Cheap housing solution to slum fires
In April 2013, a fire destroyed a slum cluster in Bawana. Recently, over 1,200 families – at least 4,000 people – lost their homes in a fire in Masoodpur Village. The houses in the slums are built of highly inflammable discarded stuff, including wood, plastics and frayed tent material. Most of the times, the authorities put the reason for fire as “short circuit”. The main cause, almost always, remains unknown.
Professor S R Kale from the mechanical engineering department of IIT-Delhi carried out a study to examine how different structures reacted to fire attacks in various orientations and with different sources of ignition. A slum is usually built with mats, sacks, plastic and wooden columns that impart structural integrity. With such materials, even a spark could start the fire. The study recommended salt and mud coatings on mats which could reduce the flammability of mats, as shown by experiments.
A study commissioned by NGO Hazards Centre also delves deep into ignition and flammability of materials used in jhuggi construction. Dunu Roy from the NGO blames poor urban planning for the fires. He points out that the huts are built in dense areas and are very close to each other. A small fire spreads rapidly, as a result.
Source: The Times of India
Fire, Hazards Centre, Housing, Housing & Land Rights Network, jhuggi construction, NGO Hazards Centre, Slum, slum cluster in Bawana, Urban planning
