A Unique Owner Driven Interim Shelter

Initiative in J & K:
Report on Tangdhar Region
Nov 2005

Prepared by:

Kutch Nav Nirman Abhiyan

Introduction
A massive earthquake measuring 7.6 on Richter scale occurred on 8th October, 2005
with its epicenter in the Muzaffarabad region in Pakistan, triggering shocks of high
intensity in parts of Afghanistan and across Northern India, the worst hit being the
state of Jammu & Kashmir. According to official reports, 1281 people lost their lives,
including 72 army personnel, and 6300 sustained injuries in Srinagar and Jammu
divisions. Preliminary assessments reported extensive damage to building and
houses in the districts of Baramullah, and Kupwara and cause disruption of
communication networks, infrastructure facilities and traffic, due to landslides
triggered by the earthquake.
The initial rescue and relief operations by the Army and Civil Administration
included evacuation of the injured from Uri, Tangdhar, Baramullah and Kupwara
sectors to the field hospitals; as also supply of relief aids and partial restoration of
infrastructural facilities in the affected areas.

Rescue Operations by Army

Damage in Tangdhar Region

While relief and rehabilitation requirements are by and large similar after most
earthquakes given the destruction caused to, and by buildings, the regions of Uri
and Tangdhar are unique in their locational circumstances. The imminent onset of
winter, the difficult access to some of the villages in both regions, the threat of
Tangdhar region in particular, becoming inaccessible by road in case of heavy
snowfall meant that there was an urgent need for appropriate interim shelters to be
completed quickly.
The Tangdhar region
Tangdar is the headquarter of Karnah tehsil which houses government offices &
residences. The tehsil consists of 42 main villages and 26 pattis (hamlets). Sadhna
Pass, the pass that provides entry into Tangdar is at 10,600 ft height and tends to
become snowbound for brief spells, at times blocking road access to this region.
Certain pockets of Tangdar region such as Nachia-Bagbella, Jabdi-Bijaldhara,
Gummal receive relatively higher snow fall (upto 10 feet) compared to areas below
Chamkot (around Teetwal) which are at a much lower height. As per official figures,
in Karnah tehsil, the disaster has caused 311 deaths and 1376 people have suffered
injuries. Out of a total of 6300 houses, 5393 houses fully collapsed in this
region and 266 houses were partially damaged.
The region has an extremely high literacy rate more than 90%. While 50-60% of the
households have atleast one member employed by the Government, by and large
2

communities are traditional shepherds, and small farmers each family sustaining
themselves through a combination of maize and walnut trees (kagazin akhrot).
We were faced by a very difficult situation. In the history of Kashmir there is no memory of an earthquake of this
severity... There were reports pouring in soon after the earthquake... Our fear was that Uri and Tangdhar would
face extensive damage and that is why we rushed the ITBP, we rushed J&K police companies, as many as 22
companies and moved on the 8th itself. By afternoon of the 8th we had some idea of the damages... The first task
and phase is rescue and we are grateful to the Army and Air Force because they were heavily into rescue
operations. Particularly Army, BSF, ITBP were helpful because the road connectivity had suffered. We were not
able to establish contact with many villages in Tangdhar and Uri. By and large within 24 hours we were able to
put up a tremendous response to the challenge and of course building on that initial plunge by the Army and
security forces.
Mr. Bharat Vyas, Divisional Commissioner, J & K

The Interim Shelter Phase: A crucial phase in all disasters

After any disaster, the immediate rescue and relief phase marks a tremendous
response from both Government and civil society organizations; a phase that draws
huge media attention; a phase where all the players want to accomplish the most in
the shortest possible time; a phase where at times the need to help begins to
overtake the need for help; a phase that generates an attitude of dependency
amongst those affected, while also enabling them to recover.
Therefore, the stage that follows the relief phase, where the process of interim
shelters takes place, is a critical one. It is a transit phase from the immediate relief
to long term rehabilitation interventions, wherein the Government can either choose
a policy of perpetuating dependencies by quickly putting up temporary shelters
themselves for those affected, often with inappropriate external materials (such as
tents, prefabs etc), or it can choose to reverse the relief dependencies setting in, by
supporting the communities to put up their own interim shelters, by utilizing their
skills, material and traditional wisdom.
Perhaps for the first time in the
Countrys recent history of disasters, the Government of Jammu and Kashmir
has set a precedence in that it chose to promote an owner-driven approach in
the interim shelter stage itself creating mechanisms and a design framework
which enabled the affected community to put up their own interim shelters
themselves.
The Interim Shelter Policy: Evolving a framework to Ensure Speed, an owner
driven approach & Safety
The key factors that led to a speedy and effective implementation of the Interim
shelter Programme in Tangdhar region are as under:
1.

