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Subodh Shankar
Tangible
Parameters for
Affordable Low Cost
Housing in India
Is it possible for the present Government to
provide houses to all by 2022? Can the shortage
of housing units in the country be overcome in a
cost-effective manner?
I
ndia is facing an acute housing shortage to the tune of 18.7
million. 98 % of this is comprised by families of the weaker and
low income groups, whose actual incomes make it impossible
for them to own even the cheapest available housing unit,
given the soaring housing market.
If you think that only the cost of land and materials is the
root cause of the higher cost of houses, you are wrong. In reality,
the cost of housing comprises several factors, each of which is
responsible for the high costs of housing today. Let us look at the
various factors, which determine the overall sale price of houses. If
all the factors are properly dealt with, it will not be impossible for
housing for all to become a reality by 2022, as mandated by the
present Government.
A. Site Selection
Reduction of cost begins with the selection of the site. For housing
to be affordable, careful site selection is essential. The following
ideally face trunk and arterial able cost for the house. It is a known
roads. fact that building materials are largely
7. The sources of water supply should responsible for the menace of global
be located at the highest points, warming. Therefore, the building
while the sewage and drainage materials and technology should be
disposal points should be located selected on the basis of their present
at lower levels. This results in cost, as well as from the point of view
better efficiency in terms of energy of environmental sustainability and
and savings in terms of running life cycle costs. The following points
costs of these services. may be kept in mind while deciding
8. Decentralisation of physical and on these aspects:
social infrastructural facilities helps 1. Use materials available locally as
in initial as well as perpetual costs. far as possible.
9. The housing plots should be 2. Select the materials on the basis of
rectangular in shape with their their life cycle costs rather than the
Clubbing of wet core areas-W.C, Bath &
shorter side facing the road. The Kitchen
present cost.
most functional and economical 3. Opt for the 41/2 staggered brick
ratio of width to length is 3. Optimise on the number of doors walling system instead of solid
considered to be 1:2. and sizes of windows. 9brick walls.
10. Floor Area Ratio or FAR norms 4. The wet yet core areas, such as
should be upgraded on the basis toilets and kitchen should be
of the status of infrastructural clubbed together.
services. 5. Reduce or eliminate altogether the
circulation areas.
C. The Housing Unit Design 6. Construct common walls between
The housing unit is the end product two housing units.
of a housing project, and is the 7. Optimise room sizes and heights.
actual place where people live. This 8. Create multipurpose spaces.
dwelling ought to be not just safe 9. Use vertical spaces for storage
and comfortable but also healthy and purpose.
capable of meeting or fulfilling the 10. Encourage semi-finished type of
basic needs of human inhabitation. construction and core housing
At the same time, the EMIs should system. This ensures that the
be affordable so that the owner of house owners do not end up
the house does not have to shoulder redoing the finishing items, such
much burden. Therefore, it is as flooring and internal wall
extremely important for an architect plastering. This also ensures that Use of 4 1/2 inch staggered common wall
to follow all the basic principles of there is no wastage of scarce
design. Some of the more significant building materials. 4. Choose Rat Trap bond walling
principles are listed as follows: systems. The benefits of the system
1. Reduce the length of the wall D. Building Materials and are as follows:
as much as possible. The ratio Technology i) It helps reduce material con-
of the perimeter to the plinth In addition to the design and planning sumption by 25 to 30 per cent.
should be low. aspects as discussed earlier, building ii) Low material consumption
2. Go for a simplistic design with materials and technology also play a leads to a significant reduction
lesser offsets. primary role in arriving at an afford- in cost.
reducing the typical bureaucratic government has bound itself with Report on Trend and Progress of
approach to planning and a mandate of achieving this goal. If Housing in India 2013
execution. all the parameters are carefully put IV. www.bmptc.org: Official website of
iv) In case of private builders and to practice, this goal, which appears Building Materials and Technology
developers, the profit margins utopian at the moment, may definitely Promotion Council (BMPTC)
are a cause of worry. But it is not become feasible. V. https://www.upavp.com: Official
known, who in this globalised It would be ideal if all of us, that website of Uttar Pradesh Housing
open economy system, can control is, architects, town planners and & Dev. Board
them or advise them to help engineers, could bind ourselves
achieve the goal of providing a with the mandate of the government
shelter over every head by 2022. and ensure that each and every
citizen of India has a shelter over his
Conclusion head by 2022.
Undoubtedly, shelter is one of the
basic needs of every human being. References:
In any civilised society, each and I. Government of India Union Budget
every citizen should be provided with 2014-15
Prof. Subodh Shankar, Professor-
a reasonably decent and liveable II. Press Information Bureau, GoI Architecture, Amity University, Lucknow;
shelter or housing/dwelling unit. (Ministry of Housing and Urban Former Chief Architect Planner, U. P.
The government of the day has to Poverty Alleviation) briefing on Housing & Development Board.
Photographs and Illustrations: Courtesy
work relentlessly to achieve this Housing Shortage: 13January2010 the Author.
goal. It is good that the present III. National Housing Bank (NHB)
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September 2014 ARCHITECTURE - Time Space
Architecture Space 43
& People
Time & People