Kerala: Readymade' homes to give poor a roof over head

Thiruvananthapuram: The homeless in the state will soon have their dream homes built by Nirmithi Kendra with pre-fabricated materials outsourced from China. The houses planned by the LDF Government under its  ambitious ‘Project LIFE’   (Livelihood, Inclusion, Financial Empowerment)  will benefit two lakh people  in the next five years. The  two-bedroom, 400-square-feet home will be available at a price of Rs 4 lakh.  This is for the first time that the government-owned Nirmithi Kendra has come out with such a novel scheme and it has constructed a model home  at its headquarters in PTP Nagar here. 

Though the pre-fab materials are currently outsourced from China, Nirmithi Kendra director K. N. Satheesh told DC that  they were  trying to develop an indigenous technology.  “In the existing pre-fab structure, there's a space where thermocol has been used, but  we are trying to bring in coir fibre instead and further lower the price,” said Mr. Satheesh who is also the housing commissioner.

He  added that the  pre-fab structures will be launched within a month. Nirmithi Kendra officials are giving   finishing touches, including  landscaping in front of the pre-fab home. The vitrified tiled home comprises  a stand-out instead of a sit-out, a hall, two bedrooms with a common bathroom  and a kitchen. Nirmithi Kendra officials vouch that the structure which has a vertical column that acts as a frame can withstand natural calamities like earthquake. It can be custom-made as per  requirements.  When the mass housing scheme is implemented, the total cost can be further reduced  as the infrastructure would be mass- produced, the officials said.