Clear and Strong Commitment by the State, as reflected in the Policy, to

undertake the Interim shelter Programme as a critical rehab intervention
and not just a make-shift stay arrangement
The Policy
Based on the cost required to construct an insulated, average 200 sq ft shelter
as per the developed norms, The J & K Government declared a cash
assistance of Rs. 30,000/- for all those whose houses had fully collapsed,

and those who had already received the first installment of Rs. 40,000 as
assistance for the permanent reconstruction.
In addition to this, the Government also declared an Incentive Package of
Rs. 5000/-for all those who built their sheds before 30th November, 05, and
whose shelters were certified by the Junior Engineers as having fulfilled the
norms. This offer of incentive money turned out to be a motivating factor for
the people of this region to construct their sheds quickly as per the norms.
The earthquake struck on the 8th Octobe, which is very close to the winter months and the reports and
experience of the snowfall in February 2005 and reports of harsh and major winter ahead was a major
consideration for us. We looked at various packages also, for example at the DTT model in Japan etc. Then we
had a look at the three models in the country, i.e. Latur, Tamilnadu and Bhuj and we said that there could be
three possible ideas. One is that the Government constructs the houses, two- we ask the Non Government
players to come and do up the houses and three- we empower and facilitate individual households to go for the
construction themselves. This is what happened in Bhuj... We practically weighed the merits and demerits... We
thought that the best choice was to leave the whole task and responsibility of construction on individual
households themselves.
Mr. Bharat Vyas, Divisional Commissioner, J & K

2.

The Mechanisms to Support the Policy

An owner-driven approach where people are expected to construct their own
houses with their cash assistance has to be backed up with strong
mechanisms to ensure that the cash is utilized appropriately, and that the
communities are supported to make structurally safe shelters. This was
reflected in the very effective permanent shelter approach of the Government
of Gujarat after the 2001 Bhuj earthquake. However, it is notable that the
J&K Government ensured a similar approach in the interim shelter phase
itself. Key mechanism that were put into place were Disbursement of compensation through Cheques
To ensure cashless transactions, the compensation amounts were disbursed
through individual bank accounts. With the J&K Bank operating through a
special arrangement in the Tehsil Office (Block headquarters), and the three
banks in the area - Kamraj Bank, State Bank of India and Baramullah
Cooperative Bank, - transactions were carried out with all those affected and
entitled for assistance being facilitated to open their bank accounts.

Support mechanisms for easy access to Construction Material

While people were encouraged to retrieve their material especially timber1
from their collapsed houses, material banks were provided by the State for
those who would find retrieval difficult or would not have

adequate usable material. To make construction material like timber and tin
sheets easily available on sale to people, the District Administration had set
1
It was critical that timber was not provided free as it would encourage lifting of timber by the
communities even if they did not need it causing a shortfall and deficiency for the permanent
reconstruction when that would take place in April-May. In case of shortfall then, people would end of
deforesting. The setting up of sale depots was a far-sighted intervention.
4

up material depot systems. The Sale arm of the Government- SICOP -was
authorized for supply of
CGI sheets, while timber
sale was undertaken by
the Forest Department by
setting up 9 Forest depots
in clusters of villages.
SICOP was encouraged to
undertake mobile sales of
CGI sheets by taking the
sheets to the villages. It
must be noted though,
that
because
of
the
considerable delay in the
execution of sale by SICOP,
CGI Sheet Distribution through Mobile Depots
except for timber, a majority of the community accessed tin sheets through
open markets mechanism also, and 2400 families were supported by five
organizations Oxfam, Action Aid, World-Vision, CINI, and CASA with free
tin sheets. COVA supported the material access through an interesting
intervention of supporting clusters of 10-12 families in every village with tool
kits to salvage material.
Setting up Systems for Technical Supervision and Guidance
In order to ensure appropriate construction of the sheds, one junior engineer
from the different Government Departments including R&B and Rural
development was deputed to every affected village. The engineer was
mandated to support the community with technical advice if necessary,
monitor the progress and pace of construction, and certify the completion.
The deputation was by and large adhered to by the engineers who were
otherwise faced with orders of termination.

When we came here people had already started making sheds, but they were making it as per their
understanding. We were deputed here to impart technical know-how and specifications for building
sheds.. What should be the degree of warmth inside, what plywood should be used in the interior and
what sheets should be used in the exterior...The officers guided us about it and we were deputed here. We
explained them the reasons for a sloping roof as some people were making flat roofs. How the plywood
should be put in the interior, how the sheets have to be secured on the exterior, how the gaps should be
filled.. all this information was imparted. Then the people made their sheds according to the
specifications and technical inputs.
Narendra Pal Singh, Junior Engineer, Khowarpara village

