The temporary shelters built by ActionAid partner the Construction Workers Building Center(CWBC) here are attracting a lot of attention due to the great care and attention paid in building fire-proof, spacious and indigenous material based accommodations.

The shelters are built on the grounds of a 200-year-old historical building called Vairamalika. The collector (local government) managed to relocate the tsunami survivors here. It is in this land that the CWBC workers have erected 219 houses, for 900 families.

Vairamalikai (stone palace) shelters constructed by the CWBC are fire-proof though built purely of coconut-palms and bamboo frames on all sides.

On the finished sides of the thatched- palm, a coating of cement mixed with river sand and mud is used as a fire-retardant. And the floors have a cement finish. The cost of each shed of 175 square feet is Rs. 7,500.

“There is no separation of any kind for rooms and kitchen. Spacious enough to do every thing freely,” says Uma a house-wife.

“During the construction we all had daily job for six months, here with the CWBC people. Now we women do not have any jobs. Our men go out for other work in nearbye areas,” she adds.

“We are happy here in this temporary sheds. We are hopeful to get permanent houses soon,” says Senthil Kumar, a truck driver.

“Here we have play-ground for our children, a TV-room, Milma-store and community-hall. Until we get permanent houses, we have no problems here,” he adds.

ActionAid funded CWBC has over 6,000 members in the union in Nagapattinam district alone. The CWBC directors are Mrs Sujatha Modi and her husband Mr Subbu.

Article courtesy of L Ajith, India Disasters http://www.indiadisasters.org