Community Involvement in
Planning and Design of a
Rehabilitation Programme
A Case of Latur Rehabilitation Programme
Abstract
MN Joglelcar
Ad visor (Design Development)
HUDCO
and Architectural &
Planning Consultant
Shelter design and delivery is not only a mere design or an architectural exercise but a pleasurable experience. However, planning and designing for rehabilitation programmes needs to be looked into through a social and sympathetic approach, in fact it requires Integration of cultural and ethnic styles of the uprooted Families Into the planning and design of the new housing. It is always possible to conduct such exercises through participation of the beneficiaries in the normal designing process however, initiation of such a process for rehabilitation requires effort
This paper is a description Of the case of Latur where the trauma stricken people, who refused to accept new housing provided by the NGO5 and other donor organizations, readily accepted and moved into the housing provided by HIJDCO. in the four villages adopted by HUDCO the people were involved in the planning process right from inception. Traditional living styles or tne people were unoersrood very well vef ore conceptualizing the rehabilitation programme for the villagers. The clusters, the main entrance, the baithak and the open courtyard activity space were built into these designs, which were preferred to any other schemes in the affected towns and villages
Nature of Participation
Beneficiary participation in the shelter design and delivery, assumes greater importance, as the ihelter’ Is the only built form that is intimately connected with the people, Shelter design anti delivery is an Immensely pleasurable experience In normal course, where as in disaster mitigation rehabilitation, it is accompanied by trauma caused by the loss of ‘dear ones” and the property. Participation circumstances differ in both the cases and need more sympathetic approach in later case. in the shelter delivery process as followed by statutory Institutions in normal course, participatory activities are generally absent. in a strange way however, these are almost becoming mandatory in disaster mitigation rehabilitation programmes Compulsion to Initiate participation in later case however, has been due to economic necessity or stipulations by the international aid agencies. Economic necessity approach forces tne Project Managers to leave certain decisions as well as certain components of the works to be taken up and completed ~y the people, immediately in a complimentary process or at a later stage when their economic circumstances improve. Wnat ever may oe the reason that initiates peoples’ particiPation, its’ byoroduct, is a desirable outcome- As a byproduct the system enables the beneficiaries to develop the house designs tnat suit their socio-cultural lifestyles. However the attitude of the beneficiaries to the participatory process differs in either cases. in normal course such a oarticipation, if made possible, is accompanied by entnusiasm and willingness to contribute while in rehabilitation programmes enthusiasm lacks I due to impact of the tragedy suffered) and willingness to contribute does not exist. The Government, the Managers of the rehabilitation programmes are held totally responsible for the rehabilitation expenses. If the Government chooses to play the ~facilitator’ role, It is generally resented in disaster mitigation circumstances.
Concept of Participation
Participation presupposes existence Of a programme and two parties to participate. while one party invariably has to be the beneficiary of the programme, the other party is the Managers of the programme, whether in government sector or the private sector Under these circumstances three possibilities emerge in the first case 00th tne parties act independently towards acnieving tne
desired goal. in this case participation does not exist, while the programme may conflict bringing benefits to no one. in second case the beneficiaries or the people participate in a programme generated by the Government. in this case the level of acceptance of the programme by the people depends on the ability of the Project Managers or the Covernment Institution to perceive the needs expressed by tne people. In the third possibility the Government participates in tne programme initiatea by the people. In these circumstances the programme success can be of higher order. However the programmes of the third type are “ideal’ but rare. in almost all cases it is the Government that decides the policies, develops and implements the programme, monitors It and tries to Involve the oeoole in a participatory process.
Attitude, Magnitude and Time Element of Participation
The participation has two components to be dealt with, in terms of the process. First component is the extent of contact with people for enabling the participation process and secondly the time element involved in ensuring the participation it is often presumed that consultations with the elected representative of the people, replaces the need of individual consultations. This amounts to a short cut that may also cut short project acceptability by the masses, as in reality elected member represents a majority of tnose who vote, out not necessarily the majority of all the people in his constituency. in terms of people to be contacted two extreme situations can emerge No person a Few persons) is contacted or secondly every body is contacted. in first situation time required Is very short while in second case the time reouired could be indefinite. Similarly the attitude towards the participation also determines the time required for the participation. in first case the attitude can be that’ I know everything but they do not know anything.’ Secondly the attitude can be that 1 know nothing but they know everything.’ it has been the experience that in either case the time element for the participation is very short as one of the party merely surrenders and meekly agrees with the other. (refer fig.1&2). The best participatIon, both in terms of the number of people participating as well as the exchange of ideas comes somewhere in between lwhere appropriately selected sample is used for consultation and
PARTICIPAT~ON :~Stns
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the attitude is one that ‘they know something and I know something.” All these shades Of participation were experienced in Latur district earthquake rehabilitation project as each situation demands situation specific approach rather than following the ideal.
