ECO HABITAT

1. Introduction: The most horrifying tragedy of “Sahnehah-e-Muzzaffarabad aur

Muzafaat” should serve as an eye opener and remind us about the unsustainable
existentialist mode of habitation that we have adopted. It is imperative that we take a
closer look at the unsafe and environmentally damaging practices that we maintain.
2. Importance: We must avail the possibility of making a new beginning by
adopting a 21st Century, Low-Cost but high Tech approach that is closest to Nature and
thus sustainable in order to ensure a safe and comfortable future for our children.
3. Problem: By now we are assured of Global Warming, Unpredictable Weather
Patterns, Increasing Environmental Stress from Pollution and Degradation and potentially
devastating Natural Calamities. It would be wise indeed to take up the challenge and
come up with an adequate response.
4. Background: The Khidmat Foundation (Pakistan & Azad Kashmir) is a ‘Triple
A’ (Appropriate, Adaptive & Applied) R&D NGO with a proven track record and many
years of field trials and development for poverty alleviation and sustainable
development. After 15 years of struggle and Rs. 4 million of recorded expenditure during
the last six years (1999-2005) raised from own sources and earnings, to achieve 18
Interventions and Mechanisms for Community driven Sustainable development,
many of which are essential for Emergency Relief, it is a great pity that there is lack of
response from concerned individuals.
5. Aim: The present concept is to rapidly establish and document a Demonstration/
Proving Project by constructing the Framework for a Low Carbon Building (LCB)
Model Eco Village with complete Sociological; Technological; Environmental and
Economic Interventions consisting of Mechanisms and Practical Products.

MESHAL -E-RAH
1 Semi-Permanent, Low-Cost, Environment Protected
Emergency Shelters. Geodesic Dome or Yurt designs
Winter: Translucent/ Clear Plastic inner (110 gms/ m
for UV protection). Canvas Outer for Night/ Bad
weather.
Summer: Green Shade Material Cover.
2 Earth Quake Proof, Earth Sheltered, Ceramic Adobe,
Passive Solar Construction for Low Carbon Building.
 Homes
 Cold Stores/ Stores
 Factory Buildings
 Schools/ Hospitals/ Sheds
3 The cost benefit advantages of Light-Steel-Frame structures as a direct replacement for building using normal construction and
design criteria, resulting in rather massive, highly reinforced, frames to resist the high seismic loads. of Light-Steel-
Frame building using Composite Action Pre-Fabricated Concepts, for the following reasons.
The forces in seismic zones are directly related to the dead load of the superstructure, therefore the use of L.S.F.
concepts result in a reduction of dead load to approximately one quarter from conventional building, and, of course
considerable saving in foundation costs. L.S.F. structures have inherent flexibility, and resiliency, being a steel structure,
and can be designed and detailed to accommodate seismic forces with a modest premium in basic cost.
An associate of ours has developed these concepts to Low [1 - 2 Story’s], Medium [3 - 6 Story’s], and High Rise
Residential Buildings [up to 25 Story’s], and Commercial Projects to 45 Story’s, modifying details, design, and manufacturing
techniques to accommodate local material, and labor supply methods.
4 Plant Protection Structures
 Environment Protection
 Predator Protection
 Photo Period Control
 Storage
 Sericulture
5 Rapid Compost Pit with Bioaugmentation
Carbon Sink.
6 Integrated Plant Nutrition & Management Systems
 Complete, Eco Friendly Plant Nutrition
 Biological Soil Amendments & Management
 Microbe Management
 Plant Health Therapy.