In-situ Grievance Redressal Mechanism to address complaints

regarding the relief phase, access to assistance entitlements, family
disputes regarding assistance, etc which would have a bearing on
the interim shelter phase.
Running parallel to the interim shelter construction, was the system of Lok
Adalats which was instituted to be held in 6 focal villages in the region. A
combined team from the Judiciary, Social Welfare, and Senior Engineers
5

received 700 grievances in the Tangdhar region in the 6 Lok Adalats that
they held during the week of 14-20th November.
A number of grievances related to the traditional habitat patterns and
the practice of independent households (chullahs) living under one house
structure where the assistance provided, compensated for the collapsed
structure, and not each of the households (chullahs) living in it.
Dissatisfaction or disputes arising from this, amongst brothers, or even
step-mothers and children were also taken up in the Lok Adalats. The Lok
Adalats gave their judgements on site and the Revenue was instructed to
implement the judgement. Many Grievances left pending would have had a
potential impact on people making their interim sheds quickly. The
petitioners were reluctant to construct their sheds in the hope that they
would be sanctioned separate cheques for separate chulhas. The speedy
redressal of such grievances was a significant mechanism put into place,
and highly replicable for future disaster situations.
3.

The Structural Design of the interim shelter which could be actually

built in 2 days by the community themselves
It has been observed in post-disaster situations across the world that
temporary shelters are assumed to be primarily a make-shift facility for a
few months, not requiring much attention to its structural aspects. Both
State and Civil Society is governed by this assumption leading to the influx
of inappropriate temporary shelter material such as tents, prefabs,
asbestos sheets, thermocol etc. However, the fact is that almost invariably,
the so-called make-shift becomes a home for the affected, for atleast 12
months if not more, which is the time taken for permanent shelters and
habitats to be developed after a major disaster.
The temporary shelter has to thus, face all the seasonal changes, and be
able to withstand these. When temporary shelters are developed by
ignoring these facts, it leads to multiple problems both for the affected
community and the administration.2 It is also necessary to recognize that
traditional housing structures of most communities across regions are
most appropriately positioned to be adapted to becoming an interim
shelter for that community. Quite simply

The Post-Tsunami situation in Tamil Nadu is a case in point. Despite the communities having the readiness,
skills and abilities to quickly put up their local thatch keeth houses at a cost of Rs. 8,000, and the State having
developed an owner-driven policy, in a panic to complete the houses ostensibly faster that what the communities
would have done themselves, the State subverted its own policy and instead began constructing combined sheds
for families to live together. The sheds which were hurriedly put up with inadequate roofing material, and often
on low lying areas have proved to be a continuing disaster. They have had to be upgraded twice by the State and
NGOs because of water seepage in rains. And with the low-lying areas getting flooded regularly in the rains, it has
constantly proved to be a health and sanitation hazard. Close to a year after the disaster, apart from the cost, it has
meant recurring misery for those affected in the Tsunami, recurring social problems with families not living in
independent structures, but together with a light partition and worse, a recurring dependency of the community on
the State, despite the community itself having been ready for owner-driven interim sheds.
6

Based on the environmental conditions of each region traditional

structures have been designed to withstand the local weather conditions.
They are made from easily sourced, local material;
The skills required to make these already exist with the local community,
and therefore the ability to construct these quickly is inherently present
within the community.

With a special request from the J & K Government, the technical team from
Hunnarshaala Foundation of Building Technologies & Innovations
sponsored and setup by Abhiyan in the wake of the earthquake in Kutch developed the basic structure prototype based on the aforementioned
parameters, geological features of the area and family sizes. The interim
shelter features were in fact developed with the affected community and the
local engineers, after understanding the local housing vocabulary, and family
needs.
However, while encouraging a construction based on traditional housing types
and skills, it was also important to introduce a few safety norms given the fact
that the region was still seismically active. A few principles that were kept in
mind were, re-use of construction material which could be salvaged from
the damaged houses, providing insulation to the walls, using local
technology and practices and fine tuning them to ensure seismic safety.
Basic norms which were incorporated into the designs included the following:

Families construct their houses with floor area not less than 200 sq.ft.
People could retrieve their material from their
houses or they can purchase needed material
from the material depots set up by the
Government
Plinths should be made in view of the snow and
water logging that could take place around the
house. Plinths itself could be made of wood,
stone, mud and brick with a minimum height of 1
ft.
Walls could be made of wood or tin sheets along
with ply boards or retrieved wood or fill-ins of
grass for insulation
Structure would have a double sloped roof made
of tin sheets, thus preventing the snow to
Pamphlet explaining the steps
accumulate on the roof. To ensure safety from
for building sheds
load and tremors, roofs would have a truss with
an A-frame. Knee bracings at the corners would be incorporated to act as
earthquake shock absorbers.

