While companies and contractors building labour housing facilities is not new, what sets this initiative apart is that unlike others, this isn't a basic shelter made of tin sheets.
In what could be a first, a realty company in the city has set up a housing colony for the over-400 labourers working at the site in Changodar. While companies and contractors building labour housing facilities is not new, what sets this initiative apart is that unlike others, this isn't a basic shelter made of tin sheets.
The colony that provides temporary residential units to both single labourers as well as those with families, also provides gas cylinders, drainage, water facilities and even sanitary napkins. It has also developed a creche at the campus, a play area and also provided health check up facilities for the labourers.
Sameer Gandotra, Director of Nebula Infraspace, a firm that builds affordable houses, said that that they first carried out a survey of the labourers to asses their needs. "We found that their biggest pain point was mosquitoes and mosquito-borne diseases. So, we ensured that the houses provided addresses this issue," said Gandotra.
He said the construction cost of the units was Rs 70 lakh, but they are built in such a way that they can be dismantled and rebuilt at other locations, too.
Mahesh Gajera of Ajivika Bureau, which was consulted for the project, said this is the first instance of a realty company voluntarily setting up such facilities for labourers.
"Usually, the companies build a tin shed for labourers and pass it on as accommodation. Here they have not only got proper houses, but also facilities like gas connections, which save the labourers a lot of time," said Gajera.
He said, earlier research had shown that labourers spend five to six hours of their life assembling or looking for basic facilities like toilet, wood for cooking, etc, after their work day comes to an end.
He added that a community-based health programme with the help of NGOs that provide weekly health check ups has been arranged for along with intensive health education session on productive and menstrual hygiene," said Gajera.
Gandotra said the facility, apart from improving the living standards of labourers, may also help improve overall efficiency and retention rate.
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