Kudumbashree unit building 123 houses for flood-affected in Alappuzha

A total of 123 houses being constructed by the all-women units of the Kudumbashree Mission for flood-hit in the district are nearing completion.

The houses are being constructed under the aegis of the ‘I am for Alleppey’ campaign of the district administration. Officials said that they hoped to handover the houses to beneficiaries next month.

Sponsored

“All the houses are sponsored by Ramoji Film City. The initial plan was to build 116 houses with a total budget of ₹7 crore. However, we have succeeded in bringing down the cost per house and added seven more houses to the list.

Now, with the construction of 123 houses nearing completion, we hope to build three more houses within the initial budget,” said, Sunil P., assistant district mission coordinator.

Of the total houses, construction of 24 houses have already been completed. Rest of the houses have entered the final phase of construction. The houses are constructed 1 to 1.5 metre above the ground level to prevent it from flooding. Necessary materials can be airdropped on roofs of these houses during an emergency.

Officials said that 415 women had been given training in building construction in the last one year in the district.

Prior to undertaking the project of ‘I am for Alleppey’, the all-women units had constructed 14 houses in different parts of the district. “Constructing foundation to roof, concreting and flooring, the women construction workers have proved their worth in the field. By entrusting the construction to women, we have ensured employment and livelihood to them,” said an official.

The ‘I am for Alleppey’ campaign was launched in September last year to help rebuild the flood-hit district. Since then, it has launched an array of initiatives. Spearheaded by Alappuzha Subcollector Krishna Teja, the campaign has set a target of construction of 500 houses for the flood victims in the district.

Join campaign

Soon after last year’s deluge, many have joined the campaign by donating money for rebuilding damaged hospitals, anganwadis and other public institutions in the district. Cattle has also been donated to dairy farmers in Kuttanad.