Vastu Shilp plans waste mgmt

Heaps of solid waste standing as high as a two storeyed mound, at sewage farm near Pirana in Ahmedabad, is looking to be shaped into buildings as Vastu Shilpa Foundation for Studies and Research in Environmental Design (VSF) has carried out a research to help the dump find its suitable 'space' in building components.

"Every day 2000 MT of waste is dumped at the Pirana every day without any scientific disposal. We have done an intensive research over past fifteen months in five urban centres of Gujarat covering over 20 squatter settlements and over 200 dwelling units," said Yatin Pandya, associate director of VSF.

We have developed few products and prototypes and have arrived at a range of guidelines and recommendations for the efficient management of solid waste in Gujarat, Pandya said.

"Our aim was to aim in a three fold manner. Besides solving environmental problem, it will also generate employment for ragpickers and especially women from the lower strata of the society."

"The products are cheaper and better performing than what the poor people have in their housing," he further said.

The research has been carried out in collaboration with Commonwealth Human Ecology Council (CHEC), UK and the Institute of Building, Structures, and Structural Design University of Stuttgart (ITKE) Germany with funding from European Union amounting to Rs 70 lakh.

The survey has been carried out in over 300 household, looking at waste disposal and its generation pattern specifically from neighbourhood, flats or tenements in order to measure the heap generated in 24 hours.

As per the findings of the survey a dwelling unit can be completely built with unconventional building materials like cartons, vegetable crates, jute bags, plastic cement bags and oil tin sheets.

Sometimes creativity gets expressed as people find out smart solutions like hollow blocks work as an opening for light and ventilation, flat metal sheet folded works as gutter for the rainfall and cement pole fixed in the ground as support, the survey said.

"The strengths of these recycled materials differ however they are acceptable for construction," Pandya assures.

The recycled products can be utilised for flooring, roofing, windows, reinforcement bars grill and ropes.

There is no capital investment and no special machinery is required for recycled materials, according to Pandya.

Elaborating about the price he said, "The mosaic inlaid tile is made using different waste combinations. It has a higher reflectivity and is better insulated. The tiles can also be used for roofing. The cost is estimated to be Rs 6-7 as compared to the Morbi tile that costs Rs 11 per tile. Whereas the China mosaic costs Rs 30."

While tins can be used as doors, plastic bottles affirm their position as walls. In Rajkot Hanjar Biotech along with Rajkot Municiapal Corporation has started making composite bricks using flyash and other ingredients.

Excel, AEC and some other developers have also shown interest in the recycled products, Pandya said.