7 Conservation Irrigation
 Sub-soil (Reticulation)
 Drip
 Sprinkle
 Mist

8 Afforestation, Range & Watershed Management

through protected nurseries.
Hippopchae rhamnoides (turkestanica) Seabuckthorn
Sub-species suited to arid hot summers/ cold winters.
thrives from sea level to 5200 m. Annual coverage
temperature is 0° C -12° C, though it can survive
temperatures as high as 40° C. Minimum temperature
tolerance is as low as - 40° C. Annual precipitation
range requirement is 600 to 700 mm as most suitable.
Precipitation of 300 to 1000 mm range is acceptable.
Soil requirements are well-drained, sandy or stony soils with soil pH range of 5.5 to 8.3. The plant can tolerate salinity of 1.1 %.
The plant has a very strong root system with a taproot of 3 m and horizontal roots of 6 to 10 m. Self-propagation through root
turions enable the plant to produce 10 to 20 generations. The fruit of this plant contains 60 to 80 % juice. This juice has 200 to
1500 mg per 100 g and is rich in vitamins, sugar organic acids and amino acids. The fruit contains 3 to 5 % pulp oil and 8 to 18 %
seed oil rich in unsaturated acids, B- carotene and vitamin E. The leaves contain 11 to 22 % crude protein, 3 to 6 % crude fat and
some flavonoids. The fruit can be used to make soft drinks, health food, medicines and cosmetics. China has a Seabuckthorn
Industry with over 100 factories producing over 200 products with a gross value of about US$ 40 million annually. The leaves
and tender branches are excellent fodder for sheep, goats and cattle. In China 51 species of birds and 29 species of animals are
dependent upon this plant as a part of their food chain.
Nitrogen Fixing Capacity: An 8 to 10 year old Seabuckthorn Forest can fix 180 Kg of nitrogen/ha/year (72 Kg/acre/year or
9Kg/kanal/year).
• Biomass Production: A 6-year-old Seabuckthorn plantation can produce 18 tons of fuel-wood per hectare. Heat value is 4785.5
calories/ Kg. One ton of wood is equal to 0.68 tons of standard coal.
• Erosion Control: Compared to waste land a 7 year old plantation can reduce 99 % runoff and 96 % soil loss.
• Soil Fertility: Nitrogen, phosphorus and organic contents of soil are greatly increased.
• Companion Tree Growth: Pine and Popular when mixed with Seabuckthorn thrive due to nitrogen fixation and protection from
the cover. Chinese results indicate that mixed stands of Pine and Seabuckthorn have 1.3 to 1.7 times higher growth rate.
• Seed (germination rate 80 to 95 % - 1 Kg seed produces 104 to 133 thousand saplings).
• Other Uses: Wind breaks and stream/ riverbank stabilization can be obtained. Seabuckthorn is propagated from:
• Hardwood Cuttings: 2-3 year old shoots, rooting rate is 50 to 70 %.
• Softwood Cuttings: & to 10 cm cuttings with several leaves are used and propagated in plastic film houses for 2 years.
• Aerial Seeding: 400 mm rainfall and 6 to 8 days of continuous cloudy and rainy days are required. At germination rates of 1 % a
density of 1 plant per 10 square meters is used. Pre-germination of seed treated with Natural Rooting and Fruiting Hormones is
recommended.
9 Liquid & Solid Waste Management through
Bioaugmentation
 Rapid Composting
 Settlement Ponds
 Reed/ Plant Beds
 Recycling

10 Water Filtration
 Deionization
 Reverse Osmosis
 Activated Carbon
 Alumina Filters for Fluorides
 Media Regeneration

11 Alternate Energy: Clear Skies Program

 Methane
 Solar (Active & Passive)
 Active Solar Water Pumping/ Battery Charging
(Mobiles/ Torches/ Radios).

12 Roof-top & Surface Water Harvesting

Surface structures can double as Soil Conservation
Measures (Gullying Control).
Rooftop structures double as water storage tanks.
13 Environment Protected Mushroom Growing Structure
“Khumbi Kullah”
Out of Season Mushroom Production for Nutrition
Enhancement. Coupled with Passive Solar Dryers for
long term storage.
14 Intensive Horticulture/ Floriculture/ Orchard
Management

15 Rapid Industrialization through Containerized Units &

Central Training
 Food Processing
 Value Addition
 Manufacture
Conglomoculture: Community Based Production &
Marketing: Improved Sialkot Model.
 Farming
 Processing
 Manufacture
 Marketing
16 Globalization Through Localization
Participative Governance at Village/ Ward Level Using
Structural Deep Democracy (SD2).
17 GIS/ GPS: By rapidly developing a GIS system for the Disaster Area, a clear and precise picture of extent of damage to
determine type of assistance required and also render a transparent account of assistance provided by whom and when can be
easily charted and presented to the Stakeholders who have a right to know.
GPS is being used to drop guided parachutes for supplying US troops with provisions etc in Iraq. Programmed Drop zone
coordinates and motor tugged lines ensure that supplies reach their destination via Sherpa Autonomous Parafoil Delivery System
Units.
18 Web & Documentary Based Distance Vocational & Learning Centers: Commilla Approach, Late Akhter Hameed Khan.
19 Skills/ Technology Receiving & Transferring Centers
 Emergency Shelter. 3 Rs. 45,000.00
Green House 1 Rs. 10,000.00
Compost Pit 1 Rs. 3,000.00
Earth Sheltered, Ceramic Adobe, Passive Solar House Kit + 1 1 Rs. 3,00,000.00
Demo
Bioaugmentation for Solid/ Liquid Waste Processing (Minimum order). Rs. 3,00,000.00
Reed Bed/ Artificial Wet Land for Recycling Sewage Water. 1 Rs. 10,000.00
Alternate Energy for: Solar Pump 1 Rs. 3,00,000.00
Solar Mobile Battery Chargers 200 Rs. 11,000.00
Passive Solar Water/ Space Heating 3 Rs. 150.00
Alcohol Fuel Still with Concentrator Solar Rs. 25,000.00
Heating 1
Vehicle (Hire) 1 x 2 months Rs. 80,000.00
Gen Set & Peripherals 1 Rs. 50,000.00
Foliar Nutrients & Compounds Rs. 10,000.00
Plants/ Cultivation Rs. 50,000.00
Rain Gun/ Drip/ Sub Soil/ Misting Irrigation Rs. 30,000.00
Bore 1 Rs. 70,000.00
Diesel/ K2/ Gas Rs. 10,000.00
Mobilization Rs. 2,00,000.00
Tablet PC Rs. 80,000.00
2 months Pay (at end of each month) 1+ 6 Skilled Rs. 2,00,000.00
Unforeseen/ Admin Rs. 15,850.00
Operating Expense Rs. 2,00,000.00
TOTAL: Rs. 20,00,000.00