Construction accounts for nearly 65 per cent of the total investment in infrastructure. One labour camp serves as a ‘home’ to around 1000 migrant workers for a period of 2-3 years before the they move on to the next construction site. The current generic solution of GI sheets as walls and roofing does not qualify as a thermally comfortable & sociologically adequate solution. We work with developers and contractors together to create change with humane dignified living condition.
Our intervention is to provide a humane & dignified housing solution for our construction labourers. Real estate giants RMZ Corp. and Maia Developers have supported us in this study to come out with practical design solutions. Through our interventions over 20,000 labourers have been impacted so far!
Construction Labor Community at RMZ Azure, Bengaluru
Housing about 500 labourers, the master planning of CLC at Azure included volley ball court acting as an active recreation zone, semi covered gathering spaces, green buffer zones and, separate bath and wash areas. Each space is designed keeping in count the number of persons per room as per standards to reduce overcrowding. The kitchen was planned to comprise a smokeless Chulha, a kitchen garden and an attached storage unit for vegetables. In addition to that, elements like skylights have been used to introduce diffused lighting into the housing units. The units were properly painted and maintained to prevent any probable corrosion.
Nivasa partnered with the NGO Apsa that conducted monthly health camps, ran tobacco-alcohol awareness programs benefiting the labourers. Here collective efforts helped to get ahead of project timelines, inducing a positive behaviour among the fellow workers which in turn improved the attendance due to health betterment, enhancing the overall work output. The intervention proved to have positive impact and JMC continues to implement such labour camps across all of their other projects.
Construction Labor Community at RMZ One Paramount, Chennai
Construction Labor Community at RMZ Nexity, Hyderabad
Construction Labor Community at Maia Pelican Groove, Bengaluru
Construction Labor Community at IKEA, Bengaluru
Construction Labour Community at Boeing, Bengaluru
“Contractors are starting to understand the importance of providing hygienic and properly equipped worker camps especially given the ongoing crisis India is faced with. The workers have responded very well to our initiatives and during this difficult time we were able to keep them comfortable so they would return to work.
We are now following your guidelines for planning our worker camps.
The MAIA team has become extremely conscious and aware of the requirement to uplift the worker status with our continuous involvement.”
Mr. Rishad Khergamwala
Director of Developments
Maia Estates
"After a few months of Nivasa’s & APSA’s work, involvement of safety team in worker welfare increased and the communication gap between the safety team and laborers reduced.
Laborers started owning the site and kept toilets and the bathroom clean after usage”.
Mr. Saravanan
Senior Safety officer
L&W – Project Boeing
Bangalore (Dec 2019)
"After RMZ Azure in all my projects I ensure the labour housing is ventilated with higher roof and windows, surrounded by landscape with separate area for vegetation.
We tie up with nearest health center on regular basis. Every camp has camp in charge, recreational facilities and security.”
Mr. Chidananda Kamath
Vice President
JMC
“With continued involvement of projects team, the maintenance increased, cleanliness level increased by 75 percent.
Sickness used to be 4-5 people amongst 800 nos, per day. It came down to 1 in a month or less, very very minimal!
Workers don't leave the company if good facilities are provided. Attrition is very minimal, less than 5 percent.
Food used to be thrown in open drains leading to a stink. With drains closed, food wastage pick up was organized, leading to no stink or stench. 60 percent gas stoves, so cleaner kitchens.”
RMZ Projects team
Congratulations. Great achievement.
What a great achievement!! Nivasa's passion for innovation is matched by perseverance and total commitment. Many of us who have known Nivasa and it's team and are indeed very proud of it's achievement and well deserved recognition it has received.
Maiya & Girija
"Ms. Akhila Ramesh completed CSIM’s Social Entrepreneurship Outlook Programme with the sixth batch few years ago. She followed through on all her learnings by registering her Trust NIVASA immediately afterwards. Her rare combination of conviction and professionalism secured her the CSIM Fellowship to help her research and develop her ideas on rural housing. She proved herself once again by actually launching her housing project at Thimmaiyanadoddi, overcoming the language and cultural barriers, patiently garnering community support and activating her own professional network for resources and ideas. She is also the recipient of the Sadguru Gyanananda Award, given by our Parent Trust, MSDS, in recognition of her commitment to the development sector.
Akhila’s hard work and innovative ideas are a source of inspiration to all our potential social entrepreneurs and will help to trigger social action for years to come."
- Former Director- CSIM, Bangalore
Aruna Subramanium