doors and windows, brick arches, corbels, brick jails, ferrocementwater tanks etc. These technologies/ materials will be cost effective to anextent of 40% when adopted in the building construction.
The network of building centres have adopted these technologies in the projects undertaken. BTC regularly published the brochures / News letters / Videos as dissemination materials and conducted Seminar / Workshops to create awareness regarding the movement.
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| 5. Who implemented the initiative and what is the size of the population affected by this initiative?
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BTC activities are carried out by network of institutions such as Prakriti Green Concepts, SPP Architects & Designers, Institute of Habitat Education, Housing, Environment and Rural Developing Society, Institute of Development, Habitat Alliance, Orion Projects, Shan Solar, Knot Solutions, Habitat India initiative, RD Constructions etc.
The premier Research and Development (R&D) institutions in India such as the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI), Roorkie and Structural Engineering Research Centre, Chennai and the Regional Research Laboratories under the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research and Council for Agriculture Research provide low cost technology options for dissemination in the field.
Structural Engineering Research Centre offered to send their trainers to demonstrate low cost technology and train the engineers, masons, architects, carpenters and artisans. Technology transfer which started in the field of housing has later on triggered off a movement for the transfer of appropriate technology in different fields of life.
Institutions in the country, such as the Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) and the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI), and the Regional Research Laboratories were also gradually drawn in. At the BTC a few masons, carpenters, engineers and architects collectively learnt the art of constructing houses using alternate technology and locally available building materials.
The stakeholders include NGOs, State Government, District Administration, Housing organizations, educational institutions, Construction Workers Cooperatives and Private entrepreneurs, Panchayati Raj Institutions, Farmers groups, Women Organizations.
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| 6. How was the strategy implemented and what resources were mobilized?
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Being an organization for dissemination of science and technology harnessing technical resources was the priorty. The research institutions under Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, universities such as Columbia University, USA and Birla Institute of Technology and Sciences, Pillani, national institutes such as The Central Building Research Institute (CBRI) and Structural Engineering Research Centre (SERC) provided the techno-scientific resources.
Financial resources were mobilized by levying user fee for the services provided, charging subscription fee from the members, sale of cost effective building materials, proceeds from books and publications, occasional grants and donations and local consultancy.
Human resources were provided by the members themselves with supplementary resources from the technical institutions involved.
In view of the increasing complexity of construction technology, the training programme of the Building Centres has included all trades related to housing in the skill improvement programmes. Project Engineers and other training staff of Building Centres are included among the trainers, as also instructors of Industrial Training Institutes and teaching staff of Polytechnics concerned with housing. With a view to exposing master craftsmen to the latest developments in cost-effective technology relating to housing, training and orientation programmes are conducted on a periodic basis. Students of architecture and civil engineering and teachers of several institutions are also given training. The training facilities of the Centres are being made available to voluntary agencies and individuals interested in housing.
A training programme is generally conducted for three to four months for a batch of about 25 persons, including women. The training mainly consists of on-the job experience in the use of low cost materials and construction techniques. The trainees are exposed to the new housing designs developed by the Building Centres to suit the requirements of a particular area and the most efficient use of locally available materials like mud, coconut shell, and laterite blocks.
Some of the Centres also provide advanced training to a few persons who have already received the preliminary training. Those who receive advanced training are given the necessary assistance to set up their own Sub-Centres and to undertake construction work independently. A few of them are absorbed either as Master Masons in the construction projects of the Building Centres or as trainers. A large number of workers belonging to economically weaker section have derived benefits from the training schemes, even though they have had no previous experience.
Resources were made available from different sources like Govt of India grant assistance for establishing initial infrastructure development and training facilities through its budgetary support, annually, totaling about Rs 236 million. In addition Govt. of India's training fund of over Rs182 million under NRY was released.
The Ministry of Rural Development is also extending funds upto Rs 1.50 million per Building Centre to achieve 2 BCs in every state which are to be expended to all Taluks.
HUDCO provide R&D grant assistance and Soft Loan assistance for Working Capital and Machinery besides channelising grant funds from KfW. Till date an assistance of Rs 100 million has been provided by HUDCO from its resources. In addition, KfW grant money of an order of Rs 187 million has been made available for the capacity building of the building centre movement.
BMTPC has made available significant resources for procurement of machinaries and equipment’s for upgrading the capacity of the Building Centres.
In addition, the State Government Educational Institutions/ NGOs/ CBOs provides land for the Building Centres besides funds under various training programme.
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| 7. Who were the stakeholders involved in the design of the initiative and in its implementation?
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Training of women and youth in the selection, consolidation, application and dissemination of appropriate technology has been carried out regularly.
Other outputs include developing a shelf of appropriate technologies to suit the various geo-climatic conditions of India; establishing a vibrant delivery system with reach and spread in different parts of India; and creating scientific awareness among the common men and women, specially the vulnerable section of society.
The most significant output has been in the housing sector. Environment technology is being utilized in India in one million houses every year.
