As many as six cities have been selected as “Live Laboratories” for a project under which 1,000 houses will be built using innovative technologies that are low-cost, sustainable, disaster-resistant and adapted to suit Indian conditions.
These cities are Rajkot, Ranchi, Indore, Chennai, Agartala and Lucknow. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has declared the next year, April-2019 to March, 2020 as “Construction Technology Year”.
These projects would receive the regular Prime Minister Awas Yojna (Urban) assistance of Rs 1.5 lakh from the state and the same amount from the Centre besides the innovation grant of Rs 2.5 lakh for each residential unit.
On the sidelines of the Construction Technology India-2019 (CTI-2019) Expo-cum-conference here, Housing and Urban Affairs Secretary Durga Shanker Mishra told reporters that 54 Proven Technology Providers with 32 new technologies from 25 countries including technologies from USA, Finland, Australia, Spain, France, South Korea and Italy were evaluated by the Technical Evaluation Committee (TEC) at the exposition.
Mishra said technology adoption will happen in not only these six States, but also in other States and Union Territories. Over the recent launch of the third edition of the Vulnerability Atlas of India, the official said he would soon be writing to all States to use its assessment before beginning construction activities in their cities.
Vulnerability Atlas of India is a collation of the existing hazard scenario of the entire country.
“The conventional system of housing construction is time-consuming as well as resource-intensive and emphasised that there is a need to look for new emerging, disaster-resilient, environment-friendly, cost-effective and speedy construction technologies. The shift in technology transition will also address the challenges of large-scale housing construction in minimum time and cost with optimum use of resources and environment friendly practices,” HUA officials said.
The HUA Ministry said the conventional system of housing construction is time-consuming as well as resource-intensive and emphasised that there is a need to look for new emerging, disaster-resilient, environment-friendly, cost-effective and speedy construction technologies.
The technology adoption is expected to take place not only in the winning States, but also in other States/UTs.
At the Global Housing Technology conference, 78 Potential Technology Providers from across the country, with 55 post-prototype and 23 pre-prototype made their presentations to the expert jury that included presentations on Robotic Mobile Construction from Mumbai to 3D Printing in Construction from Bangalore, from Hempcrete construction system from Auroville to use of treated Bamboo for Low Cost Housing from Assam to presentations on Cast-in-situ- monolithic Domes/ Shells for various types of Habitat in Jammu & Kashmir.