Type of project
Sustainable Habitat Development and Opportunities of Livelihood options
Background
UNDP came in Orissa after the super cyclone, which had resulted into a mass scale destruction of life and property. The challenge thus was not only to build new shelters but, to rebuild the spirits and morale of the people. The real task was to be able to re-establish a communal habitat, which gave a sense of belonging to the people. To achieve this the obstacles were many. There was a need to build in the available meagre resources, to identify and proliferate technologies which were cost effective and eco-friendly, to establish a village planning and development process involving the community and government, t o generate employment and livelihood options, to build a skilled work force which was capable to build effectively in the given set of constraints and to allow formations of federations and networks which gave a sense of united community spirit.
About the project
The shelter project was formulated by Ms. Richa Swarup, who was under deputation from HUDCO to UNDP Orissa after the super cyclone. It was launched in 4 of the worst affected coastal district of Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara and Balasore. It aims to catalyse and sustain a building movement, to generate self-employment opportunities, to bring about capacity building of the community and the local NGOs involved in this sector and to formulate and follow a planned development.
It can be broadly divided it three phases along the time line, namely
Phase 1, October 1999
Restoration and immediate rehabilitation
When UNDP arrived in Orissa the general state of affairs was chaos. There were huge amounts of relief material being poured into the region but due to the lack of a planned relief programme the aids were not getting distributed effectively. Even the manpower was not organized, hence, there were motivated people ready to help but did not know who to go about doing it.
UNDP began by rescue and relief distribution efforts. When the waters had receded they got busy in the construction of summer cum monsoon shelters. They improvised on the traditional building technologies, making use of local materials to roof the shelter less and protect them from the immediate summer heat and ensuing rains till they were re-housed. For example, they strengthened these temporary shelters by using cross bracings in case of bamboo structures and through stones in case of stone masonry.
Phase 2, Jan 2001 to June 2002.
Habitat planning and technology transfer
Resource mapping >
Community Based Disaster Management Programme >
Suitable building technologies >
Training >
Community participation >
Orissa Appropriate Technology Forum >
UNDP launched the project ‘Promotion of Alternative construction technologies and capacity building of the community for habitat development' in January 2001. It was initiated in two blocks each in four of the worst cyclone affected districts of Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara and Balasore.
For the initiating development work it was felt important to first make a detailed survey of the present situation. Hence they got into the exercise of resource mapping . This included noting down all the various aspects of the village, such as social, cultural, economic etc., which were analysed for formulating a development plan for that village.
Refer to the Resource Mapping reports of Kendrapara and Puri districts.
In order to enable the people to respond to further disaster risks, vulnerability studies were made and risk and hazard maps were prepared. A Community Based Disaster Preparedness Programme was formulated. This included setting up an elaborate warning system, training the people to respond disaster situations by way of preparedness drills, etc.
Refer to the CBDP documents.
Refer to the document on Community Based Disaster Preparedness Programme
For the rebuilding of the habitat within the means available to the people suitable building technologies were identified, which were cost effective, energy efficient gave livelihood options to the manufacturers and artisans and were easy to transfer and disseminate.
Refer to the document on appropriate technologies.
To enable the people to build their habitat it was felt necessary to give them training in the art of building with these technologies. Firstly the UNVs were trained, who in turn trained the village level masons and artisans.
Refer to the document on training.
For ensuring community participation in the building process, ‘Nirmiti Samitis' or village committees were formed to overlook the finances and construction of the buildings. Also, wherever possible the trained masons and local villagers were involved inn the labour.
Refer to the document on Community Participation and mou of the villages.
The actual construction involved the building up of multipurpose community centres, schools and individual houses.
As per the habitat planning, construction of infrastructure facilities was also taken up such as development of roads, water supply, sewage disposal, electricity, and solar power, lift irrigation pumps and pond renovation.
All this construction was carried out using the grants form the schemes already available to the people from the government, such as the Indira Awas Yojana housing schemes and the Samagra Awas Yojana, and other organizations such as Care today and MSSRF.
Phase 3, July 2002 to June 2006.
Livelihood connections
IT kiosks >
Self Help Groups >
It was realized that efforts to empower people were more effective if they were organized in groups as against developing the capacities of individuals. This is so because the group can act as a collective entity and achieve greater results. Hence, UNDP decided to organize the people in Self Help Groups.
UNDP is currently promoting two kinds of SHGs, namely the artisan's SHG, which is a collaboration of craftsmen involved in the building trade and the women's SHGs, which is an association of local women who are looking for additional income opportunities for their families. For financing these schemes various available systems of micro credit, micro finance and micro enterprise are adopted. |
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