5.3 Solar Colony

Primary Case Studies

Choglamsar, Ladakh

Hindustan Prefab Ltd.

Figure 77: Site for neighbourhood park Source: Author

Figure 78: Row of modules Source: hindprefab.org

The solar colony was planned after the 2010 cloudburst and flood in Leh and neighbouring villages of Ladakh. Several families’ homes were destroyed by the flash-flood and were rehabilitated in the solar colony where Prefab one room houses have been constructed by HPL for the affected people of the region. The one room module along with a small piece of land of 165sqm were allotted to each displaced family who were allowed to build and expand their houses through their own resources over time.

3.1. STRUCTURE:

3.1.1. FOUNDATION: The foundation is created by erecting 9 blocks of RCC on which 3 I-girders are placed on which the floor of the module rests to raise the entire module off the ground. The foundation blocks are 2’x2’ raised to a height of 2’ from the ground.

Figure 79: Foundation blocks Source: Author

3.1.2. MODULE:

Figure 80: Standalone module Source: Author

a) Walls: The module is a cuboid made out of 2 layers of hard PVC with insulation in between on all walls, floor, and roof. It has a base of 3.5m x 4m and a height of 3m. The thickness of the PVC panel is 0.25” and the thickness of the foam insulation in 2”, making the whole wall 2.5” thick.

b) Openings: It has a door on one façade and a window on the adjacent one. The door is made of insulated PVC panels whereas the windows are aluminium casement windows with single layered glass. The fixing of these windows to the module are not properly done in most of the modules, leaving air gaps which lead to leakage of the hot air that is inside and allows the cold air from outside. Due to this issue, most of the tenants have to cover the window with plastic sheets in winters to provide an extra layer of insulation.

Figure 81: Inside of a module Source: Author Figure 82: Frost formation on window Source: Author

c) Roof: The PVC insulated roof provides enough insulation but does not absorb the moisture inside the room that is generated by a traditional heater(bukhari) like the traditional roof in which the mud and hay absorb the moisture. This moisture condenses on the roof and freezes or drips down on the floor and freezes in winters. To counter this, tenants have stopped using Bukhari and use modern electric heaters which consume a ton of electricity and are not energy efficient for such type of climate.

d) Expansion: The module may be attached to a typical brick, timber or brick, RCC. Structure as per the requirements of the tenant family. The family was provided 165sqm. of land on which they may build with their own material and resources. A standard layout plan was provided to the tenants following which they can expand the module to 1/2/3 bhk house. Since the allotment of plots, almost everyone has expanded their homes and some have even removed the module due to its inefficiency in winters to create more room on their plot for construction. 3.2. SERVICES:

a) Toilets: One combined WC, bath is built outside each house in their plots. The use of traditional dry toilets has been prohibited by the Municipal Corporation due to the problem of foul smell to the neighbouring houses. In summers these flush-toilets function normally but in winters, they stop functioning as the water supply through pipes stop as the water freezes inside the pipes because they are not insulated. Due to this issue, a lot of tenants resort to defecating in the open as there are no functioning public toilets in the area too.

Figure 83: Water condensing on the roof Source: Author Figure 84: Water dropping down and freezing. Source: Author Figure 85: Module attached to mud brick, timber structure Source: Author Figure 86: Attachment from inside the house Source: Author

Figure 87: Toilet block on the right of the module

Source: Author

b) Water supply:

Summers- PHE maintained water supply pipelines deliver water to public taps on each street which function from 8am-10am in the morning and 4pm-6pm in the evening. Winters- MC supplies water through water tanks that refill the private water tanks at home once in every 3 days.

c) Electricity:

Summers- The NHPC hydro-power plant at Nimu generates and supplies electricity to the entire region. Winters- The NHPC hydro-power plant generates significantly lesser electricity as all the rivers freeze and this area is not yet connected to the Northern grid like Leh city which provides electricity in case of shortage. Therefore, this area experiences 6-8 hours of power outage every day.

d) Sewage:

Septic tanks and soak pits at every plot which is emptied by the MC and taken to the FSTP near Bomgard, Leh.

e) Garbage disposal:

Door to door truck collection service by the MC which takes the waste to either the Waste disposal site at Bomgard, Leh or the Solid Waste Management plant near Skampari. The complete proposal is for 1281 housing units spread across 11 neighourhoods called ‘mohollas’. From these 11 mohallas, currently only mohalla 1,2, and 11 have been allotted whereas the rest of the area was kept for future expansion.

a) Site Planning: The plots were oriented towards South or South-East to maximum capture of solar radiation in the morning and evenings but due to improper planning of fenestration on the module, the windows in a lot of houses are not facing South and do not allow any sunlight in at all.

After the expansion of most of the houses without any defined setbacks, most of the houses are so close together that they shade each other and do not allow any house to absorb the required amount of solar radiation.

b) Connectivity: Choglamsar is the nearest town outside of Leh city and is very well connected through bus transit to all the neighbouring towns which are located on the Leh-Manali highway. Buses come at the interval of every 15 minutes from 8am to 8pm. Nearest bus stop is at the Choglamsar main market junction. Buses connect to Leh, Shey, Thicksey, Matho, Chushoth, Sabu, Marsala, and Sakthi. There is no other means of public transport. There is no last mile transit system.

b) Social Infrastructure: Proposed infrastructure for the colony- 2 Primary Schools, 1 Nursery School, Club, Medical Dispensary, Nursery School, Police Station, 6 small area parks, 2 large neighbourhood parks, plots reserved for commercial, institutional and religious functions. Existing infrastructure- The PWD was responsible for development of site roads, housing blocks but due to shortage of funds did not build

Figure 88: Solar Colony, Choglamsar- complete proposal Source: Author

Figure 89: Solar Colony, Choglamsar- existing satellite image Source: Google maps

any other infrastructure that was proposed and PWD officials are now looking for other government organizations to step in and build this infrastructure. Therefore, currently all social infrastructure to support the colony is in the neighbouring unplanned colony or near the Choglamsar main market at the Leh-Manali highway. The nearest school is in the unplanned housing colony West of mohalla 11. The central Institute of Budhhist studies is just South of mohalla 8. Nearest police station is near the Choglamsar main market. Nearest monastery is 500m South of the Mohalla 7. There are small neighbourhood shops spread out across the unplanned colony and residents need to go to the Chogalmsar main market, 800m West of mohalla 11 for all other needs.

c) Physical Infrastructure: Proposed infrastructure for the colony- Waste management plant, Petrol pump, Renewable energy centre, Warehouse, Electrical substation. Existing infrastructure- Explained under the 3.2. Services heading.