Although the Rural Housing Project commenced from July 2002, the history of this Movement dates back to the supercyclone of 1999, as an aftermath of which the SDC-UNDP Reconstruction project was launched in December, 2000.

The broad features of this project have been briefly discussed herein for an overall understanding of how the context and the learnings derived influenced UNDP and SDC to become partners for a long-term project on Rural Housing Programme (RHP) to bring about linkages between Habitat and Livelihoods.

The supercyclone of October 1999 had crippled the province of Orissa causing widespread devastation, wherein around 10000 lives were lost and millions rendered homeless. In the wake of this crisis, UNDP with support from SDC came forward to build a team of 29 young United Nations Volunteer (UNV) Architects/ Engineers/ Planners to promote alternate cost-effective disaster-resistant housing technologies and to build capacities within the communities for Habitat Development in the cyclone-affected districts of Orissa.

Promotion of local building materials and technologies with improvisation and skill upgradation of local construction workers

The process of technology transfer was carried to touch all the cross sections of people who have a stake in the process of building a house. But the local mason (construction artisan) was identified as the vital player; he was the Architect-Engineer-Builder all combine in the locale and his voice was the last voice in the rural housing delivery system. There was also the need for advocating the technologies to the Govt. engineers and the village leaders.

Keeping in mind the above requirements the following activities were taken up to facilitate a Housing Movement in Orissa.

Training of Trainers

The aim was to train/ orient the Govt. engineers of Panchayati Raj departments in alternate technologies by the UNVs. In this process, 152 Govt. engineers were trained. Some of the Collectors and Project Directors - the district level administrators participated in the training which was not in the form of workshop alone but also through field observation of a live building under construction.

Training of Masons

The masons were trained in successive batches, with not more than 25 trainees in each batch, both in theory and hands-on exercises on the use of alternate construction technologies. They also availed exposure visits to oversee buildings constructed in alternate technologies to dispel the idea that these alternate technologies were not meant for the poor only but the rich people in cities also were adopting the same to optimize the costs. The good practices adopted by experienced masons on site also fortified them with better knowledge.

Construction of TDUs

Seventy-two (72) Technology Demonstration Units (TDUs) were constructed at vantage points with the help of trained masons for utilisation by rural communities. Each of them was uniquely designed to suit the needs of the particular village community and the site conditions. The aim of the TDUs was to demonstrate the efficacy of these alternative technologies to the community. The village Nirmiti Samitis, which included women, were actively associated with the design and construction management of these TDUs.

Housing Movement

A systematic housing movement was carried on to facilitate the prospective house owners, primarily the poor BPL (Below Poverty Line) families, to construct their houses using alternate technologies. There were a series of village meetings, video shows, distribution of leaflets, etc. to disseminate these technologies. The UNVs interacted with the households intimately on every issue they wanted to know about construction – literally the families in these remote rural areas could avail the services of an Architect/ Engineer at their doorsteps. During this period, 764 houses were thus constructed using these alternate technologies without any financial assistance from UNDP.

Establish a village Habitat Planning and Development process involving the local Self Govt. (a democratic system known as Panchayati Raj institution)

A Govt. of India scheme for development of 5 villages was taken up in Erasama block battered by the supercyclone. The underlying philosophy was to provide housing, water supply, sanitation, access to roads, etc. through community participation. Before implementation of the project, both the expressed and the felt needs of the respective villages were assessed through intensive community and household surveys and these needs were prioritized. The process involved community-based social mapping, resource mapping, hazard mapping and vulnerability mapping. Programme on reconstruction and retrofitting of kutcha houses were taken up. The above mentioned exercises could set examples for the nearby villages. Many Govt. rural development programmes like provision for drinking water, plantation, irrigation, drainage, road development, etc. were converged which had earlier been taken up separately and which was not in the original scope of the project. The original project budgets of INR 2,500,000 could thereby leverage another INR 173,000,000 from different sources.

Knowledge Dissemination and Learning Platforms

IEC (Information, Education and Communication) Activities

Training Manuals

Training manuals on alternate technologies as well as habitat planning, ready reckoners to help estimating were prepared and circulated among Govt. engineers and Panchayati Raj Institution members (local self-Government). For mass campaigning, leaflets, posters and pamphlets depicting the importance of alternate technologies and the technical details along with the names of trained masons, junior engineers and the UNVs were printed and distributed among the villagers. Meetings were held in Gram Panchayat headquarters and nodal villages with masons and block engineers and the advantages of these technologies were discussed and clarifications provided by the UNVs having the experience and expertise.

Participation in Exhibitions

Regular stalls were hired in exhibition grounds organized by Govt./ NGOs at different district headquarters and the province capital. Prototype structures were constructed displaying all features of alternate technologies and incorporating disaster-resistant features. The visitors benefited from the demonstration and demand for construction of houses adopting the technologies was forthcoming during and soon after the completion of the exhibition. This was more of a work which was satisfying the people at grassroots. However for the intellectuals and professionals, the Orissa Appropriate Technology Forum (OATF) was the answer. A core group was formed with the members from various organisations to work on the key issues for the promotion and institutionalisation of the technologies. The forum through its publications intended to popularise the theme of alternate technologies in construction sector. It organised a number of workshops and seminars.

The above project which had focussed primarily to facilitate Reconstruction concluded in June 2002 with the “MASON – the catalyst of change” emerging as the hero of the Housing Movement. The work done at the grassroots had already generated new hopes and aspirations in many to have a roof over their heads; therefore patronage from SDC to pursue the Movement through the Rural Housing Programme became imminent.