Chandi Technology

Chandi Technology presented at the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Yesterday, the 13th of June was another milestone in Gul Bahao’s history when a meeting was held at the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry to discuss the Chandi technology developed by Gul Bahao during the last 15 years or so. The meeting was attended by Gul Bahao’s Nargis Latif in addition to Mr. Kalusha Kingsley of the United Nations office for south cooperation and Mr. Idrees of the ICCI . The meeting was in fact the culmination of several weeks interaction on the internet. First of all a brief report was presented by Mr. Kingsley which along with photographs described salient features of the new technology:

He said, “Being plastic it is hygienic it is mud houses that are the sources of infection”. “Where there is no illness there is no poverty”, remarked the CEO of Gul Bahao.
It is low cost. A 10×12 room costs as little as 15,000 and easy to put up.
It is strong against the elements viz. wind storms, rains, termites etc.
It is cool in summer and warm in winter. Here Nargis Latif interjected that it is this very quality that has adhered itself to the people of Thar where hundreds of people are anxiously waiting for it.

The CEO of Gul Bahao described the discovery of the Chandi Ghar as phenomenal and totally in sync with 21st century requirements. Addressing the U.N representative Nargis said that by supporting the Chandi technology the United Nations will be coming closer to its cherished Millennium development goals of making life easier for the common man.

Comparing the Chandi technology with the mobile technology, Nargis said that just as the mobile technology has changed the course of human life so too the Chandi block because of its prefabricated and modular nature will bring about another technological revolution. A two story Chandi Ghar can easily be converted into a water reservoir, furniture (including sofas, beds etc ) and vice versa. According to the Gul Bahao head, a significant aspect of the development of this technology has been crores of rupees invested in its research and extension. Looking back into the years 2000-2007, the aftermath of the 9,11 event has been a blot on mankind. At the same time, a lot of money poured into Karachi which became a huge laboratory for Gul Bahao’ s experiments, she remarked. Both the representatives of the ICCI and UNSCC offered to get investment from various sources for developing the Chandi Technology. In addition they agreed to promote it on various international fora in the middle east as well as in the U.S.A. They said videos and large sized photographs would be used in foreign exhibitions. In addition small real life replicas would also be put up in the exhibitions, they declared.

Chandi technology delights people of Thar

In the treeless desert of Tharparkar the scene is the Civil Hospital of Mithi. At the entrance everyone (both rich and poor) stops to stare at a 25×35 ft. silver structure glittering in the hot sun. They have never seen a Chandi Ghar (a product of Karachi) before. As they enter they are pleasantly surprised to find it cool despite the absence of fans and air conditioners.

The Chandi Ghar Rest house, a prefabricated structure was completed in five days by an NGO Gul Bahao on the 12th of April. It is a gift from the middle class civil society of Karachi for the people of Thar. City School Darakshan Campus, Foundation Public School and Rotary Club Defence are the apparent donors of the rest house but silent donors run into hundreds. These include professionals, teachers, businessmen as well as companies who give their commercially viable wastage for free.

The rest house is being used since the day the roof was put in. it is mainly used by the relatives of patients who come to the hospital. A plus point of the structure is its potential to remain clean as the entire structure is made of plastic. There is a total absence of mud or cement. Its sheer novelty is attracting people from far and wide who are now interested in buying this technology to make homes,madrassas,warehouses etc.

In the meantime,the CEO of Gul Bahao has appealed to both the provincial and federal government, Karachi’s businessmen and entrepreneurs to support the Chandi technology which has costed crores of rupees to develop and decades to evolve. Referring to the governments Youth loan program Nargis Latif said that the Chandi technology ( which uses plastic factory waste to make houses,water reservoirs, furniture and rugs) can become a part of the scheme. The best part is that very little investment is required while the market potential is enormous!

Chandi technology being sent to Thar

Yesterday Nargis Latif of Gul Bahao addressed a meeting of the Rotary Club Defense. Nargis said that Gul Bahao has participated in relief work in all major natural disasters that have taken place in the last ten years or so. Be it the earth quake of 2005,floods of 2010,the recent earthquake in Awaran,fires in Shantinagar in Karachi etc. According to her,although in terms of numbers there is no comparison with the immense work done by others (both national and international agencies), Gul Bahaos intervention has been historic nonetheless. These disasters, she said helped in the launching and growth of the Chandi technology,she said. According to her,more than nine crore rupees have gone into developing this technology, while it has taken more than 20 years.