Participation in Design Process
Huocos’ participative process started from the need to understand the socio-economic background and lifestyles of the people. This was a participatory stage where HUDCO knew nothing about the people but the people knew everything about themselves. The time required therefore was short and participative process followed the route of the Socio-economic survey of the people and the physical image survey of the house and the settlement. The earthquake being a great leveler, it destroyed the houses of the rich as well as the poor and brought all of them to the temporary shelter camps where, rich as well as the poor shared facilities equaliy. initially HUOco was entrusted the work of preparing the layout plans as well as the house designs of four villages including the Khilari village. Khilari was the epicenter of the September1993 earthquake that affected the Latur and Usmanabad districts of the state of Maharashtra in INDIA. As all the people from the affected villages were settled in the temporary shelter camps the soclo-economic survey was carried out there. in the same exercise imagability survey of the previous shelter was also carried out.
The socio-eccinomic survey indicated the family size, cast (important in rural setu psi and quantitative aspects of the previous shelter in terms of the plot size and built area as well as their attitude to the rehabilitation policy of the state government. The cast status determined the location of their house in previous village whether integrated or separated. The future quantitative need was also an out come of the soclo-economic survey, as it indicated a trend in deliberate splitting up of the hitherto joint families, with a view to get more than one house for each previous joint family. From each such family, each son enrolled himself as a separate family, so as to get a separate house free of cost for a plinth area of 25 sq.mts,as per govt. policy. The imagibility survey of the previous shelter, helped in understanding spatial needs of different functional uses in a house and their relationship with each other. This dialogue enabled the Planners to understand the salient features of the habitat as follows:
(refer fig. 3 & 4)
• Baithak, Courtyard and the core house were the three main parts Of the house
• in small houses Baithak is not provided.
of the central passage. unknown or formal guests are entertained here, while depending upon tne intimacy others are allowed either in the courtyard or in the core of the house.
• Women are generally confined to the court yard and the core consisting of the rooms/verandah around the central courtyard of the house. Verandah and the courtyard being semi-open/open, no problems are created.
• courtyard had a small bathing space.
• During the harsh summer the verandah acts as a transition space between the rooms and the courtyard
• Windows are minimum.
• cooking is not in the open and the chulah istovei can be in the room or in verandah.
• Cattle shed can be a part of the central courtyard or at the rear of the house.
a Every house had an ornate massive door that opened either in the internal courtyard or in the baithak.
It was aiso necessary to understand the settlement level preferences. This was done by observation.
Physical patterns of typical village settlements were documented and basic elements identified as follows:
• villages are small and compact with houses opening directly on to the street rather than open spaces. This also meant that the plot sizes are smalier. Small and compact scale was a necessity for security and convenient pedestrian communication.
a Street pattern was organically evolved with narrow street widening at the focal points.
a Widened street at junctions created Chowkslsquaresl a chowks had either a tree or a temple or a cluster of
shops as the focal point and were
a Prime activity spaces of social and community importance.
