PM Modi to inaugurate 1,152 houses constructed under Light House Project: What are they?

With a vision to transform India’s urban landscape, over a thousand affordable houses constructed using cutting-edge new technologies under India’s Light House Project (LHP) are now ready in Chennai.

A year after flagging off LHP, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi is believed to have monitored closely, 1,152 houses are being inaugurated in the southern city. Five more such projects are underway in different parts of India.

The project at Chennai was built at a cost of Rs 116 crore under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban. The goal is to provide large-scale housing for Indians in a quick, efficient and sustainable manner while tailoring the construction to the peculiar challenges of the terrain it will stand on. For example, in earthquake-prone northeast India, earthquake-resilient technology will reinforce the strength and stability of the structure.

Chennai LHP

The Chennai LHP uses Precast Concrete Construction System which are reportedly used in US and Finland, according to a government release. As the name suggests, this involves using prefabricated concrete slabs that are standardised, interchangeable, and mass-produced in plants away from the site. The low-cost but high-quality construction material is speedily produced and then transported to the location. This system involves collaboration between the design phase and production planning.

Such construction methods had become very popular following the Second World War when it became imperative to provide houses on a large scale to low-income families, especially in Eastern European countries and former Soviet republics.

Indore LHP

1,024 houses in Indore are being constructed using Precast sandwich panels to replace brick and mortar walls. These structures are more energy-efficient, a feature that will be useful in Indore’s warm climate since heat transfer between the exterior wall and interior can be minimised.

The panels are typically made of an external concrete layer (non-load bearing), an insulation layer, and an internal concrete layer (load-bearing). Special connectors are placed during casting to connect those layers, and those materials with low thermal conductivity can be selected to keep interiors cool.

Rajkot LHP

The 1,144 lighthouses in Rajkot are being built using French technology, with monolithic concrete construction technology using tunnels. This technology helps in quickly producing repetitive designs. The box-type structure is protected against earthquakes and cyclone forces. These structures are also well insulated against thermal as well as sound transmission.

Lucknow LHP

In the Lucknow project, PVC Stay-In-Place Formwork System is being used to build 1,040 houses.

In this method, the plant manufactured rigid poly-vinyl chloride (PVC) based polymer components form the basic structure for walls, which do not require plaster or paint. Once the structural frame is in place, the cavities inside the wall panels are filled with concrete. This process also cuts down the water requirement for the curing of concrete.

Ranchi LHP

1,008 houses are coming up in Ranchi using an already established construction system in Europe, Singapore, Japan & Australia. The LHP here is being built with a 3D construction system from Germany.

In this method, 90% of the houses are constructed at the plant itself and assembled in a manner similar to building lego blocks. Solid precast concrete structural modules like room, toilet, kitchen, bathroom, stairs, etc. & any combination of these are cast monolithically in the factory. These Modules are also called MagicPodS which are then integrated at the location.

Agartala LHP

1000 houses in Agartala are being built using New Zealand-based technology. It uses Light Gauge Steel Structural System & Pre-engineered Steel Structural System to build the structural frame and walling, making the structure low weight and ductile, which offers protection during earthquakes.

New Technologies

The technologies to be used to construct the houses were identified by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs through a Technical Evaluation Committee. Fifty-four proven and in-use technologies were shortlisted depending on the specific geo-climatic conditions of the areas chosen for the projects. These 54 technologies were condensed into 6 broad categories and each was applied to the six different projects under LHP.

Each of the projects was to be built within a 12-month deadline, to enable which fast-track approvals were given by the respective state/UT governments.

Traditionally, houses in India are built in the conventional way – using in-situ reinforced cement concrete (RCC) frame & burnt clay brick masonry. But this is time-consuming and incurs wastage of natural resources and construction materials. Besides, conventional structures are not energy-efficient.

The new technologies eliminate all these drawbacks, by using alternate materials, optimising the use of conventional materials, and transforming waste into re-usable materials, to make housing that also meets Sustainable Development Goals.

These, however, require skill and technical know-how and are better suited for large-scale housing and infrastructure projects.