HUDCO’S Techno-Financial Assistance for Rehabilitation/ Reconstruction Programme for Areas Affected by Natural Disasters and Calamities

India is a country vulnerable to various natural calamities like earthquake and landslides in the hilly terrains of Northern and North-Eastern States and the Kutch region of Gujarat, Latur of Maharashtra; cyclone, sea erosion and flooding in the coastal States and flooding in many States. After each of these natural calamity, substantial humanitarian, social and economic loss by way of damage to property and life takes place, rendering large number of families homeless and communities without basic social and utility infrastructure. As a part of the rehabilitation for the affected people and reconstruction, repair and retrofitting programmes and other requirements taken up by various State Governments, HUDCO has extended its special financial and technical assistance for rehabilitation housing and other programme. HUDCO’s assistance has helped in the rehabilitation of 41.44 lakhs (4.1 million) families affected by natural calamities.

HUDCO has been instrumental in rehabilitation and reconstruction programs in times of crises due to natural calamities like earthquakes, landslides, cyclone, flooding, sea erosion and tsunami etc in various parts of the country. Consequent to these natural calamities, substantial damage to property and assets takes place, rendering large number of families homeless. HUDCO has contributed technically as well through its financial support for the disaster management, rehabilitation and resettlement of the affected families.

HUDCO has so far extended its support in various forms in the following calamity hit areas:

1. Bhopal gas tragedy
2. Earthquake at Uttarkashi, Latur, Jabalpur, Chamoli, Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir and Sikkim
3. Super cyclone in Orissa and cyclone rehabilitation in Andhra Pradesh
4. Tsunami in Tamil Nadu
5. Recent cloudburst at Leh, Ladakh

HUDCO has rendered a financial assistance of Rs 2209.36 crore and played a significant role in identifying the appropriate materials and technologies suitable for sustainable and resilient construction for housing options in areas vulnerable to earthquake, cyclone and / or flooding. HUDCO’s technical recommendations for design and construction are based on the suitable standards like Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), National Building Code, Special design and construction Code for Earthquake and Wind Resistant Construction and findings of Research, Development and Technological Institutions like CBRI, SERC, RRL’s and Technological Universities . These are further converted into user friendly pictorial guidelines and manuals with DO’s and Don’ts for disaster resistant construction using various technologies/local building components. The Rehabilitation Projects undertaken by HUDCO are-

1. Leh Rehabilitation Project for Victims of Cloud Burst of 5 - 6 August 2010 by HUDCO as a Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative.
2. HUDCO’s Assistance for Earthquake rehabilitation in the Hill Districts of Uttar Pradesh.
3. HUDCO’s Assistance for Earthquake rehabilitation in Latur and Usmanabad.
4. HUDCO’s Assistance for Earthquake rehabilitation in Jabalpur.
5. HUDCO’s Assistance for Rehabilitation of the Super-cyclone affected in Orissa.
6. HUDCO’s Assistance for Rehabilitation of Earthquake Affected Regions of Gujarat.

Further, special efforts for technology transfer and training of local artisans on construction of cost-effective houses using appropriate technologies have been made for establishing special Building Centres in the natural calamities affected areas. These Building Centres have contributed significantly in housing delivery system through training of local artisans, production of building material components, extending construction assistance, and filling the gap for providing housing guidance, information and counselling to the local people for repairs, renewal and retrofitting of damaged housing and buildings stock.

Further, HUDCO has also directly contributed in the construction and exhibition of demonstration houses using disaster resistant features incorporating stakeholder participation and based on the beneficiary requirements. HUDCO also adopted villages and urban bastis under the Model Villages and Model Basti development schemes for rebuilding villages/urban bastis that were completely destroyed.

HUDCO’s Research and Training Wing namely the Human Settlements Management Institute (HSMI) has played a major role in imparting training and capacity building programmes and the awareness on various facets of disaster mitigation to the Government officers of state departments, urban local bodies, urban planning and development institutions, Executives of various housing agencies as well as urban professionals working in the housing sector.