SLUMS, TV's and CONCRETE: "Planning" at Its Worst.

The confluence of three stories, each seemingly unrelated, together shine a stark light on the cost of poor planning and inconsideration re the needs of the impoversihed in India.  India dropped two ranks to 67th of the 84 developing countries in the International Food Policy Research Institutes annual Global Hunger Index for 2010.  Sudan, Pakistan and Noth Kores rank higher than India.

This report was released the same week as an India State Government announced the distribution of a million more free color TV's  prior to elections next year. The free TV scheme has according to Times of India cost the Government 824 crore Rupees ($206 million USD).  This program exists in juxtaposition to the increasingly expensive land cost, housing costs, contruction costs and increasingly sparce supply of nutritious food for the economically disadvantaged. Inefficient supply lines and 150% y-t-d inflation on most vegetables, has made it nearly impossible for hundreds of millions to provide a nutritious meal for their family or shelter them in a suitable home

After months of PGI campaigning for the implementation of appropriate technology housing for tribals and slum-dwellers, Times of India today released an expose' story regarding the inadequecy of the Government's subsidy program to build concrete houses for rural poor.  The  Government per house subsidy of 75,000Rs ($1630) towards labor  is 32,500Rs ($706) short of the market rate; further the Government material allowance provides only 155kg (36 per kg) of the required 500kg (18,000Rs ($391)) of steel rebar; and five bags short (200Rs per bag ($21) of the amount needed to make a safe house. The 'real' cost of the 215sq ft house is 1,26,500Rs. ($2750) and that does not include doors and windows.

PGI has seen first hand the consequences of 'token' construction for the poor when in 2009 it extended its school-house/education initiative to the tribal region of the Lower Palanis, Western Ghats.  PGI reviewed a long row of concrete sheds, built six months prior, standing abandoned, some collapsed and literally disintegrating under the light pressure of a swipe of the hand.  Abandoned in favor of their seasonally constructed traditional huts, the Lower Palani tribe would rather brave the elements than risk death in a subsidized concrete house that 'melts' in the rain and become 'tandoor hot' in the sun.

From that time forward, PGI began forming strategic alliances with top engineers, human rights groups and scientists; and now- with PGI's purpose-designed partner company Surabhi Bamboo a climate appropriate engineered bamboo-panel prefab permanent relief home (code named PEBLE Prefab Engineered Bamboo Living Environment ) will be coming to market before 2011. PEBLE is hurricane and earthquake resistant, fully insulated, fireproof and climate appropriate. The full turn-key home-kit is 220 sq ft, can be drop shipped en mass on-site, and expected to cost 1 Lakh Rupees ($2200) per unit kit. It can be installed in a matter of hours by general community laborers.  In comparision, the same size  concrete home is more expensive, not as safe/sustainable, requires skilled labor/ material supply lines and takes 38 days to build. 

Coming full circle, in terms of TV's, the Government could have put 82,400 rural poor in homes rather than passing out a million free TV's that have done absolutely nothing to lift the prosperity of the effectively homeless, malnourished common man of India. 

PGI invites "India, Inc.", and foreign companies that have prospered from the deeply talented labor pool of India, to exercise its CRS in a meaningful way and become involved in the PEBLE Initiative. As a permanent disaster relief structure, PGI is currently sourcing consultants to assist with kit packaging and logistic requirements of relief organizations.  info@peerlessgreen.net