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G O B A R
G Y A N |
I AM
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Hey folks,
 The government of Tamilnadu had
planned a special new year's gift for the tsunami victims. You know lakhs of people had
lost their homes on 26 December, 2004, when the sea had roared into their backyards and
destroyed everything. The government had pledged to build new homes for them-by the year
end (2005).
And it had almost met the target. But in its frenzy to finish it forgot some vital
principles of building. Like selecting the right sites! New houses were built on low lying
areas near the sea-so when the cyclones hit the coasts again this December, they were
flooded. And the tsunami victims remained where they were a year ago. Homeless.
Also, these settlements are made of cement and steel.But the salty air would wear them
away really fast, say experts. Why weren't bricks used instead?
But I find this mismatch not only here, but everywhere I go. Aren't the high rise
apartments in Bangalore clones of the blocks that are coming up in Delhi? But the cities
are different-climate wise, terrain wise, rainfall wise!
Shouldn't there be some basic logic of building-so that homes are designed depending on
how hot, cold or wet that particular place is? Lets find out….
– Pandit Gobar Ganesh
E-mail: panditji@cseindia.org
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