The Gul Bahao head revealed that her organisation is now on the eve of taking off for Tharparkar where the representatives of the Prime ministers relief team have been been anxiously waiting for the arrival of this technology which is eminently suitable for the desert like conditions of the Thari terrain as well as the nomadic lifestyle of the people as the Chandi ghar is portable in nature . What is more, it is cool in summer and warm in winter. According to Nargis Latif Gul Bahao has an ambitious program of giving thousands of Tharis prefabricated Chandi blocks which being modular in nature can be easily converted into rooms, water storing ponds, beds ,tables and sofas . The Rotarians were informed that Gul Bahao will be providing mobile toilets for the women folk which is indispensable for them in the bare,treeless desert. While the Chandi technology has numerous advantages,she said what makes it stand out is the low cost making it very useful for the lower classes.

Appealing to urban based Rotarians Nargis said that it must be realized that if the rural people are not helped during disasters they will have no alternative except to migrate to the cities making them totally unsustainable.Nargis said that the need of the hour is to have more towns and cities all over the country rather than having one or two metropolises. The Chandi technology can play an important role in motivating the youth to move out of the big cities into the rural areas, she said.

Nargis thanked the Rotary Club Defense for helping to finance its relief work for Thar as well as their monetary help in their relief work in Awaran Baluchistan recently. Here it may be mentioned that Gul Bahao in its immediate program for Mithi is being helped by City School Darakshan Campus as well.

Relief for people of Thar

Dear friends, Gul Bahao has been using its Chandi Ghar technology to put up prefabricated structures in disaster affected areas for the last 10 years or so in Mansehra, Muzzafargarh, Thatta, Awaran etc. you will be happy to know that our work is slowly but surely being recognized the world over. Our innovations are such that they can easily be used at extremely low cost and put up in a matter of hours or even minutes to give:

structures-halls,rooms,water ponds,mobile toilets
furniture-beds & chairs
water purifying techniques
cattle feed

an important duty we have assumed is acting as facilitators for relief workers so that they can get their act together. we now appeal to you to help us to help the people of Thar both directly and indirectly by donating what is easy for you by western union. for information about making a donation please contact us or inform us on telephone numbers 021-32250452,0333-8869491, 0300-6628697 or through SMS. Thanking you and god bless you

I am
yours sincerely,
Nargis Latif (managing trustee Gul Bahao)

Chandi Ghar technology discussed with Chief Secretary Sindh

Yesterday, Gul Bahao’s Nargis Latif met the Chief Secretary Sindh Mr.Ejaz Chaudry. She lamented the fact that the government has not been able to take advantage of Gul Bahao’s research work in disaster management and rehabilitation. Nargis said that Gul Bahao had set up Chandi Ghars in Mansehra division during the earthquake of 2005 and then again during the floods of 2010 in Muzzafargarh and Thatta. According to her the Chandi Ghar has taken more than 16 years to evolve and has now won international acclaim through CNN and Voice of America. What is more she said that the educated middle class of Karachi has contributed heavily in Gul Bahao’s research work. Thousands of people living in Karachi have been in involved with their physical labor while others have contributed their hard earned money in it.

Nargis Latif informed the chief secretary Sindh that the Chandi Ghar is ideal for earthquake prone areas. When a conventional house made of bricks is hit by an earthquake it is reduced to rubble and cannot be put up again. On the other hand the blocks of the Chandi Ghar are modular and can be put up again in a matter of hours to form any kind of structure with the minimum of skills even after a massive earthquake strikes it.

The Chief Secretary replied that he had already sent a summary about the Chandi Ghar to the PDMA to coordinate with other relief agencies. Later in the day the managing trustee of Gul Bahao met with the director operations Mr Akhlaque Qureishi director operations of PDMA who assured Nargis Latif that his department would support both the immediate and long term goals of Gul Bahao. i.e helping to put up Chandi Ghars in the earthquake hit areas of Baluchistan and more important to introduce the Chandi Ghar as a model for relief and rehabilitation.

Talking to the press Nargis revealed that Gul Bahao has succeeded in putting up the world’s first Chandi Ghar assembling plant in Karachi. It has access to tonnes of raw material of the Chandi Ghar blocks which are basically left over clean plastic from some big factories of Karachi.