The main material required for building these sheds was wood and tin sheets,
which were locally available. The use of stone masonry and cement was
discouraged as there was a shortage of masons. Also the quality of cement
masonry skills is quite low and the weather conditions were not suitable for the

cement to set well. Using stone masonry for construction would have slowed
down the process, and would have made it more expensive and potentially unsafe
if the plinth was not up to the mark. (Please refer annexure-1 on the type of
damages caused to houses due to the earthquake)
After the earthquake we stayed in a school for a few days. There was nothing to eat.
Afterwards these sheds were made and then we started to stay there. Our neighbors
helped us constructing the sheds. We used tin sheets from our old house. The shed was
made in a severe situation.
Shahina Bano, Kandi Village-Tangdhar

4. An official partnership with a Facilitating Agency to ensure smooth

Implementation of the Plan, in Tangdhar Region
Soon after the Earthquake, the Divisional Commissioner, Government of Jammu
& Kashmir, invited the Kutch based network of voluntary organizations named
Kutch Nav Nirman Abhiyan for partnering the State in ensuring that the affected
had interim shelters before the full onset of winter, based on its experience in
post disaster rehabilitation interventions in Kutch and also in Nagapattinam and
Banda Aceh, soon after the tsunami disaster in 2004. The support was more
specifically fora. Developing possible policy frameworks and a plan for the interim
shelter implementation
b. Coordinating the implementation of plan in Tangdhar region
where the urgency was very high
Based on this invitation, Abhiyan put together a handpicked team comprising of
technical resource persons from HunnarShaala Foundation for Building
Technologies & Innovations (Sponsored and set up by Abhiyan in the wake of the
earthquake in Kutch, and has experience in Afghanistan Iran, and Indonesia),
and experienced members of Abhiyan.
a. Initial demonstration of the approach, methodology and shelter design
with 20 families of Khorpada village: Khowarpara was identified as the village
where first demonstration of the design, approach, and methodology of
community-driven construction was undertaken.
A junior engineer from the village, and the
Abhiyan team physically accompanied 20 families
to construct their houses themselves on their own
land sites, as per the norms. This generated a
campaign in the village itself, with others wanting
to follow, and asking for directions and support.
Within three days 130 families began constructing
their own sheds. As word spread that assistance
would be provided to those who constructed
themselves, and that Khowarpara had begun,
Marking for a new shed by
Hunnarshaala team in Khowarpara
people from surrounding villages began to visit
Khowarpara, sought the details of the design and
the norms, began to invite the Abhiyan team to go to their village for initiating the
process there too, and began construction.

Community building their own sheds in

Khowarpara village

Technical guidance given to the

Community

Successive demonstrations with two - three families in all the nodal villages were
undertaken to provide confidence and guidance to the community, leading to a
shed campaign in and around those villages.
It primarily created a positive
energy and attitude to begin work themselves, not wait for help from outside, and
accept the policy and plan in the region. Sabhas were held with the affected in all
the 42 villages of the region to communicate the policy, shelter design, understand
their problems or compulsions in implementing them, clarify doubts, and find
solutions with the community and the administration on specific problems as they
come up, while facilitating a start in all the villages.
The JEs gave us guidance to make the sheds and then we all worked ourselves towards
constructing them.
Mukadis Khan, Kandi village

b. Dissemination on the Designs, norms & Policies through a pamphlet: The

policy and plan was disseminated via a four page flyer (Please refer annexure 2)
that was widely circulated within the region. The flyer contained information
regarding the compensation package (both in Urdu and English language) and
easy to understand drawings regarding the building of these sheds. A one pager of
FAQs was also prepared to answer the confusions of the community.(Please refer
annexure 3)

Completed Sheds with interiors setup by people based on their

requirements

c. Coordination with the Deputy Commissioner, the Army and various

Government Departments: With the cooperation of the Army Commandant of
the region, and the DC, Kupuwara, a coordination office was set up by Abhiyan in
the Army premises for a period of one month in November, to ensure the
necessary coordination in Tangdhar between the various Government
functionaries like Deputy Commissioner, banks, SDM and Exe. Engineers.
Coordination with Banks
The Government compensation for both interim shelter and permanent shelter
was disbursed through banks. Regular follow-ups with the Banks to facilitate
quick transfers of cash to the bank accounts, and facilitating movement of
pending deposits was undertaken by the coordination team because lack of
liquidity would mean a reduced ability to purchase material for the sheds. The
role required facilitating coordination meetings between the Bank managers and
the DC when necessary.
Coordination with Executive Engineer and his team
A proactive collaboration with the Executive Engineer and his team was
developed in forming the design norms, communicating the same in the villages,
and in building the capacities and motivation of the Junior Engineers (JE). The
JEs were in fact deputed to the different villages, and had to stay there and
support the community in their construction activity. It was recognized that the
JEs needed to be adequately oriented and sensitized to the role; it was important
that their motivation was maintained, and issues or suggestions raised by them
were given a serious listening.
Thus, every JE was provided with the requisite
data base, working files, design requirements, and formats which facilitated their
data recording and monitoring. On a weekly basis, the facilitating organization
ensured regular reporting meetings and the construction process was reviewed
with senior District administrators, including the DC. Socio-technical
observations by the JEs, their views, and at times even grievances were freely
articulated and addressed in the meetings. Members of the Abhiyan also worked
closely with the Junior Engineers in the field to ensure that the most vulnerable
within the affected villages were being actively supported to reconstruct by the
JE.

