13 urban migrants to benefit from Selco's HUM project

Under Home for the Urban Migrants (HUM) project of Selco Foundation, two houses were handed over to migrant labourers at Mullikatte in Hosadu village of Baindur.

Selco Foundation chairman Harish Hande said the houses are 12 feet wide and long. They are made of waste material similar to tetra pack and are resistant to fire and heat. They can be constructed within an hour and can be extended and carried. Every house has a hall, kitchen and a bathroom. The cost of per unit is Rs 1.6 lakh. As many as 13 such dwellings will be constructed. They will also be provided with a solar light.

He said, "We consider the beneficiaries as partners in Selco. Their experiences in the houses will also help us to learn."

A typical house occupied by a low-income urban migrant is made out of a tarpaulin sheet fitted on top of a framework made out of casuarina or bamboo poles which provides no channel for ventilation and lighting.

However, these new houses aim to provide an improvement in the living conditions of the poor by providing ample amount of natural light and ventilation, and thereby increasing the livelihood productivity for the beneficiaries.

The same material will be used for constructing toilets and a water supply system will also be provided.

Selco Foundation has constructed similar houses in slums of Bengaluru, Belagavi, Mumbai, Assam and Manipur.

The 13 migrants who were living in huts constructed on the government land at Mullikatte highway will benefit from the Hum project.