Gul Bahao’s Project “Busti-Benazir” presented to Chairman Katchi Abadis, Mr. Pir Baksh Jamali

Yesterday Nargis Latif met the Chairman Katchi Abadis, Mr. Pir Baksh Jamali in his Office and briefed him about Gul Bahao’s upcoming Project “Busti-Benazir”. She explained that there is a pun on the word “Benazir” which means unique. The Scheme located on Rashid Minhas Road, Gulshan-e-Iqbal is actually meant to act as a model for the world and to act as an extension arm for the research work, experiments and innovations of Gul Bahao. These innovations include:

Chandi Ghar – low cost pre-fabricated houses made from non-toxic industrial waste like aluminium foil, shopping bags, thermopole etc.
Income generating activities like making fodder packets, Safai/Kamai banks, an updated version of the Kabarias.
Paaki Pani – a simple water purification technique which is extremely low cost as well.

Nargis said the focus would be on the Chandi Ghar so that a parallel construction industry which could be used in special conditions like military purposes, oil rigging and especially in disaster management and could which could also be used for export purposes as well. Nargis further said that Gul Bahao’s innovations would not only help the country but could also bring much needed recognition and fame to Pakistan.

Mr. Pir Baksh said that he was very much impressed by the briefing and offered to involve Gul Bahao in a low cost housing Scheme in Thatta where the Government intends to build 210 houses on 80 sq.yards plots spread over 10 acres. Mr. Pir Baksh Jamali said the price of the Chandi Ghar Rs.15,000/- (Fifteen thousands) per unit was very attractive. Given the difficult economic conditions, Nargis even offered to make these houses on barter basis. She said if the Sindh Government gives its waste paper to Gul Bahao, the revenue so generated would be used for building the pre-fabricated houses which have tremendous qualities, one of them being longevity.

In the meantime, Nargis Latif met the Provincial Minister Mrs. Tauqeer Fatima Bhutto at the Sindh Secretariat. Ms. Bhutto said she was actively lobbying for the Chandi Ghar and would like one to be put up in Larkana near the mausoleum of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto. She said she was trying to have a “Busti Benazir” put up in the earthquake affected areas of Baluchistan. To this Nargis Latif replied that Gul Bahao has a good deal of experience in working in earthquake affected areas in 2005 earthquake. Then, Gul Bahao’s team had set up several houses in District Mansehra under the supervision of the Army Welfare Centre.

Gul Bahao’s “Choora Chaara” innovation presented to Minister for Women’s Development Mrs. Tauqeer Fatima Bhutto

Last Saturday Gul Bahao’s Nargis Latif met the Minister for Women’s Development Mrs. Tauqeer Fatima Bhutto in her office. Nargis gave a presentation of Gul Bahao’s latest projects related to animal feed called “Choora Chaara” which is being prepared from waste organic material. With the help of slides and photographs, Nargis Latif showed the Minister, the different processes through which organic waste like vegetable and fruit peels are converted to animal feed in a clean and hygienic manner. This is finally packaged to give it a shelf life of weeks and even months. She said the methodology is simple and cost effective and much superior to what the cattle get at the garbage dumps.

Nargis Latif then gave a detailed presentation of the Chandi Ghar, a low cost housing project. Nargis said that Gul Bahao is planning a pilot project called “Busti Benazir” where practical demonstration of Gul Bahao’s innovations would be demonstrated in real life situations. This “busti” would be a pilot project for disaster managment and rehabilitation. The location would be the Kutchi Abadi adjoining thew research center of Gul Bahao opposite Sindbad.

The minister singled out the “Choora Chara” and said it attracted her the most since it could be a source of income generation for women sitting at home. She said that with prices of agriculture related products rising very fast the cheap animal feed would directly help in increasing meat and milk produce. She said that she would talk to the chief minister at the earliest.

In the meantime, Nargis Latif met the Vice Chancellor of the NED University Mr. Abul Kalaam in his office. Nargis Latif said that Gul Bahaos Research Center located in Gulshan-e-Iqbal has attracted hundreds of students from NED, Dawood and Karachi University especially those from the Architecture Departments as well as scores of representatives of the local bodies from all over Sindh. She said that some time ago two Directors of the Clinton Foundation Mr. Christopher Godlove and Mr. Alex Hurd met Nargis Latif at the Sheraton Hotel in Karachi and held detailed discussioin with her about Gul Bahao’s work on waste management. Mr Godlove had been especially impressed with the Chandi Ghar (which is made of inorganic waste) and admitted that it was unique in the World .

Mr. Abul Kalam said that Gul Bahao’s Safai/Kamai bank interested him a good deal and he would ask the State Bank to give recognition to this new concept of a bank. He offered to give his university’s recyclable waste as a source of funding to Gul Bahao.

Nargis Latif pointed out to the Vice Chancellor that research is not only that which takes place in the protected confines of the university laboratories but the bazaars, the cottage industry and the informal sectors are some of the most vibrant places of innovations and new ideas. Agreeing, the Vice Chancellor said that what Gul Bahao is doing comes under the domain of applied research. Professor Sarosh Lodhi the chairman of the department of civil engineering of NED invited Nargis to speak to his students about her different research projects.