Meeting of the Junior Engineers, chaired by the Exe Engr, PWD

10

Suggestions given by the JEs with regard to the next phase of permanent shelter construction in one of the
coordination meetings

Technical staff should be provided with training on seismic safe construction of houses
Specific trainings on retrofitting need to be provided to technical staff prior to the permanent shelter
programme
An exposure visit for technical staff to Kutch should be provided to witness the retrofitting process and
earthquake proof construction
Village level committees should be set up for collective material procurement and to ensure that prices of
masons and carpenters are also kept uniform within villages
Decentralized material depots should be set up for all the materials necessary for construction of permanent
shelters
Patwaris should be used as a medium for information dissemination
Coordination with the Army is essential especially for villages near the LOC

Coordination was also set with the Forest Department and Sicop, the agency that
supplied CGI sheets, to ensure the continuous supply of material as per
requirement in the villages. Also from time to time, as issues needed resolution,
they were taken up in consultation with the Deputy Commissioner, and the
Divisional Commissioner during his frequent visits to the region.
d. Coordination with various NGOs and the Army: In order to ensure that
duplication does not take place and the more inaccessed villages are also
supported adequately, the coordination centre also coordinated the information
between the District Administration, various NGOs and the Army on the interim
shelter support. Bi-weekly coordination meetings were set up to share
information and pool in resources for integrated action. Field Issues identified by
the agencies were also discussed in this forum. Information of agencies like
Action Aid, Save the Children, Oxfam, MSF, COVA, Intervida- Partner Aid
International, besides the Army and the District Administration was compiled
and updated, periodically. (Please refer Annexure-4 on Army-NGO efforts in
Tangdhar)
NGOs have different roles and have an essential, good role to play for coordination. However,
everybody comes with humanitarian aid, takes their vehicle to the road-side and distribute it
without any purpose or reason. The thing is the coordination at higher level. What is the
immediate requirement?... humanitarian aid in shape of blankets, tents and biscuits created
confusion and wasted time... The knowledge Abhiyan gathered from Gujarat or elsewhere was
on shelter. Shelter matters. Humanitarian aid is lost. There is no dearth of edible things, there
is no dearth of rations. We are now stocked for six months. There is no dearth of food grains,
gas kerosene etc. We had a dearth of shelters... The right thing to do was taking things out of
the rubble... I am proud of saying that Abhiyan have been motivating people and that is why
the result is there.

Abdul Md Khande, DC, Kupwara

e. Cluster Planning & Field Assessment: At all times Abhiyan maintained a
team of about 10 people with previous experience of working in disasters. The
whole of Tangdhar region was divided into geographically contiguous clusters,
comprising of 5-6 villages. (Please refer annexure-5 for the layout of villages of
Karnah tehsil) Each of these clusters were covered thoroughly to ensure that in
the entire region, the junior engineers are supported closely to undertake their

11

tasks, and that every household was monitored to see if support was required for
completion, and more important, that vulnerable individuals or families in
particular were helped - physically and if necessary financially (through other
NGOs).
In the third week of November, 63 families were finally identified as being unable
to start their sheds due to their physical or financial vulnerability. However
before rushing to help, the community of the village was encouraged to help these
families, finally, 29 families were linked with agencies like Oxfam, Intervida, and
Army (in case of villages near the Border,) for house kit support. In few cases,
the families were in need of carpenters, for which they were linked them with
local carpenters.
Sikander Mian, aged 70 is the only male member in his
family. He lives with his wife and four grand daughters.
Resident of Bhatpora village, Sikander Mian had received
the 40,000 cheque as compensation for reconstruction of
permanent house, but had no physical support for procuring
material from market and building his shed. In the very first
meeting with this family, Sikander Mian seemed quite
confident of building his own shed but the only thing that
was stopping him was the shortage of carpenters who could
be hired for construction. After two days the team again
visited the family, only to find the plinth laid and Sikander
Mian at work in full spirit. I have already started my shed and Inshaa Allah, I will be able to
finish it in 2-3 days he said confidently. Seeing me trying to construct on my own, the
youth in my neighborhood joined me in my work!!
The spirit of self-help has only to be kindled and supported with full commitment for it to
become infectious. This is possible only if Civil Society and the State are also committed to
self-help, and are able to sublimate the ego of being a giver and helper!

