Gul Bahao

Into the 21st century with new ideas from Gul Bahao

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.

Gul Bahao CEO describes research work to speaker of the Sindh Assembly Mr. Nisar Khuro

Yesterday Nargis Latif met the speaker of the Sindh Assembly Mr. Nisar Khuro. She claimed that Gul Bahao’s 15 years of research work has brought up practical implementations of the government’s slogan of ‘Roti, Kapra aur Makaan’. In fact she said that it has gone one step ahead and the new slogan is ‘Karachi’s gift to the world’ that “we have come up with solutions which can help to change the world”. Now, she said that the ball is in the court of the government, wherein it can not only change the prevailing conditions of Pakistan but also make a name for itself in the comity of nations.

Speaker Nisar Khuro accepted the invitation to be chief guest at the inauguration of the Gul Bahao complex, Located on Main Rashid Minhas Rd. on Saturday the 29th of June.

Nargis Latif said that in the short run the complex will be doing the following:

  1. Providing cheap housing
  2. Providing cheap raw material for industry
  3. Teaching all and sundry about recycling and different ways income generation.

In the long run Gul Bahao plans to attract businessmen both from the formal and informal sectors and demonstrate how

  1. We can export pre fabricated houses
  2. Prepare cheap fodder for animals
  3. Cheap fuel can be provided for running power plants

Nargis Latif said that today we refer to the Chinese as an example but we forget that China has been built on the edifice of the Chinese revolution which in turn was built on sheer human hand work and no fancy technology was involved. In the meantime Nargis Latif is personally meeting different stake holders to come to the inauguration of Gul Bahao complex which will consist of

  1. Research centre for waste management
  2. Chandi Ghar- plant for pre fabricated construction
  3. Safai/Kamai bank- a collection point for assorted municipal waste

Gul Bahao’s innovations presented to President of The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry

Yesterday, Nargis Latif of Gul Bahao met the president of the FPCCI Mr. Tanvir Sheikh and other office bearers including Mr. Shakil Dhingra at the head office of this premier institution. Nargis Latif said Gul Bahaos 14 years of research and extension has the potential of changing the entire economy of the city. Prominent among its innovations which are directly going to impact the economy she said was the Safai /Kamai bank, the Chandi Ghar or prefab housing, and fuel pack which is fuel for running power plants. Nargis Latif said the factors which have supported these innovations are:

  1. A high level of urbanization and population
  2. Immigrants who are highly innovative
  3. Clear skies for the greater part of the year

Nargis said that Gul Bahao from the time of its inception has been spreading the word that most of municipal waste is raw material for industry which will bring down the cost of production. Its staff of seventy to eighty young men for years has conducted campaigns allover the city motivating junk dealers (with cash as well as gold) to trade in assorted garbage. This methodology ensured that the garbage was clean and fit to be raw material for industry including cottage industry as well as large scale manufacturing industry. Nargis claimed its collection points or Safai/Kamai banks at weekly bazaars motivated women to separate their garbage into dry and wet or so that they would be in prime condition for industry.

As part of the presentation the Managing Trustee of Gul Bahao showed photographs and CDs of the Chandi Ghar, (Prefab Systems), a totally new technology innovated by Gul Bahao which took years to develop. Nargis said these Prefab Systems can become part of large scale manufacture, they may be exported, they may be used in the following situations:

  1. During Haj, a huge market is available for the Pakistani exporters would have a monopoly on this technology.
  2. For relief work in earthquakes tsunami and other natural disasters and wars etc.
  3. For military purposes.
  4. For oil rigging.
  5. Medical camps.
  6. Tourist industries.
  7. For camps in big cities on prime land to be used as election camps, mobile schools, advertising purposes etc.

Nargis Latif regretted that the pioneering work done by Gul Bahao has not received the support it should have from the business community. It has had to borrow from Money Lenders at exorbitant interest rates of 80-120%. The office bearers of the FPCCI gave a patient hearing to Nargis’s presentation . Mr. Tanveer sheikh presented a cheque of Rs. 300,000/- (three lacs) in his personal capacity and promised more help in the future.

Chandi Ghar exhibition on independence day

Gul Bahao in its press release has invited the public to see the latest model of its pre fabricated house on main Rashid Minhas Road. This updated version of the Chandi Ghar comes at a time when the nation is celebrating its 60th birthday. The innovation is remarkable in that no country in the world including the developed worlds China, USA or Europe have come up with anything like this. The structure is composed of wastic blocks and panaflex panels which are in turn made up of plastic, aluminum foil and cardboard residue. The structure is also portable. Following are the improved features of the innovation:

  1. Its modest, humble-looking structure has transformed into one of grandeur; it glitters in the light both inside and outside,
  2. The blocks are covered with silver panels which ensure the longevity of the structure,
  3. The improvement in the roof panel is its water-proof quality, since there is a single panel for the roof which ensures that water does not trickle into the room.
  4. The cost of the panel for the roof has gone down considerably, the roof 10X10 costs as little as rupees 1500, making it extremely attractive for the poor.

Recently the Rotary Club had asked Gul Bahao to come up with the shelter for the flood affected. In response Gul Bahao has put up one such structure in Clifton. It is extremely simple, comprising only of panaflex panels and bamboo sticks. The shelter costs as little as rupees 4000-6000.  These shelters are of the size 10X10, while a room complete with blocks and panels costs between 8000-15000. The shelters because of their low cost can be given to the flood affected on a massive scale. According to Gul Bahao, its research has yielded products which can be used by both the rich and the poor. Gul Bahao has appealed to architects, NGOs, politicians, the media and the Pakistani public to take up this innovation  (research on which has cost rupees 4 crore) as a product coming from Pakistan.