''Low-cost'' housing technique developed by Dhameta man

Rajiv Mahajan

Advertisement

Nurpur, March 19

Shubham Sohal, a young entrepreneur of Dhameta in Fatehpur subdivision of Kangra district, claims to have developed a technology for the construction of low-cost houses. He was working as an interior designer in Hyderabad but came back to his native place during the Covid lockdown period. He then did some research in low-cost housing construction.

He said as per his technology, Glass Fiber Reinforced Gypsum (GFRG) interlocking panels and rice husk bricks are used in the construction with a roof made of prefabricated galvanised iron sheets. These bricks are eco-friendly and more cost-effective than red clay bricks. Gypsum is a waste byproduct of the fertiliser industry. “A house with 200 square feet area of one room and with 300 square feet area of two rooms can be built by spending Rs 2 and 3 lakh, respectively. The GFRG panels are 65 per cent cheaper than red bricks. Apart from this, 90-per cent saving of cement and 35-per cent saving of labour cost can be achieved in this technology,” he claimed. He said buildings of up to eight to 10 storeys could be designed using the load-bearing system, without the need for beams and columns which would ultimately reduce the use of cement, sand, steel and water.

Inquiries made by The Tribune reveal that under the centrally sponsored Prime Minister Awas Yojna and the state government-sponsored Chief Minister Awas Yojna, a houseless beneficiary gets Rs 1.30 lakh as the financial succor for the construction of a house. It is not possible to build even a single-room house with this assistance and usually a beneficiary after spending this amount on construction leaves the work midway for want of money.

Sohal said he was interested in carrying out his research work of low cost housing in collaboration with the government so that existing house construction cost could further be reduced keeping in view the interest and demand of the beneficiaries of the Awas Yojnas. He said if low-cost housing technology on which he had undertaken research work was promoted by the state government, the poor beneficiaries could get their houses ready with the available funds.

————–

captions

–GFRG inter-locked locking panels being used to construct a house.

— Husk bricks being prepared for use in low-cost house construction. File photo