Around 90% of the sheds were completed by the end of November

12

f. Coordination for Risk Assessment of areas under threat of landslides

In the original survey that was conducted by the Geological Survey of India (GSI),
shortly after the earthquake, nine villages were identified as being in need of
relocation. They are vulnerable to mud slides, rock fall or mountain slips that are
expected following the winter
Villages Identified by GSI as being in need for
rains and snowfall.
Each of
Relocation
these villages lies below areas Village
Total No of Houses as per JEs
that have now developed cracks
Seemari
Work on the sheds has started
in the mountain-sides, or lie
Kadama
Work on the sheds has started
below areas with unstable rockDraggad
Work on the sheds has started
slides. While the Government
Gundi Shat
Work on the sheds has started
had arranged alternative stay
Biari (pati of
facilities in relocated lands in Dhringla)
Work on the sheds has started
safer villages for these villages at Pingla Haridal
Work on the sheds has started
risk, there was hesitation, and Batlan
Few sheds have started
resistance to the offer, especially
Few sheds have started in cases
by the maveshis who had land
where families own land in the
and cattle. The facilitating agency Tangdhar Nad
paddy fields
undertook
a
separate
intervention with these villages, whereby each of the villages were met with to
understand their own fear perception, readiness to relocate, and understand the
options they had identified for themselves as being acceptable. The policy was
adapted for these villages whereby if they chose to make their interim shelter in a
safe place themselves, they would not be forced to relocate. A team of geologists
will undertake a risk assessment of the interim sites that the villages have chosen
as also an assessment of options closer to existing areas for the permanent
shelters.
A rigorous consultation must be undertaken with the people living in villages, which have been
prima facie declared unsafe, people should not continue to stay in unsafe areas just because
they could get Rs 30,000 for constructing an interim shed there. Survival is more important
than cash compensation

Abdul Md Khande, DC, Kupwara

5. The Fear of Cold
And last but not the least, the fear of cold
was one of the major factors that led to
speedy construction of interim sheds by the
people. The month of November, 05 was for
the community, the Government and the civil
society organizations, the only period
available to undertake any shelter activity in
the region of Tangdhar.
The fourth Snow fall of the season in
Tangdhar region that blocked the
access roads for 3 days

13

Issues That Have Emerged In The Interim Phase and Would Need
Resolution Before the Permanent Shelter and Habitat Begin.
1. The Relocation Issue

The issue concerning relocation of a few villages which are threatened by landslides and are
residing in unstable land/soil conditions needs to be closely studied, and supported for
appropriate action. Experience and learnings from previous disaster situations reflects in-situ
reconstruction as better than relocation. Relocation, even in cases of extreme damage, is a
messy issue especially with families who have land and cattle. Although the J & K Government
has identified sites for an interim relocation of the affected families, however, those who are
dependent for their livelihoods on livestock and farmland are reluctant to shift completely from
their villages. They may rather choose to stay in lands which are perceived to be safe in and
around their existing village. After the assessment of such villages and dialogue with the
community on their options, and their perceived solutions, alternatives for permanent
settlement will have to be thought of.
2. The Land Issue
In many cases, in the villages where people had no additional land for setting up
their interim sheds, they have built sheds and have been accommodated by their
neighbours or relatives, on agricultural lands. Also in some cases which are not on
the relocation list, families whose houses were on the mountain slopes, and had fully
collapsed have also temporarily shifted to stay in agricultural lands which were
considered safe. However, the agricultural season will begin by April, and the
permanent shelters would not be complete by then. To ensure that there are no
conflict situations during that phase, it is critical that a replanning of land
as also education of the communities is undertaken before the agricultural
season begins, especially in villages such as Kandi, where some families would not
be ready to reconstruct their permanent houses on the mountain slopes again.
3. The Chulha Issue
In the Interim Shelter Programme, though the compensation was based on the
number of houses and not on the number of chulhas, in many cases where the
family size was big, people have built separate sheds, chulha wise as per their
requirement. Many complaints related to this issue were also filed in the Lok
Adalats. In many cases the decision was given in favour of the complainants after
case by case verification. The same issue is likely to arise before the permanent
housing programme begins. Especially since the first installment of the permanent
shelter has already been disbursed, and perhaps spent, the entitled will receive the
remaining Rs. 60,000 for the permanent house. If some basic seismic safe features
have to be ensured, (which would increase the cost of construction) this amount may
be seen as being inadequate for reconstructing exactly the size of house that they
had, which accommodated 2-3 families. It is under these circumstances that the
Chullah issue will resurface again. It may be useful to consider tax exemptions
on material such as steel and cement for the permanent construction, which
may make the construction more cost-effective.

