M.S.

SWAMINATHAN RESEARCH FOUNDATION

SHOWCASING INNOVATIVE ‘GREEN
HOMES’ FOR SUSTAINABLE TRIBAL
DEVELOPMENT

Case study from MSSRF, CAbC, Wayanad

MS Swaminathan Research Foundation Sustainable Tribal Development Programme
Community Agrobiodiversity Centre. Team - Dr. C. S Chandrika, Vipindas, Babu P.C
M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) has made new stride in introducing eco-technology ori-
ented green architecture technology for tribal housing in Kerala as part of sustainable tribal development
programme. MSSRF has built ten ‘Green homes’ at Kairali Adivasi ooru in Moopainadu Grama Panchayath
in Wayanad District with the financial support of State Tribes Development Department (STDD) and it was
implemented with the technical partnership of ‘Vasthukam’, the green architects group based in Thrissur
spearheaded by renowned Green architect P.K.Sreenivasan.
Before triggering this project, MSSRF had implemented a comprehensive livelihood development project in
the same hamlet with the financial support of STDD wherein two infrastructures were built using the green
architecture technology. One was a Common Facility Centre (CFC) with a built area of 457 sqft and the oth-
er was a mushroom production centre with a built area of 350 sqft. Five tribes-women and five tribes-men
were imparted with skill training in green architecture technology with stipend provision. The introduction
of Green home architecture technology has enabled to demystify and disseminate the technology among the
most marginalised Paniya tribal community. When the construction progressed with their participation and
involvement, they become much more aware and convinced about the feasibility and viability of the tech-
nology and started placing their demand for mud houses for dwelling in. This was the genesis of the ‘Green
home’ project.
The eighty tribal families of this hamlet have been living here for the past 12 years by ‘capturing’ the forest
land under the aegis of a political party as part of tribal land struggle movement which was emerged in
Kerala during 1990’s. Later on, this land was assigned to all the families who claimed the land in 2008 under
the Forest Rights Act 2006. This forest land spreads over in three hillocks with an area of 32 hectares and it
situates far from the main road connectivity. The inhabitants have been living in make shift houses and in
sheer lack of all basic infra structure facilities such as sanitation, inner pathways, electricity, safe drinking
water, road etc. In fact, it was not possible to build houses for these families with usual construction materials
like boulder and bricks because of the remoteness and the extremely challenging geographical difficulties of
the hamlet. Mud architecture technology was the only plausible option for building houses here so that MS-
SRF suggested Green architecture technology for housing in the hamlet to the Kerala State Planning Board.
 Policy change and Paradigm shift in integrated tribal
development
“Apparently, this is the only viable technology for remote ar-
eas and in forest fringes where tribes- people happened to be
settled. MSSRF could make a paradigm shift in the concept
of integrated tribal development in the State by introducing
Green Homes for tribal housing. MSSRF wanted to sustain
the results of the livelihood development project implement-
ed in the hamlet during 2012-13. MSSRF’s persistent ne-
gotiation with Chief Minister, concerned department Min-
ister, officials and State Planning board member to enhance
the existing unit cost from Rs 2.5 lakhs to Rs 4.24 lakhs the
actual cost required for the construction of a 350 sqft built
earlier make shift house area Green Home, highlighting the difficulties of remoteness
and excess labour cost that would be incurred has been considered positively. It is a noteworthy change in policy de-
cision making not only in the aspect of accepting the concept of ‘Green homes’ but also enhancing the unit cost to Rs.
4,24,430/- for 357 sqft plinth area by including components of remoteness, transportation, livelihood and awareness”,
said Dr. C.S.Chandrika, the Principal Scientist of MSSRF and Principal Investigator of the Green home project.”
Dr. N. Anilkumar, Director MSSRF CAbC added that “Since more than 60% of the construction cost is spared
for labour cost, the large chunk of the construction cost is circulated among the inhabitants of the hamlet. Apart from
that, they got the opportunity to acquaint with the well sophisticated mud architecture technology which in future
could turn out to be a labour bank of green architecture skilled persons leaving scope for new livelihood means”.
Rammed earth construction technology was used for the basement and foundation and cob construction
for the walls. Hard wood was used for the construction of windows and doors. Matured coconut palms were used as
raptors. The houses were plastered with different colour mud available in the hamlet. Both rough and smooth mud
plastering methods were used. The house consists of one bedroom, one multipurpose hall, kitchen and toilet.
P.K.Sreenivasan the chief architect of ‘Vasthukam’ said, “The purposes of the houses are to make a comfort-
able living space for tribes-people. This will signal the best adaptive technology for building construction in the wake
of climate change as well. No one would demolish and dispose my house for their temporary pecuniary benefits. ”
He added, “Mud is not a new material in the construction field, it was part of the age old practices of construction of
houses and rural life and culture. Tribes - people have much cultural affinity to this construction material. But the
onslaught of mainstream development interventions and the advent of new construction technology using bricks and
cements became popular, the tribal culture and their traditional technologies were marginalized and has slowly faded
in to oblivion. Often, the tribes-people are forced to accept the houses built with concrete materials which are totally
alien to them. The aversion and alienation to such structures has even resulted in the demolishing and disposal of
houses built for them by contractors using government funds.”
 Project team of MSSRF with P.K Sreenivasan and ten green home beneficiaries

Creating a replicable model for tribal housing

Veliyan, oorumooppan of the hamlet and members of ten families who got the multiple
benefits of the Green homes expressed their immense pleasure. “We will live in these houses
happily because this is the ideal house for living comfortably. It is very cool and strong. We have
involved in all the processes of construction of our houses. We have got decent wages, skills and
knowledge in building our own houses. Now we know rammed earth basement, foundation and
cob wall construction which would help us to maintain our house properly.” Oorumooppan add-
ed that all other families in the hamlet are now asking for mud houses and they are waiting for it
with much hope.
P.K. Jayalakshmi, Minister for Welfare of the Scheduled Tribes, handed over the houses to
the ten families at a function organized in hamlet on 4th July 2014 who expressed her happiness
and satisfaction openly. She congratulated MSSRF team for implementing such an innovative
venture and said that this was a replicable model in the realm of tribal development.