Equipped with this knowledge, derived from the participation process of the first type l.e, -i know nothing you know every thing’, the second step of participation i.e” I now know everything, you know nothing” was to begin leading to the third step i.e. intermediate desired stage of” you know some thing, I also know something.’ From the knowledge gained basic designs of houses were developed, grouping of the houses was worked out and typical iayout concepts were prepared for interactions with the beneficiaries,! refer fig. 5)
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intflCtJOflS With tfl€ Comniuflity representatives began at the proposea site of- me uffiage to be relocated or In the temporary camps. This interaction hats now assumed a 0W-f erent compiexbn as the Issues to be discussed were o*tecnnkal nature. Technical solutions f-or tne ccmmurtFty neetss cart be varied with some soJutions better tIlari others. But the difference between tne ~ooci, better and best can *e sublective CepenCinQ Upon the power 01 P&teDtiCYn of-the bene(ictafles anetr,e external infiueqICES either of the Authority or tne PoiFUcbns ~-tLJrXOtearnwas fully cOntloent of the proposals thêt they haG workers out and was teryeaoectorest’chese ~nme fieJd, A meeting was organised witn members of me Pancnayat (Village
Local Authority of elected tnemrJers~ WiPage ~nie1 and some ieaatnq vilJagers. District administration and the State ¶Ciwn Diannln-g depwtments’ lacEd representative were aho to jOirL On tne appOinted day ants on time the
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luoco team reached th€ Spot. The representatl,es of thC YFriage Local Body Mere ai~o present The state qovt. learn Was delayed It was Fiowei/em clEi tied that the discussions sflQuIa bein. A caroet was spread under a large shady tree and interaction commence-ti
Entnuslascieally HIJOCO team expia~nea the rational behind the house designs and cluster as an al~ment Of planning tne 1-ayout.freFer ~l1usrrac:on 11 Technicatli E4IJOCO orooosars were sound and lnno¼tatNe. based on understanding cue needs of 2eOple ano tradition. House designs mid an internal court, Saithak. strong entrance opening Ctrectty into an internal iin~ar peciestilansed space rthastrat)an 2) which ~i~o was a linear cluster resembling the Cui~d~•sac Idead end streetsi streets that existed in ti-ic ¼viHa~es, To give rpm space for me agricultural operations to oe carriec out, Front arid side margns were eliminated and the stiace was consolidated in a single package at the rear with a separate rear entrance Dermitcing access to smail tempos or tractors to enter (he Diot. village layouts rmflected the informality Of the spontaneous settiementt Till, the state team arrived the oroposals were &wpiained to the people, wile accen tea those enthusiastically. At this stage i4UtKO nEt no roJe to play otner tnan provarrg free consu itancy and as sucPi the beneficiaries had no influence of HUOCOgreat or the loan or any other tienefits to ce derrued In otner woras tftere was no obligation on the part of the villagers to accept HUOCO proposals, yet these were accepted by me-rn as vney reflected tneir lifestyles.
me state team consIsting of the cohlecrnmate officers and tue Assistant Town Planner OF the statet based lOcaIly)J arrwed They Unfolded their house plans (that were dssen tally uri~an with out ref hectl ng the traditIon aia local life stylesi prepared by the state housing d~Pt and the layout plan that was conventionaL, routine, rigid concepts followed routinely in urban settlements oy tuem vinac was impressive about it. was tfle size of tpie drawing prepared bV pasting together several small size drawIng srleetL the Assistant Town Planner expotlride-i.1 the con¼~encionai tneory of wicie roaos, larcie Open spaces etc. and was ably supported by the Collectorate officials who at mat stage were controlling the free rationing to be given as well as the Other concessions
After hearing them the Villagers changed their decisFon and rejected FtLJXO concepts. Dejected by the reØction the IIL.IIXO team went batk, vowing never to returrL This episode was roiroweo oy the JnterJnl apprasal of thG proposals bV the WOrld Bank team From whom tue assistance was expected. me World Sank team did not find the proposals of the state administration with respect to me village Knilari to Deappropriate to t~e local tracilti tin and fife style and alternatives were re~u red In the mean time a workshop of selected recresent.itiues frani vrEF2ges was organised as suggested by the World eank Appraisal
Mission. 14U0C0 designs. modeis and layouts were also discussed and the Villagers were asxeo to suggest the modifications, HUOCO designs passed this test successfully. While the cluster and the nouse aesigns were acceptable, vdlag-ers Insisted on Tndepen dent house rather than row of houset This problem was eastly solved to the satisfaction of tue villagers and -400CO by setting the front and one Side OF the House en tue piot boundary. Side margin was provided oil one side with a court yaro space at the rear This arrangement provided Independent he-uses without Changing the original concept,
Wijsrrihart 2- Cbsnerenrne arcn - symbolIc o(croup ow,iersrnp of Cfr.istef
Lessons of the Participative Design Process
in housing the masses the lImItations of the participative processes are obvious Where teCh rtlca~ decisions are Involved where is thC lkmt of accepting the oeoøies wishes? Extremes can be seen. Technocrats can Force their own aesignson tne oasis Of superIor tecnnlcai ~nowieage or prepare the proposals i* exacby the same manner as desired by the communIty. While tue First approacfl rer~tsrs u-’e end product r.rrtacceptable to tne users, in second case people nave no choice of the right Options as tneir optiansareiimtteci to the past experience luture is unknown to them which may some times hOW a better promise than the past. lithe second extreme the desired objective as well as me eno product of the partclpative process? in settlement sector the answer would tie a strong NO. ‘recnnoc.rats as well as the Managers will have to follow a concept that~ You know some things better than me, while I knowsorne things better than you~. It is tue combination of tietter things of yours and minr arrivea aFter the mutual cc nsuitatlons that wIll tie the best solution. mrs will also Nave to be the objective of the participatory process In desfçrt lr’vohiJng the technical issues.