Zakaat collection during ramazan

Gul Bahao’s Nargis Latif has during the holy month of Ramazan been meeting important personalities of the city, wherein she has been outlining the organization’s several innovations which according to her can easily turn the economy around.

Recently Nargis Latif met the chairman of the Site Association Mr. Nisar Sheikhani and briefed him about how Gul Bahao’s campaign of “you give us garbage, we give you gold” has yielded fruits for the business community as now they have access to cheap but good quality raw material. Nargis said that many Karachites are aware of the fact that for two years more than seventy young men from Gul Bahao used to collect assorted garbage from junk dealers in their Suzuki and Mazda trucks from all over the city, exhorting junk dealers to trade in every day waste material instead of restricting themselves to furniture and household items. Along with cash they used too give twenty four carat gold as an added incentive. The result was that more and more junk dealers started dealing in waste material which is in fact raw material for industry.

No doubt scavengers in the city were already collecting waste material from garbage dumps but Gul Bahao brought up a new brand of waste collectors and a system which was cleaner more organized and in line with the civilized worlds’ methodology of separation at source.

With the fall in the rupee value and imports becoming less competitive the sale of local waste material has risen to unprecedented heights. This has not only favored the middleman, the small businessman but has also led to the availability of cheaper alternative to imported waste material. In other words this is going to have a very good effect on our local industry as with imports becoming expensive local industry is bound to gear up. Nargis claimed that the easy availability of raw material for industry is to some extent the result of Gul Bahao’s years of hard work and sacrifice.

Fuel Pack for thermal power generators

In a press statement Gul Bahao has said that the “Fuel Pack” that it has made from waste material could help to solve the acute problem of electricity, the city is facing. According to Gul Bahao it is an environmentally friendly alternate fuel, a good substitute for oil, because it does not give out any toxic fumes, at the same time is cheap and easily available. It can be easily used as fuel for thermal power stations.

Giving the background of the “Fuel Pack” Gul Bahao has said that in 2006 it was collecting different kinds of industrial waste during the months of February to April from 80 factories of the EPZA by means of 8 trucks on daily basis and it has been conducting experiments on them ever since. Techniques used were those that have been developed by Gul Bahao for making its famous “Wastic Blocks”. The “Fuel Pack” is a block weighing ten to twelve kilo of size 6 inches by 17 inches by 21 inches. It consists of clean non toxic industrial waste like bits of wood, paper, cloth etc. which are not mixed up with putrefying waste. A protective covering of aluminum foil which is fire resistant is put on the blocks which also give it an aesthetic look.

The blocks have been used as fuel in different places which gave extremely good results. One well known industrial company even volunteered to market it. Considering the grave power situation, Gul Bahao has asked the Government to consider its “Fuel Pack” as fuel for thermal power stations. The advantage of this alternative fuel is its easy availability as well as its low cost.

Here it may be mentioned that Gul Bahao has been experimenting with waste material for the last thirteen years and so far has spent 4 crore rupees. It has had as many as 80 people working in a single day. It has also succeeded in establishing Pakistan’s first Research Center for waste management.

Gul Bahao research center inauguration by sindh assembly speaker

Yesterday Gul Bahao’s Research Center was formally inaugurated by the Sindh Assembly Speaker Mr. Nisar Ahmed Khoro. This is part of the Gul Bahao’s Complex located on a two thousand sq.yards plot on main Rashid Minhas Road. A crowd of more than three hundred people welcomed the Speaker on his arrival. The atmosphere was that of a mela with music blaring away and people coming in and looking at the different exhibits of the NGO. Amongst them were:

The FUEL PACK – block containing inflammable waste material which it was said could be a cheap substitute for running thermal power plants.
CHOORA CHARA – packets containing dry fodder for live stock.
A MOBILE TOILET for females.
PAKI PANI – a simple water purifying method.

However the biggest crowd puller was the CHANDI GHAR. This as well as the Hall used for the occasion were made of pre-fabricated material, innovated by Gul Bahao.

A major event of the occasion was the public meeting addressed by the leaders of the civil society. Nargis Latif pointed to the banner placed behind the dais which read “Karachi’s gift to the world”. She said we have been following the rest of the world specially the West for a long time. She said Gul Bahao for the last fifteen years tried to reverse the trend. It is only today that it has succeeded in attracting the attention of the Government. Nargis lamented that though the NGO has spent not less than four crore rupees on its research activities during the last ten years it received only Rs. 15000/- from the previous Government.

The Speaker of the Sindh Assembly Mr. Nisar Khoro described Gul Bahao’s Chandi Ghar as a “modern Juggi”. He said that a cemented house has become unaffordable for the poorest of the poor but now at least they will be able to give a dwelling safe from the elements for as little as 7-8 thousands rupees, the cost of a Chandi Ghar. The Speaker referred to Nargis Latif as a “jununi” or mad. He said only a person with deep commitment could take up the monumental task of doing what she is doing. Other speakers included Mr. Ashraf Nawaz of Pakistan Help Line, Mr. Habibuddin Junaidi, a well known leader of Pakistan Peoples Party and a number of leaders from the Seraiki Community. The Hall kept reverberating with slogans in favour of Peoples Party.