A chain of institutions have been established in India for dissemination of appropriate technology such as Prakriti Green Concepts, SPP Architects & Designers, Institute of Habitat Education, Housing, Environment and Rural Developing Society, Institute of Development, Habitat Alliance, Orion Projects, Shan Solar, Knot Solutions, Habitat India Initiative, R D Constructions and Nirmithi Kendras. Technology developed by research institutions under the council for scientific and industrial research are transferred to the field e.g. Building technology developed by Central Building Research Institute, agricultural technology developed by Council for Agriculture Research and Agricultural Universities and Dairy Technology through the National Diary Development Board. National and state governments have been prevailed upon to pass legislation and adopt policy decisions favoring technology transfer. Effective linkage has been established among the research bodies and industries. Curriculum of universities have been modified giving importance to eco-friendly technologies.
Cost Effective and Environment Friendly (CEEF) technology has effectively utilised substitute natural materials for Steel, Concrete and Aluminium the process of manufacture of which releases substantial quantity of pollutants.
Treated plantation timber like Rubber and Coconut available in abundance in Kerala is encouraged to be used. This helps in locking away sequestered Carbon for long periods. Encouraging the use of plantation timber significantly reduces the pressure on natural forests.
BTC propagates the use of stabilised and compacted mud blocks using local manual energy instead of burnt bricks which consumes substantial firewood and fertile clay soil.
CEEF technology uses only 40% sand in construction compared to conventional technology thereby substantially helping in the conservation of this natural resource which is mined from river beds causing destruction of River ecology.
Laterite blocks are usually used for walls and floorings instead of burnt bricks thus reducing the use of fuel wood for Brick manufacturing.
To ward off resource depletion, emphasis is laid on recycling of waste. Timber waste produced at the manufacturing stage is reused as fuel for drying kilns, or as wood produces such as particleboard, fibreboard, chips or mulch.
Agricultural and industrial wastes like fly ash, coconut pith and fibre, rice husk, cotton waste are utilized for building materials manufacture.
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| 8. What were the most successful outputs and why was the initiative effective?
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Progress of activities were monitored concurrently by joint monitoring committees consisting of representatives of the local academic institutions and the Building Technology Centre. Since the local needs were identified by the village communities and benificries themselves . there was consensnal approach in undertaking development projects. This lead to watch dog committee being formed in the local area to oversee implementation. All these development activities are subject to social audit, which gained statutory sanctity through the Panchyat Raj act. Evaluation of the projects was entrusted to academic institutions of repute who could view the results objectively. To make the implementation transparent and effective and monitoring efficient the potentials of ICT was utilized in phases.
Implementation of the action plan was done through the aegis of Government, local self governing institutions, District Administration, community based organizations, NGOs, institutions and individuals.
To implement the programme and monitor the progress, people’s committee (“Nattukkoottam” in local language) were formed in the villages. Certain water-scare villages were identified and developed as ‘eco-villages’ where concentrated efforts were made to demonstrate the most economical and most scientific ways of conserving water. This was monitored by the Nattukoottams.
Under the ‘People’s Planning Programme’ of the local self governing institutions (Panchayats), water conservation was taken up as a priority item and local projects for conservation of water were implemented as part of the planning process. Government also adopted these ideas for implementation and included a few projects in Government’s development plan for the state.
As the organization and network grew and its reach and spread increased it was considered necessary to put in place as centralized planning and monitoring unit manned by professionals who volunteered their services for the same. Some of the IT professionals who became members of the movement introduced ICT for monitoring the progress of implementation of the technology transfer mission, cost effective house construction and rural water supply systems. With the introduction of e-monitoring system, it was possible to have information at one point, though the implementation was decentralized. Considering the fact that the number of network partners are involved in the implementation the program has been put in place with well defined roles and responsibilities for each agency. With this end in view, appropriate management structures have also been put in place.
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| 9. What were the main obstacles encountered and how were they overcome?
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The obstacles faced by Building Technology Centres in the formative years were the reluctance of the house builders to use cost-effective and environment friendly technologies, lack of field level delivery system to transfer technology from 'lab to land', inadequate financial support for transfer of technology, organization of training programme and skill up gradation, non existence of legislative and policy support for CEEF and low-cost technology vis-à-vis high cost conventional technology, lack of institutional mechanism to provide back-up services for appropriate technology under a single window and gross inadequacy of an effective network of NGOs.
One of the major obstacles that the Building Centre had to face in the early days was the misconception that the low cost technology was associated with low quality and that it was for the poor man only. BTC had to fight against this stereotype by creating awareness among the public that cost-effective technology is consistent with durability and high quality. Besides constructing low-cost houses for the economically weaker groups, BTC built houses for the middle class and even for non-resident Indians. In a housing scenario where housing was a commercial activity marked by resplendence and luxury, BTC came out successful by building a standard residential building at Rs. 600 per square feet.
BTC’s credibility came to be established when it began to add in its track record public buildings, ranging from village offices, schools, hospitals, anti-disaster shelters, government servants’ quarters, industrial estates, shopping complexes, auditoria, indoor stadia, working women’s hostels, T.V. relay stations, tourist resorts and residential houses for high, middle as well as low income groups and economically weaker sections, with a saving of up to 30 per cent in costs.
BTC could overcome the initial hurdles and spread its message through audio-visual programmes, seminars, interactive sessions with villagers and circulation of literature (pamphlets, brochures, and others) in the mother tongue in cost effective technology.
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