Participatory Processes in Construction
*s expLained earlier it Is necessary to make a distinction in participatory process in normal housIng and disaster mitigation hOLrStrLO. In the tater case neople are not ready for the active participatlort The main twIn objectives of the participatory processes are the design acceptability and economy in construction costs. me second objective imp hes beneficiary contnbLltion either through the self help Or through the accumulated savings in calamity rehabdrcation. attitude of the beneficianesis one Of being a vrctirn with lb fault of hfs own, Tendency 45 to put the sole resporlslbLMtyon the state ano cia nothing on hIS own At tie same time there is always a concern t~at tne slierter now being provIded ts absolutely safe av~d will net allow the occurrence of the cectmction that had Occurred earner mis means Supervisory paflitipation. mis was evidenced in plenty in ttie tatur district rehabilitation Implementation procen People were conscious about the incorporation of thP elrth rwate flrlvSfltlOn mea~uret Technical rocal)ukary such as co iurnn and beam
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structure or the ninth, lintel r4d roof ~eve~ reinforced bands, w~is Commonly mrown around bV even a common ~riIiager. unlike a norrtial tiousifig project where the beneinciaries are not pre identified, in rehabilitation projects of this type, beneficiaries exist arid stand pre Identified viiia~e wise, They are always around e~ercising their half technical knowledge, some times to their disadvantfle. aut their stieer presence farces the construction agencies to be more vigilant. This waS evidenced more effectively in Kililarl where peoples vigilance did pay a dividend In ~~uaPity rrnaintenance i-iowever beneficiary Involvement in conffructiovi activities, even on the basis Of Gait? work or iocai entrepreneurs bernefitiop from the construction activities was not evidenced on large scale. However P4UIXO had undertaken one arid only one experiment in rehabibtaticin in the entire district! for the Insitu reconstruction af an entire vthace on the exIstIng foundation This inyoIved considerable community involvement as the beneficiaries were not only ic$enftftea out a-iso knew which ‘,as their house since me construwon was being unde-itaken on the plots owned by therrL in this Temblie village that had about 70 hous.es~ first task was to make the people accept the concern that they can qo back to their Old improved houses and stay thert Scnce tne old house sites were assocIated with tue tragedy Qf the death and destruction, there was a psytho~ogical resistance to the notIon Of qoing back to tue oFd nouse& However in the end the aciyantages of retaining the accustomed social groupings with same neigha-ours and opportunity to retain the earlier worv place to home rela~i~nship, eventually after a year or so there is Immediate acceptance. ~t then the possessiva consciousness k strong aionç with time urge to parti ti pate in making their home better.
In iembhe village pe~p:e old riot allow the use of the rubble For the co’nstructlon of any house otner than Lrleir own houst Tnere was 2 MaSon who desired to acId to h-is house an Otala (front Diatfonnil arid additional steps~ i-ce volunteered to do tills OD Ills own and was giver concrete blocks and cement$e not only did it on his own, bUt aim added an arch to the entrance door and twcu~ht the wooden door frame of his Old house and replaced tne angie iron door frame Included In the origInal design, This not oniy ennanced me ethnic appearance pf the houses but created a demand for slmilarappearance From other owriert some were able to retrieve some part of the old DoorS Rut forthe benefits of all others IlUOCO had to abandon the anile iron door frai-nu concept by providing wooden door frame with some ornamentation cavea (reter KWustrStlon 31
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Sorer Lciarjv participation nowever came in phases After tI,e construction Of the first few houseS ouvlous advantages of the experiment were felt bY the malorfty, most CI’ the-rn surrendering their plots for unriertakLrtg tue construction works They volunteered in undertaking the Ceniolltlon of their partially COII-apseci houses so that me residual building materials can be salvaged by them for use In either their own house Or for saie in mdrket, They also participalted on the wage basis in excav~t[on, curing of blocks or RCC works, and transPorting the excavated material and stones A majo byproduct of this participation process has been the confidence in the Construction quality arnS higher acceptance tevet To day the inhabitants øf the In-silu reh bilitated viula-ges are tue most ~atiSf’ed beneficiaries in the rehabilitation programme.