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4. Capacity Building of local masons, engineers for Construction

The quality of cement masonry skills in the region is quite low, and there is a
shortage of masons and carpenters in the area. In order to take up the permanent
housing construction speedily and effectively , capacity building of the engineers,
and especially the masons, and the owners themselves, on seismic safe
features, and retrofitting could be undertaken in the winter months when
shelter activity will be absent. This need was also clearly expressed by the junior
engineers in the coordination meeting at Tangdhar, based on their field observations.
An exposure visit to an earthquake region such as Kutch-Gujarat could be
undertaken by the engineers in particular, during the winter months. Mistakes and
achievements of previous rehabilitation measures will help improve the rehabilitation
process in J&K.
5. Developing a Framework for NGO Involvement In the Permanent Rehabilitation:
The excellent gains of generating a owner-driven approach in the interim
shelter may get lost in the permanent shelter reconstruction process if
NGOs are encouraged to construct permanent houses, or are encouraged
to adopt villages. An appropriate framework whereby NGOs do not get into
construction per se but are adding value to a basically owner-driven
approach set by the State is very important. Such a framework for NGO-GO
partnerships can be very effectively put into place in the winter months for quick
uptake of the permanent shelter phase after the winter months. It was also
observed in the interim shelter phase that some villages were being
oversubscribed by NGOs in terms of material supply (the more accessible
villages), creating inequity amongst villages. A policy framework which ensures
that support from NGOs/INGOs to permanent shelter reconstruction follows
an equitable framework as well as an owner-driven approach would be
desirable. In fact NGO support can be more effectively drawn in through a policy
framework, wherein organizations are empowering and supporting communities
in potential livelihood sectors.

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Annexure 1
Field observations by HunnarShaala team on the type of damage to houses
The houses in Kashmir (in Uri and Tangdar) are made using stone or bricks for the walls, wooden post and beam
structure with wooden flooring and CGI sheet roofs. Most of the houses are G+1 or G+2 structures. The ground
floor is made of stone walls, bricks if used at all are used for upper floors. Over a period of time there has been
deterioration in construction practices and the quality of wooden post and beam frame. This has led to weakening
of the structures. The stone walls in these houses are load bearing but the quality of masonry is very poor. The
corner joints or bond stones are normally missing.
During our visit we found following failures in the structures.
Damage to the walls:
Corner failures
Due to lack of long corner stones, the two walls at corners have been poorly jointed. As a result of
stresses generated during earthquake, the corners have opened up or separated.
Delamination of walls
The two wythes (sides) of stone walls have separated due to shaking in the earthquake. This has
happened primarily due to lack of bond stones. In many cases the outer face of walls has collapsed.
Bulging of walls
Due to lack of bond stones, the stone walls have sometimes bulged from the mid height. As the bottom
part of walls is fixed to the ground and top part is fixed to the roof. The bulging occurs in the Center if no
bond element is present.
Opening cracks
Due to stresses that develop at the opening like doors and windows during the earthquake, there are
diagonal cracks at the corner of the openings if the lintel and sill bands are missing. Traditionally,
Kashmiri houses used to have a continuous wooden lintel but it seems to have been missing as the
building practices deteriorated in last few years.
Damage to the Roof:
The damage to roofs has been primarily due to collapse of walls. Most of the houses have intermediate
roofs with floors of wood and top most roof with CGI sheets. These roofs have better resistance to
earthquake forces and therefore have survived much damage. But in cases where walls have collapsed,
the roofs have come down.
In the houses where wooden post and beam structure was properly made has suffered very little damage.
In past few years, the wooden posts have been missing and also many houses do not have continuous
lintel or roof beams as a result the structural frame that holds the roof has been weak.
Traditionally many kashmiri houses had diagonal bracings in their structural frames but most of the
recently built houses have missed such features and this has caused extensive damage to the houses.

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Annexure 2

INTERIM SHELTER SCHEME BY

GOVERNMENT OF J & K

Rs. 30,000/- WILL BE GIVEN TO EACH FAMILY WHOSE HOUSE IS FULLY COLLAPSED
AND HAS GOT CHEQUE OF Rs. 40,000/-.
IT IS DESIRABLE THAT FAMILIES CONSTRUCT THEIR OWN ATLEAST 200 Sq. Ft.
SHELTERS
PEOPLE CAN SALVAGE MATERIAL FROM THEIR HOUSES OR THEY CAN PURCHASE
NEEDED MATERIAL
TO FACILITATE EASY AVAILABILITY OF MATERIAL GOVERNMENT WILL SET UP
MATERIAL DEPOTS IN TANGDHAR. WHICH WILL SUPPLY
o TIN SHEETS
o WOOD
o CEMENT
IF YOU COMPLETE YOUR SHED BEFORE 30TH NOVEMBER, ON THE COMPLETION
REPORT BY JUNIOR ENGINEER YOU WILL BE GIVEN ADDITIONAL 5000/-.

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Annexure 3

Frequently Asked Questions

Q-1 :
I have completed making my shed will I get the
Government assistance.
Ans-1 : Yes ! You can get the Government assistance. The
following is recommended
A. Your shed is safe from rain & snow. It should have plinth
and sloping roof.
B. Is safe from Earthquake shocks. Shed should have bracing
in walls.
C. Is insulated well from the cold. Wall to have wooden planks
or tin sheets with plywood.
Q-2. I have no land near my house. Can I make my shed
in my farm or elsewhere?
Ans-2 : Yes you can.
Q-3 . How big should my shade be ?
Ans-3: It is recommended that you made at least 200 Sq.Ft.
(10x20 or 12x18)
Q-4. Can I use my material from my broken house ?
Ans-4 : Yes you can.
Q-5. : Will the government give me any material ?
Ans-5 : For easy availability the Government is helping setup
material depots near our villages. The following material will be
available.
Wood
Tin Sheet
Cement
You can also buy material from the market.
Q-6. : How high should my plinth be ?
ANS-6 : Depending on your site it can be anything more than
6.

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Q-7. : My house is in the damaged category. Am I eligible

to get the shed assistance.
Ans-7 : No, only those whose house is in the fully damaged
category can get this assistance.
Q-8 : We are two brothers in one house, will we get
assistance for two sheds ?
Ans-8 : No, you can get assistance for one shed only. The
Government is reviewing this issue after the resurvey.
Q-9 : Is this assistance over and above the 1 lac I will
receive for making my new house.
Ans-9 : Yes, this Rs, 30000 is over and above Rs. 1 Lac you will
get for making your house.
Q-10 Where can I get wood?
Ans10 You can buy wood at the following depots.
1. Tangdhar
2. Khorpora
3. Nowa gabra
4. Kandi
5. Nechyan
6. Chilerkota
7. Baghballa
8. Bhatpora
9. Chanipor pyan
10. Tadd (to be opened)
11. Sikhbridge (to be opened)
12. Teetwal (to be opened)
Q-11 What is the price of the tin sheet available at the
depot?
Ans-11 Tin sheets cost Rs. 437/- per sheet. Each sheet is of
26 gauge thick and 10 feet long.

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Annexure 4
Immediate Rescue and relief operations by the Army in Tandhar Region
The Army played a significant role in the rescue and relief operations which included evacuation of the
injured from Uri, Tangdhar, Baramullah and Kupwara sectors to the field hospitals,
supply of relief aids, clearing the access roads and bridges in the affected areas and
partial restoration of infrastructural facilities in these areas.

The Army, in coordination with the Government of J & K, distributed 97482 blankets
in 37 villages, 552 sleeping bags in 13 villages, 216 tarpaulins in 29 villages, 56
polythene bundles in 10 villages and 4185 tents in 36 villages.
Intervention by NGOs in Tangdhar Region
Action Aid International: Provided 5544 relief kits including food and non-food items to 31 villages, 109 tents
in 8 villages and 635 tins sheets in 8 villages.
Confederation of Voluntary Associations Van Kashmir: COVA-VAN Kashmir set up
committees at the village level to coordinate the distribution of relief material. Each
village was divided into groups of 10 houses each; representatives from these groups
formed a village relief coordination committee (VRCC). One CRCC (Central Relief
Coordination Committee) was made at Karna tehsil level, covering people from all the
42 villages, this has 32 members. The group meets for weekly coordination meetings.
COVA distributed tool kits to 184 families in 26 villages. COVA has also set up a
coordinating/facilitation center for NGOs at Srinagar for comprehensive
rehabilitation work.
CINI / Bhoruka Charitable: Distributed firans, 20 tin sheets each and 20 ft foam each
to 480 families in 6 villages
Inter Vida: Distributed tents, blankets, utensils, food and medicines in 5 villages. With a team of 6 volunteers
and 25 trained labourers, the Organization supported families in 3 villages with temporary sheds. Also supplied
construction material like plywood and tin sheets to vulnerable families
MSF (Doctors without Borders): Distributed 13770 blankets and 8489 ferrans in 19 villages; 1072 mattresses
and 288 stoves in 3 villages; 67 plastic rolls in 18 villages.
Oxfam: Provided house kits in 3 villages namely Sodpura, Hajitra and Dhaani- which included 33 CGI sheets, 16
wooden planks, 14 X 8 ft insulation foam, tool kit and 16 sheets of plywood.
Radha Suomi Satsang, Beas: Set up 11 community centers and schools in Tangdhar region
Save the Children: Distributed 876 family kits in 5 villages, 504 food kits in 6 villages, 8622 blankets, 12328
ferrans and 8547 kangris in 24 villages
World Vision: Distributed 1393 relief kits in 13 villages, 200 tents in 5 villages (437 families) and 10196 sheets
(10 per family) in 12 villages.
Note: HUDCO and Church for Auxiliary Social Action (CASA) also undertook relief and rehab activities in
Tangdhar region, however, due to lack of information we have not been able to include their details in the list.

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